Off-piste: 4 European skiing destinations you've never considered

WINTER sports holidays are amongst the most popular form of winter vacation for many skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts across Europe.

Across the continent, some of the world’s finest skiing resorts offer not just clean, crisp slopes, but also the most enjoyable and welcoming après ski parties available anywhere in the world. For those looking for cheap ski deals, the cost of visiting some of these more exclusive resorts can be prohibitive, but outlined below are four ski resorts that perhaps you have never considered, yet which offer the same fun, challenge and conditions available at some of the more expensive resorts.

1. Ski Park Eland: Slovakia

Set amidst the beautiful Carpathian mountains, the Ski Park Eland comprises of three slopes and three lifts and allows night skiing. Slovakia is an undiscovered gem for skiers, offering some outstanding slopes, decent accommodation and quality food and drink at outstanding prices.

An adult’s all day pass to the slopes costs around €8.30, while a child’s pass costs around €5. Nighttime skiing takes place on a Wednesday and the pass for all this costs just over €5 for adults and children alike.

Hotel costs are reasonable at between €95 and €100 a night for a double room during the peak season and around half that during off-peak. Many hotels also offer fully equipped gyms and swimming pools for their guests.

2. Innsbruck: Austria

Austria ski resorts have long had a reputation for being amongst the very best in the world. With that, tends to come steep prices, but not always, and Innsbruck is a fine example of this.

Innsbruck offers a three-month ski season from mid-December to the end of March. Set in the Austrian Alps, a hotbed for European skiing, Innsbruck is a perfect choice as being one of the bigger cities in the region, it offers a wide range of accommodation to suit any ski party and any budget.

The runs cover more than 50 kilometres of beautiful Alps terrain and are served by six chair lifts, four cabin lifts and nine ski tows. Prices range from around €330 per person, for five nights with four day ski passes and taxes included.

3. The Sierra Nevada region: Southern Spain

When you think of ski resorts, southern Spain is usually not top of the list, but hidden away along the sides of the stunning Sierra Nevada mountains, is one of the most unspoilt and best kept secret ski venues in Europe.

Flying into Malaga, head eastwards towards the towns of Almunecar and Motril in the Costa Tropical. Anywhere near here is ideal for your base. Villa’s are plentiful to rent, especially during the winter and there are many hotels in the area too.

Drive up into the Sierra Nevada and you can ski in the beautiful settings for just €35 a day in the low season for adults, or €21 per day for children.

Then best of all, once you have packed your ski’s back into the car and driven back to your accommodation, the warm weather means you can rest your tired muscles with a cool drink in the warm sun, by the pool!

4. Yllas - Finnish Lapland

Yllas in Finland is a ski resort that offers stunning scenery, great sport and value for all. Staying in one of the many villages dotted around the area (in a traditional log cabin) lends the whole trip an exciting and unique air.

Yllas is the perfect resort for the beginner, with many gentle runs enabling the novice to get to grips with the skills and improve, however it also offers a variety of runs for intermediate and advanced skiers, as well as plentiful shops and stores where equipment can be hired or bought.

Set in the heart of beautiful rural Finland, Yllas is a resort that offers everything for a perfect skiing vacation, regardless of your ability.

All of the above resorts are ideally suited, not just for great skiing conditions, but also offering something a little extra too. Whether it is the chance to sunbathe, outstanding location or great support for families with younger children, these off-piste ski spots are the perfect solution for the skier who wants to experience some of the best sport in Europe, at a fraction of the cost and without the crowds of the more exclusive resorts.