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Ski, mountains & expeditions editor

Thomas

Thomas is happiest above the tree line or below the Antarctic Circle. He writes our ski, mountain and polar expedition guides.

Thomas looks after everything cold and high on Seek Holidays: ski resorts in Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland, the Dolomites and the French Alps, Iceland and Svalbard, and the big one, Antarctica.

He writes for people who want the honest version: which resorts genuinely suit beginners, what a ski week costs once lift passes and hire are added, when the half-term premium is worth paying, and how an expedition cruise price breaks down from the cabin to the flights to Ushuaia.

What Thomas checks before he publishes: lift pass price lists, resort altitudes and snow-sure periods, expedition season dates, and the rules that change (helmet laws, insurance requirements, landing restrictions).

Ask him about: first ski trips, February half-term, choosing a cabin on a polar ship, and the Northern Lights.

Thomas's articles

A groomed ski piste with signposts on the Stubnerkogel above Bad Gastein, AustriaDeals & Savings

Half-term ski deals

Half-term is the priciest week to ski. Here's how UK families can still find value in February 2027: timing, resorts…

Thomas · 3 min read
The jagged Vestrahorn mountain wrapped in cloud above a calm, reflective lagoon, seen from Iceland's Ring Road in the south-eastInspiration

Ring Road or Golden Circle

Should you drive Iceland's full Ring Road or stick to the Golden Circle and south coast? Distances, seasons, costs and…

Thomas · 4 min read
Skiers and snowboarders on a wide groomed piste at the Kreuzkogel in the Sportgastein ski area, AustriaSki & Snow

Cheap skiing in Austria

How to ski Austria for less in 2026/27: the cheapest weeks, good-value resorts, lift pass prices and the small savings…

Thomas · 4 min read
Close-up of red and white ski bindings mounted on a pair of skisSki & Snow

Ski packing list

A practical ski packing checklist: clothing layers, what to hire rather than buy, documents, insurance and the small…

Thomas · 4 min read
Green northern lights swirling across a starry night sky over a dark landscape in IcelandInspiration

Northern lights holidays

Where and when to see the northern lights from the UK: Iceland, Tromsø, Lapland and Swedish Lapland compared, with tips…

Thomas · 4 min read
A gentle snow-covered slope with a piste sign under blue skies at the Heidi Alm ski area in the Nockberge mountains, Carinthia, AustriaSki & Snow

Beginner ski resorts

Ten European ski resorts where first-timers find gentle slopes, good ski schools and easy logistics, with honest pros…

Thomas · 4 min read
A polar bear walking across sea ice near SvalbardExpeditions & Cruises

Svalbard vs Antarctica

Polar bears or penguins? We compare Svalbard and Antarctica on wildlife, cost, travel time, seasons and the overall…

Thomas · 4 min read
A small expedition ship in an Antarctic bay framed by the tail fluke of a diving humpback whaleExpeditions & Cruises

Antarctica cruise cost

What an Antarctica expedition really costs from the UK in 2026/27: voyage prices, flights, extras and how to pay less…

Thomas · 4 min read
View from a snowy ski slope down to the village of Gosau and the surrounding mountains in AustriaDeals & Savings

When to book skiing

Early-bird or last-minute? When to book a ski holiday for the best price, and which weeks of the 2026/27 season give…

Thomas · 3 min read
Gentoo penguins on rocks beside the icy water of Paradise Bay, AntarcticaExpeditions & Cruises

Best time for Antarctica

When to go to Antarctica: what you'll see from November to March, how weather and prices change, and which month suits…

Thomas · 3 min read

Guides by Thomas

Gentoo penguins on rocks at Waterboat Point with an expedition ship and snow-covered mountains behindCountry guide

Antarctica

The ultimate once-in-a-lifetime trip: penguins, whales and towering icebergs on a small-ship expedition to the White…

The caldera of Deception Island with dark volcanic beaches, snow and the bay of Port FosterNature

Deception Island

A flooded volcanic caldera in the South Shetland Islands, entered by ship through a narrow gap called Neptune's Bellows.

The high-altitude ski resort of Val Thorens surrounded by snow-covered slopes and mountainsSki area

French Alps

Vast linked ski areas, high-altitude snow and easy rail access: how to choose the right French Alps resort for your ski…

Snow-covered mountains and the frozen fjord around Longyearbyen, seen from above in winterLandmark

Longyearbyen

The main settlement of Svalbard, a frontier town of colourful houses at 78°N, and the starting point for Arctic…

Gullfoss waterfall plunging in two stages into a deep canyon in south-west IcelandNature

Golden Circle

Iceland's classic day trip from Reykjavík, linking the rift valley of Þingvellir, the Geysir hot springs and Gullfoss…

Kirkjufell mountain reflected in still water on the Snæfellsnes peninsula in west IcelandCountry guide

Iceland

Volcanoes, waterfalls, glaciers and the northern lights, just three hours' flight from the UK.

Bathers in the milky-blue water of the Blue Lagoon with steam rising from a geothermal plant behindNature

Blue Lagoon

Iceland's famous geothermal spa, with milky-blue water in a black lava field on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

The jagged Langkofel (Sassolungo) group rising above snowy slopes near the Sella Pass in the DolomitesSki area

Dolomites

Pale pink peaks, the Sella Ronda and superb mountain food: how to plan a ski or summer holiday in Italy's Dolomites.

View over the colourful rooftops of Reykjavik towards the bay and Mount Esja from the Hallgrímskirkja towerCity

Reykjavik

Iceland's compact, colourful capital and the perfect base for the Golden Circle, lagoons and Northern Lights hunting.

Snow-covered slopes and ski lifts on the Hintertux Glacier beneath a rocky summitSki area

Hintertux Glacier

Austria's only glacier ski area open every day of the year, at the head of the Zillertal in Tyrol, topping out at…

The Geirangerfjord winding between steep green mountains, seen from the Flydalsjuvet viewpoint above GeirangerCountry guide

Norway

Dramatic fjords, the northern lights and Arctic wilderness, from easy city breaks to polar bear expeditions.

Staubbach Falls plunging from a sheer cliff above the village of Lauterbrunnen in a green Alpine valleyCountry guide

Switzerland

The Matterhorn, glacier-fed lakes and the world's most scenic railways, with high, snow-sure ski resorts.

The Matterhorn rising above the snow-covered village of Zermatt on a sunny winter daySki area

Zermatt

Car-free village under the Matterhorn with high-altitude skiing, glacier slopes open year-round and a link to Italy's…

The lakeside village of Hallstatt with its church spire beneath wooded mountains, seen from Lake HallstattCountry guide

Austria

Snow-sure ski resorts, imperial Vienna and lake-and-mountain summers, all around two hours' flight from the UK.

Skiers on a snowy slope beside a chairlift above a sea of clouds in the Zillertal, TyrolRegion

Tyrol

Austria's ski heartland: big linked areas, glaciers that open early, easy transfers from Innsbruck and lively après.

A cable car and pylon in front of the pyramid-shaped Matterhorn above ZermattViewpoint

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

Europe's highest cable car station, on the Klein Matterhorn above Zermatt, with views of 38 four-thousand-metre peaks.

The winding road to Sa Calobra snaking through the limestone peaks of the Serra de TramuntanaNature

Serra de Tramuntana

A UNESCO-listed mountain range of stone villages, olive terraces and hairpin roads along Mallorca's north-west coast.

The jagged granite spire of the Aiguille du Midi rising above the clouds in the Mont Blanc massifViewpoint

Aiguille du Midi

A record-breaking cable car from Chamonix to a granite needle at 3,842m, with close-up views of Mont Blanc.

Aerial view of the snow-covered Nathorst glacier on Svalbard glowing under the midnight sunRegion

Svalbard

The High Arctic within reach: glaciers, polar bears, walrus and midnight sun, with expedition cruises from Longyearbyen.

Rugged volcanic ridges and rock formations above the Llano de Ucanca plain in Teide National ParkNature

Teide National Park

Spain's highest mountain rises from a lunar landscape of lava fields and rock towers in the heart of Tenerife.

The jagged Odle peaks seen from the Seceda ridge, dusted with snow above a green valleyViewpoint

Seceda

A grassy ridge above Val Gardena that drops away in a dramatic wall of jagged peaks, reached by cable car from Ortisei.

Expedition ship bow and a Zodiac crossing Paradise Bay with snow-covered mountains and icebergs on the Antarctic PeninsulaRegion

Antarctic Peninsula

Penguins, whales and vast ice: the most visited part of Antarctica, reached by expedition ship from Ushuaia.