Getting the best-value snow for your pounds

We MAY be enjoying unseasonably warm spring-like conditions in Scotland, but thanks to heavy dumps of snow across Europe earlier in the season, a last-minute overseas ski holiday should still be a possibility for a few more weeks to come.

Currency exchange company Travelex has created a “powder per pound” ski barometer – the top ten destinations across Europe offering the best snow and value for money. A panel of experts calculated the best value destinations using snowfall figures and a basket of goods which reflect the cost of living in each resort. The data was coupled with currency statistics on the strength of the pound at each destination to reveal a definitive list of the best ski holiday locations

1Bulgaria (Pamporovo) – Powder per Pound (PPP): 41.1

With the pound up 3 per cent on the lev compared to a year ago and the cheapest cost of living of all resorts, Pamporovo is the perfect destination for those skiing on a budget, though it is over half-way down the list in terms of snowfall.

2Austria (St Anton) – PPP: 35.8

Popular with snowboarders and drawing a younger crowd, it offers the highest snowfall of any of the resorts – a massive 490cm. However, the comparatively expensive cost of living compared to Bulgaria means that its powder per pound rating is significantly lower.

3Italy (La Thuile) – PPP: 31.7

Although slightly cheaper in terms of living costs compared to St Anton, a snowfall figure 95cm less means that the Italian resort of La Thuile is pushed into third spot by its Austrian competitor.

4 France (Chamonix) – PPP: 31.5

Traditionally viewed as one of the most expensive skiing destinations, the high snowfall means that Chamonix’s reputation is somewhat skewed. Offering 31.5cm of snowfall per pound, it is only fractionally behind La Thuile in the rankings.

5Poland (Zakopane) – PPP: 25.4

Offering only 183cm of snow, the very cheap cost of living in Zakopane (second only to Bulgaria) means that it offers 25.4cm of snowfall per pound.

6Switzerland (Engelberg) – PPP: 24.1

Engelberg, Switzerland offers the second highest snowfall of any resort, but the very high cost of living there (£19.52 for the items in the basket) means that it cannot compete with the more cost-effective countries.

7Czech Republic (Pec pod Snežkou) – PPP: 22.5

The Czech resort of Pec pod Snežkou offers much better value than this time last year.

8Norway (Voss) – PPP: 11.8

While providing a fair amount of snow for keen skiers at 280cm, it has by far and away the most expensive cost of living at £23.78 for the basket of goods.

9Slovenia (Kranjska Gora) – PPP: 10.0

Though it has a relatively cheap cost of living at £9.97 for the basket of goods, Slovenia has a very poor snowfall of 100cm, making it joint last with Sweden.

10Sweden (Romme Alpin) – PPP: 6.2

Joint bottom place in terms of snowfall, it is also the third most expensive destination in terms of the cost of living.