Ski passes: what a beginner needs to know

A ski pass (ski-pass) is a pass that entitles skiers and snowboarders to use the elevators of ski resorts or regions. Sometimes it is also called an elevator pass. In essence, it is a pass to the slopes, which means it is the main source of income for resorts and, accordingly, expenses for tourists.

A ski pass looks like a magnetic card to be applied to the terminal at the entrance to the elevators, or a paper ticket with a bar code (most often these are one-day passes).

Where to buy a ski pass

There are two ways to buy a ski pass: directly at the resort or online at the resort's official website.

If you want to save money, keep an eye out for discounted promotions. Most often they are held in low season — in March-April, when the weather is unpredictable and the tourist flow decreases (but you can still ski).

Also, different resorts give discounts on those types of ski passes in which they are most interested. For example, most ski resorts in Finland are family-oriented, so they sell cheap ski passes for skiers with children (family). Youth and party resorts, such as French Courchevel, Swiss Verbier and Italian Cortina d'Ampezzo, sell discounted ski passes for large companies. So it is better to find out in advance about all types of passes in the resort where you are going on vacation.

Types of ski passes

Ski passes are ranked according to several criteria: number of days, age of skier, number of people and time of year.

The higher the number of days, the cheaper the ski pass. Traditionally, the most optimal is a six-day ski pass, as most Europeans go on ski vacations for a week. But you can buy a pass for the number of lifts, and one-day pass. However, their cost will be extremely unfavorable. The cheapest ski passes are passes for the whole season. But you should buy such passes only if you are going to visit the resort on a regular basis.

Cost of ski passes in popular resorts

To help you budget your trip, we have compiled the current prices for six-day ski passes in Europe's most popular resorts:

Austria

• Sölden - €404 for adults, €222 for children
• Innsbruck - €211 for adults, €128 for children
• Mayerhofen - €349 for adults, €156 for children
• Ischgl — €345 for adults, €285 for children
• Kitzbühel — €277 for adults, €138 for children

Italy

• Bormio — €221 for adults, €182 for children
• Cortina d'Ampezzo — €313 for adults, €219 for children
• Brea-Cervinia — €253 for adults, €177.5 for children

Switzerland

• Zermatt — €411 for adults, €205 for children
• Verbier — €366 for adults, €183 for children
• Gstaad — €311 for adults, €155.6 for children

France

• Courchevel — €278 for adults, €222 for children
• Meribel — €312 for adults, €249.60 for children
• Chamonix-Mont Blanc — €327 for adults, €278 for children