Bansko in Bulgaria offers the best value ski break for British travellers this year, according to an annual cost comparison study released today by TripAdvisor.

A day on the slopes, a meal, beer and an overnight stay in a hotel in Bansko will set you back £104.34, less than one-quarter the price of the most expensive destination for a ski break which is in Courchevel, France costing £432.42.

The results were taken from TripAdvisor’s TripIndex Ski 2013, an annual report that compares the cost of a ski break in 41 key ski destinations in Europe, taking into account the cost of one night’s hotel accommodation, one day’s ski pass, one day’s basic ski hire, a meal and a bottle of beer this ski season (15 December 2013 – 15 April 2014). 

While Bansko is the best value destination, this year, Andorra takes the lead as the most affordable country, laying claim to four destinations in the top 10 best value list. France and Switzerland emerge as the costliest countries, each home to four of the ten most expensive resorts.

When it comes to hotel prices across the popular ski destinations, Courchevel, France has the most expensive average rate for one night’s stay, coming in at £331.47. For the price of one night in a hotel in Courchevel, travellers can have five nights in a Bansko hotel (£65.54 per night).

Sochi, Russia is the cheapest option for a day on the slopes, with a lift pass costing £21.55 – around two times less than in St. Moritz, Switzerland which costs £49.74. Bansko offers the best value ski hire – the average cost of a basic package for skis, boots and poles will knock  a traveller back £8.96, over four times less than the most expensive, St. Moritz, where the average ski hire is £40.68.

Bansko is also revealed as the cheapest place for a bite to eat at just £3.12 compared with £29.10 in Courchevel. The best value après-ski beer can be found in Ordino Arcalis, Andorra for £1.38, five times cheaper than in Courchevel where a post-ski beverage costs £6.71.

Last year’s TripIndex Ski results announced Mount Etna, Italy as the cheapest destination* while Meribel in France topped the most expensive list for 2012.

“Skiing is often considered an expensive holiday, and while it can be, the TripAdvisor TripIndex Ski shows that where you go will have a big impact on how much you spend. In fact, a ski break doesn’t have to break the bank. Eastern European destinations and Andorra offer the best value and for those wanting to stay closer to home, it’s great to see a Scottish ski resort among the ten cheapest destinations,” commented James Kay, TripAdvisor spokesperson.

TripIndex Best Value European Ski Destinations

TripIndex Most Expensive European Ski Destination

The full TripIndex link is available at http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/InfoCenter-a_ctr.TripindexSki_UK_2013    

*Due to recent and ongoing volcanic activity, the Italian resort of Mount Etna was not included in this year’s study.

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TripIndex Ski methodology:

TripIndex Ski looks at 41 popular ski destinations across Europe. The list was editorially compiled using information from ski and travel experts, as well as TripAdvisor site data. 

Prices were collected through a variety of research methods as outlined below.  Prices were taken in local currencies between October and November 2013 and converted into GBP (£) on 19 November 2013.

Hotels: Hotel prices shown specify the average per room per night cost of a hotel found on TripAdvisor within a five-mile radius of the destination.  On average, 26 hotels were included in the calculations for the average price in each destination. Pricing information is taken from partner booking sites on TripAdvisor. Hotel prices shown cover the time period 15 December 2013 – 15 April 2014. 

Ski Pass: Ski pass identifies the cost of one day’s access to that destination’s ski area, sourced from suppliers in the destination. 

Ski Hire:  Ski hire prices specify the average cost of a basic ski hire package (boots, skis, poles).  The cost shown is the average price of three (or the maximum number available) ski hire packages provided by suppliers in the destination.

Meal: Meal prices shown specify the average cost of one basic meal taken from three local restaurants (or the maximum number available).  Where available this is a burger and chips and where not available a meal common to that destination was used as an alternative.

Beer: Beer prices shown specify the average cost of a bottle of local beer (French beer in France, Italian beer in Italy, etc.) taken from three local restaurants (or the maximum number available).