Why the Alps
More mountain. Less money. A different feeling.
The French Alps are the largest connected ski terrain on earth and routinely cost less than a marquee US resort. Here's the math — and what's actually different.
Line item
Aspen / Vail
Savoie
Haute-Savoie
6-day lift pass · per adult
Trois Vallées vs Portes du Soleil 6-day adult pass · Epic/Ikon walk-up rates
$1,050
$525
$395
6-day lift pass · per child (5–12)
Kids under 5 ski free in France
$650
$420
$315
Lodging · ski-in/ski-out 4★ for 4
7 nights, peak season midweek check-in
$6,500
$4,200
$3,900
Ski + boot rental (week, 4 people)
Performance level
$1,400
$700
$660
Half-day private instructor
ESF / PSIA equivalent
$550
$280
$260
Group lessons for kids (5 days)
Standard ESF curriculum
$850
$350
$330
Lunch on the mountain (party of 4)
Per day, sit-down restaurant
$240
$140
$130
Round-trip airport transfer
Haute-Savoie sits closer to Geneva — shorter run, lower price
$320
$640
$520
Round-trip flights (US East Coast)
Economy, peak season
$1,800
$3,200
$3,200
On-mountain total · family of 4, 6 days
Excludes international flights
$14,460
$8,900
$7,870
Potential savings vs Aspen / Vail
—
$5,560
$6,590
Pricing is illustrative, current-season high-week midweek check-in. Flights vary by departure city and booking window — we help you optimize this.
Beyond the math
- Lift passes in the Alps are roughly half the US price for the same — or larger — terrain.
- European mountain restaurants serve real food at real prices. Nobody pays $30 for a slice of pizza.
- Ski schools in France use the ESF system: world-class technique at a fraction of the US private-lesson rate.
- Most US resorts are now run by two companies. In Europe, you have hundreds of independent hotels actually competing for your business.
- Long European lunches, real villages with bakeries and bars, no parking lots. A different feeling.
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