For those looking for a cheap ski holiday this winter, Bulgaria has been named the best value ski destination by the Post Office.
The Post Office’s Family Ski Resort Report has found that prices for skiing in Europe and North America have decreased over the past year.
Incentives such as two-for-one ski rental, free lift passes, and discounts on food and drink are driving down the cost of skiing, not to mention ski hire comparison websites such as ski-hire-europe.com.
The Post Office’s Family Ski Resort Report compared prices in ten family-friendly resorts across Europe and North America, looking at the cost of items such as meals, ski school, and equipment hire.
Bulgaria was found to be the cheapest ski destination, with the resort of Bansko 17 per cent cheaper than last year. The report found a family of four could ski there for an average of £817.64 – less than half the price of the more popular resorts in Italy and Switzerland.
Prices are still high for resorts in the “big four” – Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland – with family ski holidays costing more than £1,000.
The report found that Austria is the cheapest of the four countries, with a drop in price of 11 per cent since 2009. A family ski holiday to Austria was found to cost an average of £1,198.81.
The highest prices for skiing in Europe are in Switzerland, as a 9.5 per cent rise in the value of the Swiss franc kept prices close to £2,000 for a family holiday.
In terms of North America, “kids ski free” deals have driven down prices too. While still more expensive than Europe, some Canadian and American resorts have dropped by as much as 31 per cent in price.
“This year’s report revealed welcome news for cash-conscious family skiers. We found good examples of price cuts in most of the resorts surveyed – especially in North America,” said Sarah Munro, Post Office Head of Travel Money.
“Prices are more competitive than before in the bargain hunter’s resort of Bansko in Bulgaria and Switzerland is working hard to combat the negative impact of the poor exchange rate.”
Search and compare the cost of cheap flights to ski destinations and read our travel tips at www.cheapflights.co.uk.
