Where to Ski And Snowboard - Bardonnechia offers cheapest family skiing

Bardonnechia offers cheapest family skiing

24th December 2018, by Abi Butcher

Bardonecchia in Italy has been rated as offering the best value for family skiing

The cost of taking your family skiing has risen in many resorts for the coming season, but pick carefully and you can still get value for money, says Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money, which last weekend released its latest survey of family ski resorts.

Bardonecchia in Italy has yet again been rated as offering the best value for family skiing in a survey of 20 different resorts produced for Post Office Travel Money in conjunction with Crystal Ski Holidays.

“Bardonecchia is an ideal resort for families with some great gentle slopes for beginners and intermediates, but there plenty more destinations and resorts to choose from and excellent ski schools available and we’ve already had lots of families book ski trips for this year,” says Christ Logan, managing director of Crystal Ski Holidays. “Plus, we have discounted lift passes available for children under the age of eight [and many resorts offer younger children free lift passes altogether].”

Read Where to Ski & Snowboard‘s independent review of Bardonecchia here

The cost of six day’s ski and boot hire, lift pass and ski school plus lunch and drinks for two adults and two children was compared in 20 different resorts in the Post Office Travel Money Family Ski Resort Report. Last season, Bardonecchia was new to the survey and also named best-value family resort — and this season prices in the ski resort have dropped one per cent. The cost of the package described is now £1478, and Bardonecchia still offers the cheapest family lift pass at £391, with the cost of ski school for a family of four — £489 — is £100 less than second-best value ski resort, Bansko in Bulgaria.

Although prices have dropped in Bardonecchia, the Post Office Travel Money Family Ski Resort has found that prices in Bansko have risen by more than 18 per cent compared with last year. This is in line with increases at other Eastern European resorts included in the survey — with a steep rise in the cost of equipment hire (31 per cent, from £294 last season to £384 for winter 2018/19).

Elsewhere in Italy, the survey shows prices have fallen in La Thuile but risen in Selva. Prices are also down in Andorra, with Canillo rating as the fifth-cheapest ski resort this year. But the biggest year-on-year fall has been the Jungfrau region of Switzerland where a family of four skiing in Grindelwald will spend 11 per cent less than they would a year ago (total of £2,497) though Saas-Fee prices have risen again (they had fallen last year).

France shows prices rises too, with Morzine coming out as best-value ski resort (among those surveyed) in the French Alps, but falling 12th now compared with seventh last year thanks to 16 per cent price rises, and Austria still making a good representation with slightly lower price rises.

“Although the cost of skiing has risen in two-thirds of the resorts this season, theres is still good value to be had if parents plan trips carefully,” says Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money. “Resort switching to cheaper options in Italy and Eastern Europe can have a massive impact on the family purse. So too can changing from high to low season. Ski holiday prices can be slashed by avoiding February half term in favour of a pre-season Christmas or Easter break.”

The family ski resort league in full

1. Bardonecchia (Italy) - total week cost £1,477.60
2. Bansko (Bulgaria) - total week cost £1,487.23
3. Sestiere (Italy) - total week cost £1,633.89
4. Kranjska Gora (Slovenia) - total week cost £1,636.18
5. Canillo (Andorra) - total week cost £1,664.21
6. Vemdalen (Sweden) - total week cost £1,769.00
7. Rauris (Austria) - total week cost £1792.26
8. Ellmau (Austria) - total week cost £1,793.18
9. La Thuile (Italy) - total week cost £1,894.10
10. Mayrhofen (Austria) - total week cost £2,092.58
11. Cervinia (Italy) - total week cost £2,106.95
12. Morzine (France) - total week cost £2,175.52
13. Ruka (Finland) - total week cost £2,228.07
14. Trysil (Norway) - total week cost £2,32.31
15. Selva (Italy) - total week cost £2,263.56
16. Serre Chevalier (France) - total week cost £2,273.58
17. Les Deux Alpes (France) - total week cost £2,387.38
18. Grindelwald (Switzerland) - total week cost £2,497.38
19. Kitzbühel (Austria) - total week cost £2,615.69
20. Saas-Fee (Switzerland) - total week cost £2,925.44

* Costs surveyed included six-day ski pass, six-day ski and boot hire, five half days in ski schools, six cups of coffee, six glasses of Coca-Cola, six glasses of wine, six bottles of beer and six lunches on the slopes — all for a family of four.