Unveiling Europe’s Top 5 Ski Resorts for 23/24 According to HomeToGo

In its annual Ski Report, the world’s largest vacation rental marketplace, HomeToGo, presented its European edition of the 2023/24 Ski Index. The report ranks 100 European mountain resorts according to factors such as accommodation and lift pass prices, predicted levels of queues and crowds, and slopes on offer in terms of both length and time.
HomeToGo looked at wintersport destinations across 15 European countries and awarded them a score out of 30. There were three categories with 10 points maximum each:

1. Price — looking for low costs on accommodation and lift passes.
2. Crowds and queues — seeking out areas where low traveler searches and high lift capacities promise short waits and quiet descents.
3. Slopes — scanning for plentiful pistes and, by way of activities such as night skiing, extended hours.

While resorts in France account for six of the list’s top 10, Italy’s Sestriere ultimately soared to first place with a total score of 27.09. Here are the top five European ski resorts according to their analysis for the 23/24 season:

#1 Sestriere, Italy

With a total score of 27.09, Sestriere in the Piedmont region of Italy took first place. Sestriere is part of the ski area Via Lattea (Engl.: ‘Milky Way’), the fifth largest ski area in the world. Via Lattea, which combines the resorts Claviere, Sansicario, Sauze d’Oulx, Pragelato, Sestriere, and Montgenévre, spreads across 250 miles (400km) of groomed runs in total serviced by with 70 ski lifts. The highest elevation is Monte Motta, at 9,262 feet (2,823 meters). The median price per night for a holiday rental is £202.26 ($252.68).

#2 Saalfelden Leogang, Austria

Saalfelden Leogang, part of the Skicircus Saalbach ski area, came second with 26.90 points. The interconnected resorts of Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Leogang, and Fieberbrunn cover 168 miles (270km) of groomed slopes. Leogang also boasts a separate freeride area accessed by a dedicated gondola. 70 lifts and cable cars service the resort, which has an hourly capacity of 140,020 pax, helping to minimize crowds at peak times. The median price per night for a holiday rental in Leogang is £285.45 ($356.60).

#3 Grandvalira, Andorra

Grandvalira, the largest resort in the Pyrenees, came third with a score of 25.94 points. Situated in the tiny principality of Andorra, Grandvalira has 131 miles (210 km) of groomed runs along 139 different slopes, some of which reach into neighboring France. The resort is also very popular with off-piste skiers and heli-skiers. The median price per night for a holiday rental at Grandvalira is £235.54 ($294.25).

#4 Samoëns, France

Narrowly behind with 25.89 points ranks Samoëns in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. Samoëns was voted the most beautiful village in Haute-Savoie and is close to the Swiss border between Geneva and Chamonix. Samoëns is part of the Grand Massif ski area, France’s fourth largest ski area. It covers 7,600 hectares and offers 139 runs and 265km of skiing. The median price per night for a holiday rental is £253.93 ($317.22).

#5 Val d’Allos, France

Val d’Allos in France came in fifth place with 25.79 points. The French resort is part of the Espace Lumière ski area and, as such, is linked with La Foux and Pra Loup. The combined ski area features 112.5 miles (180 km) of groomed runs serviced by 50 ski lifts and stretches from 1,500 – 2,600 meters (4,921 – 8,530 feet) in altitude, ensuring quality snow cover throughout the season. The median price per night for a holiday rental is £173.37 ($216.58).