Best-Value Ski Passes in the Alps

When it comes to saving money on your ski holiday, Sunweb are the go-to experts – after all, they’ve been doing it for over 30 years. So who better to guide us through the minefield that is ski pass pricing? Jack Bolus from Sunweb reveals where you can find the cheapest, and most expensive, ski passes this winter…  

At Sunweb, we are all about crunching numbers, studying the small print to guarantee we pass on the best prices to our customers. Ski passes can often be the most expensive part of any ski holiday, yet with so many different passes available in any one resort, and with each destination varying so vastly in terms of its size and skiable terrain, it can be hard to decipher exactly how much bang you are getting for your buck.  

So, we decided to do a little investigating.    

We recently launched one of our most in-depth price reviews yet – we analysed the cost of a six-day ski pass in 19 of Europe’s top ski destinations to reveal the best-value ski pass in Europe broken down by cost per kilometre. And the results just might surprise you…  

Dolomiti Super-Value 

Coming in at first place is Italy’s Dolomiti Superski (pictured above). A six-day ski pass costs just €0.31 per kilometre of slope. Allow me to expand on that: at €373, the Dolomiti Superski lift pass provides access to 12 resorts scattered throughout the Dolomites, offering a colossal 1,200km of skiing (it’s Italy’s largest ski area) – twice as much as our number two on the list: France’s Portes du Soleil.

At €292.50, the Portes du Soleil – just a ski pole’s throw from Geneva – comes in at second place with a reasonable €0.49 per kilometre. So, you can cruise its 600km of pistes across France and Switzerland knowing you’re getting great value for money.  

Back over in Italy, the Milky Way ski area (Vialattea in Italian), which includes Sauze d’Oulx resort among five others, is ideal for skiers looking for a smaller area to conquer and comes in as the third best return on investment at €0.56 per kilometre – the best offer anywhere in the region. Playing host to the freestyle skiing events at the 2006 Winter Olympics, it’s a big hit with skiers who prefer to spend more time in the air than on the ground, with no shortage of halfpipes or big air jumps to play among.    

Interestingly, Italy and France take the first five spots on the list, with Switzerland’s Zermatt Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (€1.22) – linking to Cervinia in Italy over the border – and Austria’s Arlberg (€1.31) – comprising five resorts including St Anton – coming in sixth and ninth place respectively.  

But what about the other end of the scale?  

Despite having a fairly low pass price – and being famed as a great-value ski destination – Vallnord Pal-Arinsal in Andorra came bottom of the ranking. With just 63km of skiable slopes, six days’ skiing will cost you a hefty €4.29 per kilometre. Similarly, the steep price of a pass in Solden doesn’t give snow-seekers much bang for their buck – with only 144km of slopes, the cost comes to €2.62 per kilometre.    

Here is a look at all the resorts and where they ranked: 

Best Value-For-Money Ski Passes Across Europe  

Ranked from the cheapest ski pass, calculated per km of piste, to the most expensive.

*Price of an adult 6-day ski pass 

The Low-Down: Top Three Best-Value Resorts  

Dolomiti Superski, Italy 

Why go: You get access to 12 ski resorts, cutting-edge lifts, 1,200km of top-quality slopes and some of the best piste preparation in Europe. 

Don’t miss: Hidden Valley is one of the best ski slopes in the Dolomites. It’s a 7.5km run, rated red, and drops through more than 1,000 vertical metres, taking you past craggy mountain faces and dramatic icefalls. A stop at Rifugio Scotoni en route for their home-made lamponi (raspberry) grappa is a must. The run brings you down to Armentarola. How do you get back to the lifts? Not by bus. Instead you grab a rope and hitch a ride on the back of a horse-drawn sleigh. 

Portes du Soleil, France 

Why go: It’s one of the world’s greatest interconnected ski systems, linking 12 resorts across France and Switzerland, reaching different valleys, altitudes and offering terrain for all levels and interests.  

Don’t miss: Mont Chéry in Les Gets. It doesn’t connect to any other areas in the Portes du Soleil, so it remains a quiet and tranquil area. The views for the top are fabulous, reaching as far as the Mont Blanc Massif and the Aiguilles of Chamonix. The pistes on the sunny side are perfect mid-season, while the back side of the mountain, Chéry Nord, is a haven for fresh tracks after a snowfall.  

Milky Way, Italy 

Why go: It has some of the best piste skiing in Italy, with 400km of rolling pistes, linking Sauze d’Oulx, Sansicario, Sestrière, Montgenevre and the rest of the Milky Way.  

Don’t miss: The Women’s Olympic downhill run in Sauze d’Oulx, from Monte Fraiteve to Sansicario, is wide, fast and one of the longest pistes in the Milky Way – ideal for letting the breaks off and getting your carves on.  

 * The cost of a ski pass is often not factored into budgets by holidaymakers, but at Sunweb all packages include a ski pass, meaning that there are no hidden or unexpected costs upon arrival in the mountains.