Ski and snowboard holidays are known for being expensive, but with some smart research and preparation you can keep your costs down.
We’ve already covered the best resorts for an affordable skiing holiday, but here’s our top tips for snagging a ski holiday at the best price possible.
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Planning Your Trip
There are lots of things to think about when you’re planning a ski trip, from the destination and resort to when you’ll go and when you’ll book.
1. Choose an affordable destination
The country you pick can have a big impact on your overall spend, as accommodation will take up a big chunk of your ski holiday budget.
Popular spots for skiing like Switzerland or the Three Valleys area in the French Alps will be more expensive. So, opting for a country that isn’t as well known for its skiing, like Slovenia or Bulgaria, means you’re more likely to bag a bargain.
It’s not just accommodation and ski passes that will be cheaper – equipment hire, drinks and meals may also be more well-priced, and those savings will mount up!
The good news is that we’ve already compiled a list of affordable resorts to check out!
Within a resort, bear in mind that prices for ski-in/ski-out accommodation, where you can literally ski out the front door, are higher, whereas a spot further from the slopes will be more well-priced. Don’t be put off by that though, choose a spot near a bus stop and you can hop on a shuttle to the slopes – some are free if you hold a ski pass.
If you’re a snowboarder, you’ll be looking for some specific features like parks for practicing tricks, wider pistes and snowboarder-friendly lifts. Borovets in Bulgaria and Vogel in Slovenia are worth checking out for affordable snowboarding trips.
2. Opt for artificial snow over expensive snow sure resorts
Speak to any experienced skier and they’ll probably ask about the quality of the snow, and probably with some apprehension if you’ve said you’re off to a cheap resort.
This is because all skiers are at the mercy of the weather – and high-altitude resorts, like Val Thorens in the Three Valleys, tend to have a better chance of snow. Though it’s not always a given!
However, it’s often these same destinations that carry a higher price tag. But, if you’re on a budget, there is another way as some resorts at a lower altitude use artificial snow.
Bansko in Bulgaria’s Pirin Mountains and Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Italian Dolomites are two well-priced resorts that do this, and it keeps conditions good for skiing no matter what the weather is doing.
3. Be flexible on dates
School holidays will dictate trip dates for lots of us, but if you don’t have children or your children are not school-age, then being flexible with when you go will give you more choice on what you pay.
Trips in late November-early December and late March are classed as off-peak because they are at the start and end of the season, when there are fewer skiers and not all pistes may be fully up and running. So the prices for accommodation and ski passes at these times are lower.
Early January to mid February is also often cheaper, since kids are back in school, the weather is colder and days are shorter.
4. Consider all the costs and make a budget
The best way to stop costs getting out of hand is to keep a close eye on them. Skiing holidays involve extra costs that regular holidays don’t, so make sure you’ve accounted for all the areas you’ll be spending on – to figure out how far your money will go.
- Flights and hold luggage
- Transfers
- Accommodation
- Ski pass
- Equipment hire
- Skiwear hire or purchase
- Meals
- Drinks
- Winter sports cover
5. Book early
In general, it’s better to book in advance, especially if you want to go to popular resort at peak times.
Pricing is based on demand, so quite simply, the nearer you get to your preferred departure date, the more people are looking, and so the price goes up.
Some travel operators already have their 2025/2026 season trips live, like Heidi, Inghams and Crystal. Others like Club Med let you sign up for alerts when new season dates are released, so you can jump on those lower prices straight away.
6. Or... book last minute
Now this may sound a little contradictory given our last tip, but if you can be flexible on your dates and destination it does mean that you can jump on a last minute deal if it comes up.
As explained above, prices are often based on demand and so if a flight, a hotel or even a package isn’t selling well, you may be able to bag a bargain.
Sites like Crystal, Heidi, Inghams and sno.co.uk list last minute deals, or if you want to book it yourself we recommend looking for flights to cheap resorts and then working from there.
Booking Your Trip
Take time to consider all the accommodation options and which one is right for you, and make sure you’ve thought of everything!
7. Check out package deals
Ski holiday packages can offer good deals, as operators can secure more competitive prices and offer you multiple costs bundled together, rather than you booking everything individually.
Some operators will even throw in freebies like free ski passes or equipment hire.
There are a LOT of websites out there offering ski package deals. Here are just some to get you started.
For example, we found a week’s stay in Bled, Slovenia in January 2025 with Crystal Ski for just £543pp. This offer includes bed and breakfast, flights from Belfast with hold luggage and transfers.
Add on a 6 day lift pass and ski hire at the time of booking and pay £839pp.
When we tried to recreate the same deal by booking everything individually, it came out costing an extra £114pp.
Item | Cost |
|---|---|
Flights | £147pp |
Hotel | £307pp |
Transfers (private transfer as no direct buses) | £207pp |
Ski pass | £183pp |
Equipment hire (skis boots and helmet) | £109pp |
Total | £953pp |
This highlights another good reason to book a package, and that is that you can get a deal that is difficult to recreate on your own. Flights for this package are to Salzburg in Austria, which is about a 3 hour drive from Bled, but there are no direct buses. This means you would have to organise a private transfer, which can be a hard cost to justify.
Alternatively, you can opt for a deal that includes pretty much everything, like a Club Med holiday. Their trips include all food and drink, ski passes and lessons (but not equipment hire), childcare and even après ski entertainment. This makes the upfront cost look pretty high, but once you’ve factored in everything you’ll end up spending, it could be a good bet.
8. Get a free child place
Did you realise that you can also get winter holidays with a free child place?! For example, when writing this article we found a Crystal Ski trip for two adults with a free child’s place for a week in Bardonecchia in the Italian Dolomites at the end of March 2025, with flights, hold luggage and self-catering accommodation included, for just £654pp.
9. Book a trip for newbies
If you’re setting off on your first ever ski or snowboarding trip, there are companies that specialise in running trips just for you!
These sports can involve a lot of unfamiliar costs and equipment, so leaving the planning to the professionals can be a helpful way to ensure you only pay for what you need.
Crystal Ski’s Slope Starters holidays include flights, hold luggage, transfers, 7 nights’ accommodation, breakfast and evening meals, lessons, equipment hire, your ski pass and some extra activities. Right now there are final spots available on a January trip to Grandvalira in Andorra from just £1058pp based on two adults travelling.
If you booked this separately right now, these are the costs you would pay….
Item | Cost |
|---|---|
Same flight and hold luggage | £176pp |
4 star hotel with half board (Sport Hotel is full) | £627pp |
Transfers | £53pp |
Lessons (5 days, 15 hours, Beginner) | £152pp |
Equipment hire (skis boots and helmet) | £217pp |
6 day ski pass | £291pp |
Total | £1516pp |
So you’re saving £458, which is almost a third!
10. Stay in a hostel
If you’re on a strict budget, you could opt to stay in a hostel. For example, Le Retro Hostel in Bansko, Bulgaria, has dorm beds from just £13 per night. It’s a 20 minute walk from the Gondola which takes you up to the slopes.
If you fancy visiting a more prestigious resort, then Balmers Hostel in Interlaken in the Swiss Alps will cost you £39 per night for a dorm bed, and you can get a free shuttle to the pistes.
11. Check out apartments
Self-catering apartments are a good option for cost-savvy skiers because you have the facilities to make your own meals. Plus you generally get more spacious accommodation because you have cooking facilities and often an eating area too.
To find an apartment, try using these sites:
12. Book a chalet for your group
If you’re part of a group, then look at renting a ski chalet – it could be cheaper than booking separate hotel rooms or apartments. Plus they often come with nice extras like hot tubs!
You can find chalets on the websites we listed above, as well as Skiworld, Iglu Ski and Inghams.
Not travelling in a group but still want to reap the benefits of a chalet? Well, if you’re happy to stay with people you don’t know, you can find shared-occupancy chalets that let you book in individually.
For example, you can stay for a week in a shared chalet in Morzine in the French Alps in early April 2025 which has catering included for just £410pp.
13. Sort out your ski pass
A ski pass is what allows you to access the lifts at a resort, and is an essential spend for your trip.
If you’re booking your ski pass separately, book it sooner rather than later as many resorts run early-bird offers. Look out for combined offers like family passes or multi-day ones. Some resorts will have passes for specific areas, perfect if you’re a beginner and don’t need access to every piste in the resort.
Some packages will run offers on ski passes, for example Inghams have a buy one get one half price ski pass offer when you book your holiday with them.
14. Get winter sports cover
If you already have travel insurance, now is the time to check if winter sports cover is included, and add it if it isn’t. Don’t forget, as you could end up with some spendy unforeseen costs!
Winter sports cover doesn’t just cover medical expenses and mountain rescue, it also covers things like lost ski passes and piste closures if there’s too much snow.
If you haven’t got travel insurance, sort it as soon as you book your trip. That way you’re covered for anything that might happen even before you go, like a cancellation or illness.
Plus, if you’re heading to Europe don’t forget your GHIC card, or apply for it if you don’t have one yet. It entitles you to a basic level of healthcare access, and is great to have alongside insurance.
Preparing For Your Trip
Even when you’ve spent the bulk of your budget, don’t forget there are also ways to save money when you’re there.
15. Buy second-hand or rent your skiwear
Ski gear is expensive, thanks to all those fancy materials that keep you warm and dry. Look to get things second hand (hello Vinted!), borrow off a friend or even rent your ski wear.
You can check out blanqo, Hirestreet and EcoSki for skiwear rental. Hirestreet has an introductory offer where you can rent 5 items for a month for £45, which could be your whole ski wardrobe sorted! Plus, fashionistas can rent mountain-friendly OOTDs from Hurr and By Rotation.
16. Use a packing list
Now at CHE we are huge fans of a checklist, so we suggest you put together a ski-holiday specific packing list. This way you don’t end up shelling out for extras when you’re there that you already have back home, which is an expense you just don’t need!
17. Do your stretches
Now bear with us on this one! If you’re an occasional skier and/ or you don’t have a consistent exercise routine, making time for some light workouts before your trip can help prevent injuries like muscle strains, which get expensive if you end up needing treatment.
At the very least, do some warm up stretches each day before you hit the slopes!
Taking Your Trip
18. Pop to the supermarket on the way
The prices in resort supermarkets can often be higher than elsewhere, so it’s a good idea to pick up groceries on the way if you can, or even bring some things out from home if you have the luggage allowance for it.
Remember to get lots of snacks you can take with you to the slopes, and of course alcohol will work out a lot cheaper if you drink back at your accommodation.
19. Think about lunch
Restaurants and bars right on the slopes will have the highest prices, as you’re a captive customer! Consider bringing food and snacks along with you so that you don’t need to pay for a big lunch. Maybe just some fries or a warming hot chocolate to keep you going!
20. Tip - or not - your ski instructor
If you take ski or snowboard lessons, in some countries it’s normal to tip your instructor. It’s more common in the States and Canada, as there’s more of a tipping culture there generally. It’s less done in Europe, although in Bulgaria it’s the norm, as Chelsea learnt when she tore up the blue runs in Borovets. Ultimately it’s up to you, but the typical range is 10-20% in cash.
21. Hit up the Happy Hours
Lots of bars in resorts run happy hours, which is a good time to do your après-ski drinking for less. If you want to get serious, check out what time they run and organise a little bar crawl so you can catch ‘em all – then you’ll never have to pay full price for a drink!
Book An Affordable Ski Holiday With Our Top Tips
The prospect of booking a ski holiday can be overwhelming, as it’s easy to see the costs mount up before our very eyes! But don’t put it off, because booking early will help you pay more reasonable prices. Look for packages that include things like ski passes and equipment hire so you don’t end up paying extra to book everything separately, and consider smaller, lesser-known resorts to make your money go even further.
