Bansko or Grandvalira?
These two are close on 5 of 9 measures. That is the honest answer: the numbers will not choose for you, so the difference below that matters to you is the one to decide on.
Bulgaria
Bansko
By some distance the cheapest week on this list, with a 2,560 m top station and a genuinely old Bulgarian town underneath it. The single gondola out of the village is a notorious morning bottleneck.
Worth knowing. The single gondola out of the village is a notorious morning bottleneck.
Choose it if
Budget and après
About £809 a week from London
Andorra
Grandvalira
The Pyrenees' biggest area, duty-free shopping and lift passes a third cheaper than the Tarentaise. Snowfall is less dependable than the Alps, but snowmaking coverage is extensive.
Worth knowing. Snowfall is less dependable than the Alps; snowmaking carries the season.
Choose it if
Families with young kids
About £1,005 a week from London
Side by side
| Bansko | Grandvalira | |
|---|---|---|
| Snow reliability | 28/100 | 53/100 |
| Size of the ski area | 75 km | 210 km linked |
| Top lift | 2560 m | 2640 m |
| Cost before travel | €580 | €860 |
| Families with young kids | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Snowboarders | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| A non-skiing partner | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Budget and après | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Off-piste | 5/10 | 5/10 |
Bold marks the winner. Rows where neither is bold are close enough that the difference would not change a decision. Cost excludes travel, which depends on where you leave from.
Piste kilometres, lift counts and prices are indicative and compiled from public sources — they have not yet been checked against the resort's own figures for this season. Costs are planning estimates, not quotes. Spotted one that is wrong? Tell us.