Americans Swap Ski Vacations for “Ski Holidays” with Record Numbers in the European Alps
Ski holidays are being booked in record numbers by U.S. skiers discovering the Alps can offer better value, bigger terrain, and an altogether richer skiing experience. For US skiers, combining travel and culture with their snow-fix can “Make the Alps Great Again”.
The surge of American interest in European skiing is far outstripping the general growth in ski holidays: Switzerland recorded a 13.4% increase in American overnight stays during winter 2024-25, while Austria saw U.S. visitors jump 15.4% to nearly one million stays and France reported American visitor numbers up 10.6%. This winter 2026 is on course to break records again.
At SNO Ski Holidays we’ve seen a 35% increase in enquiries from American customers this season. It’s shocking when clients discover ski holidays in the Alps (with flights, transfers, accommodation, and lift pass) costs less than a week in Colorado, with one client saying “once we experienced the scale of the terrain and the quality of the mountain restaurants, US skiers and snowboarders will be converts for life.”
How Many Americans Pick Ski Vacations in Europe?
The Swiss Are Seeing Record Breaking Arrivals Of American Skiers
Switzerland last winter recorded 18.5 million overnight stays which beat the previous year by 2.8% and it was American visitors driving the most growth. The Swiss Federal Statistical Office said U.S. tourists said “American visitors grew to 1.7 million overnight stays.”
“It was a rock solid good year. For America we had an amazing record” said Director of Switzerland Tourism Martin Nydegger, with total figures for the year increasing 13.9%.
Austria Is Approaching A Million American Visits In Wintersports Destinations
Statistics Austria says US skiers booked 973,000 overnight stays which is up 15.4% from 843,000 the previous ski season. To give this a bit more context Austria’s 2.38 million total US overnight stays that year was an all-time record.
Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria said “this positive balance, achieved in the face of significant external pressures, underscores the robustness of Austria’s winter tourism sector.”
France Says Americans Are Driving International Growth
Domaines Skiables de France (official French ski industry body) reported American holidaymakers increasing 10.6% and Canadians up 21.3% (the “Trump Effect” saw much less Canadians sking in America so it seems they flew to Europe instead). Méribel ski resort alone reported a 59% increase in U.S. visitors.
Asked about the surge in North American visitors, the National Observatory of Mountain Resorts (ANMSM) and Atout France confirmed: “Growth is particularly marked among non-European customers.”
What SNO Ski Holidays Is Seeing
Our own booking data confirms this trend as SNO Ski Holidays has recorded a 31% year-on-year increase in American customer enquiries for Alpine ski holidays this season. Some of our US clients fly direct to alpine airports, but others have discovered the low-priced packages designed for UK skiers, and book a return packaged from the UK. “Some American guests fly into London first, combining a weekend of sightseeing with the convenience of departing on one of the hundreds of weekly charter flights to Alpine resorts.” This is a package deal that doesn’t exist when flying direct from the United States.
The Price Gap Is Impossible to Ignore
Ski any major American resort this winter and prepare for sticker shock because the daily lift ticket prices make a transatlantic flight look like a bargain.
SNO Ski Holidays price research, January 2026
SNO Ski Holidays Lift Ticket Price Comparison (Winter 2026 Season)
| U.S. Resort Daily Walk-Up Prices Resort Daily Price Deer Valley, Utah $366 Vail, Colorado $322 Park City, Utah $302 Aspen, Colorado $293 Jackson Hole, Wyoming $268 | European Resort Daily Prices Resort Daily Price St. Anton, Austria €85 (~$100) Les 3 Vallées, France €86 (~$101) Courchevel, France €91 (~$107) Verbier, Switzerland CHF 93 (~$117) Zermatt, Switzerland CHF 93 (~$117) |
The maths are stark (translates as “the math is stark” for our US readers) with Europe’s most expensive resorts costing less than half of America’s major destinations for a week’s ski pass. These walk-up prices can drop further if you book a package deal through a UK tour operator like SNO Ski Holidays, with regular lift-pass deals like BOGOF and even Free Ski Pass for early bookers.
SNO Ski’s Price Comparison Of Ski Lessons In USA vs EU
| U.S. Resort Half Day Private Lesson Resort Half Day Price Vail, Colorado $955 Breckenridge $945 | European Resort Half Day Private Lesson Resort Half Day Price Zermatt, Switzerland CHF 87 (~$100) Courchevel, France €91 (~$107) |
SNO Ski Compares Europe vs US Food And Drink In Ski Resorts
| U.S. Ski Resort Beer Resort Beer Price Park City, Utah $9 Aspen, Colorado. $12 | European Ski Resort Beer Resort Beer Price Verbier, Switzerland CHF 8 (~$10) Val d’Isere, France €10 (~$10) |
Food and drink prices are very similar between ski resorts in the two continents, but the perception of quality is not always. “I paid $8 for a brown hot water masquerading as coffee in Vail,” Sammy Salm, CEO of Best of the Alps, told CNN. “For the same price in St Anton recently, I had a double espresso with a Schnapps shot and whipped cream on top.”
Why Is It So Much Cheaper To Ski in Europe Than The USA?
We think the price disparity stems from different markets of skiing in Europe and North America. According to Laurent Vanat’s International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism, Europe has around 4,000 ski resorts serving 448 million people, while the U.S. has barely 500 for 332 million population. Eight times more resort options per capita in Europe creates more competition, while American corporate consolidation has also been pushing prices in the opposite direction. According to the Financial Times, Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company now control nearly half of the North American ski market and this dominance have given them total pricing power, especially in the peak periods.
Does Currency Conversion Affect The Cost Of Skiing In Europe vs America?
The weakened U.S. dollar hasn’t really eroded that difference in cost/value and Nydegger noted, “The strong franc is nothing new for tourism in Switzerland. Regular visitors tend to be immune to crises and committed to their travels.” Even with exchange rate fluctuations, the price difference is pretty dramatic with an €82 lift ticket converting to $98 being less than a third of the cost of Vail.
“American skiers are doing the maths,” says Richard Sinclair of SNO Ski Holidays. “When your lift ticket is $320 a day at Vail but you can get a week’s package vacation in the Alps for less than that per day, including flights, accommodation, and lift pass, it’s no wonder snow lovers are crossing the Atlantic.”
A Skiing And Holiday Experience Americans Can’t Find at Home?
I Think European Mountain Dining Transforms Your Day’s Skiing
In my experience the European skiing culture differs from the American “shred as much vertical as possible” approach as SKI Magazine said “the dining, both on and off the slopes, blows American ski lunches to pieces,” when comparing a quick cafeteria-style US lunch “expect to sit down, order off a menu and indulge in homemade dishes that often represent the region you’re skiing in. That meal by the way will cost half of what you’re used to paying for your heat-lamp-warmed nuggets fries and Coke.”
Skiing all across the Alps, American clients just like the Brits love stopping at a mountainside restaurant – in Austria for Kaiserschmarrn with a view of the Matterhorn, or lingering over a three-course lunch at a Savoyard refuge in France. The concept barely exists in American skiing, where the goal seems to be minimising time off the slopes rather than embracing it as part of the experience.
Après-Ski is a Cultural Institution in Europe
The après-ski tradition in Alpine resorts bears little resemblance to American counterparts as VinePair’s Adam Teeter describes from a scene in Switzerland. “Inside the bar, the music is pumping, turned up to maximum volume… It’s a madhouse, raucous shouting coming from all directions as the dance floor’s neon lights cast a luminescent glow. The scene recalls the rowdiest nightclubs of Barcelona when the hour nears 3 a.m. Only, rather than 3 a.m. in Barcelona, it’s 3 p.m. in Zermatt.”
In my experience the difference is one of skiing philosophy as American skiing prioritises vertical feet and run counts whereas European skiing treats the mountain and village as a destination in itself.
Europe’s Bucket-List Ski Resorts Have A Long And Often Quite Ancient Heritage
The great Alpine resorts like Chamonix, Zermatt St Anton, St Moritz and Cortina evolved from traditional mountain villages and were not started as purpose-built as ski resorts. Skiing history was made here when the sport’s pioneers first strapped on wooden boards and pointed themselves downhill and this heritage is palpable in every cobbled street and centuries old church spire.
For Zermatt the U.S. has become the second most important market (was third before covid) with American overnights more than doubling since pre-pandemic. According to Switzerland Tourism, approximately 20% of skiers visiting Zermatt are now U.S. citizens, drawn by the iconic Matterhorn views and 360km of prepared trails.
Scale Of Ski Areas Tips the Balance
European Terrain Dwarfs American Competition
The size difference between European and American ski areas is pretty dramatic, with the biggest in the USA being only 13th largest in the world and all the Top 10 biggest ski resorts being on the Alps.
| Resort | Terrain |
| Les 3 Vallées, France | 600 km of pistes, 159 lifts |
| Portes du Soleil, France/Switzerland | 580 km of pistes, 165 lifts |
| Ski Arlberg, Austria | 300 km of pistes, 85 lifts |
| Vail, Colorado (largest U.S.) | ~100 km equivalent |
| Park City, Utah | ~140 km equivalent |
Les Trois Vallées (The 3 Valleys) alone offers roughly four to six times more terrain than the largest American resorts. European interconnected systems allow skiing across multiple villages and even multiple countries on a single pass so you can start your day in Méribel, have lunch in Courchevel and finish in Val Thorens without removing your boots.
High-Altitude Slopes Guarantee Good Snow Conditions And There’s More Of Them In The Alps
High-altitude skiing provides superior snow reliability and it’s important to factor the percentage of trails above 2000m rather than just looking at the summit height. Val Thorens sits at 2,300m village elevation with skiing to 3,230m and Zermatt offers glacier terrain reaching 3,899m and lots of European resorts have a majority of terrain above 2,000m. Year round glacier skiing at destinations like Hintertux, Cervinia and Zermatt (open 365 days) makes a totally snow-sure vacation and this winter faring less well for snowfall in the US this has added to the number of skiers flying across the Atlantic.
Some Of Our Clients Come To Escape The American Overcrowding & Lift Queues
The 2024-25 US ski season recorded 61.5 million skier visits which is the second highest ever according to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) and four of the five highest-visit seasons ever have happened since the 2021 post pandemic boom.
There’s an argument to say the Epic and Ikon passes have concentrated crowds at their partner resorts and Telluride now needs advance reservations for Epic Pass holders and limits their access to seven days. The irony isn’t lost on American skiers, that they bought unlimited passes only to find their access limited.
Mega-Pass Integration Has Opened European Doors For USA Skiers Keen To Travel
New deals/partnerships mean the expansion of multi-resort passes has made European skiing more accessible to American pass holders.
Epic Pass (2025-26) now includes 34 European resorts:
- Verbier 4 Vallées, Switzerland (5 consecutive days)
- Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis, Switzerland (unlimited)
- Les 3 Vallées, France
- Six new Austrian resorts added for 2025-26
Ikon Pass covers 24 Alpine destinations:
- Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley
- Zermatt Matterhorn
- Dolomiti Superski (12 Italian resort areas)
- Kitzbühel, Austria
Indy Pass over 30 Alpine destinations:
- Soll, Austria
- Innsbruck
- Portes du Soleil, France
- Pila, Italy
Dolomiti Superski in Italy reported 30% YoY increase to 12,350 Ikon Pass customers by mid-season last winter. “It looks like joining Ikon Pass was a great chance for Dolomiti Superski to conquer the hearts of North American skiers,” said Diego Clara, PR representative for the Italian ski consortium.
Switzerland Tourism reports that Zermatt recorded approx. 50,000 Ikon skier-days in recent seasons and 2026 looks to be even bigger. Veteran ski travel journalist Patrick Thorne has canvassed opinion each time he hears an American accent and reports directly from the Alps today that “anecdotally many US skiers tell me their Epic or Ikon pass first made them consider skiing in Europe,” and this leads to discovering how much cheaper it is in Europe, along with how much bigger are the giant linked ski areas.
Direct Flights Make the Alps Accessible From America
Multiple carriers serve key Alpine gateway airports from major U.S. cities, with our most booked being Swiss (clients love the free ski carriage) United and American Airlines.
Swiss International Airlines operates direct flights from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami to Zurich and Geneva with increased frequencies for winter 2024-25 and many flights still include free ski carriage.
United Airlines flies a year-round Newark-Geneva service with frequency increasing in the most peak winter periods.
American Airlines expanded European leisure routes quite a bit for 2025 including adding a Philadelphia-Milan service with Boeing 787.
Geneva is the biggest gateway to the French Alps (Chamonix within one hour) and Swiss Valais (Verbier, Zermatt). Zurich connects to Swiss and Austrian resorts with really efficient train transfers. Overnight flights from the U.S. arrive early morning in Zurich or Geneva. Our American customers often ask about the chocolate-box pretty Swiss Rail transfers between airport and ski resort.
The UK Connection Creates A Smart Route to the Alps
Many of our American clients have discovered the unexpected advantage of routing their Alpine ski holidays through London. The UK ski holiday market is very competitive with dozens of suppliers offering packages that bundle flights, transfers, accommodation and lift passes. These packages from London airports can often save enough to add a sightseeing city-break at the start of the ski trip, and it’s great to have transfers included if the idea of driving rental cars in the alps makes you nervous.
American guests who fly into London for just a day or two of sight-seeing then join one of our package departures to the Alps. They get the best of both worlds, starting with a cultural city break before an affordable ski holiday, with the total often less than a simple ski trip in the States.”
With London to Geneva a 90-minute flight and Chamonix an hour’s taxi, the geographic proximity of the UK to the Alps combined cheaper British tour operators creates efficiencies that Americans can take advantage of.
Social Media & the Cachet of Skiing Europe Has Amplified Alpine Appeal
The NSAA reports that 73% of skiers check resort social media channels for conditions before visiting but the influence extends far beyond snow reports. The visual drama of Alpine skiing translates perfectly to Instagram and TikTok, and European resorts have capitalised.
Followers to the 3 Valleys (213k) Instagram accounts including Val Thorens (372k), Courchevel (321k), Meribel (108k) totals over one million follows, with gen-Z in particular prioritising authentic experiences and social media shareability.
We also know there’s a certain cachet to skiing in Europe, conferring a sense of sophistication and worldliness on Americans who choose the cross the Atlantic to embrace other cultures as well as other mountains. The iconic Matterhorn is a big reason almost a fifth of Zermatt’s skiers came from the States this winter, as is Chamonix’s Mont Blanc. Some Americans come to ski the massive mileage of the Alps but most tell us their top reason is the bucket-list mountains, authentic alpine charm and the famous French, Austrian and Italian cuisine… and infamous après ski!
Is This A Permanent Shift in American Skiing Behaviour?
The surge of American skiers to Europe has grown far beyond a post-pandemic travel rebound because of this big recalculation of value. Europe’s most expensive lift tickets can often cost less than a third of those in America’s cheapest major resorts and Alpine terrain offers four times the skiing area. If you’re also an American keen to enjoy mountain culture and authentic old-world experiences, you can see why the longer flight is easily worth the extra few hours.
Laurent Vanat (International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism) said the “…decline of the number of skiers on the Western market did not really happen as expected, with ageing baby-boomers keeping on skiing, even if it is less frequently,” but the data now shows where they’re choosing to ski and Europe is winning.
Isabelle Rapisarda, North American Customer Manager for Jungfrau Region Tourism noted “we are seeing renewed interest from Canadian visitors. Scarred by tensions between the two countries, they are avoiding destinations in the US in favour of Europe and Switzerland.”
The trend is accelerating as American lift ticket prices continue to climb and European resorts invest in their infrastructure and international marketing.
Switzerland Tourism’s Nydegger said for American visitors, winter 2024-25 was “an amazing record.” At SNO Ski our 2025-26 season bookings suggest another one.
Key Statistics Summary
| Metric | Figure | Source |
| Switzerland winter overnight stays (2024-25) | 18.5 million (+2.8%) | Swiss Federal Statistical Office |
| U.S. visitors to Switzerland ski season | +13.4% (1.7M stays from Americas) | Swiss Federal Statistical Office |
| Austria winter overnight stays (2024-25) | 72.38 million (+1.8%) | Statistics Austria |
| U.S. overnight stays Austria (2024-25) | 973,000 (+15.4%) | Statistics Austria |
| France skier visits (2024-25) | 54.8 million (+5.5%) | Domaines Skiables de France |
| American visitors to France | +10.6% | ANMSM/Atout France |
| U.S. ski resort visits (2024-25) | 61.5 million (2nd highest ever) | NSAA |
| SNO Ski average European lift ticket | ~€87/day (~$102) | SNO Ski Holidays research |
| SNO Ski average U.S. top-resort ticket | ~$310/day | SNO Ski Holidays research |
| SNO Ski American customer enquiry growth | +35% year-on-year | SNO Ski Holidays |
About This Article
SNO Ski Holidays is the UK’s leading skiing and snowboarding vacation specialist. SNO Ski is an ATOL protected tour operator offering over one million ski holiday combinations both tailor-made to clients’ precise requirements and with 60+ suppliers as a fully bonded ski travel agent. With the biggest selection of ski chalets, hotels and apartments in hundreds of destinations, including all the world’s most popular ski resorts, SNO Ski is the only UK ski operator to exceed 95% 5-star reviews and Trustpilot rating 4.9/5.
Sources:
- Swiss Federal Statistical Office
- Statistics Austria
- Domaines Skiables de France
- National Observatory of Mountain Resorts (ANMSM) / Atout France
- National Ski Areas Association (NSAA)
- Laurent Vanat, International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism
- Switzerland Tourism
- SNO Ski Holidays proprietary data
- Financial Times
- SKI Magazine
- CNN Travel
- VinePair
For media enquiries contact SNO Ski Holidays, or to quote from this article please include a link to sno.co.uk
