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OPINION: The price of Alpine skiing leaves the Rockies in the dust
Logan Winny
He/Him
Columnist
2/14/24
Traveling to Europe is an aspiration on the average person’s list. Skiing in Europe? Sounds like the impossible dream. Skiing in the Alps may not be as unattainable as one might think. Planning a ski trip out west? Read this first.
For this comparison, I chose options as close to each other as I could. Similar times, ratings, distances, and chose the cheapest options I could find to ensure this as a fair and reasonable comparison. Let’s plan a trip to the Breckenridge Ski Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado for February 25 – March 5.
Round trip bus ticket from Chase St. Market to Boston International Airport: $63
Direct, round trip plan tickets on Jet Blue (paying for ski and boot bags each way) leaving Boston at 7:09pm on the 25th and arriving in Denver at 10:09pm (5hr). Leaving Denver at 11:49pm on the 5 and arriving in Boston at 5:30am (3hr 41m): $356.20 (all taxes and fees included).
Rental car from the airport $48/day plus taxes: $489 plus an estimated $80.70 for gas (30gal @ $2.69). 1hr 32m drive from the airport to the Airbnb.
$2,041.64 for 9 nights in a small apartment a 5-minute drive to the resort.
Ski pass at Breckenridge for any 7 days out of the provided 10-day window: $1,246
The pass gives you access to 187 trails, 3,000 acres of terrain, 5 peaks, 35 lifts, and 15 on-mountain restaurants.
Food and brew: $75/day = $675
Total cost for the 9-day ski trip to Colorado: $4,951.54
Now, let’s plan a trip using the same dates for the Flumserberg; the top-rated family ski resorts near the Zurich Airport in Switzerland.
Round trip bus ticket from Chase St. Market to Boston International Airport: $63
Direct, round trip plane ticket on Swiss Air with free ski and boot bags. Leaving Boston at 9:55pm on the 25th arriving in Zurich at 11:10 (7h 15m) on the 26th. Leaving Zurich on March 5th at 5:3pm arriving in Boston at 8:15 (8hr 40m) the same day: $1,005.80 (all taxes and fees included)
Round trip train ticket to Flumserberg Ski Resort from Zurich Airport (2hr): $65
Well equipped, 505.9 sqft one bedroom apartment 1.2 miles from the lift (free public transit to and from mountain with apartment rental) for 8 nights: $800.20 with taxes and fees included.
Ski pass for 7.5 consecutive days at the Flumserberg: $367.18
The pass gives you access to 17 lifts, 43 trails, over 40 miles in skiable terrain, 29 restaurants, and 12 bars all at between 3,806 and 4,409ft above sea level.
Food and delicious Swiss beer: $50/day = $450
Gift for mom: $10
Total cost for a 9-day adventure to the Alps: $2,761.18
These total costs can fluctuate based on dates and other varying factors. If you bring some friends, you could get cheaper housing and possibly a group ski pass which would save you a good chunk of change to buy mom something a little shinier. That being said, a trip to Switzerland is almost half the cost of a budget trip to Colorado to ski.
There are many different options for skiing, housing, and transport, but the price difference between traveling out west versus Switzerland to ski is always apparent. Plan a trip with your friends to experience Swiss culture and the world-famous Alps.
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