Grandvalira or Sierra Nevada?
These two are close on 5 of 9 measures. That is the honest answer: the numbers will not choose for you, so the difference below that matters to you is the one to decide on.
Andorra
Grandvalira
The Pyrenees' biggest area, duty-free shopping and lift passes a third cheaper than the Tarentaise. Snowfall is less dependable than the Alps, but snowmaking coverage is extensive.
Worth knowing. Snowfall is less dependable than the Alps; snowmaking carries the season.
Choose it if
Families with young kids
About £1,005 a week from London
Spain
Sierra Nevada
Europe's southernmost resort: high, sunny, and a 45-minute drive from Granada. The season runs late, and you can genuinely ski in the morning and sit in the Alhambra in the afternoon.
Worth knowing. Southern sun turns the snow heavy by lunchtime.
Choose it if
A non-skiing partner
About £988 a week from London
Side by side
| Grandvalira | Sierra Nevada | |
|---|---|---|
| Snow reliability | 53/100 | 46/100 |
| Size of the ski area | 210 km linked | 107 km |
| Top lift | 2640 m | 3300 m |
| Cost before travel | €860 | €830 |
| Families with young kids | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Snowboarders | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| A non-skiing partner | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Budget and après | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Off-piste | 5/10 | 4/10 |
Bold marks the winner. Rows where neither is bold are close enough that the difference would not change a decision. Cost excludes travel, which depends on where you leave from.
Piste kilometres, lift counts and prices are indicative and compiled from public sources — they have not yet been checked against the resort's own figures for this season. Costs are planning estimates, not quotes. Spotted one that is wrong? Tell us.