Skip to navigation Skip to main content

If you’re planning on taking your children skiing this season, then I imagine you’d love to know where kids can ski for free. Surprisingly, there is a big difference in the “kids ski for free” age limit in ski resorts right across the Alps. Our researchers have spent the summer months scouring ski areas in France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy to find out where your kids can ski for free making your ski holiday budget a little easier to swallow! If you’re careful, you could plan your next 5 ski holidays in the Alps without paying a penny for the kids’ ski passes!

Kids under 4 ski for free

If you’re planning your first family ski holiday with your children and they are under 4 years old then you’ll be happy to know that kids under 4 ski for free in most ski resorts including the following popular resorts: Les Deux Alpes, Le Grand Bornand, Chatel, Les Menuires and St Martin de Belleville in The Trois Vallees in France and Solden in Austria. You can read my articles about family ski holidays to find great tips and advice on how to make things run more smoothly...

Kids under 5 ski for free

Your children are under 5 and you’re wondering where you can take them skiing this year without having to buy them ski passes. Kids under 5 ski for free in a surprisingly high number of ski resorts including: Alpe d'Huez, Les Arcs, Isola 2000, Morzine and Les Gets in Les Portes du Soleil, Courchevel, Meribel, Val Thorens and La Tania in The Trois Vallees and Wengen in Switzerland.

Kids under 6 ski for free

The children are getting pretty keen on skiing now but the holiday budget is a bit tight this year, then be assured kids under 6 can still ski for free. Here are a few of your favourite resorts where your kids can ski for free. Austrian ski resorts seem more generous with the free ski passes for kids in resorts such as Zell am See, Kaprun, Saalbach and Kitzbuhel.

Kids under 7 ski for free

As the children grow up it’s harder to find ski resorts where kids ski for free. However, you can count on us to find out where… Verbier and the other ski resorts in the Quatre Vallees in Switzerland allow kids under 7 to ski for free. If you’re a fan of skiing in France, you’d better quickly find another destination as the French ski resorts appear to stop free ski passes at the age of 7! However, the French resort of Sainte Foy still offers free passes for under 7s.

Kids under 8 ski for free

This is perhaps the time to change to skiing in Italy. There are many fantastic Italian ski resorts that offer free ski passes for kids under 8. The hugely popular resorts in the Milky Way ski area, Cortina and the other resorts in the Dolomiti Superski area and Courmayeur all allow kids under 8 to ski for free. Obergurgl and Hochgurgl in Austria and Zermatt in Switzerland also offer free skiing for under 8s.

Kids under 9 ski for free

It was tough to find ski resorts offering free ski passes for under 9s but don’t despair, there are still a few to choose from and they are not second rate either! Gstaad and Zermatt in Switzerland and Alta Badia in Italy offer free skiing for under 9 year-olds.

Kids under 10 ski for free

Your children are now following you quite happily on the slopes so you need to find a ski area where they can ski for free but which also has enough skiing to keep them happy. The Stubaital ski area in Austria is ideal offering around 140 km of beautiful slopes for all levels and kids under 10 ski here for free! Savognin in Switzerland is another good choice with around 90 km of pistes and free skiing for under 10s!

If I haven’t mentioned a ski area you’re interested in, simply check our ski area guide. Once you’ve found the area, scroll down to the section about ski pass prices and you’ll find the age limit for each ski pass available in that particular ski area.

Snowplaza’s top tips when buying kids' ski passes

To avoid any nasty surprises on your ski holidays with your family, here are our top tips if you’re looking for free kid’s ski passes:

  • When you head off to the ski pass desk, always take your children’s passports – they will ask for proof of their age and having to head back to your accommodation can get your holiday off on a slightly less-good start.
  • In many of the above mentioned ski areas, kids ski for free under condition that their parents buy a 6-day ski pass for the same period - don't be caught out!

Read my related article about ski pass prices to find out about price increases for this coming winter season.

If you’re planning on taking your children skiing this season, then I imagine you’d love to know where kids can ski for free. Surprisingly, there is a big difference in the “kids ski for free” age limit in ski resorts right across the Alps. Our researchers have spent the summer months scouring ski areas in France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy to find out where your kids can ski for free making your ski holiday budget a little easier to swallow! If you’re careful, you could plan your next 5 ski holidays in the Alps without paying a penny for the kids’ ski passes!

Kids under 4 ski for free

If you’re planning your first family ski holiday with your children and they are under 4 years old then you’ll be happy to know that kids under 4 ski for free in most ski resorts including the following popular resorts: Les Deux Alpes, Le Grand Bornand, Chatel, Les Menuires and St Martin de Belleville in The Trois Vallees in France and Solden in Austria. You can read my articles about family ski holidays to find great tips and advice on how to make things run more smoothly...

Kids under 5 ski for free

Your children are under 5 and you’re wondering where you can take them skiing this year without having to buy them ski passes. Kids under 5 ski for free in a surprisingly high number of ski resorts including: Alpe d'Huez, Les Arcs, Isola 2000, Morzine and Les Gets in Les Portes du Soleil, Courchevel, Meribel, Val Thorens and La Tania in The Trois Vallees and Wengen in Switzerland.

Kids under 6 ski for free

The children are getting pretty keen on skiing now but the holiday budget is a bit tight this year, then be assured kids under 6 can still ski for free. Here are a few of your favourite resorts where your kids can ski for free. Austrian ski resorts seem more generous with the free ski passes for kids in resorts such as Zell am See, Kaprun, Saalbach and Kitzbuhel.

Kids under 7 ski for free

As the children grow up it’s harder to find ski resorts where kids ski for free. However, you can count on us to find out where… Verbier and the other ski resorts in the Quatre Vallees in Switzerland allow kids under 7 to ski for free. If you’re a fan of skiing in France, you’d better quickly find another destination as the French ski resorts appear to stop free ski passes at the age of 7! However, the French resort of Sainte Foy still offers free passes for under 7s.

Kids under 8 ski for free

This is perhaps the time to change to skiing in Italy. There are many fantastic Italian ski resorts that offer free ski passes for kids under 8. The hugely popular resorts in the Milky Way ski area, Cortina and the other resorts in the Dolomiti Superski area and Courmayeur all allow kids under 8 to ski for free. Obergurgl and Hochgurgl in Austria and Zermatt in Switzerland also offer free skiing for under 8s.

Kids under 9 ski for free

It was tough to find ski resorts offering free ski passes for under 9s but don’t despair, there are still a few to choose from and they are not second rate either! Gstaad and Zermatt in Switzerland and Alta Badia in Italy offer free skiing for under 9 year-olds.

Kids under 10 ski for free

Your children are now following you quite happily on the slopes so you need to find a ski area where they can ski for free but which also has enough skiing to keep them happy. The Stubaital ski area in Austria is ideal offering around 140 km of beautiful slopes for all levels and kids under 10 ski here for free! Savognin in Switzerland is another good choice with around 90 km of pistes and free skiing for under 10s!

If I haven’t mentioned a ski area you’re interested in, simply check our ski area guide. Once you’ve found the area, scroll down to the section about ski pass prices and you’ll find the age limit for each ski pass available in that particular ski area.

Snowplaza’s top tips when buying kids' ski passes

To avoid any nasty surprises on your ski holidays with your family, here are our top tips if you’re looking for free kid’s ski passes:

  • When you head off to the ski pass desk, always take your children’s passports – they will ask for proof of their age and having to head back to your accommodation can get your holiday off on a slightly less-good start.
  • In many of the above mentioned ski areas, kids ski for free under condition that their parents buy a 6-day ski pass for the same period - don't be caught out!

Read my related article about ski pass prices to find out about price increases for this coming winter season.

137 - Winter - Nikki

About Nikki

Being lucky enough to have parents who were crazy about skiing, my love for the mountains started when I was 4 years old on our first family ski holiday to Austrian ski resort of Obergurl. One ski holiday a year was never enough and tears rolled down my face as I looked out the back window of the car on the drive down the valley on the way home!