Slovenia

While not at the rock bottom end of budget, small-but-beautifully-formed Slovenia is still a very good choice for the cost-conscious skier or snowboarder, especially if you're looking to learn or consolidate on new skills.

Slovenia borders with Austria, Italy and Hungary and, like Croatia, is one of those places where you could theoretically ride the slopes in the morning and swim in the Med (well, technically it's the Adriatic) in the afternoon - if swimming in March was your sort of thing.

Unlike some Baltic countries, Slovenia doesn't fare too poorly in comparison with the nearby mighty Austrian Alps. It doesn't have the height, and it's playing catch-up when it comes to infrastructure, but it's not lagging as far behind as some of its neighbours.

Kranjska Gora, in the north west corner of the country is perhaps the best known of all ski resorts in Slovenia for being host of the Alpine Skiing World Championships. There is some challenging terrain here, but with a low resort base and a minimal vertical, many of the slopes are gentle and better suited to beginners and intermediates.

The largest ski area in Slovenia is in the Pohorje Mountains, to the north east of the country. Like Kranjska, Mariborsko Pohorje doesn't have much height - it peaks at 1,347 metres (4,419 feet) - but investment in snow-making equipment means there's still a guaranteed season here between December and March. Also - despite it's height (or lack of), Pohorje can boast the longest floodlit ski run in Europe at 5 kms.

Cost

Apres ski at ski resorts in Slovenia is relatively low key and 'local', but beer and wine is all incredibly cheap. A six-day adult lift pass here costs around €130 (US$200).

Getting here

It's possible to get to all the main resorts by train. There are direct buses from Ljublijanas international airport, as well as major cities in neighbouring countries, including Italy, Hungary and Croatia.