Epic Pass - Vail now Controls Most of Austria

ChrisC

ChrisC

Well-known member
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.
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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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:



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.
 
ChrisC said:
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.
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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.
 
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