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This winter a ski trip to Europe is cheaper than you might think.
There’s even one popular ski destination that just might be more more affordable for American travelers than traveling to popular American ski destinations.
Northern Italy is a surprisingly affordable destination for skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports this winter (or for anyone who just enjoys a good après-ski!)
Here’s why you should consider Italy for your next ski trip, and why a trip to the Italian Alps might be cheaper than you think.
Great conditions for skiing
When it comes to skiing, you can’t beat the Italian Alps. There’s a reason why this is a world-famous ski destination.
The mountains in northern Italy offer excellent conditions for skiing and other winter sports such as snowboarding. The Alps cover the whole of northern Italy, while the Dolomites in the northeastern part of the country are particularly popular with skiers.
There are numerous great ski destinations in the Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont and Trentino-Alto Adige regions.
Several of the world’s best ski resorts are located in Italy, such as Racines-Giovo and Carezza.
Affordable flights
Here you might think that a ski trip to Italy is way out of budget. Isn’t flying to Europe more expensive than flying to a ski destination in the United States?
But for many Americans, especially those on the East Coast, flying to Italy can actually be cheaper than flying at home!
That’s because Milan, the closest city to northern Italy’s ski resorts, is a major flight hub and it’s often possible to find good deals on airfare. Winter is also the low season for flights to Italy (especially from January to March), so you can save even more money.
For example, looking at nonstop flights from JFK in New York for a weeklong trip in February would yield the following round-trip prices:
- JFK to Vail, Colorado: $1,129
- JFK to Jackson Hole, Wyoming: $1,298
- JFK to Milan, Italy: $648
As you can see, it actually is considerable cheaper to fly non-stop to Milan than to Vail or Jackson Hole.
Even if your flight savings aren’t as dramatic as these, you can still make up for the savings in other areas, like…
Budget-friendly accommodations
Anything else about ski towns in Northern Italy that are cheaper than in the United States?
Budget-friendly accommodations! Whether you choose a hotel or a self-catering holiday rental, you can often save a lot of money in Italy compared to comparable accommodation in the United States.
According to BudgetYourReisthe average price per night for a hotel room in Vail, Colorado is $887 per night. This doesn’t even apply to five-star luxury hotels; it’s just the average for ALL hotels.
There are of course cheaper ski destinations in the US than Vail, but you may still end up spending $500+ per night on accommodation during ski season.
Meanwhile, you can find much better deals on accommodation in Northern Italy. According to BudgetYourTrip, the average nightly price for a hotel room in Livigno, Italy (a popular ski destination) is just $145 per night.
Cheaper ski lift passes
You can also save big on ski lift passes in Italy compared to the United States.
Lift ticket prices in the US have spiraled out of control, with the cost of a weekday pass in Vail, Colorado, to a sky-high height $229 this season. A weekend pass takes you back $269.
Meanwhile, a day pass at Racines-Giovo, one of Italy’s best ski resorts, has only just gone on sale €60 ($65 USD.)
This is a huge saving, which will increase considerably during your ski holiday.
In addition to lift tickets being cheaper, you can also save money on other aspects of your trip, such as ski lessons and ski rentals.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
