It’s that time of year now when all across Ireland, winter sport enthusiasts are planning for their yearly skiing adventures. Whilst there’s no denying that the Irish are avid skiers, we all love a good bargain, and finding affordable flights and accommodation options at the ski resort of choice is only the tip of the iceberg for what travellers will need to spend on a ski trip. It can be hard to know how to choose between all the resorts out there – France? Austria? Switzerland?
With that in mind, we’ve decided to take a look at the most popular ski European destinations for 2018 based on hotel searches, to compile the estimated total costs for a week on the slopes (December – February) – including return flights, 3/4-star hotel accommodation, ski hire, airport transfers, food and the ever-necessary après-ski aperitif.
The verdict? The tiny alpine nation of Andorra comes out top of the cheap charts, with a full week of skiing and all the associated costs in El Pas de la Casa costing just €1,795, whilst the same package in France’s Megève will cost on average €3,685, an enormous difference of €1,890.
However, France does have some good-value options, with a week-long trip to Chamonix coming in second cheapest, while two Austrian destinations, Zell am See and Mayrhofen are also achievable for €2,340 or below – including all costs.
Which are the cheapest ski destinations in Europe for Irish holiday planners?
In many of Europe’s big ski resorts, the price of accommodation, food and drink increases the closer you get to the centre of the action, that is; the heart of the resort and après-ski activity. Travellers prepared to stay a little further out and take advantage of the ski bus transfers that are usually provided can save on accommodation. Further savings can be made by booking off-peak (mid-January is a particular sweet spot) and by avoiding the busy February mid-term holidays. Cooking your own meals after a full day on the slopes is never that appealing, but eating out adds up fast. If saving money on food and drinks is important to you, Sölden in Austria is your best bet, with the average food bill including lunch, dinner and an après-ski beverage coming in at just €24.
With the list of top searched ski destinations to hand, KAYAK analysed the average prices for hotel accommodation in the area for travel during the 2017-2018 ski season and then compared them to the prices for the same time last year. The resort of Morzine in France has seen a whopping 52% increase in average hotel prices, with average prices up to €326 per night compared to €214 over the same period last year. Other French resorts Tignes and Megève have also seen increases in average hotel prices, up 35% and 31% respectively from last year, helping to make these the most expensive destinations overall.
Skiing holidays for some Irish holidaymakers are even more eagerly anticipated than their annual summer holidays, but it really pays to account for off-slope expenses, including travel costs, when choosing a final destination. Breaking it down can help ski enthusiasts choose between the most popular destinations and some very affordable alternatives.
So why not ski the slopes less travelled? Adventurous skiers looking for new trails to blaze this season might appreciate visiting some more off-the-beaten-track destinations in Eastern Europe. For example Kranjska Gora in Slovenia, where the ski slopes are a stone’s throw away from hotels across what’s known as the ‘beach’; Donovaly Park Snow in Slovakia, a haven for skiers of all skill levels with one of Europe’s largest dedicated skiing areas for families and beginners; or Borovets in Bulgaria – a resort quickly becoming known as one of the nicest and most modern ski centres in eastern Europe.
And in case you still can’t decide whether to pull the trigger on that ski trip, why not try setting up a few KAYAK price alerts? That way you’ll automatically be notified as soon as the cheapest flights become available – a key advantage when looking for bargains on flights.
