by For decent value on the slopes, experience tells us that we should head to Bulgaria – to the likes of Borovets and Bansko, renowned for their budget-friendly hotels and après ski. But no more, says the Post Office: Italy now tops its table of the cheapest ski spots in Europe, namely the resort of Bardonecchia, on the border with France about an hour west of Turin.
The report, compiled by ski tour operator Crystal Ski Holidays, compares costs in 36 resorts – across the likes of France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Andorra, alongside “wild cards” such as Finland and Slovenia. And there is more good news: prices have fallen year-on-year in some places, while in most other places they are only slightly higher than last year.
However, it is a source of pride, especially given the Post Office’s partnership with the UK’s largest ski tour operator, that the rankings do not include accommodation or travel costs. Rather, they are a comparison of costs on the slope, although we did our own research on package prices, below.
The cheapest resorts in Europe
Overall, Bardonecchia in Italy was the cheapest option for adult skiers (a different survey covers family costs – see below). Here is a six-day lift pass, equipment hire, ski school and various food and drink for £531.65 per person. Their prices have risen by just 1.4 percent year-on-year, forcing Bulgaria’s Borovets – the 2023 winner – into second place.
Prices in Borovets have risen by 8.2 per cent year on year, to a total of £553.98. Drill into the details, however, and his food costs are significantly lower than Bardonecchia’s: just £99.36, compared to £147.84. That covers six coffees (£12.60 in Borovets; £21.12 in Bardonecchia), six sodas (£11.22/£13.20), six wines (£13.98/£15.84), six beers (£11.22/£18.48) and six lunches the slopes (£50.34/£79.20).
However, Bardonecchia’s modest ski fees earn it top spot: a total of just £383.81 for a six-day lift pass (£157.57), six-day equipment hire (£80.99) and half-days a week of tuition at a ski school ( £145.25). In Borovets, the same items cost £70 more, £454.62.
France’s Le Corbier is third, offering reasonable value for lessons (£139.96, less than both Bardonecchia and Borovets), but with pricier food and drink (£169.02). It is a new entry on the rankings, with costs totaling £611.32.
As in previous years, Italian resorts offer the best value among the Big Four ski destinations. The nation’s resorts feature throughout the top ten: Livigno is fourth (total cost £614.25, a new entry for this year), Sauze d’Oulx fifth (£639.08, up 2.7 per cent), Sestriere the eighth (£698.93, up 8.1 per year). cent) and La Thuile ninth (£709.85, up 2.9 per cent).
Bulgaria’s Bansko is in sixth place. In 2018 it was the best value destination, but price increases of 18.1 per cent forced it down the rankings.
Overall, prices have also fallen in nine of the 31 resorts surveyed last year, with the biggest falls of 5.5 per cent in Les Arcs (18th, £811.96) and 5.5 per cent in Wengen ( 35th, £1,259.99).
The most expensive resorts in Europe
The most valuable destinations are the three Swiss centers surveyed: Saas-Fee, Wengen and Zermatt. They are much more expensive than others, with ski holiday essentials priced at £1,164.80, £1,259.99 and £1,334.76 respectively – well over double the resorts in the survey.
However, if you want to go skiing in Zermatt this season, you could base yourself in the Italian resort of Cervinia – linked to the same domain but a much cheaper place to stay. It is 13th in the rankings, the basics total £740.75, half the price of Zermatt.
Of the other most expensive destinations, Austria and France also lead: Val d’Isere is the fourth most expensive (£1,119.36, down 1.4 per cent year-on-year), then Kitzbühel (£1,041.35, up 4.1 percent), and St. Anton (£1,037.35, down 1.7 per cent).
The biggest expense of a ski holiday
The most expensive item in the shopping basket is the six-day lift pass: in only two locations (Bardonecchia and Borovets) they cost less than £200. The former offers even more value, when you consider that £157.57 will give you access to 110km of track.
Austrian resorts look expensive (from £284.33 in Ischgl to £352.99 in St Anton), but again Switzerland is the most expensive, with Zermatt, Wengen and Saas-Fee charging £362.83 to £416.94 for a week face. the slopes.
The best budget resorts for families
A separate report covers 32 family resorts, providing a price per group for a family of four: two adults, two children (six years old and eight years old). The cheapest is Jahorina, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a new entry for 2023 after Crystal launched package holidays to the lesser-known destination. Basic holiday essentials here cost £1,656.62 per family, of which £1,319.54 was for ski activities and passes, and £337.08 for food and drink.
Italian resorts are in second and third place: Passo Tonale (total basket £1,677.95, down 6.6 per cent from last year) and Bardonecchia (£1,751.70) respectively.
Bulgaria’s Bansko (£1,968) has dropped from last year’s best value spot to fifth, following a significant rise in ski school prices – a more than 27 per cent rise in its total cost. Ski school for two adults and two children aged six to eight is now £815, compared to £465 in Jahorina and £467 in Geilo, Norway.
Another way to save money on a ski holiday
The Post Office survey deals with day-to-day costs – not the cost of the holiday itself. Without these figures, it’s much more difficult to make a meaningful comparison between resorts, so we’ve crunched some numbers below.
Travel in January, a week of skiing in Bardonecchia, Italy, costs around £550 per person half board, including return flights to Turin with Crystal. In Sauze, the equivalent package price rises to around £600pp, and in Livigno £800pp – a fair reflection of the Post Office ranking of the venues.
However, Borovets and Bansko resort prices are much lower than Italy – so for overall holiday value, Bulgaria is still the winner. For a week’s half-board in January, between £387pp and £834pp, Borovets goes from £394 to £816. In Bansko, you can get a week’s B&B with return flights and hotel transfers from as little as £300pp, great value.
But price aside, can a ski holiday in Bulgaria really compete with the classics? “That’s subjective,” says our expert Rebecca Miles diplomatically. “You might not get the flashiest equipment to hire or endless kilometers of slopes, but when you’re enjoying five-star accommodation at three-star prices and great food that doesn’t involve all the melted cheese, who’s complaining? Not me and my family.”
