What's the Real Budget to Learn to Ski or Snowboard?

Approximate total: between €130 and €210 per person.

If you live near a resort and don't need accommodation, this is usually the cheapest way to get started.

Budget for a weekend

Many people prefer to take two days to learn at a more relaxed pace. Here accommodation and travel come into play.

Approximate total: between €340 and €690 per person.

The figure varies quite a bit depending on the resort, the time of year and the type of accommodation.

What makes the trip more expensive

• Travelling in peak season: Christmas, New Year or Easter push up the price of practically every service at once.
• Choosing very popular resorts or booking with little notice, for the same reason.
• Choosing private lessons instead of group ones: the learning is more personalised, but the cost is higher. That said, it's not always simply an extra expense. For a beginner, a well-used private lesson often speeds up learning so much that it can be worth paying the difference, rather than stretching out several days of group lessons by going slower.
• Buying equipment from day one, instead of renting it while you confirm you'll keep practising.

How to save without giving up the experience

• Avoid the busiest weeks and book in advance, especially if you need accommodation.
• Compare prices between resorts before deciding where to go.
• Share a car with friends or family to split the transport cost.
• Choose group lessons if you're going with others at a similar level.
• Ask about the beginner lift pass if it's your first time, many resorts offer it at a reduced price for those who'll only use the learning areas.

Is it expensive to learn to ski or snowboard?

It depends on how you plan the trip. The initial investment is higher than other weekend plans, but a large part of the cost comes from accommodation and travel, exactly the two expenses that shrink the most when you pick your dates well. Learning to ski can fit very different budgets; what makes the difference is planning ahead and knowing all the costs before you reach the resort, not just the price of the lesson.