The best budget skiing options

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

New Year's Eve is a period when travel agencies literally fill up their clients with hot offers. Unfortunately, most of them are trips to warm countries (Egypt, Turkey) at bargain prices. But what about those who see their winter holidays as snowy and sporty, with skiing and snowboarding? To do this, it is not at all necessary to go to the pretentious Courchevel - no less positive and excellent service can be obtained while resting in the more affordable resorts of Eastern Europe.

Pamporovo, Bulgaria

Bulgaria has established itself as one of the leading budget ski destinations in Europe and Pamporovo is no exception. Located in the heart of the Rhodes Mountains in the southwest of the country, Pamporovo is a beginner's paradise, with many highly respected ski schools and English speaking instructors.

Alpine skiing in Pamporovo is a holiday that combines skiing with the exoticism of beautiful sandy beaches.

Inexpensive hotels, restaurants and post-ski activities make it ideal to fill ski breaks for individuals, couples or families alike.

Alpine skiing in Pamporovo is a holiday that combines skiing with the exoticism of beautiful sandy beaches. After all, Pamporovo is the southernmost ski center in Bulgaria. The city lies in the Rhodope Mountains. Its height above sea level is 1650 m. The most famous peaks are Snezhanka (1925 m) and Murgavets (1858 m). The landscape is characterized by gentle slopes, ideal for beginner skiers. As in Bansko, the ski season in Pamporovo lasts from December to April. There are practically no fogs, mountain avalanches and lingering snowfalls. Novice skiers can learn snowboarding and skiing skills at the Pamporovo ski school, one of the best in Europe.

New Year and Christmas in Pamporovo for two will cost you 80,000 rubles.

Saas-Fee, Switzerland

Situated high in the Swiss Alps, Saas Fee is one of the most stunning European resorts. The charming old pedestrian-only villages, with their traditional wood-paneled chalets, offer a more affordable environment than the nearby posh resort of Zermatt.

Its high-altitude - 2500-3500 m - position and the northern orientation of the slopes guarantee a good snow cover. There are many trails for skiers of all levels, non-skiers can also benefit from the mountain, which is designed for walking, paragliding and tobogganing.

Ski resort Saas-Fee was born not so long ago - 50 years ago. Saas-Fee is rapidly developing, here you can find modern lifts, where there are practically no queues, but at the very peak of the season you cannot find places in hotels. Well-groomed trails and restaurants on the slopes make your vacation in Saas-Fee unforgettable.

You can spend 5 days in Saas-Fee, ski and just have a great rest, starting from 35,000 rubles. per person (excluding meals and flights).

Bukovel, Ukraine

30 km from Yaremche and 100 km from Ivano-Frankivsk, at an altitude of 900 m above sea level, in the village of Polyanytsya, Transcarpathian region, there is a tourist complex "Bukovel". It is here, more than anywhere else, that the pristine beauty, natural harmony and wealth of the earth have been preserved. Its name comes from the mountain of the same name with a height of 1129 meters, at the foot of which the ski resort is located.

There are also very simple tracks on which children can ride quite comfortably and safely.

Thanks to the favorable location and unique climatic conditions, snow falls here early and in large quantities, which, combined with rational and efficient snow spraying and trail preparation, provides an excellent snow cover that lasts from November to mid-May.

On three mountains - Dovga, Bukovel, Chornaya Kleva - there are a total of about 51 kilometers of ski slopes. Mostly these are tracks of medium difficulty (red), although there are a sufficient number of simple (blue) and difficult (black) tracks. Therefore, everyone - both a professional and an amateur who has come to ski for the first time - will find a suitable track in Bukovel. There are also very simple tracks on which children can ride quite comfortably and safely.

Due to the fact that this resort is now very popular among young people, you can find dozens of different communities on the Internet offering group trips to Bukovel. Due to the fact that a large company gathers and goes to the resort in an organized manner, the cost per person drops dramatically.

In one of these companies you can spend 10 days in Bukovel, celebrate the New Year and Christmas there for 35,000 rubles.

Kitzbuhel, Austria

One of the most famous ski resorts in Austria (due in part to its exhilarating annual downhill competition) Kitzbühel is a bustling medieval town with an excellent choice of accommodation and entertainment. The resort offers top-notch skiing for advanced and intermediate skiers, while there are opportunities for beginners and non-skiers alike.

Every year in winter, skiers and snowboarders from all over the world come here. And the Hahnenkamm slope has long been known as the venue for competitions for skiers and masters of downhill skiing on the famous Streif track. This downhill race can be called the most difficult stage of the world cup.

The longest in the region is considered to be the Pengelstein Süd track of medium difficulty with a length of 6, 8 km with an altitude difference of 1055 m. The most difficult is the descent Schwarzkogel: its length is slightly more than 6 km, and the height difference is 970 m.

About 70% of the mountain slopes are covered with snow with the help of snow cannons, so there is little dependence on the mercies of the weather. Today, chair and cabin lifts are installed in the ski areas. The attraction of the local slopes is the presence of the air tram 3S - a suspended carriageway.

A vacation for one person in Kitzbuhel for New Year and Christmas will cost 80,000 rubles, including flight and meals.