Cheap Ski Holidays 2026/27
Ski Holidays That Don't Cost The Earth
A week in the mountains doesn't have to mean a four figure bill. Where you go and when you go make the biggest difference to the price. On the Post Office's latest figures, a week of lift pass, ski hire, lessons, lunches and drinks costs around £600 in the cheapest resort it surveyed and more than double that in the dearest.
This guide covers the best value resorts in Europe, what a ski holiday actually costs, the cheapest weeks to travel and the easy ways to save. If you just want to see what's on offer, jump straight to our latest ski deals.
Popular Ski Destinations
The Cheapest Places To Ski In Europe
Every year the Post Office prices up a week in resorts across Europe. For adults, the total covers a six day lift pass, ski and boot hire, ski school, and lunches and drinks on the mountain. Flights and accommodation aren't included, so think of it as your spending money once you arrive. These were the ten best value resorts for adults in the 2026 report.
- Bardonecchia, Italy: £601
- Borovets, Bulgaria: £668
- Geilo, Norway: £704
- Bansko, Bulgaria: £706
- Sauze d'Oulx, Italy: £732
- Sestriere, Italy: £743
- Le Corbier, France: £784
- Cervinia, Italy: £817
- Kronplatz, Italy: £835
- La Thuile, Italy: £836
Italy took six of the ten places, and Bulgaria had two. Le Corbier was the only French resort in the list, and no Swiss or Austrian resort made it. At the other end, Wengen in Switzerland was the most expensive resort for adults at £1,372.
Best value ski resorts for families
For two adults and two children, the cheapest resorts in the same report were:
- Passo Tonale, Italy: £1,797
- Bardonecchia, Italy: £1,984
- Bansko, Bulgaria: £2,093
- Kranjska Gora, Slovenia: £2,117
- Beitostølen, Norway: £2,179
Andorra is worth a look for families too. Arinsal came eighth at £2,441, and Soldeu was the only resort in the whole report where prices fell. Saalbach in Austria was the most expensive family resort at £4,060.
How Much Does A Ski Holiday Cost?
Most of the cost of a ski holiday falls into five parts. Knowing roughly what each one costs makes it much easier to spot a genuine deal.
- Flights, transfers and accommodation. The biggest single cost, and the part a ski package covers. Prices swing a lot depending on the week you travel.
- Lift pass.Usually the largest cost once you're in resort. Six day passes in Europe rose by more than 10% for the 2025/26 season.
- Ski or snowboard hire. Skis, boots and poles, or a board and boots, for the week.
- Ski school. Essential for beginners and well worth it for children.
- Food and drink. Mountain restaurants charge resort prices, so lunch every day adds up quickly.
In the cheapest resorts, everything except the package came to around £600 a week for an adult. In the priciest it was well over £1,300. That gap is why choosing the right resort matters more than finding the cheapest flight.
The Cheapest Time To Go Skiing
The school holidays push prices up more than anything else. Ski holidays at Christmas & New Year, and February half term and Easter are the most expensive weeks, and they sell out first.
For the best value, go in the first half of December, in January once New Year is over, or in March. January has some of the coldest, most reliable snow and quieter slopes. March brings longer, sunnier days, though lower resorts can get slushy later in the month. If you're tied to school dates, book early and pick a cheaper country like Italy, Bulgaria or Andorra rather than a big name French or Swiss resort.
Package Or Book It Yourself?
A ski package bundles flights, transfers and accommodation into one booking, and companies such as Heidi, Crystal Ski, Inghams and Sunweb can usually add lift passes, hire and lessons too. Packages with flights are ATOL protected, and you only have one company to deal with if something goes wrong. For families and first timers, this is usually the simplest and often the cheapest way to go.
Booking it yourself can work out cheaper for short breaks, couples and experienced skiers who know exactly where they want to go. Budget airlines fly to all the main ski airports from across the UK. Our guide to Jet2 ski holidays shows every Jet2 ski route and how to put a trip together around them.
Ski Holidays For Every Kind Of Trip
First time skiers
Look for a resort with gentle nursery slopes close to your accommodation, a good ski school and easy blue runs to progress onto. Our guide to the best ski resorts for beginners has eight resorts we'd recommend.
Family ski holidays
Childcare, ski school and the walk to the slopes matter more than the size of the ski area. Passo Tonale, Bardonecchia, Bansko and Kranjska Gora all came out as great value for families, and some operators offer free child places on selected dates.
Groups and snowboarders
For a lively week with friends, Bansko, Andorra and the Italian Milky Way resorts mix good value with busy bars. Snowboarders will find terrain parks in most larger resorts.
Short ski breaks
A long weekend works best from a regional UK airport to a resort with a short transfer, such as Geneva for the French Alps or Innsbruck and Salzburg for Austria. Take hand luggage only and hire your kit in resort to keep the cost down.
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Choosing A Ski Holiday Company
Book with a company that protects your money. Ski packages that include flights should be ATOL protected, and membership of ABTA gives you extra help if something goes wrong. Specialists such as heidi, Crystal Ski, Inghams and Sunweb all sell ski holidays from UK airports.
When you compare prices, check what's included. One company's price might include transfers, checked luggage and a lift pass while another's doesn't, so the cheapest headline price isn't always the cheapest holiday.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends mostly on the resort and the week you go. On top of your flights and accommodation, the Post Office found a week of lift pass, hire, lessons, lunches and drinks costs from around £600 per adult in the cheapest resorts to more than £1,300 in the most expensive.
Italy and Bulgaria are the best value. Bardonecchia in Italy was the cheapest resort for adults in the Post Office's 2026 report, followed by Borovets and Bansko in Bulgaria. For families, Passo Tonale in Italy came out on top.
Early December, January after New Year and March are usually the cheapest times to go. Christmas, New Year, February half term and Easter are the most expensive.
On top of the usual flights and accommodation, you need a lift pass, equipment hire and often lessons, and mountain resorts charge more for food and drink. Lift passes alone rose by more than 10% in Europe for the 2025/26 season.
For a week away, especially with children, a package is often the same price or cheaper once transfers are added, and it's ATOL protected. Booking separately can be cheaper for short breaks if you travel with hand luggage and hire in resort.
Jet2 flies to ski airports but doesn't sell ski packages. Our Jet2 ski holidays guide explains how to book a ski trip on Jet2 flights.