Bulgaria Tipped as Top Choice for Winter Sports

The eastern European country offers great value for skiers, according to Post Office Travel Money.

The colder weather has begun to be felt throughout Europe, and with it the slightly more enticing prospect of winter sports holidays. Alongside those have come a variety of articles and guides showing where the best spots are for some ski or snowboard action, and where the best cheap holidays in eastern Europe can be found for the winter sports aficionado.

The latest addition to these cheap holidays guides has been published this week by Post Office Travel Money. Its 2011 Ski Resort Report examined ten of Europe’s most popular destinations for winter sports, comparing prices of ski hire and other charges, the cost of food and drink, and the relative rates of cheap hotels.
The general trend towards recommending eastern Europe did not change here, with cheap holidays in Bulgaria scooping the number one spot. Bulgaria ski holidays are highly affordable, with beautiful mountain resorts such as Pamporovo offering everything that their more expensive western counterparts can.

Andorra was considered the second best value spot for winter sports holidays, followed by Slovenia in third place. Cheap holidays in Spain and Italy made up the rest of the top five.

Post Office Travel Money boss Sarah Munro said: “Skiers on a budget have great value resorts to choose from if they head east to Bulgaria and Slovenia or west to Andorra.”

She added that Italy was “looking good” for bargain-hunting holidaymakers who nevertheless prefer to stick with the “long-established favourites” in the winter sports market.

Ms Munro pointed out that the cost of ski holiday essentials have dropped by over 5 per cent in Bulgaria and Andorra, while Italy’s Livigno resort is some 3.4 per cent cheaper than it was in 2010.

The pound’s recent fall against the Swiss franc, conversely, makes the country a far less enticing prospect, where prices have risen more than 26 per cent, in conjunction with higher resort charges.