The season ski pass : is it really worth it ?
The season ski pass : is it really worth it ?
With the winter approaching, some are asking the question: is the season ski pass is really worth it ? For those who ski all winter in the same resort, it’s obvious. For the others, things are a bit different. Overview of the advantages and disadvantages, but also alternative solutions that exist.
The advantages of the season pass
If you have a favorite resort and a large volume of ski days, the season pass is just right. This is obviously the solution adopted by all local stations and surrounding valleys for its reduced cost and the end of waiting at the ski lifts in the morning! Note that in many ski areas, the more you buy your package early in the season, the more you get attractive discounts: by ordering before November 15 for some, December 15 for others, you save more than 100 € on the price. Find out soon enough of the deadlines for the station you are interested in. Another important advantage is that the season ticket offers you ski days in the surrounding resorts. This is for example the case at Les Arcs, whose season package offers two days of free skiing (by area) on the Espace Killy, the 3 Vallées and Saint Foy Tarentaise, or 6 days of ski “bonus”! And conversely, for those who take their package in one of its stations. Note also that some resorts offer their summer package (mountain biking, paragliding) to the holders of the winter package (in Serre Chevalier for example).
The season package is not suitable for all skiers
If you are not tuned to a particular station or do not ski every weekend or for several weeks, it’s better to think twice before taking your season pass. Indeed, we calculated that it takes for example 16 days of skiing in La Clusaz or Chamonix, and even 22 days in Val d’Isère to make your season pass in one of its resorts. Finally, a season ticket will, by definition, force you to always go to the same place and therefore be less flexible to snow conditions, or the context (friends skiing elsewhere, events, weather more lenient) …
The new alternative “ski a la carte”
Solutions now exist for those who ski often, but who like to change resorts from time to time. This is not a season pass, but rather a subscription card to a group of domains. Different resorts adhere to it, and the card offers you attractive discounts on the packages of each of them. For example, the Compagnie des Alpes launched Operation Holiski a few years ago on many major resorts: Les Arcs / Peisey-Vallandry, La Plagne Paradiski, Espace Killy (Tignes, Val d’Isère), Serre Knight, and the Grand Massif (Flaine, Samoens, Morillon, Les Carroz, Sixt Fer à Cheval). La Rosière, Sainte Foy and Valmorel are also partners in the operation. It works like a highway telebadge, no need to go to checkout! The card is recognized automatically when you go to the ski lifts, it saves your ski days and you pay them the following month. Annual card membership costs € 29, and discounts range from -15% on the adult day rate and up to -25% on Saturdays on some ski areas. Note that the more you ski with your card, the more you get € 1 days: the 9th, 14th, 19th and 24th days skied on the season will only be charged € 1.
Source : Skiinfo.fr