Epic Pass - Vail now Controls Most of Austria

[ChrisC]

Vail just added the following resorts to its Epic Pass in the last few days:

• Saalbach
• Zell am See
• Kaprun - Kitzsteinhorn
• Mayrhofen
• Hintertux
• Silvretta Montafon
• Sölden

This is on top of the entire Arlberg:

• St. Anton
• Rendl
• Stuben
• Zurs
• Lech
• Warth

Ikon essentially ceded the entire nation of Austria to Vail to an extent! Yes, they have Ischgl and Kitzbuhel, which is in talks to combine with SkiWelt (they practically are already connected), but there is no comparison in ski portfolios now, at least in Austria.

The only major ski region in Europe that I have yet to visit is Austria, outside of Arlberg and Ischgl. I abandoned plans this year since Austria had perhaps its worst snow year in a decade?

And most of the recent Epic additions are on my list for a one-week trip. Obviously, I can only prioritize certain areas in these massive complexes, and I do not think there will be much freeride/off-piste skiing besides Solden, Obergurgl, and parts of the glacier areas/Saalbach:

• SkiWelt (arrival day) - PM
• Kitzbuhel
• Saalbach
• Zell am See - AM, Kaprun- PM
• Mayrhofen - AM, Hintertux - PM
• Solden - 2 days
• Obergurgl
• Garmisch Classic - AM, Zugspitze - PM

The value of the above Epic partners is about $500 (Note: you cannot ski Mayrhofen and Hintertux - despite 10-15 minutes by bus - unless you have a multi-day pass).

I can always use days in Telluride. And I have not skied Heavenly and Kirkwood in many years.

So, I think I can get a 2x+ return on the pass or at least break even.


I previously had Mountain Collective for a couple of years when Telluride, Whistler, Squaw, Valle Nevado, and Niseko were on it. I also did an Indy Pass (Spring Version) during a COVID trip to the Northwest - when Indy was desperate to sell passes.

 

[ChrisC]

There are increasingly few unaligned Class A mountains left in Europe (especially those recognized by an American), and now some might be forced to make some decisions:

• Val d'Isere - Tignes - likely best known unaligned brand name
• Les Arcs - La Plagne
• Alpe d'Huez - Les 2 Alpes
• Davos
• Lesser extent (Engelberg, Flims-Laax, Lenzerheide, Cervinia, Courmayeur, Serre Che, etc)

Anyways, Vail said it was going to focus on Europe, and they certainly did with this strong list of Austrian partnerships.

 

[ChrisC]

There is an axiom that suggests avoiding skiing in Europe, especially France, during February due to school vacations. However, I have read that you primarily need to worry about the Paris school vacations, which occur later in the month.

Switzerland might be a little less crowded due to the strength of the Swiss Franc currency and general expense. However, Verbier is close to the French border and French-speaking, so when to avoid? I have skied here in early February and did not experience any crowding issues.

I thought this was a good 'tell' from Verbier's new relationship with Vail and the Epic Pass.

Verbier is now included on the Epic Local Pass with the following restrictions: Link

5 CONSECUTIVE DAYS AT VERBIER 4 VALLEES, SWITZERLAND, EXCLUDES PEAK DATES​

A total of five consecutive days of skiing and snowboarding at Verbier 4 Vallées during the 2025/2026 winter season, subject to restricted peak dates including an additional restricted period between February 16, 2026 to February 28, 2026.​

To me, this means most of Switzerland would not be overly crowded during early February. I have observed this phenomenon on ski trips this year and in previous years.

However, weekends will still be very busy since it's the heart of ski season. I have been caught in traffic on a Friday evening leaving Geneva, which is very similar to I-70 leaving Denver. It's bumper-to-bumper all around Lake Geneva highways.

My point is that the blanket statement of avoiding February at all costs is not entirely accurate. It might more precisely be stated to avoid the latter half of February. Why is this important? Late January to early February should produce some of the best conditions of the ski season, with snow in the valley and full verticals worth exploring.

It's not very often that ski resorts reveal the exact dates of their highest visitation weeks.

 

[ChrisC]

Another note: If you want to save money ($250) on a full Epic Pass, consider buying an Epic Australia Pass instead. I cannot do this because Telluride is the only partner mountain not included on the Australia Pass.


From an email from PeakRankings:

Should Epic’s New Euro Resorts Sway Your Pass Choice?

The Scoop


Over the past few days, Vail Resorts has significantly expanded its global footprint by adding six major European ski resorts to the Epic Pass, Epic Adaptive Pass, and Epic Australia Pass for the 2025-26 season. The new partners include Sölden, Mayrhofen, Hintertux, Saalbach, Kitzsteinhorn, and Silvretta Montafon, all located in Austria. These additions bring the total number of European destinations on the Epic Pass to 12, joining Crans-Montana, Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis, Les 3 Vallées, Ski Arlberg, Verbier 4 Vallées, and Skirama Dolomiti on the full pass.



Eligible pass holders will receive five days of access at each of the newly added resorts. With the exception of Sölden, Saalbach, and Kitzsteinhorn, the days at these resorts must be used consecutively. It’s also worth noting that Mayrhofen and Hintertux are considered a single shared destination, as are Saalbach and Kitzsteinhorn.



These new European additions will not be accessible through the Epic Local Pass or any tier of the Epic Day Pass. This mirrors the model used for other full-pass-only partners like Telluride, Kicking Horse, Fernie, and Mont-Sainte-Anne, though those mountains do offer limited inclusion on the Day Pass—something the new European resorts currently do not.



Vail’s full Epic Pass is currently priced at $1,051 USD for adults 13+ and $537 for children 5-12, with prices set to rise after today (May 26, 2025). The Epic Australia Pass currently goes for $1,229 AUD (approximately $799 USD) for adults 18+, $699 AUD (~$454 USD) for children 5-17, and $959 AUD (~$623 USD) for seniors 65+. The timing of this announcement, just before the price hike, seems aimed at persuading potential buyers to act quickly before costs increase.


A map depicting the Epic Pass’s 2025-26 European roster as of May 25, 2025. In addition to the new partners, Verbier 4 Vallées access was expanded to get rid of a lodging requirement and to include Epic Local Pass access.

What This Means for You


At least on the surface, this series of new European announcements is big news for skiers and riders who are planning to spend multiple weeks in Europe this upcoming winter—or who are considering pairing a weeklong trip in North America with a follow-up Euro adventure. But the effectiveness of these additions comes with a catch: they’re not available on the more reasonably priced Epic Local Pass or the day-ticket-like Epic Day Pass product. For travelers looking for a la carte access or shorter trips, that may sound like a major drawback.



But here’s where things get weird. Even if you’re based in the U.S., it may now make sense to buy the Epic Australia Pass instead of the full Epic Pass if you want access to these European destinations. Notably, the Epic Australia Pass is not exclusively available to Australians and can be purchased by anyone worldwide.



The Australia Pass includes nearly identical North American access to the Epic Local Pass (holiday blackouts at Vail-owned resorts, full access to smaller partners, etc.)—and now it also gets you the full slate of these new European partners, just like the full Epic Pass. At a current cost of $1,229 AUD (around $799 USD), the Australia Pass is only about $20 more than the Local Pass, and over $250 USD cheaper than the full Epic Pass. That’s a huge win for travelers trying to unlock maximum value across continents. As an added bonus, the Epic Australia Pass also comes with access to several Canadian mountains that aren’t available on the Epic Local Pass—and comes with a teen discount that’s equivalent to the child rate (the full Epic Pass charges the adult rate starting at age 13).



When compared to Ikon Pass’s European lineup, the full Epic Pass may not sound all that appealing—even with its new additions. Ikon’s Euro roster may now be slightly smaller, but it’s fully accessible without holiday blackouts on the Ikon Base Pass, which—despite Ikon’s generally higher price point—still costs $42 less than the full Epic Pass at the time of writing. The value equation tilts even further in Ikon’s favor for teens and young adults, who receive significant discounts, while Epic charges full price for its top-tier pass starting at age 13. And while Epic is well known for its generously priced military passes, none of its European partners are included in that discounted offering. Ikon, by contrast, extends its (admittedly less generous) military pricing to all destinations, including those in Europe.



However, with the exception of military access, the Epic Australia Pass addresses nearly all of these shortcomings. It includes teen and senior discounts, offers the same European access as the full Epic Pass, and currently costs about $200 less than the Ikon Base Pass. For skiers and riders looking to access multiple European destinations while retaining broad North American coverage, the Australia Pass may now be the most cost-effective option available.


The best way to access Epic’s North American and European mountains next winter, may—ironically—be through its Australia Pass.

But while the Epic Australia Pass may sound like a sneaky steal for Euro access on paper, it’s not that simple. European destination ski resorts have not suffered from the same lift ticket price inflation as U.S. resorts, with 1-day tickets topping out around $100 USD, rather than the atrocious $200-$300 rate we often now see in the states. This means that even if you go to Europe for a weeklong vacation—or if you had originally planned to buy an Epic Day Pass for access to some of Vail Resorts’ North American mountains and are now considering upgrading to the full pass for Euro access instead—it may just be cheaper to skip the Epic product and buy lift tickets at the individual resorts instead. Even if you’re considering the Australia Pass, skiing a few Europe days with regular lift tickets may still be cheaper.



There are a few other caveats for those planning to ski or ride more than a week or so in Europe next winter and considering Epic for its new additions. The pass may now sound appealing to those who live in Europe, especially in cities close to the new mountains such as Munich or Vienna. But even if you plan to spend the upcoming season skiing or riding in Europe, it’s important to be aware that the days at Mayrhofen, Hintertux, and Silvretta must be used consecutively, meaning that taking multiple vacations to individual resorts may be tough when using this pass.



Finally, it’s worth noting that Epic considers the pairs of Mayrhofen/Hintertux and Saalbach/Kitzsteinhorn to each be one individual resort, meaning that the five days on the pass are shared between each of the pairs. And since the days on Mayrhofen/Hintertux must be used consecutively, if you go to one of the resorts in the pair, the days at the other resort must be used immediately afterwards or be lost. This could be especially frustrating if you want to ski or ride Mayrhofen during the winter but check out the Hintertux Glacier during the summer or fall.

 

[EMSC]

Vail’s full Epic Pass is currently priced at $1,051 USD for adults 13+ and $537 for children 5-12, with prices set to rise after today (May 26, 2025). The Epic Australia Pass currently goes for $1,229 AUD (approximately $799 USD) for adults 18+, $699 AUD (~$454 USD) for children 5-17, and $959 AUD (~$623 USD) for seniors 65+. The timing of this announcement, just before the price hike, seems aimed at persuading potential buyers to act quickly before costs increase.

How ironic for your use case unfortunately. Vail better hope this info doesn't get spread to widely in the US. If it does, this will be the only season with essentially full Epic access to north america. Vail would never tolerate intelligent customers saving money.

 

[Tony Crocker]

It's not very often that ski resorts reveal the exact dates of their highest visitation weeks.

I have been posting the Euro holiday calendars for many years.
Here's next year:

The crunch never starts until after first weekend in February. James' and my trips since at least 2017 have mostly been in this timeframe. Several times I've flown home from the Alps on Super Bowl Sunday.

 

[ChrisC]

How ironic for your use case unfortunately. Vail better hope this info doesn't get spread to widely in the US. If it does, this will be the only season with essentially full Epic access to north america. Vail would never tolerate intelligent customers saving money.

Yes, it is a bit. I had to verify whether it was a typo.

Hi Chris,​

​

Thank you for contacting the Epic Australia Pass team.​

​

Unfortunately, access to Telluride is not included with the Epic Australia Pass. If you intend on purchasing the 2025 Epic Australia Pass you would be required to by Lift Tickets for the days you intend on skiing in Telluride.​

​

You may purchase the US Epic Pass which commences with the 2025/26 Northern Hemisphere season followed by the 2026 Australian winter season. ​

​

If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. ​

​

Kind regards,​

Shannon​

​

I'm starting to need a pass for Telluride if I plan to ski mid-season. Telluride used to offer several benefits to employees in addition to a pass: 10 complimentary tickets and 10 tickets at 50% off. Friends would generally give me their employee number to use. These benefits have been significantly reduced in recent years; most employees now receive almost nothing unless skiing is part of their job or they are management. (Note: Telski also eliminated free season passes for those >80 years old and any senior discounts.)

If I ski during the last week of the season, many locals and employees have unused discounts, but by mid-season, they are still holding on to them. Also, near the end of the season, I have access to a few lifetime transferable ski passes. My brother has employee passes that can be reassigned to me with a small transfer fee. Many options.

Anyway, at a now $245/day lift ticket, I will always break even and likely make a greater return on investment (ROI) by buying an Epic Pass.

Adding these Austrian resorts puts it over the top. (On my planned trip, I could even throw out SkiWelt (massive but low), add another Saalbach day, and throw out Garmisch and add Silveretta-Montafon or return to St. Anton/Lech. And if the low, eastern Austrian resorts receive rain, divert it all to Hintertux, Solden, Obergurgl, Arlberg, and Silverretta.) In short, the Epic Pass could cover everything except Obergurgl and Kitzbühel.

Assume Vail will be able to access many of the resorts on The Ötztal Super Ski Pass (access to all six ski areas in the Ötztal Valley, including Hochoetz-Kühtai, Sölden, Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, Niederthai, Gries, and Vent) and the Zillertal SuperSkiPass (four large ski areas: Hochzillertal-Hochfügen-Spieljoch, Zillertal Arena, Mayrhofner Bergbahnen, Ski & Glacier World Zillertal 3000).

Assume Ikon will be able to add SkiWelt to its pass due to Kitzbuhel.

However, this is not necessarily true - for example, Matterhorn Ski Paradise - Cervinia is not included.


An Epic Pass provides a reason to visit South Lake Tahoe again (Kirkwood/Heavenly), and perhaps a later-season trip to Whistler after some of the Vancouver weekend crowds subside.

 

[ChrisC]

The crunch never starts until after first weekend in February. James' and my trips since at least 2017 have mostly been in this timeframe.

It appears that Paris, Belgium, and the Netherlands vacations are primarily scheduled for the last two weeks of February.

Agree, a lot of my trips have spilled over into early February, and I have not seen bad lift lines or crowding outside of Saturdays. I might generically recommend to avoid skiing in Europe during the last 2 weeks of February. Likely, Switzerland is less impacted, and Italy is not at all (although some say Germans will visit Sud Tyrol during their school breaks).

Several times I've flown home from the Alps on Super Bowl Sunday.

That will soon be in March as the regular season expands.

 

[jimk]

​

Thank you for contacting the Epic Australia Pass team.​

​

​

If I ski during the last week of the season, many locals and employees have unused discounts, but by mid-season, they are still holding on to them.

\

Didn't realize anyone could buy an Epic pass from any region in the world.

My single son instructs at Snowbird and says the same thing about late season freebies floating around. Many Snowbird employees without families may have extra free days to burn. Unfortunately, the family benefits only apply to spouses and children, not parents

Also, I skied Ski Amade (Saalbach, Zell am See, Gastein, etc.) during mid-late Feb and the crowds weren't bad. Granted it was 20 years ago, but in America at that time (Presidents Week) many areas were mobbed.