International price comparison shows
Guaranteed snow makes the ski day pass more expensive
The prices for ski passes have risen significantly less in Switzerland than in Austria or Germany. A day pass is still more expensive in Germany than in neighboring countries. And: If you ski higher up, you have to pay more.
Published: 18 minutes ago
1/5
It’s always snow high up. But that also has its price.
The higher the inflation, the higher the price increase. And: The higher the slope, the more expensive the day ticket. These are two insights that the “NZZ” draws from an analysis of data from the winter sports platform skiinfo.de.
According to this, the ski pass prices in Swiss ski areas have risen significantly less than those in Austria and Germany within a year. The fifty largest ski areas in southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland that offer fixed prices for their day tickets were examined.
On average, prices rose by an average of 8 percent. In a national comparison, the situation is different: the average prices in Germany rose by 12 percent compared to the previous year, by 8 percent in Austria and by 3 percent in Switzerland.
This can be seen in inflation. In Switzerland, the average inflation rate in 2022 was less than 3 percent, while in Germany and Austria it was around 8 percent. Above all, the increase in energy prices also caused a price surge for ski passes.
Switzerland is still the most expensive
Despite the lower price increase, day tickets in Switzerland are still significantly more expensive than in neighboring countries. With an average price level of the equivalent of 75 euros for a day ticket, Switzerland is 19 percent more expensive than Austria (63 euros) and even 56 percent more expensive than Germany (48 euros).
That also has to do with the offer. None of the German ski areas have more than 50 kilometers of slopes. Basically, the larger the ski area, the cheaper the kilometers of slopes when buying a day pass.
In addition, the German ski areas are also less snow-sure due to their geographical location. And this is where it becomes clear that snow security has its price. The absolute day ticket price depends much more on the highest point of the ski area than on the length of the piste. If you ski higher up, you pay more.
This is where prices rose the most
Of the large ski areas, Ischgl/Samnaun has raised the prices the most, namely by a whopping 12 percent. In Garmisch, Germany, and in the Austrian ski areas of Arlberg and Sölden, prices rose by 10 percent. Ski passes in Kitzbühel are 9 percent more expensive this winter. Swiss ski areas are less expensive: Arosa GR did not increase its prices at all, Davos GR by almost 3 percent.
Even in smaller ski areas, the highest price increases can be seen in our German-speaking neighbors. In Kranzberg (Germany) the ski ticket now costs 23 percent more, on the Sonnenkopf in Vorarlberg (Austria) 17 percent more.
However, comparisons of day ticket prices are becoming increasingly difficult because many ski areas rely partly or entirely on dynamic prices. The amount is determined, for example, by the weather or the booking situation. The average daily ticket price can therefore only be determined retrospectively at the end of the season.
Such dynamic prices are particularly popular with the Swiss mountain railways. It is therefore hardly possible for Swiss skiers to reliably determine the general price level. (rae)