The Ultimate Guide to Season Ski Passes Around the World [2025 to 2026]

Snow lovers are spoiled for choice when it comes to passes to ski resorts on almost every continent. However, not all ski passes are created equal, and savvy skiers must be aware of pass limitations, such as blackout dates, maximum day usage, and even when they can purchase ski passes.

Before we explore the terrain of the big 3 multiple-resort ski passes, it’s worth pausing and considering whether you need one. If you and your family are only planning a single trip, perhaps a weekend away at your local resort, then a pass isn’t necessarily for you. However, considering a single-day lift ticket at Vail can cost nearly $300 per person, a trip longer than 4 days makes purchasing a season pass much more appealing.

We’ll dissect the many other benefits of each pass to help you make the most informed decision about your next alpine escape.

Epic Pass

They don’t call it epic for nothing. The Epic Pass is the most all-inclusive season pass on the market, but is it also the best?

The Epic Pass from Vail Resorts has 3 options, depending on where you want to ski and how often.

Starting from $1,051 for adults and $537 for kids between 5 and 12, the Epic Pass gives you unlimited, unrestricted skiing at Vail’s resorts and a swath of other resorts in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Australia.

Primary Resorts Covered by the Epic Pass

The Epic Pass also gives you 7 days of access to Telluride, Colorado, and 6 resorts in the Canadian Rockies with no blackout dates. If you use up the 7-day access at these resorts, you can use your pass to purchase additional lift tickets with a 50% discount.

Japanese Resorts Covered by the Epic Pass

If your preference is for Japanese powder, the Epic Pass also allows you to ski for 5 days at Hakuba Valley and Rusutsu, which together encompass the following 11 resorts:

If you want your ski vacation to have a European feel, the Epic Pass also gives you access to 26 resorts in Austria, France, Italy, and Switzerland. However, this is where things start to get complicated.

For example, if you want to visit Verbier in Switzerland and ski the amazing 4 vallées, purchase your Epic Pass from Vail’s primary U.S. website and book your accommodation at one of the participating hotels or lodges on the mountain.

Your free lift tickets are issued only after you have shown proof of a valid accommodation booking and Epic Pass. Epic pass holders are entitled to 1 free day of skiing for each consecutive day of accommodation booked in a valid hotel or lodge.

To complicate matters further, only Epic Passes purchased via Vail’s primary U.S. website are eligible for the 5-day access. For example, my Epic Australia Pass, which grants me access to most of Vail’s U.S., Canada, and Japan resorts, does not allow me to ski the 4 vallées.

Hot Tip:

It always pays to read the fine print and observe the holiday restrictions and blackout dates. You also want to pay attention to which year your pass gives you onward access to — but more on that later.

Access to multiple resorts around the globe is only the first benefit of the Epic Pass. Pass holders also receive 6 Ski With A Friend Tickets loaded onto the pass, which they can email to their friends to receive discounted lift tickets.

These tickets are awesome, as I take multiple trips to the snow each year. My partner and I use all of ours without fail each year to save our mates money, sometimes several hundred dollars per person per trip. Skiing is not a cheap sport; every dollar you can save on and off the mountain helps.

On the mountain, tapping your Epic Pass at participating retail outlets and restaurants gives you a percentage discount on your purchase. Let’s face it, who hasn’t paid $20 for a very average hot dog at a ski resort before and felt violated by the experience?

If you don’t have ski gear or would like to book a lesson to improve your skiing or riding, Epic Pass variants (such as the Epic Australia Pass) also let you rent equipment, book private and group lessons, and save up to 20% on the usual price.

Planning when you purchase your pass can be as important as which pass you choose. I learned this the hard way recently when I assumed that committing to an Epic Australia Pass would grant me access to Whistler Blackcomb in January of the same year — not the case. Yes, the pass I purchased granted me access to Whistler Blackcomb, but in January of the following season.

So in this instance, it would have been better for me to purchase via the U.S. website, access Whistler Blackcomb, and then use the U.S. pass to access the Australian resorts later in the year. Lesson learned.

Epic Local Pass 

If you feel most of your skiing or riding will be done at U.S.-based resorts, Vail also offers the Epic Local Pass. Starting at $783, the Epic Local Pass gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to 29 resorts:

Access to other resorts is also included in the Epic Local Pass. Still, these all come with holiday restrictions, blackout dates, or a cap on the total number of consecutive days you can access the resorts using the pass.

Interestingly, the Epic Local Pass includes 5 consecutive days of access to the resorts at Hakuba Valley and Rusutsu in Japan. So, while being predominantly a U.S.-centric pass, it provides access to these international resorts if you’re chasing down some heavenly Japanese powder.

Epic Day Pass 

Lastly, Vail also offers an Epic Day Pass. Not to be confused with a lift ticket, the Epic Day Pass is still technically a season pass, customized to the exact number of days you choose. So, if you’re organized and know that you’ll only be skiing or riding for 5 days during the season, then an Epic Day Pass can save you up to 65% off of window lift ticket prices.

A key feature of the Epic Day Pass is that you can choose, for an additional cost, to include the holiday restriction and blackout dates as part of your pass. For example, a 5-day pass outside of the holidays would cost you $527 per adult, but if you know you’ll be skiing during some of the holiday or blackout dates, you can simply pay an extra $96 to remove this restriction.

The Epic Day Pass also allows you to visit multiple resorts in the U.S., Whistler Blackcomb in Canada, and Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis in Switzerland.

Bottom Line:

Vail’s Epic Passes collectively provide access to a whopping 80+ ski resorts around the globe, and this figure will only increase with Vail continuing to snap up ski resorts quicker than a crazy cat lady collects kittens.

Ikon Pass

Not to be outdone by Vail Resort’s portfolio of resorts accessible via its Epic Passes, the Ikon Pass boasts access to an impressive 60-plus destinations around the globe.

This pass has 3 variations: Ikon Pass, Ikon Base Pass, and Ikon Session Pass 4-Day. The main difference between the first 2 passes is the holiday restrictions and blackout dates that apply to the cheaper Ikon Base Pass. The Ikon Session Pass allows 4 consecutive days of access at select destinations with blackout dates.

• Ikon Pass
  • $1,329 for adults over 23
  • $989 for young adults 13 to 22
  • $369 for children 5 to 12
  • $149 for infants and toddlers between zero and 4
• Ikon Base Pass
  • $909 for adults over 23
  • $659 for young adults between 13 and 22
  • $299 for children 5 to 12
  • $99 for infants and toddlers between zero and 4
• Ikon Session Pass 4-Day
  • $459 for adults over 23
  • $389 for young adults between 13 and 22
  • $289 for children 5 to 12
  • $289 for infants and toddlers between zero and 4

Hot Tip:

Those who hold an Ikon Pass, Ikon Session Pass, or Ikon Base Pass for the prior season receive a renewal discount of up to $100 off their next pass.

Ikon Pass Unlimited Access Resorts

With the Ikon Pass, you can enjoy unlimited access to the following resorts:

Ikon Pass 7-Days Access Resorts

Keeping its structure more straightforward than Vail’s complicated variations, the Ikon Pass gives you a simple 7 days of access to its local and international partner resorts. These include:

With the Ikon Pass, you also receive 10 family-and-friend discount tickets with each season pass purchase. These tickets can save your family or mates up to 25% off the cost of a lift ticket, but remember the old saying: There are “no friends on a powder day!”

Like the Epic passes, carrying an Ikon Pass in your pocket gets you discounted retail purchases and reduces the cost of expensive on-mountain food and beverages at participating outlets.

Ikon Pass First Tracks

You can be among the first on the slopes to enjoy the fresh powder and groomed pistes with Ikon Pass First Tracks. From January through March, pass holders can enjoy free early slope access for 1 designated morning a month at the following resorts:

Early access applies to the Ikon Pass, Ikon Base Pass, Ikon Base Plus Pass, and Ikon Season Pass.

Spring Skiing

When you purchase an Ikon Pass, Ikon Base Pass, or Ikon Base Plus Pass, you’re eligible for early preseason slope access at participating resorts to enjoy spring skiing.

Summer Lift Access

When the snow melts in the northern hemisphere, you can use your pass to access 16 North American resorts and take advantage of free scenic chairlift and gondola rides.

Ikon Base Pass

Ikon’s second variation is the Ikon Base Pass. The 2 main differences between the Ikon Pass and the Ikon Base Pass are the inclusion of holiday restrictions and blackout dates, which in the northern hemisphere are:

• December 27 to 31, 2025
• January 17 and 18, 2026
• February 14 and 15, 2026

In the southern hemisphere, they are:

• July 5 to 20, 2025
• July 4 to 219, 2026

With the IKON Base Pass, you get unlimited access to 14 North American resorts and up to 5 days each at 39 destinations worldwide.

Hot Tip:

Are you a last-minute or anxious packer? Our ultimate ski and snowboard trip packing list and best tips will help you out. 

Mountain Collective

The third ski pass that you might like to consider, especially if you plan to do a lot of resort-hopping during the season, is the Mountain Collective. At only $639 for adults, $509 for teens 13 to 18, and $259 for kids 12 and under, the Mountain Collective pass is cheaper than the Epic and Ikon passes and gives you 2 free days of skiing or riding at each of its 26 destinations.

Mountain Collective Resorts

Assuming that you’re spending more than 2 days at a particular resort, simply use your pass to receive 50% off the price of all additional lift tickets you purchase at any Mountain Collective destinations. You also get a bonus third day at the resort of your choice.

One interesting aspect of the Mountain Collective pass is that it’s issued in limited quantities. You get the best price if you purchase your pass early, as prices increase closer to the start of the season.

While there are no blackout dates for skiing or riding on any mountain, pass holders can encounter them when trying to take advantage of the special Mountain Collective lodging deals, so keep this in mind when booking.

Bonus: Fly With Alaska Airlines and Ski for Free

Alaska Airlines has partnered with 9 ski resorts to offer free skiing when you fly the airline. In most cases, you only need to show your same-day boarding pass and ID to take advantage of the promotion. These generally run to mid-April or mid-May.

Check out our “Fly Alaska, Ski Free” guide to this offer, as each resort has different requirements:

• Alyeska Resort: Fly into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC).
• Arctic Valley Ski Area: Fly into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC).
• Big White Ski Resort: Fly into Kelowna (YLW) in Kelowna.
• Bogus Basin: Fly into Boise (BOI) in Idaho.
• Eaglecrest Ski Area: Fly into Juneau (JNU) in Alaska.
• Jackson Hole Mountain: Fly into Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) in Wyoming.
• Mt. Bachelor: Fly into Redmond (RDM).
• RED Mountain Resort: Fly into Spokane (GEG) in Washington.
• Schweitzer Mountain Resort: Fly into Spokane (GEG) in Washington.
• SkiBig3: Fly into Calgary International Airport (YYC) in Calgary.
• Ski Marmot Basin: Fly into Edmonton (YEG) in Alberta or (YYC) in Calgary.
• Steamboat Ski & Resort: Fly into Steamboat Springs (Hayden) (HDN) in Colorado.
• Sun Peaks Resort: Fly into Kelowna (YLW) in Kelowna.
• Sunriver Resort: Fly into Redmond (RDM).

Which Annual Ski Pass Is Best?

If you want to be spoiled for choice when choosing where you ski this season with the option to add on amazing international destinations in both hemispheres, you really can’t go wrong with Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass.

Hot Tip:

With more destinations across the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Japan, the Epic Pass pays for itself if you plan to ski more than 4 days in the season, so it’s a no-brainer regarding value.

If your alpine escapes are in the U.S., but you’d like to ski internationally and you have kids in tow, consider the Ikon Base Pass. The tiered pricing structure for young adults, children, and infants makes it attractive to families. Just watch out for those blackout dates when booking.

If you plan a nomadic season and want to explore multiple resorts for shorter stays, look at the Mountain Collective pass. I would love to hear from someone who takes up the challenge to ski all the locations available on this pass, bringing their daily lift ticket cost down to around $11!

Hot Tip:

Check out how much flying with your gear will cost in our guide, which examines over 70 airline ski and snowboard baggage policies. 

Final Thoughts

An alpine holiday is a bit like a ski boot. No one-size-fits-all option works for everyone, and the same is true when considering which season pass best suits you and your family.

I recommend planning which mountains to visit and working backward from there, considering that some passes cover multiple mountains and all have different benefits. Also, always read the fine print regarding holiday restrictions, blackout periods, usage limits, and timing.

Then, once you commit to your pass, use it! Life is short; if you’re anything like me, the mountain is my happy place. When you’re carving down that mountain on your skis or board, you can’t think of anything but your next turn. And when you get to the point in the season when you’ve visited the mountain enough that your pass has paid for itself, there’s no better feeling than knowing you’re essentially skiing for free.

Lastly, as an Aussie snowboarder writing for a U.S. publication, I know you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to ski resorts in your home country. Still, I encourage you to use your season pass to full advantage and book a trip to the southern hemisphere. Enjoy the awesome Australian snow, or visit our cousins in New Zealand and carve up some Kiwi powder.

After all, we live in a world with a 365-day ski season and endless winter — you just have to chase it.