Ski passes 2026/27: what families should compare before buying

Swiss day ski passes are likely to become 2.3 percent more expensive on average in winter 2026/27. Watson reported this on 21 October, citing SRF and the industry association Seilbahnen Schweiz. This is an expectation for the coming season, not an already measured price increase across all ski holidays. According to the report, some areas are forgoing an increase.

For families, the average is therefore at best a starting point. Their bill depends on which tickets they actually need. A cheaper online price may be tied to a fixed day. A children's offer may only apply to a longer stay. Anyone who compares only the percentage may miss the bigger difference in the fine print.

Two averages, two different statements

The 2025/26 season review by Seilbahnen Schweiz gives a reference price of 75.85 francs for an adult day pass. It comes from a constant sample of 39 ski areas. For dynamic tariffs, the highest possible price is generally taken into account. Special promotions and cheaper season passes are not reflected in it.

The revenue actually achieved per skier day, by contrast, was 37.65 francs. Discounts, free offers, subscriptions and season passes flow into this figure. A skier day counts one visit, not the sale of a specific day ticket. The lower figure is therefore not a price at which every family could buy a pass.

The difference also explains an apparent contradiction: the reference price fell by 2.2 percent compared with the previous winter, while revenue per skier day rose by 1.6 percent. Different indicators can move in opposite directions. Neither a general price cut nor an identical extra burden for all guests can be derived from this.

What a family pays in Saas-Fee

The published price list for the Saas-Fee Pass 2026/27 names 84 francs per adult and 43 francs per child aged six to just under 16 for one day. Two adults with two ten-year-old children thus come to 254 francs for the ski passes. Travel, accommodation, equipment and food are not included in this calculation.

For six consecutive days, the corresponding passes cost 413 and 213 francs respectively. The same family pays 1252 francs for this instead of 1524 francs for six individually bought day tickets. The arithmetical difference is 272 francs. However, the comparison only holds if they actually ski on all six days.

In Saas-Fee, the date of birth expressly counts for the age limits, not merely the year of birth. Especially around a birthday, it is therefore worth assigning all fellow travellers precisely.

Additional conditions apply to younger children: up to just under nine years of age, they ski free when a parent pass of at least six days with the SaastalCard is purchased. An ID and the valid card must be presented. A family with younger children may therefore face a different calculation than the one in the example. Multi-day ski passes generally apply on consecutive days.