The 390,000 British skiers hitting the French Alps every year are being charged £788million more for skiing holidays than those going to the rest of Europe.
French Prices Snowball
The exclusive study of 30 ski resorts in 10 European countries by www.PriceRunner.co.uk,
the price comparison website, reveals France as the most expensive ski destination.
Skiers could save over £2,500 by avoiding Courchevel and heading for Bankso
in Bulgaria, the “best developed ski resort in Eastern Europe” according
to the 2007 Great Skiing & Snowboarding Guide.
The PriceRunner.co.uk ski-comparison
report reveals:
• The average price of a skiing holiday in Europe for a family of four
is £1,982
• A typical family ski holiday in France costs over £3,800 compared
with just £1,073 in Bulgaria, the cheapest country in the study
• Switzerland - the Royal Family’s location of choice - is surprisingly
cheap compared to France at £2,185 while Germany is the fourth cheapest
country overall at £1,612
• The cheapest resort for kids is Zelena Rhuda in Czech Republic and the
most expensive is Val D’Isere
• The most expensive resort for an adult ski pass is Val D’Isere
at £132 and the cheapest is Zelena Rhuda at £50
• Snowboarders should head for Slovenia, the cheapest destination for
snowboard rental at £43. The most expensive is Kitzbuhel, Austria at £110
Let it Snow
After a slow start to the season, Europe’s ski resorts have seen snow
fall over the past few weeks and more in forecast. Some of the best conditions
can be found in the resorts of Verbier and Zermatt in Switzerland, halfway down
the price table. Temperatures in pricey France have been very mild, resulting
in slushy slopes while in super-cheap Bulgaria more snow and low temperatures
are forecast, which should lead to perfect conditions.
Ski with the Stars
Trendy Courchevel is the favourite ski resort of the stars with Posh & Becks,
Ewan McGregor and Lionel Ritchie all going there to ski, pose and drink the
£3.30 vin chaud. Heather Mills, recently spotted on the slopes of super-cheap
Slovenia, could have quaffed nearly five glasses there for the same price.
Betony Garner, spokesperson of the
Ski Club of Great Britain, comments:
"Whereas skiing has traditionally been seen as an expensive, middle-class
pursuit it is becoming more accessible to people with a tighter budget due to
cheaper flights, increased competition and the development of new, more affordable
resorts."
Party on the Piste
For après ski, Norway is by far Europe’s most expensive country.
A beer costs over £4 and a basic lunch costs over £12. Countries
to hit for a party on the piste include Italy, where a beer costs under £1
and Germany at £1.35, a third of the price of Norway. The cheapest country
for lunch is Slovenia at just £4.27.
Mattias Berg, UK Country Manager
from PriceRunner.co.uk explains why it is important to explore your options
before choosing your skiing holiday:
“The prices of ski holidays differ greatly, but it is wrong to assume
that the most expensive resorts are always the best. If you are flexible in
terms of resorts and countries, you can have a truly great skiing holiday on
the cheap.”
“Make sure the resort offers
the range and level of skiing you are interested in, and especially at the moment,
check the likelihood of snow. Putting in the time to research resorts before
booking is well worth your while, to have some really good skiing conditions
and great holiday after the slopes have closed.”
Notes:
The top three resorts in each country chosen for the study were sourced from
the Ski Club of Great Britain’s Snowsports Analysis 2006.Prices
for a holiday for a family of four including accommodation, ski passes, ski
rental, food and drink for a week:
| Country | Price |
| France | £3,803 |
| Italy | £2,436 |
| Austria | £2,223 |
| Norway | £2,198 |
| Switzerland | £2,185 |
| Sweden | £1,676 |
| Germany | £1,612 |
| Slovenia | £1,402 |
| Czech Republic | £1,272 |
| Bulgaria | £1,073 |
Prices for food and drink for a family of four including lunch and drinks on
the mountain, beer and vin chaud for a week:
| Country | Price |
| Norway | £857 |
| France | £820 |
| Switzerland | £801 |
| Italy | £696 |
| Austria | £657 |
| Germany | £642 |
| Sweden | £579 |
| Bulgaria | £494 |
| Czech Republic | £358 |
| Slovenia | £289 |
Prices for ski hire and ski passes for a family of four for a week:
| Country | Price |
| France | £719 |
| Austria | £629 |
| Norway | £588 |
| Sweden | £563 |
| Italy | £553 |
| Germany | £513 |
| Slovenia | £477 |
| Bulgaria | £446 |
| Switzerland | £440 |
| Czech Republic | £369 |
For further information please contact:
August One
Pete Murphy
T: 0208 846 8378
E: pete.murphy@augustone.com
August One
Nicola Parker
T 0208 846 8331
E: nicola.parker@augustone.com
About PriceRunner
www.PriceRunner.co.uk, a division
of ValueClick, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCLK), is the UK's most comprehensive and independent
price comparison company. Online prices are updated on a daily basis by a specialist
team that develops and manages cutting edge technology which hunts down the
cheapest online prices available. PriceRunner is unique in that, unlike other
price comparison sites, a dedicated team of PriceRunners also checks prices
in high street stores. PriceRunner always lists the cheapest price first and
is completely independent in that it lists all retailers, regardless whether
they pay or not, to provide consumers with a complete overview of the market.
About ValueClick:
ValueClick, Inc. (Nasdaq:VCLK) is a leading global provider of digital marketing
solutions, enabling advertisers, agencies and publishers to reach consumers
through all major online marketing channels. Through its four main businesses;
vcmedia, Commission Junction, Mediaplex and PriceRunner, ValueClick provides
a comprehensive portfolio of digital marketing solutions.
For more information, please visit www.valueclick.co.uk
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