Austria leads the ranking The most expensive ski resort is not in Switzerland
Skiing is not cheap fun. But there are significant price differences depending on the ski resort. As a recent analysis shows, Switzerland is one of the top destinations, but not the most expensive for winter sports fans.
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- According to the latest ski price index from the vacation apartment portal Holidu, the most expensive ski resort in Europe is not in Switzerland, but in Austria.
- In Obergurgl-Hochgurgl in Ötztal, a day's skiing including accommodation costs an average of 284 euros (approx. 267 francs).
- Switzerland ranks second among the most expensive ski resorts with Zermatt.
- The cheapest ski resorts in Europe, on the other hand, are in France and Greece, where a day in Réallon, for example, costs an average of just 44.50 euros (approx. 42 francs).
It's no secret that if you want to go skiing, you have to dig deep into your wallet. Not only is the equipment for winter sports expensive, there are also the costs for ski passes, accommodation and food. A winter weekend in the mountains can add up to quite a lot.
In Switzerland, fans of winter sports get their money's worth - they can expect perfectly groomed slopes, but the quality comes at a price. What's more, the prices for day tickets are rising again this year in many ski resorts, one of the reasons being to cover the costs of renovation work.
However, although Switzerland is known as an island of high prices, it does not take first place in a new evaluation of the most expensive ski resorts in Europe by the vacation apartment portal Holidu. In neighboring Austria, a day in the mountains is even more expensive.
Ötztal is home to the most expensive ski resort in Europe
Every year, Holidu publishes the Ski Price Index to give winter sports fans an overview of where ski vacations are the most expensive and where they are the cheapest.
The price of a day ticket and the cost of accommodation are compared. Holidu took into account a total of 271 ski resorts in Europe with more than 20 kilometers of slopes. The data was collected in October 2024 and is based on the median prices for vacation homes per person per night from the website's internal database. The prices for day passes are taken from the official websites of the ski resorts.
The surprising thing about this year's index is that it is not a Swiss ski resort that tops the list, but Obergurgl-Hochgurgl with over 108 kilometers of slopes in the Austrian Ötztal is the most expensive ski resort. Here you pay an average of 284 euros per day and per person for a ski pass and accommodation (equivalent to around 267 francs).
In second place, however, is Switzerland with Zermatt, where you have to calculate 256.50 euros (the equivalent of around 241 francs) per day and per person for 322 kilometers of fun on the slopes.
St. Moritz - Corviglia (201.50 euros), Arosa Lenzerheide (200.50 euros) and Verbier/La Tzoumaz (198.06 euros) are also among the top ten most expensive ski resorts in Europe.
France and Greece have the cheapest ski resorts
France, on the other hand, is the cheapest place to ski. With an average price of 44.50 euros (the equivalent of around 42 francs) for a day ticket and accommodation, Réallon is the least expensive place to spend your winter vacation.
This is followed by Mount Parnassos - Fterolakka/Kellaria in Greece, where a day's skiing costs an average of 46 euros (the equivalent of 43 francs). The top ten is made up of ski resorts in France and Greece.
So if you haven't yet booked for the upcoming season, it's worth taking a look at the index. And if you don't want to spend your ski vacation abroad but still want to save money, you can also find comparatively inexpensive ski resorts in Switzerland. For example, Chäserrugg in Toggenburg, where a day's skiing costs 92.50 euros (the equivalent of around 87 francs). Or Saas-Grund in Valais - where you pay an average of 111 euros (the equivalent of around 104 francs).
