Bansko: the world's cheapest family ski resort?

Photo: summonedbyfells

A report from Ipsos Mori commissioned by Trip Advisor ranks the Bulgarian resort as the cheapest in the world, with a family of four able to spend just £1,631 for a week's stay, excluding travel, which is 33 per cent of the cost for the most expensive resort, Austria's St Anton.

The figures are based on a combination of accommodation costs, equipment hire fees and the cost of food and drink for seven days. Spain's Formigal and Sierra Nevada are also ranked as offering good value for money, with Sochi in Russia ranked third cheapest.

Switzerland lived up to its high-end reputation with four different resorts in the report's top 10 most expensive ski destinations: St Moritz, Zermatt, Laax and Verbier. France was also on the costlier side of the slope, with Val d'Isère, Val Thorens and Tignes all costs more than £4,000 for a week's family stay.

Despite Trip Advisor's indication of value, though, the research does not take into accoutn the quality or size of each ski area, notes The Telegraph, nor the premium prices associated with the peak seasons of Christmas and February half-term.

Cattherine Weakley, deputy editor of Telegraph Ski and Snowboard, comments: "Shopping around and trying lesser-known resorts is a great idea, but there's more to 'good value' than basic costs. A resort like Bankso is always going to be much cheaper to stay in than a big-name like St Anton, Verbier or Val d'Isère, and factors like snow reliability, number and difficulty of pistes, quality of lifts, resort atmosphere and ease of access might swing a skier's decision."

She warns that queues for the access gondola in Bansko, for example, are "notoriously long".