The best ski resorts for those skiing on a budget
There is often a preconception that ski holidays are expensive, and that you won’t find a cheap ski holiday. Whilst this can be true for some of the larger, more exclusive resorts in the Alps, there are definitely resorts that don’t pull heavily on the purse strings, you just need to know where to look!
Below we have listed some ski resorts that can be very reasonably priced, from offering great value packages to low in-resort prices which mean you don’t have to sacrifice once you’re there. These are some of your best options for skiing on a budget.
Arinsal, Andorra
Arinsal is Andorra is great value, in fact Andorra, in general, is amazing for those skiing on a budget! Arinsal is a great resort for beginners and experts alike, and there are plenty of facilities up and down the mountain to keep everyone entertained. There is a strong nightlife scene, with a lot of bars staying open to the early hours of the morning. As well as this great nightlife scene, the resort boasts an excellent standard of restaurants, a compact ski area, and highly acclaimed ski school. With a transfer time of around 2 and a half hours from Barcelona, it is also a common option for those wanting to really maximise their skiing time.
Les Menuires, France
Sitting in the infamous Three Valleys ski area, Les Menuires is definitely one of the best value resorts in the area. While some will critique the villages’ aesthetics, which lack the charm of some older alpine villages, it’s ski area cannot be overlooked. Based near some of the best runs in the Three Valleys, and giving you access to the 600km of piste within the Three Valleys it caters for everyone from beginners to experts.
Home to a range of self-catering apartments, representing high levels of comfort and value, when combined with plenty of great bars and restaurants, Les Menuires should be high in your list of French resorts when skiing on a budget.
Bansko and Borovets, Bulgaria
Bulgaria is often hugely overlooked when it comes to skiing, with most people not even aware there are ski resorts in the country! However, when looking for a cheap deal, it should be one of the first places you look. Whilst they may not have the same luxurious reputation as their French counterparts, in the grand scheme of things, that’s not all that important. A holiday in Bansko or Borovets, could save you a third of the price of more exclusive resorts, a huge saving for just a few sacrifices.
With a large number of snow-making equipment should nature not be on your side, as well as a snow park in Borovets, the pistes of Bulgaria are great for beginners and intermediates to test the waters before moving progressing onto other resorts.
Both resorts are very lively, with plenty of restaurants to try and great value bars (no ten euro beers here!).
Flaine, France
Self-catering apartments in Flaine represent incredible value for a French resort. With a number of high level, luxurious accommodations, a large amount of the resort is ski-in/ski-out. Flaine sits in the Grand Massif ski area, which benefits from 265km of pistes. With designated beginners areas, a range of green and blue runs, as well plenty of reds and blacks, this resort caters for all levels.
Flaine is one of the easiest resorts to drive to, and has a short transfer time from Geneva. This combined with the fact that’s it a relatively quiet resort (that’s not to say there isn’t apres!) makes it’s a firm favourite with families.
Val Thorens, France
Val Thorens may not have been a resort that you were expecting to see on this list! As the highest resort in Europe and with an amazing nightlife, it is very popular. However, Val Thorens has a large number of self-catering apartments spread throughout resort, which really help to slash the price of your holiday. With it’s height brings excellent snow conditions from start to end of a long season (November – start of May), which means that early and late seasons deals to Val Thorens can be snapped up for amazing value without sacrificing the skiing levels.
Val Thorens is one of our favourite resorts, and we have a lot of knowledge and experience of this fantastic French resort. We have worked hard to ensure that we can offer incredible deals to Val Thorens, which you’ll struggle to beat!
As a specialist ski holiday agency, we work hard all year round with our suppliers to get the best prices across all aspects of a ski holiday in a wide range of resorts. As a company, we pride ourselves on catering a holiday exactly to your needs, working to your budget. If you have any questions about booking an excellent value ski trip with us, please get in touch and we would be more than happy to help!