Expensive ski holidays are a thing of the past. Nowadays, it’s possible to find affordable ski lift passes at many French ski resorts.
How can you get the best rates? Which resorts should you prioritize? Sport 2000 offers useful tips to enjoy a ski trip in France while staying within your budget! Experienced skiers, families, students, or beginners – you’ll surely find a pass option that fits your needs.
How to Get the Best Price on Ski Passes
Whether you choose the Northern Alps, the Southern Alps, the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Vosges, or the Jura, there are some tips to purchase your lift pass at the most advantageous price.
Join a Discount Program
Did you know that some providers offer subscription or one-time passes that provide discounts on ski passes? A few examples include:
- The Ski Atout Prix Card for Courchevel and Méribel
- The Passe-Montagne Card for dozens of resorts in the Alps, the Pyrenees, as well as Le Mont-Dore in Auvergne (Massif Central) and Gérardmer in the Vosges
- The Ski à la Carte, allowing skiing at Serre-Chevalier, La Plagne, Tignes and Val d’Isère, the high-altitude 3 Valleys (Val Thorens, Courchevel…), Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc, and more
- The Flexi Pass AEON for the 2 Alpes and Alpe d’Huez ski areas, etc.
Buy Online and in Advance
Just like booking your accommodation or renting your ski equipment, it’s best to purchase your pass in advance. Resorts and lift companies often offer Early Booking discounts even before the winter season starts.
Prefer buying and reloading your pass online rather than on-site: it can save money and time by avoiding long queues at the lift ticket offices once you arrive.
Check Offers and Discounts at Resorts
Before confirming your ski pass purchase, take time to review the different passes, annual offers, and promotions. Resort websites and online pass platforms provide all the relevant information.
Choose the correct category based on your age (for example, in the Paradiski area of La Plagne-Les Arcs, a one-day adult pass costs €70, but it’s €56 for children under 12 and seniors 65–74).
Don’t miss out on family or group offers. For instance, in Saint-Sorlin d’Arves, the 6-day Sybelles pass for 2 adults and 2 children saves €40 compared to purchasing four individual passes.
Recommended Resorts with Affordable Passes
While it’s difficult to provide an exhaustive list of resorts with the cheapest passes, here are some destinations where you can ski without breaking the bank. More details are available on our page on affordable ski resorts.
Aussois (Savoie)
Aussois is a pleasant resort where you can easily find cheap ski passes. Various pass options are extremely affordable: a 6-day adult pass costs €193 and €164 for a child.
Skiers can enjoy 55 km of alpine slopes, while cross-country enthusiasts have 35 km of trails. There is also a wide range of affordable accommodations, from hotels to mountain lodges, or private rentals (guest rooms or entire homes).
Ax-les-Thermes (Ariège)
Near Toulouse, this thermal town is also a large ski area comprising three ski domains. In addition to numerous budget-friendly accommodations, Ax-les-Thermes offers advantageous ski pass packages: a one-day pass at €39 (€32.50 for juniors, students, and seniors), a 6-day pass at €198 (€165 for juniors, students, and seniors), and other cheap options, like the student deal (buy 3 passes, get the 4th free).
Cauterets (Hautes-Pyrénées)
Cauterets offers affordable ski passes: €33 for an adult day pass, €198 for 6 days, the "Petite Semaine" (5 days) at €140 per person, beginner pass at €5, and more. It’s a great opportunity to explore this resort with two ski areas (Le Cirque du Lys and Le Pont d’Espagne), excellent snow coverage, a snowpark, a luge track, and breathtaking mountain views. Suitable for both advanced skiers and families.
Gérardmer (Vosges)
A paradise for cross-country skiing, Gérardmer has a pleasant 40 km wooded ski area.
Its many affordable pass options (family, season, 6 days, 2 days, or even 2 hours) appeal to skiers of all levels.
Gérardmer also attracts visitors for its unique charm: located by a lake, with remarkable natural sites (lakes, waterfalls, nature reserves), excellent gastronomy (Munster cheese, absinthe, blueberry tart), and numerous quality restaurants.
Châtel (Haute-Savoie)
Châtel offers a dual advantage: affordable ski passes while granting access to the exceptional Portes du Soleil ski area. This area encompasses 12 French and Swiss resorts (Châtel, Avoriaz, Champéry, Morgins...) with 600 km of slopes!
Seasonal pass offers are attractive: when purchasing an adult pass (access to the Portes du Soleil area), a child pass (under 12) is free!
For occasional skiers or those preferring fewer slopes, there’s a "Châtel Liberté" weekend pass at €64 per person, providing access to Châtel. This cheap ski pass is also valid for the full season (€349 for a child, €466 for an adult) and includes multiple discounts at partner businesses.