Written by Faryal Raza Bhatti, Marketing Manager, Norton Insurance Brokers.
Last updated September 2026
TL;DR
- A week’s skiing in Europe costs most UK skiers £900 to £1,900 per person for the 2026/27 season. North America runs $3,000 to $7,000+.
- Bulgaria and Andorra remain the cheapest options, at around £750 all in.
- Lift passes have risen again this season. A six-day adult pass in Les 3 Vallées is €421; Ski Arlberg is around €450.
- Flights, accommodation and lift passes make up roughly 70% of the total. Food, lessons and après-ski add another 20–30%.
- Winter sports travel insurance is the cost people forget. Standard travel policies exclude skiing, and a mountain rescue plus repatriation can cost more than the holiday.
How much does a ski holiday cost in 2026/27?
Skiing is still one of the most expensive weeks you can book, and prices have moved again this season. Lift passes across the Alps have risen for the fourth year running, while flights and accommodation have stayed broadly flat.
Most mid-range European trips now land between £900 and £1,900 per person for a week. High-end North American holidays comfortably exceed $6,000. But a well-planned week in Bulgaria still comes in under £800.
Below we break down every line of the bill, using published 2026/27 operator prices rather than estimates, so you can work out what your own trip will actually cost.
What are the main costs of a ski trip?
Four things account for roughly 70% of any ski holiday: flights, accommodation, your lift pass and equipment hire. The remaining 30% goes on food, lessons, après-ski and, if you have arranged it properly, winter sports travel insurance.
Where you go matters more than anything else. The same week costs less than half in Bulgaria what it costs in Switzerland. When you go matters almost as much: February half-term and the Christmas and New Year weeks carry a premium on every single line of the bill.
Flights & Travel
Getting to the resort is the first cost, and the one that varies most by how early you book. Low-cost carriers keep European flights manageable outside peak weeks. Transatlantic flights plus baggage and ski-carriage fees are a serious line item in their own right.
• Low-cost airlines to Geneva, Turin, Salzburg or Innsbruck: £80–£250 return
• Peak-week flights over Christmas, New Year or February half-term: £250–£450 return
• UK to North America: £450–£800 return
• Resort transfers from the airport: £25–£150 per person each way
• Ski or snowboard carriage: £40–£70 each way on most carriers
Driving or taking the train can work out cheaper for a family, particularly once you factor in baggage charges for four sets of equipment.
Accommodation
Where you stay is usually the largest single cost, and the gap between ski-in ski-out and a ten-minute bus ride is often several hundred pounds a head. Booking before the end of September, and avoiding February half-term, makes more difference than any other decision you will take.
Use Booking.com or Airbnb to compare. Below is an estimate table of Accommodation Expense for a Ski Trip.
| Accommodation type | Europe (per person, week) | US / Canada (per person, week) |
| Budget hotel or hostel | £250–£400 | $300–$500 |
| Mid-range hotel or apartment | £700–£1,200 | $1,500–$2,500 |
| Catered chalet | £900–£1,600 | $1,500 to $3,000 |
| Luxury chalet or hotel | £2,000+ | $5,000–$8,000 |
