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Bansko is the the most profitable place in Europe for Brits to go skiing this winter, a new ranking has revealed. It beats the Italian resort of Bardonecchia, which is named as the second to enjoy a getaway on the slopes. The ranking was prepared by "Post Office" and "Crystal Ski Holidays".

Bansko is ranked first in the survey with a week’s trip cost less than half of its competitors in the alps.

Italy is in Europe the cheapest destination for a ski holiday, with four of its resorts ranking in the top 10. Bardonecchia, Sestriere (seventh), La Thuile (eighth) and Cervinia (10th) also made it in the top 10, while Kranjska Gora reached the third position, Vemdalen is fourth, and Rauris completes the top five.

Observing 25 resorts the research assesses the cost of three expenses – lift pass, equipment hire and lessons – as well as five in-resort costs, including lunch on the slopes. The survey does not take into account the cost of accommodation or flights, nor the quality of a resort or its ski area.

„Bulgaria is known for being a great value destination for ski so it’s little wonder Bansko has taken top spot this year, but it’s great to see so many other resorts in the mix for price-conscious customers,” stated Chris Logan, managing director of Crystal Ski Holidays, which conducted the research with Post Office.

Bansko regularly features at the top of such assessments of ski holiday costs, but its on-slope offering pales in comparison to the Alps, with just a few challenging pistes for experts. Daily Telegraph Ski and Snowboard’s resort experts Chris Gill and Dave Watts rate the resort for its fast lifts, low prices and good restaurants, but lament a long gondola ride to the main lift base, long airport transfer and few off-slope diversions.

„There is no doubt that Bulgaria is a great destination for cash-conscious skiers,” said Post Office’s Andrew Brown. 
While the Pound struggles against the Euro due to uncertainty surrounding the Brexit, those buying the Bulgarian currency Lev are likely to get more for their money on their trip. Post Office state that costs in the resort had fallen one per cent since last winter. In Cervinia (on the 10th position), popular for its close links with Zermatt across the border in Switzerland where the in-resort prices have risen by 7.5 per cent.

Austria has two resorts in the top 10 – Rauris (5) and Ellmau (6), while Andorra has one - Soldeu (9).
At the other end of the spectrum the Swiss resort Zermatt was deemed the most expensive ski resort in Europe, with costs nearly three times more compared to Bansko. St. Anton is second and Saas Fee is third. Costs in St. Anton have risen 12.7 % compared to last year.