Italy, Bulgaria and Germany Offer Europe's Best-Value Skiing
Tripadvisor's 2012 TripIndex Ski - a cost comparison of key European ski destinations tracked against the British pound reveals that Italy, Bulgaria and Germany provide the best value for money.
TripIndex Ski is based on the combined cost of one night’s hotel accommodation, one day’s ski pass, one day’s basic ski hire, a local meal and a bottle of beer.
Topping the list for affordability is Italy’s Mount Etna with a total TripIndex cost of just £98.40, while Bulgaria’s Bansko takes second place with £103.82 and Spain’s Astún ranks third with £109.44. When it comes to the best value country, Germany takes the lead, laying claim to four destinations in the top ten.
In this year’s TripIndex Ski, two French destinations emerge as the costliest. The most expensive is Meribel with a total TripIndex cost of £354.91, closely followed by Courcheval which totals £354.06. Both are over three times the cost of Mount Etna (Italy), Bansko (Bulgaria) and Astún (Spain). There are five Swiss resorts in the top ten of the most expensive resorts in Europe, with St. Moritz the priciest with a TripIndex total of £349.79.
TripAdvisor spokesperson, Emma Shaw, said: "The TripAdvisor TripIndex Ski helps British travellers to identify which European ski resorts deliver the best value for money this season.
"Skiing is often thought of as an expensive holiday, but TripIndex Ski shows that there are destinations where British travellers don’t have to break the bank.
“The biggest driver of expense is clearly the price of hotels, but with all outlays there are remarkable differences between resorts across Europe," she said.
A bite to eat sees biggest price gap, while closest cost is ski hire.
The biggest single expense is clearly the price of hotels, but with all items there are significant cost differences between resorts across Europe.
- Basic meal: The most expensive destination for a meal is St Moritz, Switzerland where the average cost of a basic meal is £28.82, compared to £4.52 in Bansko, Bulgaria - that’s over six times that of the cheapest in the list.
- Hotel: Meribel, France has the highest hotel cost of £286.29 per night, compared to £55.38 in Astún, Spain - over five times that of the cheapest in the list.
- Bottle of beer: The most expensive destination for a bottle of beer is Saas Fee, Switzerland at £4.45, compared to £1.21 in Ordino Arcalis, Andorra - nearly four times that of the cheapest in the list.
- Basic ski hire: The most expensive destination for one day’s ski hire is Klosters, Switzerland at £42.07, compared to £11.98 in Bansko, Bulgaria - that’s over three times more costly.
- Ski pass: The most expensive one day’s ski pass is in Zermatt, Switzerland at £50.08, compared to £18.47 in Bansko, Bulgaria - nearly triple the price.
TripIndex Best Value European Ski Destinations
1. Mt Etna, Italy
2. Bansko, Bulgaria
3. Astún, Spain
4. Berchtesgaden, Germany
5. Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
6. Spitzingsee, Germany
7. Candanchú, Spain
8. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
9. Oberstdorf, Germany
10. Serre-Chevalier, France
TripIndex Most Expensive European Ski Destination
1. Maribel, France
2. Courcheval, France
3. St. Moritz, Switzerland
4. Verbier, Switzerland
5. Gstaad, Switzerland
6. Zermatt, Switzerland
7. Klosters, Switzerland
8. Ischgl, Austria
9. Val D'Isere, France
10. St. Anton, Austria
The full TripIndex link is available at www.tripadvisor.co.uk
Tell us about the best ski destinations you've been to in the comments below or tweet us @FemaleFirst_UK
FemaleFirst