Simple Tips for Cheaper Skiing in Switzerland

Carving up the Swiss ski slopes does not have to carve a hole out of your budget. Follow these tips to enjoy more skiing in Switzerland for less money:

1. Get a ski pass rather than individual tickets

If you expect to ski at least 15 times throughout the season, a seasonal pass will often work out cheaper than buying individual day passes every time you go skiing. Some passes are only good for one resort or slope, but others work for a whole region. The shorter passes (6 days or 8 days, for example) offered by some Swiss ski resorts are a good alternative if you will only be taking a short winter vacation rather than skiing throughout the whole season.

2. Plan ahead

Buying your ski passes in advance can slash the cost of skiing at many Swiss resorts by around 10 percent. Some resorts offer early-bird discounts as high as 30 percent off. Pre-season sales usually run between September and November.

3. Choose the right hotel

If you expect to spend the night at a hotel anyway, check into hotels which offer complimentary or discounted ski passes. Some entire regions offer heavily discounted ski passes to hotel guests. These are often available at the reception. You can easily find hotels which offer these ski deals on websites like Bergfex.ch. Alternatively, check the websites of hotels you plan to book, or simply ask them whether they offer ski pass perks.

4. Take advantage of bank benefits

While ski perks from banks are few and far between, they are worth taking a look at. Raiffeisen offers its MemberPlus customers discounted day passes (as much as 40% off) at many popular ski resorts. The STUcard debit card included in youth bank packages and private accounts from many cantonal banks entitles you to automatic discounts of up to 30% at a number of popular ski resorts.

5. Take advantage of health insurance perks

Many Swiss health insurance providers offer their customers active lifestyle discounts, and it is worth checking these out for ski pass discounts. While these offers tend to be short-lived, and not all health insurers have them, they can knock up to 30 percent off the price if you happen to get lucky. Check your insurer’s web portal or review winter newsletters for current customer discounts.

6. Use public transportation combo deals

If you don’t own a car, then looking into railway deals ahead of your ski trip is almost a must. Getting a Snow’n’Rail deal from the SBB works out cheaper than buying your railway ticket and ski pass separately. Additional discounts apply if you have a GA Travelcard, Half Fare Travelcard, or Junior Travelcard from the SBB/CFF.

7. Look into student deals

Some Swiss resorts offer student discounts. The cashyou app (formerly LEGI) for students offers discounts at some ski resorts. If you currently receive a government scholarship, you can apply for KulturLegi membership which entitles you to a number of ski-related discounts.

8. Use Reka money

Close to 100 ski lifts across Switzerland accept Reka Pay for payments at full face value. The possible savings vary between 2 and 20 percent depending on how you buy the Reka Pay. See the moneyland.ch guide to Reka money for more information.

9. Search classified pages

Swiss classifieds websites like Tutti or Anibis and online auction sites like Ricardo are goldmines for picking up unwanted ski passes, ski vouchers and prepaid ski holidays. Private individuals typically offer these at heavily discounted prices, and you can also negotiate. These outlets also help you save by making it easy to resell passes which you end up not needing.

10. Check supermarket offers    

Swiss retailers (Migros and Aldi, for example) sometimes offer discounted ski passes. Consider taking a quick look in supermarket catalogues or on their websites in case they have any ski pass offers.

11. Make use of your public transportation passes

Swiss public transportation passes like the Swiss Half Fare Card, the Junior Travelcard, and the GA Travelcard are accepted by a number of cable cars and mountain railways linked to Swiss ski slopes. Some other transportation providers do not fully accept these passes, but still have discounts for pass holders. To find out whether a cable car or alpine railway is covered or offers discounts, just consult this list. 

12. Play the family card

A few popular ski regions like Jungfrau and Aletsch Arena offer free ski passes for accompanying children on Saturdays. Many do not charge for accompanying children up to a certain age (6 or 9 years old, for example). If you have several children, planning your ski trips based on the total cost of passes for your whole family can save you a lot of money.

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