Cervinia, Italy
Cervinia is the Italian neighbour to the world famous Swiss mountain ski resort of Zermatt across the border on the other side of the incredible Matterhorn. Although the Matterhorn looms large over both resorts, staying in Cervinia offers a cheaper alternative to the largely upmarket Zermatt, especially as you are still able to access both resorts on one lift-pass.
Although Cervinia isn’t quite as polished and ‘glamorous’ as the resort of Zermatt, there are many excellent qualities bestowed in it, which offer remarkable value for money. Cervinia boasts comfortable and ideal living quarters, magical views of the Matterhorn, offers some formidable skiing, excellent snow and is in possession of the ‘Red 7’, which is regarded as one of the best red runs on Earth.
Cervinia is also the ideal resort to head to for first-time skiers looking to take a skiing lesson. Here, you will find that an hour with an instructor costs remarkably less than the ski schools found in France, Switzerland and Austria. Once ready for the slopes, beginners can take heart from the gentle, rolling terrain to help ease them in, whilst intermediates are also provided for with a handful of tricky blue runs. Should this not sound enough, simply hop across the border using your ski pass (don’t forget your passport!), where the incredible resort of Zermatt and the famous Paradiski collection of pistes are yours to discover.
Tatra Mountains, Slovakia
Like Bulgaria, Slovakia has seen a huge increase in the number of tourists visiting its land in recent times as holidaymakers look to Eastern Europe to help their money go further. That it does in Slovakia, is without doubt. Take for example the cost of a pint of lager. In England you’d expect to pay around £3, at a French, Austrian or Swiss ski resort €5-6, but in Slovakia a pint averages at a price of 70p. This remarkable value also translates to the ski resorts found in Slovakia’s most celebrated mountain range, the High Tatras, where excellent skiing goes hand in hand with affordable accommodation and living costs.
Ski centres are spread throughout the mountain range and most are linked by the Tatras Electric Railway, meaning you have a plethora of excellent runs and resorts at your disposal. Each resort offers detailed and easy to use maps which point to the runs that are most in tune with your skill set. Of all the resorts available, the most frequented slopes can be found at the resorts of Strbske Pleso, Stary, Tatranska Lomnica and Zdiar, which tend to be the most tourist friendly and offer the most variety.
What each of these resorts also have in common is the fact that they share a wonderfully blue glacial lake that sits beneath the dramatic peaks of the Tatra mountain range - an unreal and beautiful setting that you cannot put a price on.
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