Jetsettersblog

• Romania is cheapest ski destination for cash-strapped skiers in new Post Office Ski Resort Report: www.postoffice.co.uk/skireport2009

• France and USA slash resort prices to boost downhill demand

• Weak pound means double digit percentage price rises in most resorts

Skiers can avoid the slippery slope of higher prices for their annual downhill trip by heading east to emerging skiing destinations. Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Slovenia will be cheapest for bargain-hunting skiers, according to Post Office® Travel Services’ third annual Ski Resort Report. (www.postoffice.co.uk/skireport2009)

At just £195.76 for ski holiday staples including equipment hire, lift passes, meals and drinks, Romania’s Poiana Brasov ski resort held its position as the cheapest destination for UK skiers. The Post Office research revealed that it benefited from a stable sterling exchange rate against the Romanian leu and low resort costs.

Eastern European countries swept the board as the cheapest options for a low cost ski trip this winter. But prices have begun to rise, especially in Slovakia.

After joining the eurozone in January 2009, prices in its leading ski resort, High Tatras, rose 19 per cent for the skiing and living costs surveyed compared with last winter.

Yet despite the strength of the euro and other European currencies against sterling, the new Post Office report has revealed that Europe can still be good value for skiers. Prices have stayed the same in Italy (La Thuile), which again made it cheapest of the mainstream European ski destinations (£290.14 for the six items surveyed).

But that position is now being challenged by France. Prices in Courchevel have been cut by a massive 24 per cent since last year (£298.97) – making this one of only two resorts surveyed to show a drop in prices. Even after taking the fall in the value of sterling into account, Courchevel will be 11 per cent cheaper for UK skiers than 12 months ago and has moved five places up the Post Office table to take sixth position.

Transatlantic ski trips will also be cheaper this winter. Aggressive price discounting by hard-pressed US ski resorts has resulted in an 11 per cent year-on-year drop in the cost of the Post Office’s ski shopping basket in Vail, Colorado (£372.83).

As a result, the US resort is now cheaper than both Banff, Canada, highest priced in the survey at £429.06, and Verbier, Switzerland, the top-priced European ski destination (£422.21).

Prices surged 20 per cent in Verbier to make the resort a third more expensive than La Thuile in Italy and more than double the price of Romania’s Poiana Brasov.

The weak pound has affected prices in most resorts surveyed for the Post Office report, resulting in double digit percentage increases for nine of 14 destinations surveyed. Skiers planning trips to Norway will see the worst return for their pounds because sterling has slumped by 19 per cent against the kroner. This helped to account for a 26 per cent leap in ski costs, the highest in the survey.

The Post Office again found wide variations in the prices charged across Europe.

For example, skiing costs in eurozone countries varied by up to 36 per cent (comparing Ylläs, Finland – £224.72 and Obergurgl, Austria – £306.30).

Post Office head of travel services Sarah Munro said: “It is worth comparing the prices of ski equipment hire and lift passes in different resorts as these can make a big difference to the overall cost of a ski holiday.

French ski resorts have responded well to the pressures imposed by the strong euro by slashing prices and Courchevel now rates as one of the cheapest eurozone ski destinations as a direct result.”

“While bargain hunters will still find the lowest prices in Romania and Bulgaria, price should not be the only issue when planning a ski holiday.

It’s important to choose a resort that matches your ability and expectations.

Challenging ski runs and sophisticated resort facilities may matter to experienced skiers, but families may be more bothered about sticking to a budget than finding black runs.”

UK skiers can purchase euros at over 8,000 Post Office bureaux de change branches this winter, while currencies for other key ski destinations, including the Swiss franc, Norwegian kroner, US dollar and Canadian dollar are available on demand at over 1,600 branches.

Other currencies featured in the Ski Resort Report can be pre-ordered for next day branch collection or home delivery at all 12,000 Post Office branches and online at www.postoffice.co.uk