As every skier knows, there is something more fearsome than even the iciest cliff face: the cost of a ski trip.
A week’s lift pass in major European resorts can cost around €300/$321USD, with some rising to even dizzier heights. Add flights, accommodation fees and the breathtaking prices for standard burgers and flat beer and it’s enough to send shivers down your spine. In a time of rising cots of living; is there even such thing as affordable European ski getaway?
We slalomed across Europe to seek out the snowy grail: well-sized ski areas where a high-season six-day lift pass costs less than €275/$294USD. Here are the top ski resorts in Europe for budget travelers this winter.
Borovets has been a winter playground since the late 19th century. Hemmed by evergreens, its 36 miles (58km) of mostly blue (beginner) and red (intermediate) runs weave beneath Bulgaria’s mightiest peak, Mt Musala, reaching a height of 8398ft (2560m).
For better or worse, Borovets can be a favorite among snow-bound stag (bachelor party) groups who thunder down its pistes before stamping their ski boots in bars and basement clubs. Follow them towards cheap beers, but beware of drink promos involving rakia (a potent fruit-based booze).
Cost of accommodations: Budget accommodations often involve boxy hotels or basic apartments, but it’s hard to fault a week’s stay in a double room for around €300.
High-season lift pass price: Around €178/$190USD for six days.
How to get to Borovets: The journey from the capital city Sofia is around 90 minutes, with various companies running transfer services starting at €30/$32USD (and no extra charge for ski carriage). Even cheaper is a bus to Samokov and then a shuttle.
Beneath Slovenia’s mythic Mt Triglav, believed by early Slavs to be the home of a triple-headed deity, lies low-key Vogel Ski Resort. With 13 miles (22km) of blue and red pistes, it’s hardly one of Europe’s biggest resorts, nor is it reliably snow-sure: but Vogel’s a bargain, with unforgettable views of the Julian Alps.
After arrival, transport costs are zero if your guesthouse has signed up for the bus scheme across Bohinj Valley. Also free are beauty spots within close driving distance: Lake Bohinj (40 minutes) and ethereal Lake Bled (one hour), looking all the prettier under a dusting of snow.
Cost of accommodations: Some guesthouses shutter their doors for winter, but nightly rates in Ukanc, downhill of the ski lifts, skirt a budget-friendly €75/$80USD per double (with more options in Ribčev Laz).
High-season lift pass price: Around €188/$201USD for five days.
How to get to Vogel: Vogel is a 90-minute drive from Ljubljana Airport, or reduce costs with a train ride to Bohinjska Bistrica.
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