As the ski resorts of Europe and North America start to open for the winter season, we thought we would have a check on this seasons lift pass prices and how they differ across resorts and give you some tips on how to save money on your lift pass.
Lift passes can be one of the most expensive parts of a skiing holiday so it’s good to know before you set off how much it likely to be.
We would advise you always go to the official website of your chosen resort for a final check, but this guide will give you a fair resort comparison.
Europe
We have looked at the cost of 6 days lift passes for adults in Europe as this is the most popular option.
France
The cheapest lift passes in France we found were in La Clusaz where your 6-day pass will cost you €206 followed closely by a Morzine/Les Gets pass for €228 making these resorts excellent value.
In Morzine, if you buy online from the official website you can save €18 and can buy the pass for €210 which is a saving worth a few Apres-Ski beers.
Most resorts in France are in a middle price range between €250-€278 so there is not much to choose between them when considering the lift pass price.
| Resort | 6 day Adult lift pass price |
| Alpe D’Huez | €275 |
| Avoriaz | €270 |
| Chamonix | €275 |
| Courcheval | €278 |
| Flaine | €255 |
| La Plagne | €271 |
| Les Arcs | €271 |
| Les Deux Alpes | €262 |
| Megeve | €250 |
| Meribel | €260 |
| Serre Chevalier | €264 |
| Val Thorens | €262 |
The more exclusive resorts of Val d’Isere and Tignes charge more. The 6-day lift passes break the €300 barrier at €304
Italy
The resorts of Italy are all around the same mid-price point for the 6-day pass with Livigno, the cheapest at €247, Cervinia at €253, Cortina at €271 and Madonna Di Campiglio at €272 making them very comparable to many of the popular French resorts.
Austria
The resorts in Austria are at the upper end of the price ranges.
Three of the main resorts in Austria are less than €300, Ischgl at €262, Mayrhofen at €266.50 and Kitzbuhel at €286.
The others are all €300 and over starting with Lech and St Anton at €300 and Solden – €302.50
Switzerland
As you would expect the Swiss lift pass prices all come in more expensive than the other resorts in Europe with Zermatt at 338 CHF (about €308), Verbier at 373 CHF and Saas Fee at 379 CHF
North America
The Canadian and USA resorts tend to sell lift passes in various time frames compared to Europe as local skiers tend to use the resorts for short breaks, so we have used a one-day price as a comparison across resorts.
The USA resort of Powder Mountain charges 88 USD for a 1-day pass and the resort of Breckenridge charges 109 USD so there are some significant variances.
In Canada the prices start at 87 CD in Whistler, Mont Tremblant – 99 CD and Big White the most expensive at 109 CD.
Summary
As you can see there is a wide range of prices across the ski resorts for lift passes.
There is also a huge variance in the way you can save money buying the passes.
The first thing to check is if there is a discount for buying online rather than waiting until you get to the ticket office at the resort.
Discounts are offered at either end of the ski season when the resorts are less busy, and the snow conditions are likely to be less favourable.
If you are travelling as a family, most resorts offer a discount of circa 10% for purchasing two adult and two junior passes together.
If more than two of you are buying a pass at the same time, there is usually an offer on multiple purchases, so it is worth investigating.
If you are on your first ski holiday and are only likely to use the gentle slopes, a beginner’s pass is often available at a considerable discount.
For large groups (13 or more) apply to the resort office for a bulk price for your passes.
If you are going for a short break, consider that weekend passes are more expensive and the cheapest days to buy passes for are Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Skiing on the cheaper weekdays also has the added benefit of quieter slopes and less queuing for the lifts.
If you are thinking of taking toddlers for their first ski holiday or taking the spritely elder members of your family in some resorts, under 5’s and over 75’s get a free lift pass.
If you are a really keen skier and are likely to go skiing for more than three weeks every year consider going to the same ski pass area and buying a season ticket pass, you can then ski as much as you want all season for the price of a few weekly passes.
If you want to ski in a larger ski area than your immediate resort, but not every day, consider just buying the extra pass for the day. In Morzine you can extend you local pass to the larger Portes Soleil area and get a 20% discount on the daily rate.
Plan out your ski routes for the holiday before you purchase your pass to get the best combination for the area you want to ski in.
Finally, there are a few sites online in addition to the official resort sites that will sell lift passes at a discounted price in limited resorts that are looking to increase their number of visitors.
https://www.liftopia.com/ is one to have a look at before you invest in your pass.
The offers are for advance purchases so check as soon as you’ve booked your holiday.
