Italy is Best Value for UK Skiers & Snowboarders

14th December 2024

For the second yr operating, Bardonecchia has held on to the highest spot in the price comparability of 36 resorts for grownup skiers, whereas Passo Tonale has moved as much as declare the main place in a survey of 30 household resorts.

The analysis discovered that whereas costs have risen in most locations, the power of sterling implies that these rises are comparatively small and there have even been falls in some resorts.

18th annual comparability of European ski resorts finds that Italy outperforms all different international locations to supply lowest costs for British skiers.Bardonecchia retains its place as finest worth for adults, whereas cost-conscious households will get the bottom costs in Passo Tonale, the place there are ‘youngsters go free’ ski package offers.Norway, Andorra and Spain provide decrease costs than extra established ski locations.There are not any French or Austrian ski resorts within the prime tens for adults and households.Sterling’s rise in worth helps to minimise worth rises in resorts throughout Europe.

Prices are primarily based on mid-season pricing and entry stage skis and boots.

Ski faculty day by day hours fluctuate relying on the resort.

Lunch costs are primarily based on two programs excluding drinks.

The objects surveyed had been:

Ski elevate go for one week (6 days)Ski tools for one week (6 days)Ski faculty tuition (5-6 days half-day lesson)Cup of coffeeBottle of Coca ColaGlass of home wineBottle of beerSix lunches on the slopes

Crystal Ski Holidays confirms that funds pleasant ski resorts are proving common for the approaching season.

“As a one-stop store for ski holidays, right here at Crystal we need to guarantee we’re providing our prospects worth for cash in the case of reserving their vacation,” stated the Managing Director at Crystal Ski Holidays, Chris Logan.

“With a large selection of nice worth locations on provide, Italy has continued to be a well-liked selection amongst our prospects for the winter 2024-25 season – which is mirrored for the second yr operating on this report among the many prime 10 finest worth European ski resorts.

“We’ve additionally seen robust demand for budget-friendly locations together with the Bulgarian resorts of Borovets and Bansko, in addition to for France.

“With the growth of recent resorts and locations, we proceed to offer extra selection and adaptability while caring for the whole lot in a single easy package deal, permitting prospects to funds successfully when on their ski vacation.”

Right here at PlanetSKI we previewed the report earlier after we noticed a complicated copy:

See right here for the now-published report

At slightly below £544 (an increase of 1.5 per cent year-on-year) for per week’s elevate go, tools rent, ski faculty, lunches and drinks, the most affordable resort, Bardonecchia, is nicely forward of its nearest competitor Borovets, and considered one of six Italian ski resorts to function in the very best worth prime ten for grownup skiers.

The others are:

Livigno (4th, £637),Sauze d’Oulx (fifth, £664), Sestriere (sixth, £709),La Thuile (seventh, £723)Cervinia (tenth, £739).

Cervinia, Italy. Picture © PlanetSKI

Italian resorts additionally dominate the highest of the household chart.

Final yr’s runner-up Passo Tonale is rated finest worth for the primary time with a barometer whole of £1,571 for a household of two adults and two youngsters aged 8 or underneath.

That is largely as a result of money-saving provide of free youngsters’s tools rent when bought with grownup tools.

As soon as Put up Workplace Journey Cash transformed resort costs researched by Crystal Ski Holidays into sterling, this revealed a 7.9 per cent fall in prices since final yr.

The highest ten additionally contains:

Bardonecchia (third, £1,795),La Thuile (seventh, £2,294),Sestriere (ninth, £2,383)Cervinia (tenth, £2,383).

Bulgarian ski resorts stay nice worth for cost-conscious British skiers, in line with this yr’s report.

Previous holders of the very best worth title, Borovets (2nd, £563) and Bansko (third, £573) are the runners-up on this season’s grownup chart.

Within the case of Bansko, a drop in meal and drinks costs has led to an total barometer fall of two.8 per cent and an increase to 3rd place from sixth final season.

The resort has additionally moved as much as fourth place within the household desk on the again of a 9.5 per cent fall in prices to £1,810.

Norway is an sudden vacation spot to function in each the grownup and household prime ten ski resorts, because of aggressive pricing for ski passes, tools rent and tuition.

PlanetSKI has reported on the expansion of Britsh skiers heading to Norway earlier:

Narvik, Norway. Picture © PlanetSKI

Norefjell in Norway’s Scandes Mountain vary is the one new entrant to the grownup ski prime ten, rising to ninth place from 14th final yr on the again of a 2.6 per cent fall in prices to £739.

Beitostollen and Geilo are fifth and sixth in the very best worth prime ten household ski resorts with barometer totals of £2,026 and £2,245 for a household of 4.

Nevertheless, Put up Workplace Journey Cash warns British guests to decide on eating places and bars rigorously as the price of meals and drinks may be a lot greater than in most different European resorts.

Norefjell, Norway. Picture © PlanetSKI

Price acutely aware skiers may additionally think about resorts in Andorra and Spain.

The Spanish resort of Baquiera Beret, first launched final yr, has retained its place within the grownup ski prime ten in eighth place, though costs have risen by 4.9 per cent to £738.

Within the household chart Andorra’s Arinsal ski resort has entered the highest ten in eighth place with a complete barometer price of £2,337, up simply 2.8 per cent on final season.

Pal/Arinsal, Andorra. Picture © PlanetSKI

Nevertheless, there are not any prime ten locations for French or Austrian ski resorts in both desk.

Le Corbier is highest positioned within the grownup desk in eleventh place however costs within the French resort have risen by 9.9 per cent to £744, the largest enhance recorded for grownup skiers.

Ellmau (twelfth, £752) provides the bottom costs of the 9 Austrian resorts surveyed.

La Toussuire (twelfth, £2,462) and Rauris (thirteenth, £2,481) are the highest-placed French and Austrian resorts for households – however costs have risen 17.1 per cent in Rauris.

Though the report discovered worth rises in two-thirds of the grownup resorts surveyed and in three-quarters of the household ones, the enhancing place of sterling, at the moment over 4 per cent stronger towards the euro than a yr in the past, has helped to minimise these will increase and most are rises of underneath 5 per cent.

Nevertheless, Put up Workplace Journey Cash warns budget-conscious skiers to decide on their resort rigorously as costs fluctuate considerably throughout Europe.

“Though sterling is at the moment stronger towards currencies for many European ski resorts in contrast with final yr, our newest comparability of costs in main locations exhibits that the price of elevate passes, tools rent and ski faculty continues to fluctuate by tons of of kilos,” stated the Head of Put up Workplace Journey Cash, Laura Plunkett.

“This makes it vitally vital for skiers on the lookout for a cut price break to do their homework earlier than reserving a ski vacation.

“Italy is once more trying nice worth, however Bulgaria provides an excellent various to costlier ski resorts in Switzerland, France and Austria.”

Swiss resorts are once more the most costly within the survey with worth tags of over £1,300 for a similar ski objects that price half that within the most cost-effective locations.

Zermatt is priciest at £1,346, however just one.3 per cent up on final yr, adopted by Wengen (£1,309), the place costs have risen 4.2 per cent.

Zermatt, Switzerland. Picture © PlanetSKI

Austria’s Saalbach has changed Kitzbühel to charge as the most costly of the 30 household ski resorts.

At £3,368 (+4.1 per cent), Saalbach is over £300 pricier than Kitzbühel, the place costs have fallen 8.3 per cent to £3,039.

Kitzbuhel. Picture © PlanetSKI

One of many key issues for households planning per week’s ski vacation is the price of tuition.

The report reveals that this varies from £399 in Kranjska Gora to nicely over twice as a lot, £1,039, in Tignes.

A pointy discount in household tuition prices in Kranjska Gora resulted in a fall of 23.5 per cent in barometer prices to £1,714, enabling the Romanian resort to take the runner-up spot within the household ski chart.

“We advise households who plan to ship their youngsters to ski faculty to make use of our barometer to match the prices in ski resorts they’re contemplating,” added the Head of Put up Workplace Journey Cash, Laura Plunkett.

“Kranjska Gora has once more emerged as nice worth for these on a strict funds, providing the bottom tuition worth.

“Norway and Andorra are additionally very competitively priced, however ski faculty may price practically twice as a lot within the costlier resorts in Austria and France.”

Arcalis, Andorra. Picture © PlanetSKI

Put up Workplace

The Put up Workplace is the UK’s main international forex supplier, providing over 60 currencies for pre-order at 7,000 Put up Workplace branches or on-line at www.postoffice.co.uk/journey for subsequent day department or residence supply. 

3,600 bigger Put up Workplace branches inventory the main currencies and greater than 7,000 provide euros over-the-counter with out pre-order. 

These may also be ordered on-line for similar day ‘click on and accumulate’ at chosen branches, subsequent day assortment at any department or residence supply.

About Crystal Ski Holidays

A part of the TUI Group, Crystal Ski Holidays is the UK’s main ski package deal vacation supplier taking prospects to greater than 120 resorts in 14 international locations throughout Europe, North America and Japan flying from over 18 UK airports. 

All packages embody flights, transfers and lodging, and are lined by ABTA and ATOL safety.

¹ The Put up Workplace Journey Cash Ski Resort Report, in partnership with Crystal Ski Holidays, was compiled utilizing grownup costs for one week (six energetic days) in 36 European resorts which can be appropriate for a variety of snowboarding ranges and 30 European resort appropriate for households. 

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