On The Slopes

Buying your lift pass
The lift pass is one of the major expenses of any ski or snowboarding holiday so before rushing in you should consider the following points.

Make sure the lift pass you purchase covers all of the areas you intend to ski or board.

Some resorts sell passes that cover the whole area or basic passes that may cover only certain parts of the mountain.

If you have never skied or boarded before it is sometimes more economical if you can purchase a day’s basic lift pass to start with as this may cover just the nursery slopes or beginners areas.

If you are going to take lessons you will probably still need to purchase a lift pass. However, some schools may include your lift pass in the price of your lesson so always check when you book your tuition.

Most ski and snowboard resorts offer a range of lift passes from half-day passes, daily passes, 6-day passes or season passes.

A season pass is unlikely to be of much use to you unless you intend visiting an area several times over the season. However, if you are lucky enough to be spending several weeks in the same resort check out the pre-season pass prices as you may find them being sold at discounted rates. Check out the resort’s tourist information office website for further details.

If you intend to have a day off from skiing and snowboarding during your trip, check if you are able to buy a pass for less days. For example, a 5 days out of 6 pass allows 5 days skiing and 1 day off during the 6 day period.

Many ski passes now include a barcode that automatically opens the gates and turnstiles at the bottom of the lifts. This allows large numbers of people to pass through the lift systems quickly and without delay - find out where the barcode readers are situated and keep your pass in the appropriate pocket.

Some ski and snowboard resorts may require photos for their lift passes so check this in advance.

Make sure you secure the pass to your clothing using the tags provided at the lift pass office or use a suitable lift pass holder or zipped pocket.

It's normally better to attach the pass to a zipper and put it inside your pocket. This avoids it getting lost if you take a tumble.

You normally have to show your pass or have the barcode read on most lifts and not just at the bottom of the mountain so make sure you can get to it quickly.

Some skiing and snowboarding resorts sell their lift passes to tour operators and online lift pass providers at a discounted rate so you may end up paying more if you purchase directly from the lift pass office.

Finally, make sure you keep hold of your pass as you will be charged if you lose it.