Where to Ski And Snowboard - Bardonecchia and Bansko offer best-value skiing

Bardonecchia and Bansko offer best-value skiing

15th October 2018, by Abi Butcher

The Italian ski resort of Bardonecchia is one of the cheapest in Europe

Bardonecchia and Bansko have come out on top as the cheapest ski resorts in this year’s Ski Resort Report from Post Office Travel Money and Crystal Ski Holidays.

The 12th annual Ski Resort Report, published at the weekend, found that Bansko in Bulgaria is the cheapest place to ski and that Italy is the cheapest ski destination overall — with four resorts in the “best value top ten”. Sestriere, La Thuile and Cervinia are all rated as offering some of the best-value skiing out of the 31 ski resorts surveyed — 25 in Europe and six in North America.

The research has found that prices have fallen slightly in some resorts — with a week’s ski holiday essentials including ski hire, lift pass, ski lessons, lunch on the mountain and drinks costing just £405 for one person in the Bulgarian resort of Bansko. The biggest price fall is in Austria where visitors can expect to pay around four per cent less in Tyrolean Ellmau than a year ago.

By contrast, prices have risen in other resorts. The “best value top ten” list includes no ski resorts in France — the cheapest of five different French resorts surveyed by Crystal Ski Holidays staff, where prices have risen 7.6 per cent since last year.

This year’s report features five new European resorts — Garmisch Partenkirchen in Germany, Grindelwald in Switzerland, Rauris in Austria, Trysil in Norway and Vemdalen in Sweden. Vemdalen, somewhat surprisingly perhaps for Sweden, comes out fifth overall, ahead of many other Italian, Austrian, French and Swiss resorts.

However, it’s important to note that only a small sample of resorts were tested — smaller tour operators would argue that small ski resorts offer better value than any of the better known ski resorts among the British market. For example, the Haute Maurienne Vanoise represents excellent value compared to any of its Tarentaise neighbours — where Crystal ski resorts staff reported some of the biggest price rises. Val d’Isère is quotes as cost up to 13 per cent more this season — with the same “ski holidays essential package” likely to set you back £884, placing it 22nd in the table.

Andrew Logan of Post Office Travel Money said: “With growing pressure on the holiday purse, resort costs should be a key factor in deciding where to ski this season. Sterling is currently stronger against currencies for most European ski resorts compared with last year, so it is local prices that will make all the difference. We found big variations in costs across the Eurozone so we urge people to do their homework before booking.”

Ski Resort Report 2018 Top 20
For the full findings visit postoffice.co.uk/skireport2018

1. Bansko (Bulgaria) — essentials ski package cost: £405.20
2. Bardonecchia (Italy) — essentials ski package cost: £451.66
3. Kranjska Gora (Slovenia) — essentials ski package cost: £451.86
4. Vemdalen (Sweden) — essentials ski package cost: £514.17
5. Rauris (Austria) — essentials ski package cost: £522.29
6. Ellmau (Austria) — essentials ski package cost: £526.95
7. Sestriere (Italy) — essentials ski package cost: £528.94
8. La Thuile (Italy) — essentials ski package cost: £554.61
9. Soldeu (Andorra) — essentials ski package cost: £588.96
10. Cervinia (Italy) — essentials ski package cost: £606.15
11. Morzine (France) — essentials ski package cost: £607.75
12. Ruka (Finland) — essentials ski package cost: £614.04
13. Mayrhofen (Austria) — essentials ski package cost: £621.89
14. Selva Val Gardena (Italy) — essentials ski package cost: £634.17
15. Serre Chevalier (France) — essentials ski package cost: £636.85
16. Garmisch Partenkirchen (Germany) — essentials ski package cost: £650.19
17. Les Deux Alpes (France) — essentials ski package cost: £655.78
18. Kitzbühel (Austria) — essentials ski package cost: £831.13
19. Trysil (Norway) — essentials ski package cost: £832.75
20. Courchevel (France) — essentials ski package cost: £855.44