I was in Andermatt, a Swiss alpine village and one of Travel + Leisure’s best places to travel in 2026, this past summer, when I overheard someone say, “You know, it’s cheaper to fly to Europe and ski than it is to ski in America.” It’s an idea I was already familiar with; I’d even repeated it a few times myself over the years. Since domestic lift pass prices continue to rise—and European lift passes, in many places, tend to be on the lower end of the spectrum—there’s a general understanding among winter sports enthusiasts that it can be more cost-effective to fly across the Atlantic to ski or snowboard than it is to plan a winter vacation at one of the top resorts in the U.S.
But instead of going through another ski season assuming this colloquial narrative is mostly accurate, I decided to do the math myself—starting by setting some general guidelines.
First, I determined the skier profile: a U.S.-based traveler interested in on-piste skiing. I also used the assumption they’d be renting equipment at the resort, skiing for a full five days in peak season, and requiring accommodations for six nights. I selected a total of 10 popular ski areas—five in the U.S. and five in Europe—and grouped them into comparable pairs based on overall experience and atmosphere to evaluate them using the methodology outlined below.
Methodology
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Airfare
I calculated airfare costs using round-trip economy fares (excluding basic economy) from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to the nearest major airport for each ski destination, all searched on Google Flights on Jan. 5, 2026. All flights were priced for the same peak-season travel window of Feb. 1 through Feb. 7, 2026. To avoid outliers, I averaged the fares for the three top departing flights.
Lodging
Average nightly rates were sourced from Google Hotels’ “What You’ll Pay” feature, using four-star hotels for consistency (unless otherwise stated). Nightly rates were multiplied by six.
On-the-ground Transportation
On-the-ground transportation costs were calculated using the most common shared or public transfer option from the chosen airport to each ski resort. For U.S. destinations, this typically meant an Uber (rates calculated via Uber Estimate) or shared shuttle service, while European resorts were priced using a combination of train and shared transfer where applicable. All transportation costs are round-trip, per person, and based on published fares available as of Jan. 5, 2026.
Lift Ticket Prices and Ski Passes
Lift ticket prices reflect five days of adult window pricing (Feb. 2 to Feb. 6), including any applicable resort-specific discounts, as listed on each resort’s official website on Jan. 5 (taxes not included). I also noted whether the resort is on the Epic Pass or the Ikon Pass, but did not factor that into the final tally.
Rentals
Ski equipment rental costs were based on published performance rental packages (skis, boots, and poles) rented directly from each resort, or a nearby partner, priced for five full days. Daily rates were collected as of Jan. 5, 2026, and converted to U.S. dollars where required.
Food and Drink
Food and drink costs were not included due to the wide variation in individual spending.
Vail Ski Resort, Colorado vs. Courchevel, France
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Vail Ski Resort
Round-trip airfare: $342 to Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE)
On-the-ground transportation: $100 via Uber
Five-day adult lift ticket: $857
Ikon or Epic Pass accepted: Epic Pass
Rentals: $400
Lodging: $866 per night; $5,196 total
Estimated total cost: $6,895
Courchevel (3 Vallées)
Round-trip airfare: $767 to Geneva Airport (GVA)
On-the-ground transportation: $97 via RailEurope
Five-day adult lift ticket: $478
Ikon or Epic Pass accepted: Epic Pass
Rentals: $208
Lodging: $849 per night; $5,094 total
Estimated total cost: $6,644
Conclusion: It’s cheaper to travel to Europe to ski.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming vs. Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis, Switzerland
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Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Round-trip airfare: $508 to Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)
On-the-ground transportation: $258 via Uber
Five-day adult lift ticket: $1,001
Ikon or Epic Pass accepted: Ikon Pass
Rentals: $281
Lodging: $341 per night; $2,046 total
Estimated total cost: $4,094
Andermatt–Sedrun-Disentis
Round-trip airfare: $640 to Zurich Airport (ZRH)
On-the-ground transportation: $39 via SBB
Five-day adult lift ticket: $404
Ikon or Epic Pass accepted: Epic Pass
Rentals: $340
Lodging: $554 per night; $3,324 total
Estimated total cost: $4,747
Conclusion: It’s cheaper to ski in the U.S.
Palisades Tahoe, California vs. St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria
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Palisades Tahoe
Round-trip airfare: $429 to Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
On-the-ground transportation: $172 via Uber
Five-day adult lift ticket: $875
Ikon or Epic Pass accepted: Ikon Pass
Rentals: $365
Lodging: $233 per night; $1,398 total
Estimated total cost: $3,239
Ski Arlberg
Round-trip airfare: $640 to Zurich Airport (ZRH)
On-the-ground transportation: $70 via Arlberg Express
Five-day adult lift ticket: $455
Ikon or Epic Pass accepted: Epic Pass
Rentals: $272
Lodging: $670 per night; $4,020 total
Estimated total cost: $5,457
Conclusion: It’s cheaper to ski in the U.S.
Deer Valley, Utah vs. Verbier (4 Vallées), Switzerland
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Deer Valley
Round-trip airfare: $410 to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
On-the-ground transportation: $49 via Salt Lake Express
Five-day adult lift ticket: $1,270
Ikon or Epic Pass accepted: Ikon Pass
Rentals: $475
Lodging: $1,108 per night; $6,628 total
Estimated total cost: $8,832
Verbier (4Vallées)
Round-trip airfare: $767 to Geneva Airport (GVA)
On-the-ground transportation: $52 via SBB
Five-day adult lift ticket: $384
Ikon or Epic Pass accepted: Epic Pass
Rentals: $242
Lodging: $1,167 per night; $7,002 total*
Estimated total cost: $8,447
Conclusion: It’s cheaper to travel to Europe to ski.
*Editor’s note: Due to a smaller number of four-star hotels in Verbier, the Google Hotels number is slightly skewed. The writer selected the given average for three-star hotels for a more accurate reading.
Killington, Vermont vs. Laax, Switzerland
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Killington Resort
Airfare: $356 to Burlington International Airport (BTV)
On-the-ground transportation: $400 via Uber or Burlington Taxi
Five-day adult lift ticket: $697
Ikon or Epic Pass accepted: Ikon Pass
Rentals: $434
Lodging: $242 per night; $1,452 total
Estimated total cost: $3,339
Laax
Airfare: $640 to Zurich Airport (ZRH)
On-the-ground transportation: $57 via SBB
Five-day adult lift ticket: $518
Ikon or Epic Pass accepted: N/A
Rentals: $398
Lodging: $469 per night; $2,814 total
Estimated total cost: $4,427
Conclusion: It’s cheaper to ski in the U.S.
Bottom Line
It’s true that lift tickets are often much cheaper in Europe than in many of the most popular U.S. ski resorts. However, in some cases, we found that increased airfare and lodging costs for a European trip can drive up the overall expense.
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