Most affordable way to ski

[interestingdays]

Is there such a thing as an affordable way to ski? Have heard that Bulgaria is most affordable.
Tips would be much appreciated!

Ohh where did you get ski hire so cheap? I'm being quoted wayyy more by Free-ski (one of the three ski schools there as I understand it)

Glenshee Ski hire - it was just under £40 for the 4 days with boots, skis and poles. The guys were very helpful and seemed knowledgeable too.
It's probably half an hour before the ski slopes if you're heading there from the south.

Ah thank you. We'll be in the Aviemore area, so a bit further away from Glenshee

The roads in the UK just before we left for the alps this year were far worse than the ones in the mountains. We don't carry chains (maybe we should) but do have winter tyres. We drive up to the resort and park in the free long term parking and then get a lift / taxi up to the chalet which is a bit higher up.

Most cost effective way we find is to hire chalet ourselves, drive, self cater, sandwiches for lunch etc. my family are all big on cooking though, and we ski at Christmas so last lift is 4.20 leaving plenty of evening to buy food and cook it. Harder at feb half term!

Most affordable way to ski:

• Don't go at half-term;
• Look for late season/Easter deals - e.g. free lift passes for kids after 1 April;
• Go to smaller resorts (the lift passes will be cheaper) or less fashionable countries - but beware that some are cheap for a reason;
• Look through the threads on Snowheads and MN - and ask questions;
• Self-drive and self-cater - snow chains are not usually needed in Austria, but often a necessity in France;
• Book hotels direct;
• Use public transport for transfers where possible;
• Stay a mile or three outside of the centre of the resort and drive/bus in each day;
• Stay in small, but spotless and cosy B&Bs (called "Pensions" in Austria). Find these through the tourist office websites;
• Put your lunch in your pocket/backpack rather then eating at a mountain restaurant;
• If flying, fly home on a Sunday instead of Saturday (e.g. stay Sat. in Salzburg) - the saving will easily cover the cost of an Ibis-type hotel room and you can spend Saturday sightseeing;
• Ski hire and ski school - offer to pay cash;
• Drink beer and wine at home (49 cents a can/ €3.50 a bottle) rather than €6.50 beers/glasses of wine in a bar;

BUT also look for last-minute deals with the big Tour Operators if you can hold your nerve.

For many people, the holiday is a time to kick back, relax and be pampered - all of which is possible but all of which comes at a cost. For those for whom skiing is the priority, and who are willing to make a few sacrifices in order to be able to afford it, there are ways of saving money without it feeling too spartan. Regardless of whether you stay 5-star or basic/budget, once you've got your skis on, the sun, snow and the mountains are the same for everyone.😎

There was skiing in Aviemore/the Cairngorms this half term 😄⛷️It's definitely an affordable way to ski (if you don't waste money like I do). Train from London, ski hire, hotel with breakfast and ski pass was around £1000

We've been to aviemore. Stayed in the youth hostel, bus to to the ski are

I taught my own kids on the dry slopes in the UK around London first, that was the cheapest way.
Be careful with Christmas and Easter skiing now. Easter can be very slushy with poor snow conditions. Global warming is impacting the slopes massively. Many resorts are worried about it. If you are stuck to February half term it is expensive in most countries, but at least there will be OKish snow. This year has been quite bad in many resorts that are not high up. The season has shortened.
Many resorts now make additional technical snow in December and blow it onto the mountain where it is then maintained for months. The carbon footprint implications are not great.

My top tip with kids are....

Go somewhere where the locals are not on school holidays the same week as the UK. Italy is usually a good bet as long as you don't pick resorts adjoining France and check that it's not Carnevale/ Fasching week. France is a bad bet: expensive and generally crowded with lots of competition for ski school places. Paris and part of southern France share our holiday week.

Abetone is reasonable and a decent size and you can get cheaper flights to BLQ or Pisa. You will need a car though.

Go somewhere where kids ski free, some resorts have much more generous ski pass offers than others. French negaresorts are terrible value for large or multi kid families, and the Kid cut off can be as low as 11 years old.

I would not go to Bulgaria. It's crap in peak weeks. Slovakia, Slovenia are much more modern and just nicer IME.

If you want really, really cheap, look at Jahorina and Bjelasnica in Bosnia, or Kolasin in Montenegro. That's where we are going next year (Bosnia).

Keep costs down by booking a ski holiday which is travelling by coach….. not pleasant, but you put your stuff on and sit down and then arrive at you accommodation after a few stops along the way. Given you can easily need a 3-4 hour journey from the airport anyway, plus all the hanging about time at airports, it might not take as much longer as you think.

The cheapest peak time ski trips I’ve seen are about £800 a head, to include coach travel, lift passes for 6 days, lessons for 2 hours a day, all equipment and basic full board accommodation and even insurance. You could avoid paying a penny more if you really didn’t want to. These were available this year in Feb half term and for Easter. Accommodation would be basic with perhaps rooms for 4 and probably not en-suite. Usually a British company has taken over a large chalet/old hotel for the season and can house trips of a coachload and are running the catering themselves….bit like a school trip. Quite often these are charities and the ski instructors are volunteers. This also keep the costs down.