Newest ski resort is the world’s ‘most expensive’
Russia’s new Olympic ski resort, Sochi, has emerged as the most expensive ski destination for British skiers and boarders.
Crystal Ski, which is the first UK tour operator to add Sochi to its brochure this winter, has short breaks starting from £825 and seven-night packages from £1,129, which is more than twice the cost of some of the glitziest Swiss resorts.
According to travel search website Skyscanner, it’s the cost of flights to Russia that make packages to Sochi so expensive. In resort, prices are actually only slightly more expensive than the cheapest eastern European ski resorts and considerably less than the likes of Verbier, St Moritz and Val d’Isere.
Sochi actually consists of three resorts, only one of which is complete. Rosa Khutor is pretty much like a European resort, says Crystal; Gasprom has a luxury hotel but little else and Mount Carousel will only be open for part of the season.
So why would anyone go to Russia when it’s going to cost more than skiing in some of the swankiest resorts in the Alps?
Well, for a start, they’ll be among the first to ski the runs that will play host to the winter Olympics in 2014 – and as few people have heard of Sochi, let alone visited, they’ll pretty much have these awesome runs to themselves.
Sochi gets as much snow as resorts in North America and, although it has only 100kms of skiing, which is not vast by Alpine standards, it has an amazing vertical drop.
It’s best for expert and intermediate skiers and boarders, but not so good for beginners. Instruction is pretty good, says Crystal, "although the level of English is not always the best". As Ski Mole believes it’s actually quite important that instructors speak fluent English, we’d steer first-timers away from Sochi.
However, it could be one to recommend to experts who’ve skied everywhere else, or intermediate skiers looking for quiet but challenging slopes and low-key nightlife.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season