Cheapest family ski destinations revealed

Updated
Cheapest family ski destinations revealed
Cheapest family ski destinations revealed


Skiing is one of the most popular winter holiday activities for people of all ages, but it doesn't always come cheaply.

Once you've factored in flights, accommodation and ski hire you're likely to have handed over quite a bit of cash - not to mention the cost of a lift pass and ski clothes.

This year M&S bank has taken a look at the cost of a ski holiday in various resorts around the world to find out where it'll cost you the least to hit the slopes.

Bulgaria remains the best value ski destination for February half-term in 2016.

A week on the snow for a family of four will set you back £2,992 or £748 per person which is a third less than what you'll have to pay in Vail, Colorado which is the most expensive ski destination.

Despite claiming the title as the cheapest destination, prices in Bankso in Bulgaria have risen nearly 4% annually and this is mainly down to the cost of flights.

Destination

Total cost 2016 (per person)

Total cost 2016 (ski passes, equipment & rental)

Local cost 2016 (exc. flights)

Total cost 2015

Change in total cost 2015-16

% Change in total cost 2015-16

Average snowfall Jan 2016 (lower/upper slopes

Bankso, Bulgaria

£748

£2,992

£1,968

£2,880

£112

3.9%

48cm/73cm

Central Piedmont Alps, Italy

£1,125

£4,500

£2,778

£4,144

£356

8.6%

49cm/176cm

Meribel,France

£1,256

£5,024

£3,850

£4,816

£208

4.3%

66cm/141cm

Grindelwald, Switzerland

£1,420

£5,680

£4,769

£6,232

- £552

- 8.9%

11cm/88cm

Vail, USA

£2,481

£9,924

£7,635

£11,044

-£1,120

- 10.1%

106cm/106cm


However the snow levels in Bankso make it a slightly less appealing destination for keen skiers.

The average level of snow on upper slopes was 73cm compared with the second place destination of Central Piedmont in Italy which boasts average levels of around 176cm on upper slopes.

But it will cost you 50% more to ski in Italy with a week for a family of four setting you back £4,500.

Vail in Colorado, USA, has been announced as the most expensive resort. A week's skiing there will cost a family of four £9,924 or £2,481 per person.

Back in Europe, Grindelwald in Switzerland comes in second place for most expensive destination. A week's skiing the Swiss mountains will cost £5,680 for a family of four.

Destination

Ski passes and rental per adult

Ski passes and rental per child

Total cost (family of four)

Central Piedmont Alps, Italy

£228

£67

£591

Bankso, Bulgaria

£199

£137

£673

Grindelwald, Switzerland

£367

£180

£1,094

Meribel, France

£343

£241

£1,168

Vail, USA

£761

£471

£2,464

*Prices may not add up due to rounding

Although prices may have risen in Bankso, rates have actually dropped in the two most expensive destinations this year. Families will pay 10.1% less in Vail, USA, and 8.9% less in Grindelwald, Switzerland.

Other factors that influence holiday costs are ski passes and equipment hire.

Italy offers the most affordable ski passes and equipment at a price of £591 for a family of four while it will cost you £673 in Bulgaria, which is the second cheapest.

This compares to a staggering £2,464 for four people in Vail, USA.


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Ski Resorts: Hedging Against Warm Winters

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