Do you also like to go into the mountains? Especially in winter when we spend so much time indoors and in the city this dense high fog often turns everything into an even gray, I find the fresh air, the sunshine and the joy of running down the mountain with different devices just incredibly relaxing . I don’t know about you, but one day on the weekend is often enough to clear the town’s financial head and take my mind off things.
Admittedly, around Christmas and the start of the year it was rather sad to drive up a green mountain and then arrive back at the valley station on a catwalk-like strip of sod. Climate change right before our eyes gives many of us food for thought, I think. According to studies by the University of Basel, a ski resort needs about 300 million liters of water for a 100-day ski season. With increasing climate change, the need will increase significantly, reaching up to 80% by the end of the century. Now this year, just in time for the upcoming February sports holiday, the snow situation is a lot better than Christmas in many places, so many of us can look forward to some fun in the mountains. If only it weren’t for the cost…
No matter how wonderful the winter holiday is, skiing fun can be a major drain on the budget. This has emerged from research by Bank Cler in collaboration with BAK Economics, which has been running for several years A week’s ski holiday for a family of four in Switzerland, depending on location, between CHF 3,428 (Aletsch Arena) and CHF 5,240 (Zermatt) (data for 2022). The Aletsch Arena, Engelberg-Titlis and Airolo performed best, while Zermatt was the most expensive, followed by Verbier and St. Moritz.
Although prices are similar this winter, there are seasonal differences. An illustrative example comparison based on three ski destinations for 2023 has shown that, depending on the location, the prices for e.g. in cooperation with BAK, example comparison 2023).
Incidentally, according to Watson’s research, you get the most kilometers of slopes per franc in Les Portes du Soleil, where 600 kilometers of slopes are available for a day pass of 54 francs, provided there are good snow conditions.
- Good planning, choice of ski area and time: Of course, the choice of a winter resort depends very much on personal preferences. If you have to watch your budget, there are good, often lesser-known alternatives close to larger ski resorts, a little away from the glitz and glamour. Expanding your (online) search to a slightly larger radius quickly opens up new, cheaper and more exciting opportunities for you. According to the research sample, a family of four can save up to CHF 2,000 or more per week if they go on a skiing holiday to Airolo instead of Verbier. Even if you prefer to go to Zermatt, there are cheap alternatives with a little creativity, such as simple mountain huts that are still very nice. In Zermatt, for example, this is the mountain hut Schwarzsee. And for those who are open to it, neighboring countries are not that far away either. In addition to the choice of location, the time is of course also decisive, in the low season everything is certainly a bit cheaper, however, this is often not always feasible, especially for families. Nathalie Waltmann, Head of Communications at Bank Cler: “If you want to make targeted savings, the best way to do that is with housing. Here the price differences can be up to 100%, depending on which region you choose.”
- Booking early is not only worth it for accommodation, but also for lift tickets: When comparing prices, accommodation makes up the lion’s share of the cost, followed by the ski pass. Early booking is worthwhile for both, although location is also important for the ski pass: in major ski areas, the day ticket can cost more than 80 francs, while smaller ski areas such as Hochybrig or the Aletscharena are considerably cheaper. With more and more ski resorts relying on dynamic pricing, with planning, early booking and flexibility, it’s possible at best to snag something like a bargain. The day ticket can have a price range of, for example, 25 francs and more – Here, for example, Laax: ticket for January 28 CHF 89, for March 1 CHF 73 (Ticketshop Laax, from January 26, 2023). But who wants to romp cheaply on the mountain in fog, wind and poor visibility? The dynamic prices are therefore regularly criticized for their partial opacity, especially for increasing the average revenue per guest for the ski resorts instead of favoring the consumer (details in the SRF report of Jan 2, 2023). The early booking discount is certainly an advantage, especially for families planning their winter holiday for a longer period of time.
- Efficient equipping: Renting skis or snowboards is convenient, but it can also be expensive, especially if you buy the equipment locally. Depending on the use, a seasonal rentalthe Kon the rental model of a previous year or the Buy your own equipment worth. Winter sports equipment is often cheaper and with special offers, especially in January and February, and let’s face it, in the snow no one knows if you’re skiing down the mountain with the latest trend of the season. Also interesting are combined offers, such as the Matterhorn weeks, where ski school for adults, equipment and accommodation are packed in one package.
- Make the most of discount options: In addition to dynamic ticket prices, there are other ways to save on the budget, e.g
– With Snow’n Rail from SBB you can buy the ski pass together with the train ticket up to 20% cheaper and often receive a discount on the ski rental
– Depending on the ski area, there are special conditions and offersFor example, young people up to the age of 18 can cycle for free every Saturday in the Aletscharena. Several ski areas offer family rates, points cards, special prices from a certain time, etc. In the meantime, the ski pass menu often reads like the fact sheet of a financial product, it’s worth asking!
– There are many fun options for children and young peopleFor example, Snow4Free from the Cleven Foundation offers free ski and snowboard afternoons every year for children aged 9-13, including car rides and equipment.
– If you can get REKA money at a reduced price from your employer, you can also use it for your skiing holiday and thus save.
– Take day trips by traininstead of a full week in a hotel: in Switzerland, the mountains are also very easy to reach with day trips, if you have a very small budget and like to get up early, you can of course save the money for the overnight stay.
As you can see, with long-term planning, research, and persistence, you can save quite a bit of money on a winter vacation, often without sacrificing much fun.
By the way, my favorite mountain area is the Aletscharena and I had the best season 2 years ago, when instead of going on a winter holiday, we and my friends took the SBB Snow’n Rail to another mountain area as often as possible, barley soup in the snow there was only takeaway and hot water from the thermos included. Legendary, we still laugh at the pictures today. Where are you going this winter and what tips do you have? ⛄️ ⛷
