Skiing holidays sell out in popular resorts before season even gets underway By Catherine Eade More skiers than last year have already booked their holidays, but the fall in the value of sterling across Europe and hefty price rises in some resorts mean they may have to dig deeper in their pockets this season. As the ski season officially opens in Europe tomorrow, the findings are revealed in the annual Post Office Ski Resort Report, on where to find the best value for money ski holidays. Heavy snowfalls in European resorts over the past few weeks have fuelled stronger demand for the three big destinations of Austria, France and Italy, according to the report. Switzerland's resort Zermatt, while still pricey, saw a 13 per cent drop in barometer prices to £593 Austria and Italy look good value for 2013 taking seven of the top 12 places in the report, which compared prices for ski equipment, lift passes, ski school, meals and drinks in 30 ski resorts: 22 in Europe and eight in North America. "Christmas, New Year and February half-term is nearly sold out as well as the first week in April, the first week of the Easter holidays," says Simon Cross, managing director of Crystal Ski Holidays, which co-produced the report. Last year we predicted that 2012/13 would be a turning point with skiers returning to the ski slopes and this is indeed the case. With the UK pound almost five per cent weaker against the euro year-on-year, bargain hunters will find the best value in Eastern Europe, with the cheapest resort Bansko in Bulgaria clocking in at £274 for a week's holiday. Livigno's duty-free tax status ensures that eating and drinking and other daily costs are considerably cheaper than in other EU ski resorts While Eastern Europe is still the cheapest place for ski holidays, the seventh annual report shows that Livigno, (£351) in the Italian Alps has gained ground, overtaking Austria's Ellmau (£368) to take third place and creeping up on Bansko and Slovenia's Kranjska Gora (£326) as a good value option. Conversely, prices have plunged in some resorts such as Zermatt (which saw a 13 per cent drop to £593) and Morzine (three per cent drop to £402). The 13 per cent price fall in Zermatt means it overtakes Courchevel, St Anton and Wengen in the world-class resorts category. The biggest rise is in Soldeu (Andorra), which has slipped from fifth to eighth place because of a 14 per cent increase in resort costs to £432. At £600 for the barometer ski and living cost items, Courchevel (France) is 13 per cent more expensive this season while prices are up more than 11 per cent to £639 in Wengen (Switzerland). Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money, said, "The continuing weakness of sterling and all sorts of other pressures on the pocket in everyday life means that resort costs are bound to be a key factor in determining ski destinations this winter. Skiers on a budget have great value resorts to choose from if they head east to resorts like Bansko and Kranjska Gora but the Italian resorts we surveyed are strong contenders too. A full list of the best value resorts can be found at www.postoffice.co.uk/skireport2013