Post Office Travel Money Ski Report 2024

See where your ski money will go further

The annual Post Office Travel Money Ski Report compares the costs of short winter sports breaks for adults and families in resorts around Europe to see where your holiday funds will go further.

This year, for the first time in a decade, Bulgarian resorts Borovets and Bansko have lost their position as best value, with Italy’s Bardonecchia coming top for adult skiing. And newly introduced Jahorina, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is the cheapest ski resort for families.

Produced in partnership with Crystal Ski Holidays, the report compares common costs such as lift passes, ski and boot hire, tuition and refreshments for a one-week holiday in 36 adult and 32 family skiing resorts.

To save money on your ski trip, check its key findings here or download the full report for details of what individual items cost.

Key findings include:

• Prices are down in over a quarter of adult resorts and more than half of the family resorts surveyed. Where costs have risen, the increases aren’t as high as might have been expected, given inflation levels across Europe.
• Italian resorts again dominate the best value rankings for adult skiers, claiming five of the ten top barometer places.
• One of these, Bardonecchia, has dislodged Bulgaria’s Borovets to emerge as the cheapest adult ski destination for the first time.
• Borovets moves to second place in the adult top 10, with prices up 8.2% this year. Bansko falls to 6th place. It also drops to 5th in the family top 10 due to increasing ski school prices.
• France features in the best value top three for adults for the first time, thanks to new introduction Le Corbier. Swiss resorts again rate as most expensive.
• Cost-conscious families will find the lowest prices in Jahorina in Bosnia & Herzegovina, one of eight new ski resorts introduced for this year’s report.
• Two Italian resorts take the runner-up positions for family value. Passo Tonale (2nd) has seen prices fall year-on-year, overtaking Bardonecchia (3rd) where they’ve risen by 1.4%.
• Three other new resorts – Beitostollen (4th) and Geilo (10th) in Norway and Kranjska Gora (9th) in Slovenia – also feature in the best value top 10 for families.
• The biggest drop in prices for families (8.9% year-on-year) is in the Finnish of Ruka, which moves up to seventh place. Prices are also down by 2.9% in 6th-place Rauris, Austria.

The best value European ski resorts for adults

Here are the top 10 resorts in which our report found best value for adult skiers this season. The overall cost of a ski break was calculated based on the cost of a six-day ski pass and ski/boot hire for one person plus ski school (five-six half days), a range of drinks and lunch on the slopes.

Position	Resort	Total cost
1	Bardonecchia, Italy	£531.65
2	Borovets, Bulgaria	£553.98
3	Le Corbier, France	£611.32
4	Livigno, Italy	£614.25
5	Sauze, Italy	£639.08
6	Bansko, Bulgaria	£641.62
7	Baqueira Beret, Spain	£695.63
8	Sestriere, Italy	£698.93
9	La Thuile, Italy	£709.85
10	Ruka, Finland	£734.57

 

Data relates to exchange rates in December 2023.

 

The best value European ski resorts for families

Here are the top 10 resorts offering best value for families. Prices shown are for two adults plus two children aged 6 and 8.

Position	Resort	Total cost
1	Jahorina, Bosnia and Herzegovina	£1,656.62
2	Passo Tonale, Italy	£1,677.95
3	Bardonecchia, Italy	£ 1,751.70
4	Beitostollen, Norway	£1,862.07
5	Bansko, Bulgaria	£1,968.20
6	Rauris, Austria	£2,084.46
7	Ruka, Finland	£2,097.66
8	La Thuile, Italy	£2,181.11
9	Kranjska Gora, Slovenia	£2,204.79
10	Geilo, Norway	£2,205.21

 

Data relates to exchange rates in December 2023.

 

Travel money: buy before your fly

With every penny counting this year, always check the exchange rate for your destination to get the most out of your travel money. You’re likely to get a better rate on the foreign currency needed for your trip if you buy it before you get to the airport or ski resort.

You can buy euros straight away at around 7,000 Post Office branches or order euros online for same-day click and collect at selected branches. Other options are next-day collection at any branch or delivery to your home.

Currencies for the other destinations in the Ski Resort Report – Bulgarian lev, Norwegian krone and Swiss franc – are among the leading currencies available without pre-order at around 3,600 branches or online.

You can also load holiday funds onto a handy, secure, prepaid travel money card. Just check the currency for your destination is one of the 32 currencies it supports.

Make sure your travel insurance has you covered

Make sure your travel insurance provides all the cover you’ll need. You’re likely to need to buy extra cover for winter sports. This can help if your equipment is lost, damaged or stolen, you need emergency medical assistance or face inconveniences like piste closure.

Remember, a Ghic or Ehic will provide some medical cover in EU countries but won’t cover everything. And always check the latest Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice for your destination, as travelling against it could invalidate your cover.