Eastern Europe offers best value ski deals as prices on the slopes rise sky high

British skiers should head for Eastern Europe for the best deals on the slopes this winter but are being warned that even prices in traditionally cheap ski resorts have jumped.

Top-value ski destinations are Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Slovenia, according to a survey by the Post Office. Including basic week-long costs such as equipment hire, lift passes, meals and drinks, Romania's Poiana Brasov ski resort offered the best value at £195.76. Borovets in Bulgaria (£250.87) was the next-best resort in terms of value for money, with High Tatras in Slovakia third (£264.97). In contrast, Banff in Canada had costs of £429.06 and Verbier in Switzerland was £422.21.

However, Poiana Brasov prices had risen 4% compared with this time last year, while Borovets was up 14% and High Tatras was up 20%. Elsewhere, Norway's Geilo resort saw the biggest price rise with travellers facing an increase of 26%. But some popular resorts had lower prices than last year, with Courchevel in France down 11% at £298.87 and Vail - in Colorado, USA - also down 11% at £372.83.

Snow News

- There is fine sunny weather on Monday across the open Austrian resorts.
- The combination of last weeks fresh snow at Tignes and the cold weather this week is providing excellent riding conditions on the glacier.
- The Swiss resorts of Saas Fee and Zermatt both offer great autumn riding on their glaciers.
- Glorious sunny weather blesses the open Italian resorts on Monday.
- Geilo in Norway is open for snowsports but the amount of terrain available is limited at the moment.
- In Scotland Cairngorm is now closed for lift maintenance until early December. The Lecht is also now closed but this is due to the lack of snow.
- Breckenridge and Keystone in America opened over the weekend and Mammoth received 30cm of fresh snow on Saturday.
- Lake Louise and Mount Norquay at Banff in Canada both opened on 8th November, offering good skiing. Sunshine Village is scheduled to open on 11th November.

Vail Resorts ban Burton Love Boards

Six ski resorts are joining in the protest over Burton's two controversial new snowboards, which feature images of Playboy models.
Smugglers' Notch in Vermont says it has banned employees from using the Love and Primo boards made by Burton Snowboards. Vail Resorts has prohibited employees of its Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Keystone resorts in Colorado and California's Heavenly Mountain from using the Love boards or any other inappropriate, offensive or suggestive equipment while on duty. The boards also led to a demonstration last week outside Burton's headquarters in Burlington, Vermont.
Burton CEO Laurent Potdevin says the company supports freedom of artistic expression and stands by the boards.