Tag Archive for 'Ski Holidays'

Ski Lift Passes Price Directory

Published on Monday, March 2, 2009 in Features and Ski. 2 Comments Tags: Lift Passes, Ski Holidays, Skiing.

When you’re booking ski holidays, there’s nothing worse than discovering the ski passes for the area turns out to be more than you’d budgeted. Lift passes in the Alps vary in price in many ways including the date you go, the resort you’re staying in, whether you’ll be skiing across several different resorts, your age and how many days you’ll be skiing.

I figured it makes sense to have a simple table with lift pass prices broken down. That way, there’s an at-a-glance way of helping add up your ski holiday costs before booking. Please note, that resorts change their lift pass prices regularly and also taking into account that the exchange rate fluctuates, it’s very difficult to have accurate prices. As such the below are all approximations, based on 6 days in peak season. Last updated: 02 March 2009.

Ski Lift Passes by Cost

Country Resort Child(Local) Child(Area) Adult(Local) Adult(Area)
Austria Ischgl £100 £111 £150 £166
Austria Kaprun £83 £83 £162 £162
Austria Kitzbuhel £82 £82 £160 £160
Austria Mayrhofen £80 £80 £155 £155
Austria Obergurgl £100 £100 £162 £162
Austria Saalbach £84 £84 £163 £163
Austria Soll £81 £81 £156 £156
Austria St Anton £100 £100 £163 £163
France Alpe dHuez £126 £126 £174 £174
France Avoriaz £93 £116 £131 £170
France Chamonix £131 £160 £162 £199
France Courchevel £113 £147 £158 £194
France Isola 2000 £89 £97 £117 £129
France La Plagne £132 £156 £173 £206
France La Rosiere £101 £101 £142 £142
France La Tania £114 £147 £161 £194
France Les Arcs £131 £156 £173 £206
France Les Deux Alpes £122 £122 £161 £161
France Meribel £114 £147 £161 £194
France Morzine £93 £116 £131 £170
France Tignes £124 £143 £153 £177
France Val dIsere £143 £143 £177 £177
France Val Thorens £108 £147 £152 £194
Italy Cervinia £84 £107 £163 £209
Italy La Thuile £84 £84 £163 £163
Italy Passo Tonale £111 £111 £140 £140
Italy Sauze dOulx £109 £109 £154 £154
Italy Selva £121 £130 £170 £183
Italy Val di Fassa £113 £130 £160 £183
Switzerland Davos £61 £61 £164 £164
Switzerland Engelberg £69 £69 £162 £162
Switzerland Saas Fee £100 £100 £185 £185
Switzerland Verbier £90 £99 £171 £190
Switzerland Zermatt £102 £114 £198 £223

I manually upkeep this list and add to it when I can, so I’ve tried to include the most popular resorts, but if there’s a specific resort you’d like to know the lift pass prices of (that isn’t already listed), feel free to make a request in the comments. I will be including the cost of Canadian and US lift passes next.

Tignes and Val D’Isere Still Packed with Snow

Published on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 in Ski. 2 Comments Tags: Adventure, Alps, Europe, France, Ski Holidays, Skiing, Snow, Tignes, Travel blog, Val d'Isere.

One of my colleagues Thomas Moulton trekked out to the two gorgeous French resorts of Tignes and Val D’Isere a few weeks back and was eager to get some words out about his adventures. And no, the photo isn’t from twenty years ago.

Looking sharp

Tignes (26th March 2008)

Club Med’s legendary welcome was evident with cheery Club Med G.O.’s [Gracious Organisers] dispensing mulled wine and hot dogs by the entrance. The Village is next to the lifts and pistes suitable for all standards. At reception we were met by Jaclyn McCabe, a friendly Durham graduate from Middlesbrough. After a successful winter, Jaclyn was looking forward to a summer season with Club Med in the Caribbean. We also met the Tignes Chef de Village Jean Marc, not from Middlesbrough but just as friendly and efficient. Jaclyn later explained that Jean Marc can really turn the atmosphere on, has a great voice and talent for acting which is all part of Club Med’s entertainment program. After a magnificent lunch, we were given a tour. Particularly impressive are the large number of single rooms, the abundance of staff for the kids in the Mini and Junior Club, the qualified instruction and Spa facilities.

Val d’Isere (27th March 2008)

If the Tignes property was impressive, the Val d’Isere goes one better. Decorated in more traditional style, the Val d’Isere Club Med is more like an Alpine Chalet with lots of wood. Thick carpets in the dining room also provide a more intimate atmosphere. The facilities including the bedrooms (all en suite and with plasma TV), gym, Turkish baths, sauna, disco and bar, were then shown to us, this time by Julie Bonot who previously worked in a smart hotel in Lyon and with a restaurant boasting many Michelin stars. As usual we had a sumptuous lunch leaving us feeling content and a little rounder. We then met the Chef de Village JC, who looked similar to his Tignes colleague – a sort of fun French Brad Pitt lookalike.

Despite a busy schedule of hosting 500 guests and managing instructors, chefs, DJs, barmen et al, JC still had time to have a poke at us about the previous evening’s England-France football match. Like the rest of the staff, he engendered a good atmosphere which includes a daily round of après ski shows, stand up comedy, theme nights, cabaret and more. Participation is optional but if you want to join in, pack something in preparation. During the day guests are equally well looked after, a great bonus is the qualified instruction for all levels and one of the reasons why Club Med maintains a solid lead on imitators. Overall it’s good value and if clients are looking for quality accommodation food and skiing and not needing their own chalet, it doesn’t get any better.

- Thomas Moulton