Cheapest Ski Resorts In Europe You Can Actually Afford

It’s no secret that a week skiing in the Alps is notoriously expensive, especially if you have a family in tow. But it doesn’t have to mean champagne in Gstaad. There are some incredible and cheap ski resorts in Europe offering precious powder for a very reasonable price, leaving you a little extra to spend on some seriously stylish ski wear whatever your budget.

So if you’re willing to look at things through new ski goggles, you could find a new way to do things. And it’ll be cheaper too. Way cheaper.

Just by tweaking your plans, you can save a fortune on a skiing holiday this ski season. For those that do decide to go abroad for their Alpine fix, these are the cheapest ski resorts in Europe worth checking out.

The cheapest ski resorts in Europe

Vogel, Slovenia

Want somewhere a little quieter? This is one ski destination that stays under the radar.

In Vogel, the ski centre of Slovenia, a ski pass is about a third of the cost of an Alpine one. Sure, the nightlife may be pretty low-key, but if you’re craving a party you can get to the capital Ljubljana in about an hour.

Vogel Quick Facts:

Ski Pass: €174 (5 days for adults), €87 (5 days for children)
Hotels: From £50 per night
Flights: From £60 return

Height: 5,904 ft
Longest run: 6,800m
Lifts: 8

More info: www.vogel.si

Hotel to try…

– Bohinj ECO Hotel
Eco hotel with four stars (that’s a lot around here) and its own bowling alley!

Borovets, Bulgaria

The Rila Mountains…I’ll bet a fair amount you’ve never heard of them, but it’s probably where you’re headed if you’re considering Bulgaria as a ski destination and for good reason! They have some great slopes.

An hour and a half from Sofia (plenty of direct flights from the UK), this space has transformed itself into a trendy destination, and the ski action is very respectable.

Alpine-like Borovets is also famous for cross-country skiing, if that takes your fancy, though standard downhill skiing is where the resort really shines.

Borovets Quick Facts:

Ski Pass: From £112 (5 days)
Hotels: From £34 – £300 per night
Flights: From £55 return

Height: 4,400 ft
Longest run: 12,000m
Lifts: 12

More info: www.borovets-bg.com

Hotels to try…

– Hotel Rila
Large ski-in-ski-out hotel, broadly speaking it’s modern and without doubt, ideally located

– Festa Winter Palace
A five-star resort perfect for adventures

Poiana-Brasov, Romania

Here’s everything you need to know to make you want to pack your case and jump on the plane: it’s in Transylvania.

In the search for the cheapest ski resorts in Europe, Romania is worth having a glance at. Poiana-Brasov is small but would be perfect for a beginner, and for the price (it’s not just that you save on ski passes, it’s the whole thing; accommodation, travel, food and drink) where the economy of a location like Romania starts to make sense.

Poiana-Brasov Quick Facts:

Ski Pass: From £189 (10 days)
Hotels: From £40 per night
Flights: From £66 return

Height: 5,400 ft
Longest run: 5,000m
Lifts: 10

More info: www.poianabrasov.com

Hotel to try…

– Ana Hotel Bradul
Ski-in-ski-out and half-decent amenities

Jasna, Slovakia

Don’t confuse your Slovenias and Slovakias, they hate that. But if you’ve accidentally tried to book a flight to Vogel and realised you’re in the wrong country you could do a lot worse than Slovakia’s Jasna.

The resort has received significant investment of late, with much-improved accommodation, food that’s not just beets and borscht, and a broad system of runs that make it a very credible destination as you ski down Mount Chopok.

Jasna Quick Facts:

Ski Pass: £295 (6 days for adults), £207 (6 days for children)
Hotels: From £40 – £200 per night
Flights: From £50 return (into Krakow)

Height: 6,600 ft
Longest run: 5,1800m
Lifts: 22

More info: www.jasna.sk

Hotels to try…

– Hotel Grand Jasna
The hotel is more than serviceable and includes a wellness spa.

Söll, Austria

Austria is often a go-to when you’re after an Alpine skiing experience, but don’t want to go Three-Valleys deep in debt.

And Söll is a decent option as it’s part of one of the largest ski areas in the country. And with its traditional Tirolean feel it’s a million miles from the austere former Soviet feel of some of the Eastern European resorts.

Of course, you’ll pay for that, with all your costs up, from flights to ski passes, compared with a Jasna or Borovets.

Söll Quick Facts

Ski Pass: £176 (6 days for adults), £88 (6 days for children)
Hotels: From £85 – £250 per night
Flights: From £120 return

Height: 2,100 ft
Longest run: 5,800m
Lifts: 36

More info: www.tyrol.tl

Hotels to try…

– Der Lärchenhof
Back to real-world prices, around £250 per night, but comes with a higher level of service and accommodation.

– Grand Tirolia Hotel Kitzbühel
Runs a regular ski shuttle for the 800 yards to the slope, has a spa and a decent restaurant

Livigno, Italy

Okay, so it’s a flipping nightmare to get to, granted (genuinely, you’re looking at three hours from Innsbruck), but the remoteness helps on the price and, even better, it’s a weird little Italian tax haven, which means there’s no VAT.

Added to that the skiing’s particularly good and you’ve all the more reason to consider it.

Livigno Quick Facts:

Ski Pass: £133 (5 days)
Hotels: From £85 – £200 per night
Flights: From £25 return (we were surprised too! With Ryanair to Bergamo)

Height: 5,400 ft
Longest run: 7,000m
Lifts: 32

More info: www.ski-livigno.com