Italian ski resorts dominate the best value top 10 for adults and families, but lesser-known Nordic ones are rising up the ranks

• Italy’s Bardonecchia and Passo Tonale retain their places as the best value of 32 ski resorts surveyed for cost-conscious adults and families in the 19^thSki Resort Report
• But relative Nordic unknowns Geilo, Beitostølen and Pyha have broken into the family ski top 10 to rival Italian and Bulgarian resorts
• Sterling goes downhill to make all barring Andorra’s Soldeu more expensive this year
• Rising tuition charges could make ski school a budget buster for families – but there are still bargains available

As one-in-twelve British holidaymakers¹ get set to head off to the ski slopes in Europe, the 19^th annual Post Office Travel Money Ski Resort Report, produced in partnership with Crystal Ski Holidays, has found that Italian ski resorts will be the ones to beat for value – although lesser-known resorts in Norway and Finland are now rising up the ranks to rival Italy and its close-competitor Bulgaria in the best value top 10. With price rises averaging over 10 per cent year-on-year in the ski resorts surveyed, Italy’s Bardonecchia and Passo Tonale are again rated the cheapest options for both adult and family skiers

Using local prices for a lift pass, ski equipment, tuition, meals and drinks researched by Crystal Ski Holidays and converted into sterling by Post Office to calculate one week resort costs for a family of four², Passo Tonale is rated best value of 30 family ski resorts surveyed for the second year running. Despite recording an above average increase of 14.4 per cent year-on-year, the barometer cost of £1,797 in Passo Tonale was half that of the most expensive ski resort, Saalbach, where prices rose 20.5 per cent to £4,060.

The Italian resort has been able to see off all competition because of its money-saving free lift pass offer when a child aged up to eight skis with a paying adult. This made it over nine per cent cheaper than its closest rival Bardonecchia, where prices were up by 10.5 per cent to £1,984.

Tuition costs are one of the main drivers of rising prices for families. The most significant increase has been in Kranska Gora, which has fallen from second to fourth place in the family table after recording a 23.5 per cent year-on-year rise to £2,117. Previous reports have commented on volatility in tuition costs from one year to the next in the Slovenian resort and this season is no exception. At £666 for a week’s tuition for two adults and two children aged six and eight, prices are 67 per cent up on last year’s cost of £399 – although they are cheaper than in the 2023/24 season when researchers priced ski school at £810.

With lower prices this year for ski school, Andorra’s Soldeu is the only resort to show a barometer price fall to £2,602 – falling 3.7 per cent to rise from 18^thlast season to take 11^th place in the table.

Laura Plunkett, Head of Post Office Travel Money, which accounts for one-in-four UK currency transactions,said: “Families may have to dig deeper in their pockets in the coming ski season but there is still great value to be had if they choose carefully. The free lift passes for younger children in Passo Tonale makes it an unbeatable choice for parents with kids under nine, while the fall in prices we picked up in Soldeu makes this family-friendly ski resort an attractive option too.

“However, parents on a limited budget need to be aware of the widely varying prices for ski school if their children need tuition. Pyha, which is new to the Ski Resort Report this year, offers excellent value at half the price families could pay in more expensive French resorts. Our advice is to check prices before booking.”

Although Italian resorts continue to take the biggest share of top 10 places for family skiing, Nordic resorts are now rivalling them to offer great value in the coming season. With a barometer cost of £2,404, Pyha in Finland has taken seventh place ahead of Sestriere (9^th, £2,500) and La Thuile (10^th, £2,576). Norway’s Geilo and Beitostølen take fifth and sixth places, with barometer costs of £2,179 and £2,293. This is down to competitive pricing for ski passes, equipment hire and tuition, although the higher charges for meals and drinks prevent the three Nordic ski resorts from rising any further up the barometer chart.

In the main barometer chart for adult skiers, Bardonecchia tops the rankings for the third year running at a one week cost of £601 and is one of six Italian resorts to feature in the best value top 10³. Although prices in Bardonecchia have risen 10.5 per cent since last season, skiers will pay over 11 per cent more in Borovets, runner up in the resort with a total cost of £668, almost 19 per cent more than last season. In fact, Bulgarian ski resorts have recorded the biggest price increases this year. A second resort, Bansko, has fallen to fourth place in the barometer table after prices rose by 23.3 per cent to £706.

Norway’s Geilo takes third place with a barometer cost of £704 – only marginally higher than a year ago (+0.1 per cent) and the smallest increase across the 32 ski resorts surveyed for adult skiing.

The increased prices come about because of both sterling’s falls against European currencies in recent weeks and higher local charges for the eight barometer items. Rises in the cost of lift passes are the biggest driver of these local price increases. British skiers travelling to European resorts can expect to pay an average of 10.7 per cent more for a six-day lift pass than a year ago and in some cases that cost has more than doubled over the past decade.⁴

Laura Plunkett, Head of Post Office Travel Money, said: “As a result of sterling’s fall in value against European currencies in recent weeks, costs in ski resorts are likely to play a big part in destination choice this year – especially as our research again found that prices vary dramatically across Europe.

“The weaker pound makes it vitally important for skiers to do their homework before booking and factor in the higher cost of ski passes, equipment and ski school in resorts to the package price. The great value available in Italy and Bulgaria make their resorts a good choice for cost-conscious skiers. However, Norway’s Geilo and Le Corbier in the French Alps are lesser-known resorts that also offer excellent value for bargain hunters.”

While there is no place for either Austrian or Swiss ski resorts in the best value top ten, one French resort makes the list. Le Corbier has returned to the leading ten ski resorts in seventh place with a barometer total of £784, up just 5.4 per cent on last season’s levels. Wengen in Switzerland again rates as the most expensive resort surveyed at £1,372 for the barometer items, more than double the cost of the same items in Bardonecchia and Borovets. However, prices have risen by only 4.8 per cent year-on-year.

Scott Britton, Head of Crystal Ski Holidays, commented: "As a one-stop shop for ski holidays, we’re committed to helping our customers find great value across a wide range of destinations - and this year’s report confirms that budget-conscious skiers still have plenty of choice. Bardonecchia again tops the best value list, showing that Italy continues to offer competitive pricing without compromising on the ski experience.

“But what’s especially encouraging is the diversity of resorts featured in the top 10: from the Alpine charm of France to the Nordic landscape of Norway, and the scenic slopes of Bulgaria. For us, this reinforces the importance of offering a broad and flexible programme that caters to different tastes, budgets and travel styles - all with the ease of everything taken care of in one simple booking."

Ends

Full details of prices for both adults and families are shown in the accompanying Post Office Ski Resort Report brochure. All prices quoted above are rounded up or down to the nearest pound.