Despite the climate change, the shops of the alpine ski resorts are doing well. Prices are rising by 4.2 percent on average, and in some areas by eight percent. This was the result of a survey by "Schneeundmehr - Der Skiatlas", an app that annually analyzes the ski pass costs in the major ski resorts in the Alps. It always compares the current prices for six-day passes with the prices from the previous year.
Particularly high surcharges are obscured by the so-called dynamic pricing. An example: The mountain railways of St. Moritz, for example, recently recommend a "Snow Deal: Who books early benefits in the web shop". In fact, the skigast will be discounted 21 per cent multi-day discount on the 72 francs daily price for his six-day Christmas holiday if he buys six days in a row. In the end, he still paid well over 40 euros more than last winter - that's 14 percent.
"Dynamic Pricing" - the principle is not new when it comes to vacation bookings. As with hotels or airline tickets, ski resorts are becoming more and more frequent: those who book early can save money.
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Arlberg to Zermatt: expensive ski pass, expensive skiing funAt the top of the list of the most expensive ski resorts were those in Switzerland . The regional ticket Zermatt-Aosta Valley costs € 425 for six days of fun on the slopes - no ski pass in the Alps is more expensive. If you only look at the prices of connected ski areas, the leader Flims-Laax, who calls 369 euros for the six-day pass in the new winter, is followed by Zermatt / Cervinia (349 euros), Verbier (341 euros), the Jungfrau region with Grindelwald and Wengen (337 Euro) as well as Saas-Fee (335 Euro).
The surcharges average (calculated in euros) at six percent, with more than eight percent, the Jungfrau region reaches particularly strong. The region of Davos / Klosters now also takes part in the flexible ski pass price, promptly cost ski tickets over the Christmas holidays up to 15 percent more. Almost more annoying the flashing note on the website that "only 3 ski passes for this price" are to have.
The most expensive ski pass areas in the Alps
More reserved are the major French ski resorts . Although Chamonix (€ 327 for the six-day pass in high season), the Trois Vallées (€ 312) and Les Arcs / La Plagne (€ 310) are back in the top ten of the most expensive ski pass areas in the Alps. But the lift prices rose on average "only" by 2.5 percent. And families also get significant discounts on shared six-day passes in Les Arcs / La Plagne and the Trois Vallées.
Austria's ski resorts boast between three and four percent year on year. Top cashiers based on the six-day tickets are the areas Ischgl / Silvretta-Arena (307.50 Euro), Ötztal (302.50 Euro) and Arlberg (300 Euro). The new metropolitan area "Ski Alpin Card" from Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang-Fieberbrun and Zell am See / Kaprun compares favorably at 278 euros.
Tourist Board Stubai Tirol / SRT
The Stubai Superskipass is no longer available. For him, there is now the "Ski plus City Pass" together with Innsbruck and its twelve ski villages from the Stubaital to the Axamer Lizum. The costs for six days skiing 268 euros and thus almost six percent less than its predecessor, if one compares the previous variant without a guest card.
Formerly cheaper ski resorts are falling in price
Winter holidaymakers also have to pay a lot of money in the Italian ski areas . First and foremost is the Dolomiti Superski association, the six-day pass (313 euros) is now more expensive than the world's largest ski resort in the Trois Vallées (312 euros). The community card "Superskirama" of the western ski resorts around Madonna di Campiglio costs € 307 for six days. This shows another trend: formerly cheaper ski resorts are falling in price.
This also applies to the German ski resorts , which have a rather manageable slope offer, but are also priced high. Garmisch-Partenkirchen requires for six days skiing in the Greater 255.50 euros, Oberstdorf-Kleinwalsertal 244 euros, Reit im Winkl for the three-country passport 239 euros.
Skiparadies Sudelfeld / Xandi Kreuzeder / SRT
The Alpine Plus areas in the Bavarian Oberland (Brauneck in Lenggries, Spitzingsee, Sudelfeld, Wallberg) are now recovering with 210 euros and put it with eight percent a particularly rich price premium.
Is it still cheap somewhere? If you want "big" ski resorts with six-day passes under 200 euros, you have to look a long time. Even the Feldberg in the Black Forest now requires 215 euros for six days of skiing.
Note about the prices
All mentioned ski pass prices refer to the main season. Ski vacationers with guest card get discounts in some places. The prices are based on surveys of the app "Snow and more skiatlas" in mid-October 2019. The app is available free of charge in the stores of Apple and Google and is published by Hans-Werner Rodrian, the author of this text.
In contrast, the Allgäu Tirol Skicard (largest areas: Tannheimer Tal and Oberjoch) with 191 euros comparatively cheap. However, the ski pass has a strong competitor: the "Königscard", a guest card for holidaymakers in Tyrol, Upper Bavaria and the Allgäu. Those who sleep for at least two nights in one of the participating accommodation units can ski for three hours in ten ski areas with a total of 120 km of slopes for one day - free of charge.