A guide to the best and cheapest ski resorts in Europe

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned skier, skiing on the cheap has never been easy. Once you factor in equipment, clothing, lift passes, après ski and of course the holiday itself you can find yourself set back a penny or two.

You can still have a decent holiday which doesn’t have to break the bank, though, provided you’re prepared to shop around, eat frugally both on and off the mountain and make your own travel arrangements where necessary - perhaps filling a car with four people and driving or choosing little-known places which connect into a famous one. Unlike in North America, where a resort is a single entity, many top Alpine resorts link into others that are less fashionable and much cheaper. But the snow is the same.

So here’s a guide to some of the best and cheapest ski resorts in Europe

Brides-Les-Bains, France
The pretty town of Brides-Les-Bains in France is just a 25 minute from Méribel. The nightlife is a lot calmer, which some may see as a bonus, and you have access to the Three Valleys' amazing skiing without the scary price tag. Mountain restaurants in the area can be expensive though: the Cactus Café and Tremplin Brasserie are great places to have a budget bite before hitting the slopes. Or buy your lunch in Brides and have a panoramic picnic.

A budget back-door into the Trois Vallées, directly linked by a 25-minute gondola ride to Méribel. What you miss out on is - usually - snow at village level, mountain ambience and nightlife. You can't ski back down at the end of the day you have to download by the gondola.

Cauterets, France
A spa town in the Pyrenees with a cable-car giving access to a 15-lift ski area best suited to beginners and intermediates.

Cauterets provides both cross country skiing and downhill skiing. There are 36km of cross country tracks at Pont d’Espagne and 25 downhill pistes at Cirque du Lys between 1700m and 2500m altitude which are mainly suited for beginners and intermediates. A new cable car was built in 2005 which can transport 2000 skiers per hour to the Cirque du Lys area.
Cauterets is also well known for its thermal springs used in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory organs, rheumatism and skin diseases. The main thermal baths, Thermes Cesar, were opened in 1843 and continue to offer treatments today.

St Gervais France
A traditional spa town linked by gondola and piste to the 110-lift Megève ski area, from the other side of town you can also ride the venerable Mont Blanc Tramway, and the rack and pinion railway takes you to the top of the neighbouring ski area of Les Houches.
Saint Gervais is the family version of the more upmarket Megeve. The skiing in general is tree lined and scenic, but due to the low altitude, snow can be a bit thin on the ground towards the end of the short season.

The village is typically Alpine with Mont Blanc towering in the distance. There are challenges for all levels on the 47 slopes and off-piste is great for the expert. The snowboard park is very busy and you can use your board on all the pistes. Facilities in the village include a sports centre, gym, ice rink and sauna. Après ski is lively and there is a choice of 30 restaurants and 17 bars.

Soldeu, Andorra
A smart little resort that offers some of the best skiing in the principality, new lifts and new hotels abound. It shares its ski area with neighbouring Pas de la Casa, and together they have 58 lifts. It also has one of the most highly rated ski schools in the world offering over 200 instructors speaking a multitude of different languages and teaching every level of skiing and snowboarding from complete beginner to very advanced.

Puy St Vincent, France
Puy St Vincent is a purpose built ski resort situated over one mile above sea level in the Ecrins Mountains in the French Alps. It is famed for its micro-climate and excellent skiing. It was awarded International Family Ski Resort of the Year in 2003. Located in the largest park in France, the 92000 acre 'Les Ecrins', Puy Saint Vincent is a year round resort split in to two levels at 1400 and 1600 metres.

Puy St Vincent 1600 is the larger, most convenient for ski lifts and has the lion's share of facilities. It is however dominated by one giant concrete complex of holiday flats with shops, bars and restaurants below. There are other large slopeside lodging options nearby.

Puy 1400 is a more laid back affair. Whilst the lifts ascend from the small hamlet of Puy 1400, nearby hamlets Le Villaret, Les Pres, Les Albers and the original, church-filled village of Le Puy each has a smattering of hotels, shops and restaurants.

Bohinj, Slovenia
Ski Bohinj in Slovenia and you get two resorts, the Kobla and the Vogel, providing plenty of varied skill level skiing & snowboarding slopes as well as plenty of après ski.

The Bohinj ski resort is located high up in the Julian Alps and is strategically located in the middle of the Triglav National Park which makes it convenient to also visit and ski the slopes at the neighbouring Kobla and Vogel ski resorts. Access is via Ljubljana Airport which is around 2 hours away, but it is also reachable by train if you are willing to travel for a longer period of time in exchange for a lower cost.

High and Low Tatras, Slovakia
This is the most overlooked ski region in Europe. It divides into the High Tatras that form the border with Poland, and the Low Tatras, a 40-minute drive to the south-west. The High Tatras, reached by a two-hour flight from London Stansted to Poprad, are best suited to beginners and intermediates. The resorts of Tatranska Lomnica and Skalnate Pleso are particularly rated. More advanced skiing and best freeride opportunities are to be found in the Low Tatras at Jasna, reached from Poprad or from Kosice.

Poiana Brasov, Romania
Besides being the most accessible - about 140-180km from capital city Bucharest - they are equipped with snow cannons and flood lighting and accommodation facilities for all tastes and pockets.

Just 12km away from Brasov City, in a glade surrounded by coniferous forests, at the foot of the Postavaru Massif, you'll find Romania’s most famous skiing resort: Poiana Brasov. It is referred to in ski directories all over the world, often compared to other major resorts such as Cortina A’Ampezz, Zakopane or Chamonix in terms of natural setting. The snow layer lasts for about 120 days a year. It features great hotels and restaurants, very modern winter sports facilities, 9 ski slopes and is preferred by tourists because it is relatively inexpensive compared to ski resorts in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and other European states.

Written by The Spy, 6 September, 2009 - 07:26