How to stay in the mountains for £5.40 per night

Ski on the cheap with these clever (and excellent value) accommodation options

Let’s not beat about the bush: Skiing is expensive. From the lift passes right down to the accommodation. Thankfully the fellows over at pitchup.com have sourced some cheap alternatives to the pricey hotels, chalets and apartments you find in resorts.

Head just a few kilometres out of town and you’ll find chalets, lodges and motorhome pitches that will leave you with extra funds to spend on those new Atomic skis you’ve been lusting over…

Here are Pitchup‘s top five suggestions:

1. Pragelato, Italy, from £12pppn in a wooden lodge

Just 3km away from the Milky Way ski lift and within easy reach of the resorts of Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, Pragelato, Claviere and the French Montgenèvre, is Villaggio Gofree. It’s in Pragelato, which hosted the 2006 Winter Olympic games and is a great destination for cross-country skiing.

The lodges accommodate up to six people, with a fully equipped kitchen, ready-made beds and wonderful views of the surrounding mountains. There’s a wellness centre onsite with a pool and a restaurant serving traditional food from the rich Piedmont region, as well as international dishes.

Price: From £503 for seven nights for six people in a lodge (£12pppn).  Motorhome pitches start from just £10.79 per night for two people (£5.40pppn). Flights from London to Turin in December start from £27 one way with Ryanair.

2. Usseglio, Italy, from £12.50pppn in a wooden lodge

Perfectly situated for Usseglio, which has five ski lifts and Ala di Stura, with four ski lifts – both are a 15-minute drive away – Campsite Avigliana Lacs is in the heart of the Avigliana Natural Park. For sightseeing, shopping and culture, Turin city centre is within easy reach. On site there’s a restaurant and bar which is open all year round, serving sample traditional recipes.

Price: Book a one-bedroom lodge from £50 per night for four people (£12.50pppn). Electric motorhome pitches start at £18 per night for two people (£9pppn). Flights from London to Turin in December start from £27 one way with Ryanair.

3. French Pyrenees, from £11pppn in a chalet

Set in a Catalan village in the Natural Park of the Catalan Pyrenees, 15 minutes from Font Romeu, the Spanish border and Andorra, Camping Las Closas is close to nine ski resorts, including Font Romeu and Les Angles, plus has easy access to night skiing at Molina Maseilla in Spain.

Price: Two-bedroom holiday chalets cost £67 per night for six guests (£11pppn). Motorhome pitches with optional electric start at £10 per night for two people (£5pppn). Flights from London to Barcelona in January start from £29 one way with Ryanair. Or flights from London to Toulouse from £30 one way with Easyjet.

4. French Pyrenees, from £14.30pppn in a wooden eco-lodge 300m from ski lift

The lodges at Huttopia Font-Romeu, in the heart of the Catalan Pyrenees, are located only 300m from ski lifts to Font-Romeu Pyrénées 2000, a popular ski resort with 40 pistes and over 111 km of marked trails. Accommodation is in cosy and comfortable eco-lodges suitable for up to six people, making them ideal for large families.

There’s plenty of room to store skis and snowboards on the terrace and the village is close by. Each fully-fitted kitchen includes a dishwasher and a coffee maker and lodges feature a dining area, a lounge and a mezzanine room for the kids. The area is also popular for winter hiking, sledging, dog sledging and relaxing in the hot thermal baths of Llo, St Thomas and Dorres.

Price: Stay in a two-bedroom lodge from £86 per night for six people (£14.30pppn). Flights from London to Barcelona in December start from £20 one way with Ryanair. Or flights from London to Toulouse from £30 one way with Easyjet.

5. French Alps, from £11.30pppn in a chalet

For those who simply can’t wait to hit the slopes, Camping Vallouise in the Hautes-Alpes in the heart of the Ecrins is perfect. All guests staying in one of the authentic wooden chalets have to do is strap on their skis and go. Vallouise is blessed with over 300 days of sunshine and very good snow, while Pelvoux-Vallouise and Puy Saint Vincent are less than 5km away. Not only are the chalets cosy and comfortable, but they are 300 metres away from the centre of the village.

Price: A two-bedroom chalet costs £68 per night for six people (£11.30pppn). Motorhome pitches cost from £11 per night for two (£5.50pppn). Flights from London to Turin in December start from £27 one way with Ryanair.