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The new season is almost here. Fresh air, mountain landscapes and a glass or two of mulled wine await; The only question is whether your budget is enough for a welcome week in the Alps.
We’ve done the homework for you and created ten of the best budget ski breaks, perfect for beginners and experts alike.
Here’s our pick, starting at just over £500 per person for seven nights, including flights, transfers and half board.
The Lion Borovets Hotel in Bulgaria has a wonderful pool
BULGARIA AT THE BOTTOM OF A ROCK
Ideal for beginner and intermediate skiers not looking for too much of a challenge, Borovets is tucked away in a beautiful pine forest with grand communist-era hotels. Expect a lively nightlife in traditional wood-framed ‘meyhanes’ (Balkan restaurants/pubs). Meals in restaurants near the slopes cost around £9.
How to do it: Seven nights at the Lion Borovets Hotel from £616pp half board with flights to Manchester (cristalski.es).
Arinsal in Andorra is reliable for snow as most of the slopes are above 1,950 m
CHEAP IN ANDORRA
For an affordable package, with lively bars and great beginner slopes (plus a decent ski school), head to Arinsal in the principality of Andorra, located between France and Spain. Pistes can be limited, but snow is usually reliable as most pistes are above 1,950m.
How to do it: Seven nights at the St Gothard Hotel from £470pp half board with flights and transfers to Gatwick (igluski.com).
The Modlinger Hotel in Soll, Austria is a budget option with seven nights from £674pp and breakfast
SOLD IN SOLÉ
Connected to the huge SkiWelt area, Soll in Austria is also popular with intermediate skiers, although there is a gondola link to more advanced slopes in Kitzbuhel. There is a small village with well-priced restaurants serving traditional Tyrolean dishes and après-ski bars.
How to do it: Seven nights from £674pp B&B staying at the Modlinger Hotel with flights to Glasgow (igluski.com).
Passo Tonale in Lombardy, Italy, is a great affordable place to go skiing
ATTRACT ITALY
Passo Tonale in Lombardy, Italy, is not a pretty chocolate box, but rather a Colorado resort with a straight street lined with shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels. However, The Paradiso, a large American motel-style building with a spa, buffet restaurant and in-house ski shop, is a great place to stay.
For après ski, try one of the bright yellow, lava-temperature Il Bombardino drinks, with 30 percent alcohol topped with cream. In the mountains you can have affordable lunches (excellent pizzas).
How to do it: Seven nights at the Grand Paradiso Hotel from £779 per person half board from Manchester, or from £582 per person half board at the La Mirandola Hotel from Stansted (cristalski.es).
The French resort of Flaine is connected to the extensive Grand Massif ski area, suitable for all levels.
FRANCE AT A GOOD PRICE
Don’t let the 1960s brutalist architecture put you off the French resort of Flaine, which is connected to the extensive Grand Massif ski area, suitable for all levels. Much of the accommodation offered is self-catering apartments, which helps keep costs down.
How to do it: Seven nights at Montsoleil Terrasses d’Eos Apartments from £569pp from Leeds Bradford, based on six shared rooms (inghams.co.uk).
A snowboarder hits the slopes of Nassfeld, Austria
STUNNING AUSTRIA
Nassfeld, in the province of Carinthia, is popular with Slovenes, Italians, Czechs and Austrians, but virtually unknown to the British. Cheap flights to Klagenfurt (just over an hour away) or, equally close, to Salzburg, Venice, Trieste or Ljubljana mean there’s usually a cheap way to get there. And decent four-star hotels are a fraction of those in the rest of Austria.
There are hard red runs, easy blue runs and easy green runs. Stop at a mountain hut to enjoy a piece of Kaiserschmarrn: a minced pancake with apple sauce. Delicious.
How to do it: Seven nights at Alm Hotel Karnten from £750pp half board (almhotel-kaernten.at); Luton-Salzburg return flights from £34 (wizzair.com).
Sunset view of Bardonecchia in the Susa Valley in the Italian region of Piedmont
PIEDMONT BARGAIN
The often overlooked resort of Bardonecchia in the Susa Valley in Italy’s Piedmont region is another good option for intermediates. It was recently rated the best value of all European resorts in the Post Office’s annual ski report, with ski passes starting from £190 for six days. The slopes rise to 2,694 m, the highest point in the ski area. There’s even the chance to try out an old Olympic halfpipe.
How to do it: Seven nights at Residence Tabor from £498pp with lift passes and flights to Luton (sunweb.es).
Four Points of the Sheraton Bansko in Bulgaria
BULGARIA FOR FAMILIES
There was trepidation taking a family of four skiing for half term, but Bansko in Bulgaria turned out to be a success. No one claims the resort can compete with those in France, but for beginners it was fantastic, and our week was spent very reasonably in a four star hotel with flights, transfers, food, ski passes, equipment rental and tuition included .
The mountains have 75 km of marked slopes rising up to 2560 m with slopes for all levels. Our children loved the ski school. Bansko has a charming medieval old town.
How to do it: Seven nights at Four Points by Sheraton Bansko from £595pp half board, including flights and transfers (balkanholidays.es).
Hotel Seiblishof in Ischgl, Austria: a resort known for its apres-ski and rock concerts
TEMPTANT IN ISCHGL
This Austrian resort will allow you to straddle Austria and Switzerland at the same time. It is best known for its rock and apres-ski concerts, in which Elton John, Lenny Kravitz and Rhianna have performed.
After five in the afternoon, the bars vibrate with the music and chatter of gluhwein drinkers. The extensive slopes are magnificent. There are also sleds. Prices in Austria are noticeably cheaper than in Switzerland.
How to do it: Seven nights at the luxurious Seiblishof Hotel from £1,165pp half board (seiblishof.com); returns to Innsbruck from £45 (easyjet.com). More information: austria.info.
VRetreats Cervino in Cervinia, Italy, offering seven nights for around £1,600 per person all-inclusive
SKI AND SPA FOR LESS
Some spa hotels in Zermatt, Switzerland can cost £2,250 per person per week, excluding flights, transfers and meals. Enjoy seven nights across the border in Italy at the VRetreats Cervino spa hotel in the adjoining Cervinia resort for around £1,600 per person all-inclusive.
Cervinia may be less fashionable, but it has a charming center with small restaurants, delicatessens and cozy bars set on winding cobblestone streets. The views of the Matterhorn peak are also spectacular.
How to do it: Seven nights at VRetreats Cervino from £1,569 per person half board with flights and transfers to Gatwick included, all for £224 per night (inghams.com). Don’t forget the additional cost of the lift.