Those looking for the cheapest skiing holiday this season should head to Italy according to a report. Photo: AFP/Peter Kirillov/Shutterstock.com
Although the very cheapest ski holiday in the report was in Bulgaria, three resorts in Italy made it into the top ten ‘best value' list -- Livigno, Sestriere and Cervinia -- while two locations of Austria also came in for budget ski vacations.
Located in the Italian Alps, Livingo offers the lowest-price ski school with six half-day lessons priced at £75 (€93). By comparison, a half-day ski school session can cost over £150 (€185) in the other resorts evaluated. A week's skiing in Italy can be booked for between £361 (€446) and £440 (€544) (excluding flights).
The cheapest location in the list however was Bansko in Bulgaria, where for a total of £264.52 (€327) skiers have access to a six-day ski pass, ski and boot hire and ski school.
To compile the report, 27 major resorts in Europe and North America were compared, evaluating criteria such as the cost of a six-day ski pass as well as the cost of ski school, ski and boot hire and the cost of one day's meals and drinks such as coffee, soda drinks, wine and beer on the slopes. The report was based on prices supplied by Crystal Ski.
Only one ski resort in Italy featured in the ‘best value' top ten list last year. Livigno last year came in fifth place following Bansko in Bulgaria, Arinsal in Andorra, Bohinj in Slovenia and Formigal in Spain.
Top ten 'best value' ski resorts (prices include ski pass, ski school, ski and boot hire, meals and drinks)
Bansko, Bulgaria £264.52 (about €326.75)
Kranjska Gora, Slovenia £324.56 (€400.94)
Ellmau, Austria £356.74 (€440.70)
Livigno, Italy £361.85 (€447.01)
Soldeu, Andorra £402.19 (€496.78]
Ruka, Finland £402.63 (€497.33)
Sestriere, Italy £418.85 (€517.39)
Cervinia, Italy £439.48 (€542.90)
Mayrhofen, Austria £439.55 (€542.93)
Morzine, France £442.98 (€547.16)