Epic Skiing in the Alps on the Epic Pass

Have you ever skied the French Alps? If you haven’t you should visit at least once in your lifetime. It is home to the largest ski resort in the world, Les 3 Vallées, and boasts of classic on-mountain chalet lunches, spectacular scenery of the Alps, big long off-piste runs, and wild après ski – live music, dancing in ski boots, and Champagne spraying! 

A ski vacation to Europe can be expensive, but if you purchase an Epic Season Pass, you can save on your lift tickets. The Epic Pass gives you unlimited access to 38 Vail-owned ski resorts throughout the ski season plus the following access to several European ski resorts:

• Unlimited access to Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis (Vail Resort owned);
• 7 consecutive days at Dolomiti and Les 3 Vallées;
• 5 consecutive days at Verbier 4 Vallées; and
• 3 consecutive days at Ski Arlberg

Note that access to the partner European resorts may change year on year, so check European Access with Epic Pass for the most updated information.

Read on for our personal experience with using our Epic Passes in Europe.

We returned from an epic ski trip to France in 2018 – skiing the biggest ski resort in the world – Les 3 Vallées, as well as Val D’Isère, Tignes, and La Plagne Les Arcs. These are all huge interconnected ski resorts in the magnificent French Alps. 

When skiing the French Alps, our France ski tickets were included in our Vail Epic Pass! I already had 15 days on my Epic Pass from skiing Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone in Colorado, and Park City in Utah.

Presenting my Epic Pass in The French Alps, I got bonus free days skiing at Les Trois Vallées’ legendary ski resorts of Courchevel – our new favorite, Méribel, and Val Thorens, plus 2 days at Val D’Isère Tignes, and 2 days at Les Arcs – La Plagne.

In Europe, the Epic Pass is also valid in Verbier Switzerland and the 4 Valleys for 5 days consecutive skiing, and in the Italian Dolomites at Madonna di Campiglio, Pinzolo, Folgarida-Marilleva, Peio, Ponte di Legno – Tonale, Andalo – Fai della Paganella, Monte Bondone and Folgarida – Lavarone for 3 days skiing. The Epic Pass is even valid at our favorite Austrian ski resorts for three consecutive days of skiing at St. Anton, Lech- Zurs, Stuben, and St. Christoph which are all interconnected – only catch with the Austria ski pass benefit requires you to book resort lodging through the Europe links on the Epic Pass site.

At Les Trois Vallées, we needed to fill out a form online in advance, to print and present at the French ski resort ticket window along with our Epic Pass. At La Plagne Les Arcs, and at Val D’Iseres Tignes we simply walked to the ticket window with our Epic Pass and received a RFID lift ticket for three days! 

You must ski France, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy too – imagine an epic trip to the Alps where you visited many of these Epic Pass ski resorts… why not! The French Alps and Swiss Alps are in relatively close proximity, flying into Geneva airport. Europe is Epic – especially with the Epic Pass providing 6 days of skiing in France, 5 in Switzerland, 3 in Austria, and 3 in Italy – some of the best ski resorts in Europe!

So in the 2018 ski season, I have 20 ski days on my Epic Pass (52 ski days in total). I have skied Colorado, Utah, and the French Alps! There’s just not enough time to ski Vail Resorts’ other ski resorts: Heavenly, Northstar California, Kirkwood in Lake Tahoe California; and Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada.