The best cheap ski resorts to visit in Europe

Best for: Kids and families

Fly to: Sarajevo International Airport

The resort of Babin Do, which is the highest in Bosnia and Herzegovina, covers the north slopes of the Bjelašnica mountain above Sarajevo, and brags a total of 14.3 km of slopes in total. Heard of it before? That’s because it hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics. However, despite this resort’s fame, and offering of slopes for both beginners and more advanced skiers, this place is cheap – considered one of the most budget-friendly resorts on the planet. 

Price: Adult day tickets for the 2026 season are approx £21 (€25), and for teens aged between 13-18 it’s £17 (€20) and for kids it's £15.67 (€18).

Best for: Beginner skiers

Fly to: Sofia airport 

One of another trio of resorts, this time in Bulgaria. Borovets, along with its counterparts Bansko and Pamporovo, hide some of the most underrated and budget-friendly skiing in Europe. Easy to reach from Sofia, Borovets enjoys guaranteed powder thanks to its prime location in Rila, Bulgaria’s highest mountain range. Expect comfortable hotels, gear rental and ski lessons for less than half the price of the average trip to St Anton or Val d’Isere. With 58km of pistes, it’s smaller than many European ski resorts – but the slopes here cater mainly to beginners and intermediate skiers, making it ideal for those keen to try out the sport without breaking the bank. 

Price: Hotels in Borovets start at around €56.30 (£49) per night, while early bird lift passes are €265.87 for six days and an adult season pass is around £579.46 (€665.55). Balkan Holidays offers packages for return flights from the UK. 

Best for: Scenery

Fly to: Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport

Slovenia, usually popular for summer trips to the shores of Lake Bled, also gets stellar snowfall not far away in Triglav National Park. There are just 22km of slopes, many of which are easy and gentle, but there’s also plenty of off-piste terrain for adventurers to explore. Overlooking the icy waters of Lake Bohinj, the lift passes are around half the price of other notable European resorts, while Bled and Ljubljana are less than an hour’s drive away.  

Price: Prices for the 2026 season haven’t been released yet (at the time of writing), but in 2025 ski passes at Vogel-Bohinj cost €231 (£194) for seven days for adults, and €122 (£102) for children. Heidi offers one week holidays including flights, accommodation and private transfers.

Best for: Sun seekers

Fly to: Grenada airport

While Spain is the go-to destination for a summer holiday, you can also catch some fresh powder in the Sierra Nevada Resort, which is 30 minutes from Grenada. Located on Spain’s third highest mountain, this resort promises a unique combination of sunshine and views. Bright blue skies are common from February to April, and on clear days you can see North Africa. While snow can be inconsistent, there’s hundreds of snow machines to guarantee ski days. This resort is best for beginner and intermediate skiers, but it also has several black runs and off-piste options.

Price: A 10-day adult pass is €472 and €354 for children. A season pass is €1080.

Best for: Nightlife

Fly to: Toulouse, Girona or Barcelona airports

Andorra may be small but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in mountains – there’s one almost everywhere you look. In their well-respected Vallnord ski region, Arinsal has 90km of slopes reaching over 2,500m. The higher elevations are home to the red and black runs, while intermediate skiers should head to the area around Pal, which offers challenging pistes alongside ski schools to brush up on skills. The nightlife here has a bit of a wild reputation and Andorra la Vella is a day trip away for non-skiing days. Best of all, multi-day ski passes don’t have to be used consecutively. 

Price: Crystal Ski has seven-night packages available for 2025/2026, starting at £509pp based on two people in catered accommodation. They also offer free child lift passes.

Best for: Stunning Dolomite scenery

Fly to: Venice

In the Italian Dolomites, there’s one name that hogs the limelight in the skiing world, and that’s Cortina d’Ampezzo. However, right next door, the tiny town of San Vito di Cadore offers a low-cost alternative. With just 20km of runs, this place is ideally suited for those learning to ski or families with little skiers – there are nursery slopes, family discounts and an amusement park. San Vito di Cadore is, however, part of the Dolomiti Superski Complex, which covers a whopping 1200km of pistes. With the Skipass de Valle you can access all of these, including Cortina d’Ampezzo, Alpe di Siusi and Val Gardena. 

Price: Ryanair has flights to Venice in January 2026 from £25.99 (€29.85). Ski passes at San Vito di Cadore for 2026 have not been released by time of writing but in 2025 it cost €37.50 (£31.45) per weekend for adults.

Best for: Foodies after great restaurants 

Fly to: Milan

Over 115km of slopes, a terrain park full of black runs and duty-free shopping are what draw most people to the slopes of Livigno, which is part of the Italian Dolomites. Food here is well-priced as is the comfortable chalet-style accommodation – and lift passes can be combined to include access to nearby St Moritz, where budget is a word not often heard. Livigno is a fairly easy drive from Milan and has loads of late-night bars and clubs, making it popular with a young, party-loving crowd. 

Price: There are affordable direct flights from across Europe to Milan Bergamo Airport. Ski passes in the high season for 2026 are €373 (£325) for one week and hotels start at around €354 (£308), a night.

Best for: Apres ski

Fly to: Geneva, Lyon or Grenoble airports

A slightly more affordable way to hit up France’s famous Les 3 Vallées (Three Valleys), Les Menuires is frequently overshadowed by the mighty trio of Val Thorens, Méribel and Courchevel. Sharing its ski area with the latter two, staying here allows access to 370 miles of world-famous slopes that have something for everyone, from those snowploughing on their first skis to experts wanting to go off-piste. Accommodation is made up of 1960s architecture and high-rises: it’s basic, but that’s what makes the resort affordable. Plus, when the days are spent out on the pistes and evenings are filled with apres-ski, aesthetics aren’t a priority. 

Price: Ski passes for the 3 Valleys, including Les Menuires in the 2025/26 season cost €409 (£356.35) for six days. Crystal Ski offers seven-night half-board holidays in high season starting from £1655pp.

Best for: Skiers on a budget

Fly to: Poprad-Tatry airport or Krakow airport

The largest resort in Slovakia and definitely the most budget-friendly, Jasná, in the lower Tatras mountains, has all the goulash, fresh powder and quality gear you could ask for. With accommodation often coming in at less than £30 (€34) per night, restaurants serving hearty eastern European cuisine and 50km of pistes, Slovakia might well be the best affordable ski destination in Europe. Runs range from beginner to expert, and activities that don’t involve snow include Tatralandia Aquapark and some popular nightclubs frequented by local tourists – we’ll say na zdravie to that.  

Price: Ski passes for high season in Jasná are €629 (£547.74) for the season. Prices for day passes for the 2026 season are not available yet, but last year they were €82 (£69) per weekday for adults. Direct flights with WizzAir fly from London to Poprad and start at £32 (€36.74) in January 2026.

Best for: Things to do besides skiing

Fly to: Innsbruck

Whether you snowboard, ski or simply après, Ischgl in Austria’s western Tyrol mountains ticks all the boxes for an action-packed ski holiday that comes in (mostly) under budget compared to other resorts. Ischgl has joined forces with the nearby Swiss resort of Samnaun, meaning there are 365km of trails for all abilities, along with excellent off-piste areas. This golden combination of resorts enjoys a long season, usually from November to May – and if you arrive at the start or tail end of the season, the lift pass is slightly cheaper. Accommodation is varied, with many ski-in ski-out options, but these tend to get booked up before the first powder even hits the ground. 

Price: Direct flights from London to Innsbruck start at £25pp (€28.71) in February 2026. Sunweb has holiday deals from £948pp for eight days half board, inclusive of lifts, accommodation, ski hire and lift passes.

Best for: Families

Fly to: Turin

Boasting the largest ski area in the southern Alps – with more than 250km of pistes – the lesser-visited Serre Chevalier suddenly seems far more affordable when you consider the range of nearby accommodation options. Surrounding Serre Chevalier are the towns of St Chaffrey, La Salle Les Alpes, Le Monêtier-les-Bains, Briançon and Chantemerle, all offering plenty of places to stay. The latter three towns each have their own lift passes if you don’t want to go for the combined Serre Chevalier pass. Although there’s terrain for all levels, Serre Chevalier is particularly family-friendly, with beginner runs, family passes and limited late-night après parties. 

Price: Ski passes at Serre Chevalier for a family of four costs €1,219 (£1,062) for a week during the 2025/26 season. Snowtrex offers family holidays based on two adults and two children from £1,182 in total, including lift passes.