Short break that wont cost too much???

I know that I am asking a difficult question but is it possible to get a few cheap days on the snow?
Due to young family myself and a few other lads always go for 3 or 4 day trips to the snow and it usually costs far more than a week package trip. I know that with charter flights and week long accommodation the tour ops can offer such good deals but I am gonna try my best not to break the bank this winter.
I have booked for a 3 day trip to Meribel in December which is far from cheap and have to organise another trip the early part of March.
Another problem for us is that as we are flying from Dublin we are very limited to ski airports now as our good friends at Ryanair have cancelled flights from Dublin to Greoble and Salzberg to name just two. Geneva,Lyon, Munich and Milan are the only airports that we can get to handy enough.
We can all ski pretty much wherever we go but anywhere with a good mix of pistes is perfect for us.
So any suggestions?
All help greatly appreciated.
Gar.

I feel for you Gareth,

If it were me I would start with flight. Best value route.
Then a resort as close as possible to airport.
Then start looking for self catering accomodation that is owner rented.

Owners abroad and people like this are your friend here.
Reason being that renting suitable sized accomodation is probably going to be the easiest part. OK - have to pay for a week but so what?

For example - Dublin - Geneva - Portes du Soleille (anywhere) for example.

Loads of resorts close to Geneva - http://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Airports/Geneva.html for the list. Bound to be some good value accomodation in one of these.

Not so many resorts close to Lyon or Milan. Don't know the Austrian end of things very well so won't comment.

Proximity to Airport means either public transport or inexpensive mini bus type transfer.

Yeah, I would advise you to fly to Geneva and look around in the Portes du Soleil area. Lots of nice places to stay/ski.

Cheerz,
Stefan

Thanks guys. We usually fly to Geneva and have been to Morzine which was reasonable enough cost wise but we had to get the bus to Avoiraz every day to ski as snow cover was not great so low down.
I a really wondering if anyone who might do something similar has any other ideas?

You could fly to Nice. That's right Nice, from there get the train http://www.limonepiemonte.it/turistico/index.php?options=com_limone&view=articolo&idArticolo=61&lang=en to Limone http://www.riservabianca.it/ where it's possible to get 2 days half board including lift pass (exc. weekends) from 121 Euro or 4 days (inc. weekends) from 239. If there are enough of you they might do a 3 day package http://www.hotelskipass.com/eng/offerta.html

When it snows there it can really snow.

Munich is a good airport to arrive at. There is a station in the airport, train departures are frequent, and do not cost too much. From the airport station, you can get to Kufstein, then taxi to the Skiwelt. Further down there is Worgl station, change to go to Kitzbuhel, or taxi up to Niederau. Further along the line you can access Alpbachtal, Zillertal, then Innsbruck.

Costs are about 30/35Eu train fare and 15/20Eu taxi, (each way) For a 3/4 day trip, I would consider a low cost car hire.

Accomodation should be about 23/27Eu B&B. It is cheap to eat and drink in Austria. I paid 45Eu HB in Scheffau at New Year, normal would be about 35/40Eu.

Mind these are among the lowest cost in the area, based on years of errm, "research"!

Accomodation location is critical when on a short visit, ~ you do not want to spend time on a bus when you you could be on the gondola.

In early March, snow is invariably there in Tirol.

Geneva is not just the gateway to the PDS.
You have the GM on your doorstep too and Cham not to far away.

Hey Gareth,
I've done a few short breaks
One to Alagna in Italy - fly to Milan Malpensa
Two to Foppolo - fly to Bergamo
Two to Samoens France - fly to Geneva.

Alagna lovely place, but absolutely freezing and blizzard conditions so links to Champoluc and Gressoney closed exept for 1 st day. Quite a long way from airport for short break so didn't go back.

Foppolo - went with a group, ok, but limited and twice was once too often.

Samoens (and this is where I know I always rate the place) but you did ask for suggestions.
10 of us stayed in chalet and apartment Les Terrases. 3 night break.
http://www.samoenschalet.com/
Emailed the owner asking if short break available. We went early Jan and not too busy, so he was happy to do it.
Booked a minibus for transfer to resort. Flight from Bristol 7 am. On slopes by 2pm.
Had 3.5 days skiing for 4 days off work.
Catering. We made a list of stuff to take in advance, milk (frozen, stuffed in ski boot!) tea bags, coffee, cakes etc. And shared it out between us.
Had a kitty for food. A couple of nice restaurants in the village.

Caught an evening flight home.
All very successful.
We chose Samoens because one we like it and two we knew our way around so didn't have to spend ages reading maps.

It definitely didn't cost as much as a weeks skiing, but we were very lucky with flights being cheap at that ti e in te season.
Good luck :D
Dids