Where To Ski On A Budget

Skiing does have a reputation for being an expensive sport. But you don't have to spend a fortune. We suggest ways in which you can ski or snowboard without breaking the bank.

If you are tired of paying £10 for a coffee on the slopes and inflated prices for an average chalet then maybe it’s time to look at how you can get a great ski holiday without feeling that you are being fleeced.

Knowing where to ski on a budget is not easy. Headline prices for holidays may be cheap, but the ski lift passes may be £300 each! So for a family of 4 that's an additional £1200 straight off ignoring the price of ski lessons.

But there are some resorts to look out for. For example, there's a few resorts where children under certain ages don't have to pay for their lift passes. For example Obergurgl under 8, Saas-Fee under 10 and Ste Foy is free for children under 7.

Great Value Ski Resorts

We're talking good value apartments, chalets, food and more. We've have compiled a list of resorts that should give you great skiing without breaking the bank.

Tignes, France
A great resort if you want to ski the Espace Killy without paying inflated prices. Good quality self catering apartments are readily available and with 300km of pistes and 10,000 hectares of off piste you won’t run out of skiing experiences!
Les Menuires, France

Ok, so it’s not the prettiest resort but it offers some great pistes and off piste and is a lot cheaper than its trendier neighbour Meribel. Good cheap self catering apartments available.
La Norma, France

Here you will pay £10 for lunch on the mountain, pay only £17 a day for a lift pass and may even get some supermarket wine for as little as £4. The downside is that the ski area is small but the quality of the runs are good so if money is tight this could be the perfect choice.
Sauze d’Oulx, Italy

Pretty Italian mountain village, quiet slopes, very good for intermediates and no lift queues! If you want unpretentious Italian skiing then this could be the place for you.
Moena, Italy

Set in the Italian Dolomites, quiet resort, and great for skiing on uncrowded pistes. The main disadvantage is that you have to travel to get to the ski slopes but who cares when you are paying good budget prices?
Canazei, Italy

Well priced chalets, good value food on the mountain restaurants, but much cheaper than its better known neighbour Selva which is where most people go to ski the Sella Ronda. But you can still ski this area but base yourself in Canazei. Not great for snowboarders but for skiers a great value alternative.
Monterosa, Italy

Great for off piste and snowboarding. Great value for money skiing and boarding.
Alpbach, Austria

Beautiful Austrian village, has been voted the prettiest village in Austria. Now has a link with Auffach in the Wildschonau which makes the new ski area – Ski Juwel, a good one. So it now has the ski area along with the beauty and at a much cheaper price than many Austrian resorts.
Pas de la Casa ,Andorra

Brits tend to love it here, particularly as a pint costs on average £2 less than in the Alps. Not great for families or those of you looking for a quiet ski holiday, this is one big party town! But it won’t cost you a fortune to party. The skiing is good too, with 200km of pistes, soon to be enlarged. So for good value partying it doesn’t get much better!