What Does a Week's Ski Holiday with Two Children Cost?

An apartment can make a family ski holiday look affordable until four lift passes, two ski-school bookings and equipment hire enter the calculation. Price the complete week before committing to accommodation. The room is only one part of the decision.

This worked example uses Söll in Austria's SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser–Brixental. Some costs come from published 2026/27 tariffs; others are explicit editorial allowances. Replace those allowances with your own quotes to make the calculation useful for your family.

The trip: seven nights and six ski days

Our family travels 6–13 February 2027: two adults and children aged seven and ten, staying in a self-catering apartment and arriving in their own car. They ski on 7–12 February. Both children take group lessons from Sunday to Thursday, leaving Friday for skiing together.

The adults can already ski. Everyone owns suitable winter clothing and goggles, but hires skis, boots and helmets. Adult lessons, a hotel, flights or a hire car would change this budget. Seven nights here mean six ski days and five lesson days, rather than seven days of every service.

The result is EUR 5,112 before contingency, or EUR 5,612 with a separate EUR 500 reserve. This is an editorial model, not an average for the Alps or a package available to book.

The whole-family budget

“Tariff” means a published price; “allowance” means our chosen planning figure. Confirm tariff items against your actual dates and party before booking too.

Groceries cover breakfasts, snacks and six home-cooked dinners. Eating out comprises adult lunches during lessons (EUR 220), Friday's family lunch (EUR 60), one restaurant dinner (EUR 90) and travel-day food (EUR 40). The children's ten supervised lunches are already counted separately.

For the car, we assume about 900 kilometres overall. At 7 litres per 100 kilometres and an assumed EUR 1.80 per litre, fuel comes to EUR 113.40, rounded to EUR 115. The remaining EUR 65 allows for route-dependent tolls and parking. Depreciation and ongoing car ownership costs are excluded. For longer journeys, our Alpine driving guide covers route planning. Add international travel, new clothing and refundable deposits where relevant. Deposits require available funds but are not initially a travel expense.

Check passes, lessons and hire separately

February falls within SkiWelt's premium season. Both children qualify for the 2011–2020 birth-year band. Use the actual birth-year rules instead of assuming that every child pays a fixed percentage of the adult price. Night skiing and other special products are outside this calculation.

Ski School Söll advertises three-to-five-day children's groups from EUR 292. That does not confirm a five-day price for February 2027. Our EUR 350 lesson allowance and supervised-lunch figure therefore remain estimates pending a quote. Ask about daily teaching hours, lift access, lunchtime care and meeting points. Also check cancellation terms for illness or leaving the course early. The school lists Hochsöll at the middle station: allow for the gondola journey before the lesson begins.

For Sport Mayr equipment hire, our calculation uses adult Silver skis with boots, adult helmets charged separately, and child sets including helmets. That child-set rate runs through age eleven; older juniors have a different category. Check poles, storage, equipment cover and previous-evening collection separately. Have equipment matched to the skier rather than selecting purely by price.

Three decisions that change the total

Compare dates before comparing apartments

An alternative stay of 13–20 March 2027 puts all six ski days within the Family Ski Weeks. Subject to eligibility, the two adult passes total EUR 744 and the children's passes are free. A parent or grandparent must buy a qualifying pass of at least three days. That tariff combination alone saves EUR 497 against our February model. We have not stacked further discounts.

It only helps if school holidays and leave permit the change. A later date also guarantees neither particular snow conditions nor open valley runs. Check planned operations and cancellation terms before letting the promotion determine the trip.

Put a price on the morning journey

An apartment at EUR 130 instead of EUR 180 per night saves EUR 350 in this model. If it is further out, weigh that against bus times, parking and getting four sets of equipment to ski school. Across five lesson mornings, a straightforward journey may matter more than a second bathroom. Our Bavaria and Austrian Alps hub gives regional context; a skiing week then needs one suitable base.

Buy the number of ski days your family will use

If six days feels ambitious, put a rest day at the beginning or end and compare five consecutive ski days. Five-day passes for this family total EUR 1,082, saving EUR 159. Taking an arbitrary day off in the middle of a multi-day pass does not automatically extend its validity. Match lesson bookings and rental duration to the revised plan.

Keep the family budget easy to maintain

Keep accommodation, passes, lessons, equipment, food and transport separate. Replace allowances with confirmed prices as bookings are made. On the third ski day, review food, extras and outstanding costs. The official WanderSpend guide explains category budgets and recording actual expenses.

Cost Split becomes particularly useful when several families travel together. Share the apartment or a joint grocery shop; keep different lift passes and lessons assigned individually. Agree before booking whether accommodation is divided by household, room or person. Our group travel budget article covers advance planning, while splitting group travel expenses explains allocating shared costs.

Family ski holiday cost FAQ

How much does a week's skiing with two children cost?

Our model costs EUR 5,112 before contingency, or EUR 5,612 with a EUR 500 reserve. It includes seven nights, six ski days and five lesson days per child. It is neither a market average nor a bookable offer.

What do lift passes cost for this family?

Six days in SkiWelt's 2026/27 premium season total EUR 1,241: two adult passes at EUR 413.50 and two child passes at EUR 207, for birth years 2011–2020.

Are lessons, passes and hire sold as one package?

Not automatically. Check each inclusion, including lunch and supervision. Budget separately unless the actual offer explicitly combines them.

Is an apartment cheaper than a hotel?

Compare final totals including cleaning, meals and child rates. Check excluded drinks at hotels and allow for shopping and cooking when choosing an apartment.

When should you split ski holiday expenses?

Mainly when travelling with other families or friends. Shared accommodation and groceries can be divided; different courses, passes and equipment stay with the relevant people or households.

Sources and calculation date

Checked 8 September 2026. Tariffs and conditions refer to the named operators. This is not a price survey of every Alpine region.

• SkiWelt Söll tariffs — season dates, five- and six-day passes and child birth-year bands.
• SkiWelt Family Ski Weeks and family offers — promotion dates, prices and eligibility.
• Sport Mayr equipment hire — official 2026/27 price chart and age categories.
• Ski School Söll price overview — starting price and meeting point; our five-day and lunchtime allowances are not confirmed quotes.
• Wilder Kaiser tourism board: visitor tax — EUR 3.50 per liable person per night; both model children are exempt.
• WanderSpend travel budgets and expenses — category budgets, expense tracking and individual cost allocation.

Accommodation, food, transport, insurance and additional activities are disclosed editorial allowances. The insurance amount is not a quoted premium or a claim that a particular level of cover is adequate: check existing policies for the planned winter activities and substitute the actual cost of any additional cover needed.