With the ski season already in progress we look at the little-known cheaper resorts that are true hidden gems.
Söll – Austria
Söll is part of Austria’s largest skiing area which connects 9 villages with a combined area of 280km of slopes and 90 lifts. Slopes are all coloured coded red, green and black and also offers a ski school and private lessons.
This area is also known for its fine dining. With 77 different restaurants, think of all that après-ski!
There are plenty of activities to do and the resort is great value for money and relatively inexpensive compared to others.
Val Cenis – France
Situated in the Maurienne Valley which is behind the A-list resorts of Tarentaise, it offers a great skiing destination for families and those who want to enjoy a variety of mountain activities.
With 125km of slopes, 27 lifts and being above 2500m altitude, snow is ensured throughout the whole season and boasts the longest green run in Europe. The resort is know for its high mountain skiing and also forest skiing .
La Thuile – Italy
Located in the Alps to the extreme north-west of Italy, this resort used to be a mining community but has now become a great skiing destination for all levels of skiers. With 152km of slopes and 37 lifts, Le Thuile is twinned with the French resort of La Rosiere and both are accessible using the same lift pass. The combined ski areas of both resorts are spacious even at peak times and queues are very rare.
Because of its north facing location and being near to Mont Blanc which encourages heavier snowfall, the resort is always snow sure and offers a variety of activities including off-piste skiing, snowshoeing, ice-climbing, and helo-skiing. La Thuile is a wide-open, spacious resort with stunning scenery. The recommend runs are Blue 5 and 6.
Jasna – Slovakia
Being one of the largest ski areas in Slovakia and with slopes on both north and south sides of Mount Chopok, is also the biggest ski area in Europe.
There are 50km of slopes for all levels, a freeride zone accessible by cable cars and the resort is tested by World Cup Stars. There has been over €200m invested into this resort with new hotels, lifts, restaurants, and services but it is still one of the cheapest ski resorts in Europe.
Just 40 minutes’ drive from the nearest airport, it is also accessible from Bratislava and Poland.
Vogel – Slovenia
Located in the oldest national park in Europe, the Triglav National Park, this resort offers superb beginner/family ski experiences. It also caters for intermediate skiers with mainly blue and red runs. Vogel offers 22km of slopes, 7 lifts and a cable car.
There is plenty of snow at altitude with views over Lake Bohinj and longer than average season which runs from November to May and offers all the normal mountain activities.