Winter stays remain marked by profound inequalities. Alone 9% of French people go on vacation to the mountains between December and March, according to a survey by the Research Center for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions (Crédoc) published in 2024. Among them, 20% of executives and 17% of high-income householdsagainst only 6% of popular categories.
This discrepancy is primarily explained by the high cost of snow holidays. In addition to transport and accommodation, you must add the price of ski lifts or even the rental or purchase of equipment. According to a study carried out by Abritel, the average budget reaches 729 euros per person for a week of skiing. A considerable sum which forces the most precarious to give up on leaving. Low-income households, particularly those with children, can turn to some help to plan a stay despite a tight budget.
Public and professional aid
Several public schemes can reduce the cost of a stay. The Family Allowance Fund (CAF) offers two main types of assistance: Children’s Vacation Assistance (AVE) and Family Vacation Assistance (AVF). This support dedicated to beneficiaries depends on the family quotientwhich must remain below a threshold set by each department, generally understood between 700 and 800 euros. When a stay is booked with a Vacaf-certified organization, the support can reach 70% of the total cost of the stay.
L’National agency for holiday vouchers (ANCV) also supports young adults aged 18 to 25 with his program Departure 18-25. It is open to scholarship students, apprentices, civic service students or job seekers whose reference tax income is less than 17,280 euros for one part.
Holiday vouchers complement these measures. Distributed by the employer or the social and economic committee (CSE), they can be used to pay for accommodation, transport or certain activities. THE employers finance between 50 to 80% of their value, depending on the salary of the beneficiary. In some territories, the CAF or MSA also grant them to the most modest families.
Solidarity initiatives
Beyond public aid, several solidarity actors also allow families in difficulty to leave for a few days. For example, Secours populaire organizes supervised stays for children, families, but also for seniors. The association also offers a welcome to volunteers. To find out if your situation allows you to access it, you should contact your local branch. Secours catholique works in the same way, with its “solidarity holidays» built around solidarity welcomes by volunteers. If this system works mainly for summer holidays, certain branches can also offer stays in winter.
For its part, the National Agency for Holiday Vouchers manages the Solidarité Vacances Exchange. This system dedicated to people in situations of precariousness allows them to access stays at very attractive prices. To benefit from it, applicants must go through a partner social referent of the ANCV.
Finally, some municipalities can grant exceptional aid via their municipal social action center. A call to the town hall allows you to find out if local support exists and how to request it.
