Italy is Best Value for UK Skiers & Snowboarders
14th December 2024
Italy dominates the best value top ten resorts for both adult and family skiers in this year’s Post Office Travel Money Ski Resort Report, produced in partnership with Crystal Ski Holidays.
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For the second year running, Bardonecchia has held on to the top spot in the cost comparison of 36 resorts for adult skiers, while Passo Tonale has moved up to claim the leading place in a survey of 30 family resorts.
The research found that while prices have risen in most destinations, the strength of sterling means that those rises are relatively small and there have even been falls in some resorts.
- 18th annual comparison of European ski resorts finds that Italy outperforms all other countries to offer lowest prices for British skiers.
- Bardonecchia retains its place as best value for adults, while cost-conscious families will get the lowest prices in Passo Tonale, where there are ‘kids go free’ ski kit deals.
- Norway, Andorra and Spain offer lower prices than more established ski destinations.
- There are no French or Austrian ski resorts in the top tens for adults and families.
- Sterling’s rise in value helps to minimise price rises in resorts across Europe.
Costs are based on mid-season pricing and entry level skis and boots.
Ski school daily hours vary depending on the resort.
Lunch prices are based on two courses excluding drinks.
The items surveyed were:
- Ski lift pass for one week (6 days)
- Ski equipment for one week (6 days)
- Ski school tuition (5-6 days half-day lesson)
- Cup of coffee
- Bottle of Coca Cola
- Glass of house wine
- Bottle of beer
- Six lunches on the slopes
Crystal Ski Holidays confirms that budget friendly ski resorts are proving popular for the coming season.
“As a one-stop shop for ski holidays, here at Crystal we want to ensure we’re offering our customers value for money when it comes to booking their holiday,” said the Managing Director at Crystal Ski Holidays, Chris Logan.
“With a wide choice of great value destinations on offer, Italy has continued to be a popular choice amongst our customers for the winter 2024-25 season – which is reflected for the second year running in this report among the top 10 best value European ski resorts.
“We’ve also seen strong demand for budget-friendly destinations including the Bulgarian resorts of Borovets and Bansko, as well as for France.
“With the expansion of new resorts and destinations, we continue to provide more choice and flexibility whilst taking care of everything in one simple package, allowing customers to budget effectively when on their ski holiday.”
Skiing in the Aosta Valley. Image © PlanetSKI
Here at PlanetSKI we previewed the report earlier when we saw an advanced copy:
See here for the now-published report
At just under £544 (a rise of 1.5 per cent year-on-year) for a week’s lift pass, equipment hire, ski school, lunches and drinks, the cheapest resort, Bardonecchia, is well ahead of its nearest competitor Borovets, and one of six Italian ski resorts to feature in the best value top ten for adult skiers.
The others are:
- Livigno (4th, £637),
- Sauze d’Oulx (5th, £664),
- Sestriere (6th, £709),
- La Thuile (7th, £723)
- Cervinia (10th, £739).
Cervinia, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI
Italian resorts also dominate the top of the family chart.
Last year’s runner-up Passo Tonale is rated best value for the first time with a barometer total of £1,571 for a family of two adults and two children aged 8 or under.
This is largely due to the money-saving offer of free children’s equipment hire when purchased with adult equipment.
Once Post Office Travel Money converted resort prices researched by Crystal Ski Holidays into sterling, this revealed a 7.9 per cent fall in costs since last year.
The top ten also includes:
- Bardonecchia (3rd, £1,795),
- La Thuile (7th, £2,294),
- Sestriere (9th, £2,383)
- Cervinia (10th, £2,383).
Bulgarian ski resorts remain great value for cost-conscious British skiers, according to this year’s report.
Past holders of the best value title, Borovets (2nd, £563) and Bansko (3rd, £573) are the runners-up in this season’s adult chart.
In the case of Bansko, a drop in meal and drinks prices has led to an overall barometer fall of 2.8 per cent and a rise to third place from sixth last season.
The resort has also moved up to fourth place in the family table on the back of a 9.5 per cent fall in costs to £1,810.
Norway is an unexpected destination to feature in both the adult and family top ten ski resorts, thanks to competitive pricing for ski passes, equipment hire and tuition.
PlanetSKI has reported on the growth of Britsh skiers heading to Norway earlier:
Narvik, Norway. Image © PlanetSKI
Norefjell in Norway’s Scandes Mountain range is the only new entrant to the adult ski top ten, rising to ninth place from 14th last year on the back of a 2.6 per cent fall in costs to £739.
Beitostollen and Geilo are fifth and sixth in the best value top ten family ski resorts with barometer totals of £2,026 and £2,245 for a family of four.
However, Post Office Travel Money warns British visitors to choose restaurants and bars carefully as the cost of meals and drinks can be much higher than in most other European resorts.
Norefjell, Norway. Image © PlanetSKI
Cost conscious skiers could also consider resorts in Andorra and Spain.
The Spanish resort of Baquiera Beret, first introduced last year, has retained its place in the adult ski top ten in eighth place, although prices have risen by 4.9 per cent to £738.
In the family chart Andorra’s Arinsal ski resort has entered the top ten in eighth place with a total barometer cost of £2,337, up just 2.8 per cent on last season.
Pal/Arinsal, Andorra. Image © PlanetSKI
However, there are no top ten places for French or Austrian ski resorts in either table.
Le Corbier is highest placed in the adult table in 11th position but prices in the French resort have risen by 9.9 per cent to £744, the biggest increase recorded for adult skiers.
Ellmau (12th, £752) offers the lowest prices of the nine Austrian resorts surveyed.
La Toussuire (12th, £2,462) and Rauris (13th, £2,481) are the highest-placed French and Austrian resorts for families – but prices have risen 17.1 per cent in Rauris.
Although the report found price rises in two-thirds of the adult resorts surveyed and in three-quarters of the family ones, the improving position of sterling, currently over four per cent stronger against the euro than a year ago, has helped to minimise those increases and most are rises of under five per cent.
However, Post Office Travel Money warns budget-conscious skiers to choose their resort carefully as prices vary significantly across Europe.
“Although sterling is currently stronger against currencies for most European ski resorts compared with last year, our latest comparison of prices in leading destinations shows that the cost of lift passes, equipment hire and ski school continues to vary by hundreds of pounds,” said the Head of Post Office Travel Money, Laura Plunkett.
“This makes it vitally important for skiers looking for a bargain break to do their homework before booking a ski holiday.
“Italy is again looking great value, but Bulgaria offers a good alternative to more expensive ski resorts in Switzerland, France and Austria.”
Swiss resorts are again the most expensive in the survey with price tags of over £1,300 for the same ski items that cost half that in the cheapest destinations.
Zermatt is priciest at £1,346, but only 1.3 per cent up on last year, followed by Wengen (£1,309), where prices have risen 4.2 per cent.
Zermatt, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI
Austria’s Saalbach has replaced Kitzbühel to rate as the most expensive of the 30 family ski resorts.
At £3,368 (+4.1 per cent), Saalbach is over £300 pricier than Kitzbühel, where prices have fallen 8.3 per cent to £3,039.
Kitzbuhel. Image © PlanetSKI
One of the key considerations for families planning a week’s ski holiday is the cost of tuition.
The report reveals that this varies from £399 in Kranjska Gora to well over twice as much, £1,039, in Tignes.
A sharp reduction in family tuition costs in Kranjska Gora resulted in a fall of 23.5 per cent in barometer costs to £1,714, enabling the Romanian resort to take the runner-up spot in the family ski chart.
“We advise families who plan to send their children to ski school to use our barometer to compare the costs in ski resorts they are considering,” added the Head of Post Office Travel Money, Laura Plunkett.
“Kranjska Gora has again emerged as great value for those on a strict budget, offering the lowest tuition price.
“Norway and Andorra are also very competitively priced, but ski school could cost nearly twice as much in the more expensive resorts in Austria and France.”
Arcalis, Andorra. Image © PlanetSKI
Post Office
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About Crystal Ski Holidays
Part of the TUI Group, Crystal Ski Holidays is the UK’s leading ski package holiday provider taking customers to more than 120 resorts in 14 countries across Europe, North America and Japan flying from over 18 UK airports.
All packages include flights, transfers and accommodation, and are covered by ABTA and ATOL protection.
¹ The Post Office Travel Money Ski Resort Report, in partnership with Crystal Ski Holidays, was compiled using adult prices for one week (six active days) in 36 European resorts that are suitable for a range of skiing levels and 30 European resort suitable for families.
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