TripAdvisor TripIndex Ski compares 42 European ski destinations.
LONDON, UK – Bansko in Bulgaria offers the best value ski break for British families this season, according to an annual TripAdvisor cost comparison study of 42 selected destinations conducted by independent research firm, Ipsos MORI.
Located in southwestern Bulgaria at the foot of the Pirin Mountains, a week on the slopes of Bansko, including hotel, ski passes, ski hire, ski lessons, evening meals and drinks for a family of four will set you back £1,279, nearly four times less than the price of a comparable break in the most expensive destination, Switzerland’s Zermatt, which costs £4,809.
Not only has Bansko retained its position as Europe’s least expensive ski since last year’s TripIndex Ski study, overall costs for a break there have actually fallen by £352 since last year. By contrast, Zermatt has jumped three places from last year to knock Austria’s St. Anton off the top of the most expensive list.
The results were taken from TripAdvisor’s TripIndex Ski 2015, an annual report that compares the cost of a ski break in 42 ski destinations in Europe selected for this study. The study takes into account the cost of one week’s hotel accommodation, ski lessons, ski passes, basic ski hire and a week’s evening meals and drinks for a family of four this ski season (15 December 2015 – 15 April 2016).
Ease the strain on the budget by heading East
Bansko and Eastern Europe in general are revealed as offering the best value for ski travellers this year. The region is home to three of the top six cheapest destinations; Bansko, Bulgaria; Sochi, Russia; and Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Looking at a country level, Andorra boasts the most entries in the top ten best value list, laying claim to three resorts. Switzerland emerges as the costliest country to ski, home to half of the ten most expensive resorts.
Affordable vs blow the budget
When it comes to analysing the cost of the individual aspects that make up a week long ski break, prices can vary dramatically from destination to destination.
For a week’s stay in a ski resort hotel, families will find that Val Thorens in France is the most expensive destination at £3,091. Travellers could stay in Bansko for over a month at that price – a week’s stay in a Bansko hotel comes out at £636.
When it comes to ensuring you’re prepared and equipped to take to the slopes, Bansko once again comes out as the cheapest in most cases. One week’s basic package for skis, boots and poles will set a family back just £125, and a weekly ski pass for two adults and two children is £214.
Of the 42 ski destinations studied for TripIndex Ski 2015, Verbier, in France, is the priciest for ski hire, coming in at £450, while the Swiss resort of Zermatt offers the most expensive weekly ski pass at a staggering £880.
Apres-ski Sustenance
Sochi in Russia is revealed as the cheapest place to grab a bite to eat in this year’s study, with dinner for four over seven days costing just £105, compared with £762 in Verbier, Switzerland. A daily beer for two over the course of a week is most affordable in Bansko at £21, while at £59 for the week, Zermatt is the most expensive. It’s Oberstdorf, Germany that offers the best value soft drinks for the kids at just £14 for the week, over £40 cheaper than Zermatt where it will cost £56.
Surge of Swiss franc makes Swiss Alps ski break even pricier
Swiss ski resorts have been some of the most expensive for the past four ski seasons that TripAdvisor has reported the TripIndex Ski study findings (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) but the 2015/2016 season looks set to be pricier still for Brits.
The increased strength of the Swiss Franc since the beginning of 2015 means more expensive in-resort costs for British families. The results of this year’s TripIndex Ski show that core skiing costs in Switzerland (ski hire, pass and lessons) have increased, in some cases quite dramatically, since 2014:
|
Destination |
Ski Hire |
Ski Pass |
Ski Lesson |
Total |
||||
|
|
2014 |
2015 |
2014 |
2015 |
2014 |
2015 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Zermatt, Switzerland |
£353 |
£415 |
£755 |
£880 |
£223 |
£254 |
£4572 |
£4809 |
|
Verbier, Switzerland |
£395 |
£450 |
£706 |
£793 |
£278 |
£291 |
£4226 |
£4694 |
|
St. Moritz, Switzerland |
£341 |
£391 |
£644 |
£745 |
£255 |
£262 |
£4811 |
£4503 |
|
Flims Laax Falera, Switzerland |
£297 |
£356 |
£918 |
£761 |
£322 |
£306 |
£4500 |
£4170 |
|
Saas Fee, Switzerland |
£300 |
£386 |
£665 |
£833 |
£172 |
£239 |
£3598 |
£4065 |
“Skiing can be an expensive holiday, however, British families can reduce their costs by carefully selecting the best value resorts, which as the TripAdvisor TripIndex Ski 2015 study shows, can be found in Eastern Europe. For those who prefer the resorts in the Swiss and French Alps that are more expensive, comparing hotel prices using the PriceFinder tool on TripAdvisor is a great way to bag and book a better deal,” commented TripAdvisor spokesperson, James Kay.
Recommended value hotels in the three most expensive and best value destinations:
For travellers planning a trip to one of the three most expensive or three best value TripIndex Ski destinations, TripAdvisor has identified highly-rated value hotels with availability to book on TripAdvisor for the 2015/2016 ski season (Dec – Apr):
Top three most expensive TripIndex Ski 2015 destinations:
1. Zermatt, Switzerland – Average weekly hotel rate: £2,479.91
2. Verbier, Switzerland – Average weekly hotel rate: £2,313.27
3. St. Anton, Austria – Average weekly hotel rate: £3,052.77
Top three best value TripIndex Ski 2015 destinations:
1. Bansko, Bulgaria – Average weekly hotel rate: £636.09
2. Sochi, Russia – Average weekly hotel rate: £719.32
3. Berchtesgaden, Germany – Average weekly hotel rate: £942.35
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
