10 Cheap Snowboarding Holidays In Europe

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Written by: Nina

Last Updated: 29 Nov 2016

Cheap snowboarding holidays aren’t a myth, despite what some people might think. Heading to the mountains each winter isn’t the cheapest holiday option, but there are plenty of reasonably priced snowboarding resorts in Europe – so you can get your shred fix without breaking the bank.

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Decent priced accommodation, cheap(ish) lift passes, reasonable priced beer and good snow are all part of our criteria. Whether you are looking for party-centric hostel or a cute alpine apartment in the Alps, we’ve got a selection of the best cheap snowboarding holiday destinations in Europe.

KITZBÜHEL, AUSTRIA

Flights: From £50 return to Salzburg Accommodation: Alpenrider offer seven nights in a hostel with breakfast, airport transfers and one-day guiding from £355 per person. 6 day lift pass: €217 If you are looking to party while you are on your snowboarding trip, then Kitzbühel is the place to go. Austrian après-ski is renowned for being some of the best in the world – with mega steins full of Stiegl, oompah bands and lederhosen clad bar staff. Austria is an popular choice for cheap skiing and snowboarding holidays. Alpenrider offer some snowboarding breaks for a seriously good price in hostel-style accommodation. Kitzbühel might be a party town but when it dumps, it’s worth getting first lifts because there is some awesome off-piste terrain to explore plus 60 pistes, a park and a half pipe.

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SOLDEAU, ANDORRA

Flights: From £49 return to Barcelona Accommodation: Airbnb have an awesome selection of apartments from £41 per night (sleeping five people!) 6 day lift pass: €244.50 Andorra is a small country sandwiched between Spain and France, it’s often seen as a cheap snowboarding holiday alternative to the Alps. The accommodation is amazingly reasonable and booze is tax-free, so you won’t be broke if you buy numerous rounds for your pals. Soldeu is linked to Grandvalira and El Tarter which means there is a whopping 210km of piste to explore, making it the biggest ski area in the Pyrenees. The park up at El Tarter looks rad, what more could you ask for?

BANSKO, BULGARIA

Flights & accommodation: Neilson are offering a great deal of seven nights, half board in Bansko for £355 per person, including flights and airport transfers 6 day lift pass: €262 (includes snowboard / snowboarding boots hire and 3 days/2 hour tuition) Eastern Europe has become the go-to place for shredders looking for a cheap snowboarding holiday. Bansko in Bulgaria is fast becoming one of the most popular resorts for Brits. While it’s not the biggest ski resort in Europe, it’s a great place for beginners just starting out plus there is plenty of off-piste to explore, plus a park and halfpipe. Forget ideas of a Communist Soviet Bloc style resort, millions of euros have been invested in the ski facilities, lifts and accommodation. It also has a pretty UNESCO protected old town to give you that alpine feel.

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SAINTE-FOY, FRANCE

Flights: From £159 return to Chambery Accommodation: Airbnb have some great deals on accommodation in Sainte Foy from £44 per night 6 day lift pass: €162.50 (or €56.60 if you are just going for a weekend) France is one of the best places in the world to go snowboarding – but it’s also one of the most expensive. Luckily there are still a few lesser known resorts where you can ride fresh powder for cheap. Sainte Foy in the Tarentaise valley has some of the best freeriding in the Alps for a fraction of the price of other French ski resorts.

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Located on the road up to Val d’Isere and Tignes, Sainte Foy might not have the breadth of pistes (and you might get a bit bored if there’s no fresh pow), but if it has just dumped and you’ve got a weekend spare, go here.  You can get fresh tracks well into the afternoon.

JASNA, SLOVAKIA

Flights: From £50 return to Poprad via. WizzAir Accommodation: Propaganda Snow offer amazing deals from £169 per person for seven nights accommodation in a four-man room, including breakfast, airport transfers, lifts to the slopes, guiding and evening activities 6 day lift pass: €199 Never heard of Jasna? Nestled in the heart of the Tatras mountains in Slovakia, it’s our new favourite spot for a cheap snowboarding holiday. With reasonably priced lift passes, pints costing just €1.20 and backcountry terrain worthy of a Freeride World Qualifying event, Jasna should be on the bucket list of every powder hunter. Paul Wilson set up Propaganda, the first British chalet company in the area, ten years ago – and business has been booming ever since. If you want to hang out with rad, like-minded riders in sweet accommodation for a week, this is the place to book. Read our full article on freeriding in Jasna, Slovakia here.

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ANDERMATT, SWITZERLAND

Flights: From £66 return to Zurich Accommodation: Basecamp Andermatt offer shared rooms from £30 per night per person 6 day lift pass: 265 CHF Switzerland isn’t exactly the cheapest country, but there are some cheap gems hidden away in the Alps. Andermatt might not have hundreds of kilometres of pistes, but with 1500 metres of crowd-free vertical and plenty of fine off-piste, it’s definitely worth a visit, especially for advanced riders.

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The most technical terrain can be found up at Gemsstock reached via. the two-stage cable car. We’d recommend hiring a guide for at least one day to show you the best powder spots. Check out Basecamp Andermatt for cheap accommodation (including wifi and a sauna).

ZAKOPANE, POLAND

Flights: From £50 return to Poprad Accommodation: WhiteSide Holidays are offering seven nights accommodation for £389 per person, including airport transfers, ski/snowboard hire, transfer to the slopes, lift passes and lessons 6 day lift pass: 355 PLN (£67) – depends on which area you buy If you are looking for a seriously cheap snowboarding holiday, head to Poland. Zakopane has four ski areas in one place – Nosal is great for beginners, Szymoszkowa for intermediates, Harenda and Kasprowy Wierch for advanced shredders. Unfortunately there isn’t one lift pass for the whole area – you have to buy a ticket for each area separately. If you are a beginner or don’t mind hiking for powder, then Zakopane is great – especially because beers are just a little above £1 and you can happily eat a meal out for under £10.

CAIRNGORM, UK

Flights: From £58 return to Inverness Accommodation: Cairngorm Lodge Youth Hostel has shared dorms from £17 per person per night 5 day lift pass: £160 The UK, I hear you cry? Yep, you can go snowboarding in the popular Scottish resort, Cairngorm. With 30km of pistes, 11 lifts and an endless array of backcountry riding, Cairngorm is just an hour’s drive from Inverness, Scotland and gets some of the most consistent snow lasting up until late May and sometimes June. We recommend getting up there early in the morning to beat the crowds and grabbing at pint at Aviemore’s Old Bridge Inn.

MONTE ROSA, ITALY

Flights: From £46 return to Turin Accommodation: Airbnb have plenty of options including this chalet in Champoluc from £52 per night 6 day lift pass: €185 Monte Rosa in Italy is known for being an excellent spot for heliboarding on the cheap in Europe. Located in the Aosta Valley near the border with Switzerland, it’s made up of three ski areas which straddle France and Italy – Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna. It’s as big as Les Trois Vallees, but with far less lifts and crowds. It might be fairly remote, but the off-piste backcountry powder opportunities are on point here. You can go heliboarding from €250 per person.

VOGEL, SLOVENIA

Flights: From £65 return to Ljubljana Accommodation: Hostel Pod Voglom near Lake Bohinj offer rooms from £13 per night. 6 day lift pass: €139 Why choose Vogel over any of the other resorts we’ve mentioned? Despite the highest lift topping out at 1800m, it’s Slovenia’s most snow-sure resort with an average snowfall that is much higher than any resort in the Alps at a similar height. The views over Lake Bohinj are amazing, car hire and flights are super cheap, everyone is incredibly friendly, what more could you ask for?