Low-Cost Ski Destinations in Europe

Breathtaking landscapes and pristine beauty: many international locations rival the most famous mountains of the Italian or French Alps, yet they often have significantly lower costs.

Below you will find a guide to affordable ski vacations in Europe, while here you can find all the destinations for low-cost skiing in Italy. From Slovenia to Poland, passing through the Czech Republic, ski passes, accommodation, ski lessons, and equipment rental cost at least one-third of what they do elsewhere. Ready to save? Getting there is easy and cheap: low-cost airlines operate, and connections to the airports are usually economical.

In Romania, the mountain landscapes are beautiful and the prices are low. From accommodation to food, and including ski passes, the savings are quite significant. The ideal area for a ski week in Romania is the Postavarul and Bucegi mountains, located on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. The most famous and frequented ski resort is Brașov with 40 km of slopes descending through the Carpathians. The cost of a ski week here is about a quarter of what it would cost at a local destination, especially if you choose to stay in Brașov, only about 20 km from the ski area (around 40 Euros a day including equipment rental, ski pass, and public transport to reach Poiana). In Poiana Brașov, there are slopes for all tastes and levels, including a 5 km slope for experts. Predeal, a 2-hour drive from Bucharest, is one of Romania's most well-known ski destinations. In the Eastern Carpathians, the best ski resorts include Piatra Neamț, Vatra Dornei, and Durau. Azagu is a good choice for those wishing to ski in a less popular and less crowded destination. There is also an excellent slope for children and beginners. READ ALSO: WHERE TO SKI IN ITALY

In the Czech Republic, skiers have an embarrassment of choices. You can ski in the Jested area, in the north of the country and not far from Prague.

The Spindleruv Mlyn area in the Giant Mountains offers 25 kilometers of slopes just 2 hours from the capital. The largest ski area is Skiregion, with over 40 kilometers of slopes. Main resorts include Harrachov, Rokytnice nad Jizerou, Paseky nad Jizerou, Rejdice, and Prichovice. Besides classic skiing and snowboarding, in the Czech Republic, you'll find all the alternatives that make a ski week complete: thermal baths and wellness in the mountains at low prices, adventure parks like the one in Spindleruv Mlyn, one of the largest centers for snow kiting to glide on the snow with a wind-filled sail.

Poland has many ski resorts that truly have little to envy from our Dolomites or Alps, and in terms of services and lifts, they are certainly not lacking. There is a bit of a gap when it comes to skiing for children, but this does not mean that Polish ski resorts are off-limits for families. Zieleniec, in the Sudetes, is one of the most popular ski resorts in Poland. Skiing starts in November and runs until early May (the cost for a day of skiing, including 2 hours of lessons, is around 40 Euros per person; a bed can cost as little as 4 euros per person in a cozy hostel among the mountains, or 15 euros in a hotel). Zakopane, a few kilometers from Katowice Airport, serviced by low-cost flights, costs a little more.

The highest peaks in Slovakia are those of the Low Tatras, reaching 2024 meters. The most important ski area is Ski Jasna (28 km of slopes), while there are many high-quality ski locations that are all decidedly low cost compared to the prices we are used to paying in our Alps. The Park Snow Vysoke Tatry (5 km of slopes) reaches an altitude of 1800. Also here, in the High Tatras, like in the Low ones, the slopes are all blue and red, not suitable for those who want to enjoy challenging slopes.

40 km of slopes can be found in Jasena Dolina in the Western Tatras. The locations include Kasova and Lehota (all the info at www.slovakiatravels.com).

The Kanin ski area is connected to the Friulian area of Sella Nevea. Moving a bit further from the Italian borders, you can ski in Maribor, 66 km from Trieste, on over 40 km of slopes. Kranjska Gora is the most famous ski resort in the country, due to the slopes that are part of the World Cup circuit. Then there are Vogel and Rogla, which are particularly low cost. Cernko is Slovenia's newest ski resort: 20 km of slopes connected by modern lifts with a 100% predisposition for artificial snowmaking. Krvavec is the closest resort to Ljubljana, ideal for combining a ski week with a visit to the historic and artistic attractions of the Slovenian capital (Info at www.slovenia.info).

Low-cost arrival with airlines flying cheap to Sofia. From here you can choose to ski at Borovets (80 km from the capital) or Bansko (about two and a half hours by car). Mount Vitosha is the closest but also the most crowded. Here, the ski pass for six days costs around 80 Euros, approximately the same as on Mount Musala.

French ski resorts are among the most renowned in the world, featuring vast areas with abundant snow and glaciers. In Les Deux Alpes, the ski season is open even in summer. In these places, a ski week can usually cost quite a bit, but in some places less than in others, and especially the quality-price ratio is very interesting. Among the most affordable ski resorts in France, we mention Avoriaz, Tignes, and Chatel.