Italian ski resorts continue to offer British skiers the best value in Europe, but lesser-known Nordic destinations are rivalling traditional favourites, according to Post Office Travel Money.
Post Office Travel Money’s Ski Resort Report, published in partnership with Crystal Ski Holidays, compared 32 European resorts for adult skiers and 30 for families, and found prices for a list of items have risen by an average of over 10% year-on-year.
Bardonecchia in Italy has seen a 10.5% increase since last season, but the resort has retained its place as the best value spot for the third consecutive year, with items including lift pass, equipment hire, tuition, meals and drinks, costing £601 per person for a week.
Last year the items cost just under £544pp per week.
In second place is Borovets in Bulgaria, where the combined cost of the items came in at £668pp. Geilo in Norway is third, at £704pp for the items.
The Bulgarian resort of Bansko has dropped to fourth spot after prices jumped by 23.3% to £706pp this year, compared to £573pp last year.
Italian resorts continue to take the biggest share of the top 10, with Sauze, Sestriere, Cervinia, Kronplatz and La Thuile all featuring.
The Swiss resort of Wengen is the most expensive, where skiers will pay £1,372pp for the basket of items.
Family ski market
For families, Passo Tonale in Italy was rated best value for the second year running, with in-resort prices for a family of two adults and two children aged six and eight at £1,797. However, this is up 14.4% compared to last year.
The resort’s money-saving free lift pass offer for children helped it maintain its position.
Nordic resorts are now breaking into the family top 10. New for this year, Pyha in Finland takes seventh place at £2,404, while Geilo and Beitostølen in Norway rank fifth and sixth, at £2,179 and £2,293 respectively.
Tuition costs are one of the main drivers of rising family prices. Kranjska Gora in Slovinia fell from second to fourth place after recording a 23.5% year-on-year rise to £2,117, with ski school costs jumping 67% to £666 for a week’s tuition for a family of four.
Soldeu in Andorra is the only resort to show a barometer price fall, dropping 3.7% to £2,602 due to lower ski school prices.
Saalbach in Austria is the most expensive family destination at £4,060, up 20.5% on last season.
Head of Post Office Travel Money Laura Plunkett said: “Families may have to dig deeper in their pockets in the coming ski season but there is still great value to be had if they choose carefully. The free lift passes for younger children in Passo Tonale makes it an unbeatable choice for parents with kids under nine, while the fall in prices we picked up in Soldeu makes this family-friendly ski resort an attractive option too.
“However, parents on a limited budget need to be aware of the widely varying prices for ski school if their children need tuition. Pyha, which is new to the Ski Resort Report this year, offers excellent value at half the price families could pay in more expensive French resorts. Our advice is to check prices before booking.”
Head of Crystal Ski Holiday Scott Britton added: “As a one-stop shop for ski holidays, we’re committed to helping our customers find great value across a wide range of destinations – and this year’s report confirms that budget-conscious skiers still have plenty of choice. Bardonecchia again tops the best value list, showing that Italy continues to offer competitive pricing without compromising on the ski experience.”
Top 10 best value resorts for adult skiers
Bardonecchia, Italy (£601.02)
Borovets, Bulgaria (£668.06)
Geilo, Norway (£704.27)
Bansko, Bulgaria (£706.34)
Sauze, Italy (£731.80)
Sestriere, Italy (£742.56)
Le Corbier, France (£784.40)
Cervinia, Italy (£817.33)
Kronplatz, Italy (£834.81)
La Thuile, Italy (£836.19)
Top 10 best value resorts for families
Passo Tonale, Italy (£1,796.78)
Bardonecchia, Italy (£1,984.02)
Bansko, Bulgaria (£2,093.22)
Kranjska Gora, Slovenia (£2,116.95)
Beitostølen, Norway (£2,178.84)
Geilo, Norway (£2,293.01)
Pyha, Finland (£2,404.35)
Arinsal, Andorra (£2440.66)
Sestriere, Italy (£2,500.03)
La Thuile, Italy (£2,576.14)
