In almost all ski resorts in the Alps, ski passes are free for children up to 5 or 6 years old. After that age, finding a ski area where you pay nothing for a children's ski pass becomes harder. Still, there are plenty of options in Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy. For example, in combination with a parent's ski pass - because they are taking lessons or skiing on specific days. Do you want to know which ski resorts offer free ski passes for children?
Going on winter sports holidays is not cheap. Especially given the current prices! Add to this the costs of the travel, accommodation, equipment, meals, and ski passes, and you quickly come up with a hefty sum. And if you go on winter sports as a family, the costs are multiplied by at least three or four. Ski passes are a significant expense. If you want to save on costs, you can check where the ski passes are cheapest or ski in ski resorts that offer free ski passes for children. But where can children ski for free? Up to what age are ski passes free? And are there certain conditions attached to this? In the Alps, almost all ski passes are free for children up to 5 or 6 years old. In certain resorts, children up to 7 years of age can ski for free, but from 10 years on, you have to pay almost everywhere. But there are still some options!
Almenwelt Lofer is definitely one of the most family-friendly ski resorts in Austria. It is located in the Salzburg Saalach valley, not far from the German border and the Austrian village of Wagrain. The ski area has around 40 km of slopes, of which more than 30 km are blue. That makes it an ideal destination for beginners and families with children. Skiing with children is also quite affordable here. The ski season kicks off on 3, 4, 10, and 11 December with free ski passes for children up to 18 years (accompanied by their parents). Later in the season, children up to 18 years old can ski for free every Saturday, provided both parents hold a ski pass.
For the rest of the week, families can take advantage of special family packages featuring discounts on children's ski passes. Children born in 2017 and later can ski in Almenwelt Lofer for free during the whole season, and so does any third child (and any subsequent child).
The Weißsee Glacier World is a lovely and family-friendly ski area located in the middle of the High Tauern National Park, just over 30 km from the well-known winter sports resort of Kaprun. It offers 23 km of pistes, spread on altitudes between 1,480 and 2,600 m. You can also enjoy a superb mountain panorama. Most runs are coloured red, but many are also suitable for beginners, who will especially enjoy the slopes at the middle station. The Weißsee Glacier World doesn't get too crowded and is a perfect place if you want to practice your skiing technique in peace and quiet. Moreover, a significant advantage of this winter sports destination is its prices. If both parents buy a ski pass, ski passes for two children under 12 are free. Ski passes are anyway free for all children under 6.
The Ski Plus City Pass was introduced in the season of 2019/2020. It offers access to 13 different ski areas in and around Innsbruck, as well as 22 fun activities. The ski areas included are the Stubai Glacier, Schlick 2000, Axamer Lizum, Kühtai, Hochoetz, Mutterer Alm, Bergeralm, the Innsbrucker Nordkette, Serles, Elfer, the Patscherkofel, Oberperfuss - Rangger Köpfl and Glungezer. Children up to 8 years old can ski for free in all these ski areas when accompanied by a paying parent in the same ski pass category. For children born between 2008 and 2014, ski passes are available for half the price of an adult ski pass. So with the Ski Plus City Pass, you save on skiing and many other off-piste activities. Some are included in the price, and others come with a discount. For example, you get one free 4-hour entry to StuBay swimming and sauna paradise.
Großglockner is Austria's highest mountain, with an altitude of 3,798 metres. One of the ski resorts close to this majestic mountain is the Großglockner/Heiligenblut, a pleasant ski destination with about 55 km of slopes. The pistes are varied, and there are plenty of possibilities for winter sports enthusiasts of all ages and levels. Moreover, it features a wonderful freeriding area with several spectacular routes. The Großglockner/Heiligenblu ski area offers an excellent deal for families with children. Skiing for children under 10 years old is not free, but the pass costs only €9 per day if one of the parents buys a ski pass. The kids then get the so-called 'Schneemannkarte'. Families with three children can benefit from additional benefits, as the third child can ski completely for free.
Pitztal is a beautiful, almost 40 km long valley in Tyrol with several mountain tops that reach over 3,000 m, glaciers and ski resorts. You can ski here on the pistes of the Pitztal Glacier, Hochzeiger and Rifflsee. Together they account for almost 100 km of slopes, perfect for winter enthusiasts of all ages and levels. For families, the Hochzeiger offers two attractive deals. Children up to 6 years old (born in 2015 or later) can ski for free, while children up to 10 years old can get the so-called 'Bambini' ski pass, offering free skiing when accompanied by a parent. If you also want to ski on the Pitztal glacier and slopes of Rifflsee, it pays to buy the ski pass online. This way, you can benefit from discounts of up to 30%.
In Paznaun, you can visit four ski areas: Silvretta Arena Ischgl - Samnaun, See, Kappl and Galtür. The first, with more than 239 km of slopes, is the biggest resort, offering skiing in both Austria and Switzerland. The See and Kappl are perfect winter holiday destinations for families with children, each offering about 40 kilometres of pistes. The Galtür, a quiet ski resort with over 40 piste kilometres, is located at the end of the valley and boasts a stunning landscape. With the Silvretta ski pass, you can access all four ski areas. Children up to 8 years old can ski for free when accompanied by a parent.
But if you are only interested in skiing on the slopes of Silvretta Arena Ischgl - Samnaun and hold the Ischgl/Mathon guest card, you can purchase the VIP Ski Pass. With it, children up to 10 years of age can ski for free when accompanied by at least one paying parent.
With 12 ski areas and 1,200 kilometres of pistes, the Dolomiti Superski is one of the largest ski regions in the world. Skiing takes place amid the beautiful Dolomites, a mountain range which is a declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. The region includes the following ski resorts: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Kronplatz, Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Val di Fassa-Carezza, Arabba-Marmolada, 3 Zinnen Dolomites, Val di Fiemme & Obereggen, San Martino di Castrozza, Eisacktal, Tre Valli and Civetta. Children under 8 (born after 26-11-2014) can get a free ski pass when accompanied by a paying parent with access to all 12 ski areas!
The Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau, located in Tyrol, is one of Austria's most family-friendly ski areas. It boasts 113 km of slopes, spread over several ski mountains. On location, you will find around 10 ski schools, some of which specialise entirely in teaching children. Funslopes, fun parks, children's land, fun activities off the slopes: families won't be bored for a second! Ski Juwel also offers several attractive deals for families. For example, there are special ski passes for parents with children up to 5 years of age, allowing them to take turns using the pass. From 18 March to 16 April 2023, children up to 15 years of age (born in 2007 or later) can ski for free if an adult purchases a ski pass for at least 3 days.
Besides the ski resorts mentioned above, there are many more where families can benefit from free ski passes for children. Below is a list of some more:
Important: This overview is subject to change! Always recheck the current prices on the ski areas' official websites beforehand. In most ski areas in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, children can ski for free until the age of 5 or 6.
Besides the free ski passes for children, many ski resorts also offer a special ski pass for families. This way, the whole family can benefit from attractive discounts. Below you can find a list of some ski areas where this is the case:
Not all ski resorts offer free ski passes for children older than 5 or 6. Then you can look into booking accommodation via a travel agency and find an offer that includes a ski pass. Tour operators get good deals, so you can often find attractively priced complete packages that include a ski pass, accommodation and sometimes also meals. For example, in the second week of the Christmas holidays, you can book an 8-day winter holiday in Superdevoluy starting from € 149 per person, which includes a ski pass worth €192.
I grew up in Slovenia, close to the Julian Alps. Early on, my parents put me on skis and skates, and the winter sports enthusiasm hasn't left me since. I also enjoy cross-country skiing and have been a keen snowboarder for the past 20 years.
