Head east for cheapest ski deals

If you are planning a skiing holiday this winter, you will find the best value in Bulgaria, Andorra and Slovenia, according to the 2011 Ski Resort Report by Post Office Travel Money. 

Researched in conjunction with ski operator Crystal Ski, the report investigated the costs of lift passes, equipment hire and ski lessons together with meal and drinks prices in 10 mainstream resorts across Europe and North America.

 Key findings include:

• Bulgaria ([R1995R, Bansko]) is this winter's bargain ski destination, with total ski costs 61 per cent lower than in the USA ([R1998R, Killington])

• Andorra ([R2820R, Arinsal]) is best value in the eurozone - with prices 28 per cent less than in France ([R603R, Serre Chevalier])

• Eurozone skiers will find a similar exchange rate to last year, but those heading to Switzerland will find their pounds don't stretch as far as last season

Of course skiers should bear in mind that, to some extent, you do get what you pay for. For example, the top three ski destinations - Bulgaria (Bansko), Andorra (Arinsal), and Slovenia (Bohinj) - are much more limited in terms of kilometres of terrain and are best suited to beginners and intermediates (see table).

When looking at the "Total costs" in terms of the "Ski area (km)" the resorts that fare the best are [R1642R, Formigal], [R249R, Schladming] and [R603R, Serre Chevalier].

"Ski total" (six days) = lift pass, ski/boot hire, ski school
"Cost of living" = cup of coffee, coca-cola, wine (50cl), beer (25cl) and evening meal for two
"Total cost" = ski total + cost of living