Good deals for a cheap ski pass

Whether you choose the Northern Alps, the Southern Alps, the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Vosges or the Jura for your winter sports holidays, there are a few tips to know to buy your ski lift pass at the most advantageous price.

Join a service that gives discounts

Did you know that some providers offer subscription cards or one-time purchases, which offer discounts for ski passes. To name just a few, there are:

• The Ski Atout Prix card for Courchevel and Méribel

• The Passe-Montagne card for dozens of ski resorts in the Alps, the Pyrenees, but also for Le Mont-Dore in Auvergne (Massif Central) and Gérardmer in the Vosges

• The Ski à la Carte, to ski as well in Serre-Chevalier as in La Plagne, in Tignes and Val d'Isère, on the high-altitude domain of the 3 Valleys (Val Thorens, Courchevel...), in Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc, etc.

• The Flexi Pass AEON for the domains of Les 2 Alpes and Alpe d'Huez, etc.

Make your purchase online and in advance

Just like booking your accommodation or renting your ski equipment , it is preferable to plan ahead for the purchase of your pass. Resorts and ski lift companies can indeed offer "Early Booking" discounts, even before the winter sports season has begun.
Also prioritize buying your card and recharging it online, instead of buying it at the resort: this can sometimes be economical, and what's more, you save time by avoiding queuing at the ski lift ticket offices once you are at your holiday destination.

Study resort offers and discounts

Before confirming your ski pass order, take the time to consult the different passes, the annual offers and the promo offers. Ski resort websites and online ski pass purchase platforms give you all the information on this subject.

Choose the right category according to your age (for example, for the Paradiski area of La Plagne-Les Arcs, the adult one-day pass is €70, but it drops to €56 for children under 12 and seniors between 65 and 74 years old).

Also, don't miss out on "family" or "group" offers. For example, if you spend your stay in Saint-Sorlin d'Arves, the 6-day Sybelles pass for 2 adults and 2 children saves you 40 euros, compared to buying 4 separate passes.

Our ideas for resorts with affordable ski passes

While it's difficult to provide an exhaustive list of resorts where passes are the least expensive, here are some holiday destinations where you can ski without breaking the bank. Note that you will find more information on our page dedicated to cheap ski resorts.

Aussois (Savoie)

Aussois is a pleasant resort, where you can easily find cheap ski passes. The various formulas for the ski area passes are extremely affordable. For example, a 6-day pass for an adult costs 193 euros and 164 euros for a child.

While skiers can descend the 55 kilometers of alpine ski slopes, walking enthusiasts are not left out, as Aussois also has 35 kilometers of cross-country ski trails.
You will also find a wide range of affordable accommodations, of all categories, from hotels to mountain shelters, or in dwellings rented by private individuals (guesthouses or entire homes).

Ax-les-Thermes (Ariège)

Near Toulouse, this spa town is also an extensive ski resort, as it brings together 3 ski areas. In addition to numerous possibilities for advantageous accommodation rates, Ax-les-Thermes offers advantageous ski pass formulas: a day pass at 39 euros (32.5 euros for juniors, students and seniors), a 6-day pass at 198 euros (165 euros for juniors, students and seniors), as well as other cheap ski passes, such as the student offer (for 3 passes purchased, the 4th is free).

Cauterets (Hautes-Pyrénées)

Cauterets offers affordable ski passes: 33 euros for an adult day pass, 198 euros for 6 days, a "Small Week" pass (5 days) at 140 euros per person, a beginner pass at 5 euros... Excellent opportunities to discover this resort combining 2 ski areas (Le Cirque du Lys and Le Pont d'Espagne) and enjoying excellent snow cover. Suitable for experienced skiers and families alike, Cauterets has a snowpark, a toboggan run, and offers an exceptional panorama of the surrounding mountains.

Gérardmer (Vosges)

Cross-country skiing paradise, Gérardmer has a pleasant wooded ski area extending over 40 kilometers.
Its many affordable ski pass formulas (family, season, 6-day, 2-day or... 2-hour) attract skiers of all levels.

Gérardmer also attracts visitors for its unique charm: bordering a lake, with many remarkable wild places (lakes, waterfalls, nature reserves...), this charming town is also a popular destination for its gastronomy: munster, absinthe, blueberry tart... It also boasts a plethora of quality restaurants.

Châtel (Haute-Savoie)

Châtel is a destination with a double advantage: cheap ski passes, while allowing skiers to descend the exceptional Portes du Soleil ski area. This includes no less than 12 French and Swiss resorts (Châtel, Avoriaz, Champéry, Morgins...) covering an area of 600 kilometers of slopes!
Season pass offers are interesting: for any purchase of an adult pass (giving access to the Portes du Soleil ski area), the child pass (under 12 years old) is free!
For occasional skiers or those who prefer fewer slopes, there is a "Châtel Liberté" weekend pass, offered at 64 euros per person, giving access to the Châtel ski area. This cheap ski pass also works for the full season (349 euros for a child, 466 euros for an adult) and allows you to benefit from multiple discounts at partner merchants.