The best time to ski in the Alps for most people is the second half of January and the first half of March: the snow is at its deepest, the school holidays are over or not yet started, and the lifts are open everywhere. The full season is longer than that. In our database of 160 Alpine resorts, the first lifts turn on 9 October 2026 at the Stubai glacier, the busiest opening weekend is 4 to 5 December, when 31 resorts start, and the last lift closes at Kaprun on 17 May 2027. This guide goes month by month, with the real dates.
Key takeaways
- 151 of 160 Alpine resorts in our data open in December, 7 in November and 2 in October; 152 close in April and 8 in May.
- Of the 81 resorts with a published 2026/27 opening date, 3 open in October, 29 in November and 49 in December. The single biggest opening weekend is 4 to 5 December (31 resorts).
- Earliest: Stubai glacier 9 October, Kaprun and Engelberg 10 October, Arosa, Lenzerheide and Mürren 7 November, Sölden 12 November.
- Latest: Kaprun 17 May, Stubai 9 May, then Val d’Isère, Tignes, Les Deux Alpes, Ischgl, Sölden, Obertauern, Engelberg and Mürren on 2 May.
- Best snow and fewest people: mid-January to early February and the first two weeks of March. Most crowded and most expensive: Christmas to New Year and the February half-term weeks.
When the Alps open and close
| Month | Resorts opening (81 with 2026/27 dates) | Resorts closing (75 with dates) | What is skiing |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 3 | – | Glaciers only: Stubai, Kaprun, Engelberg |
| November | 29 | – | High resorts and glaciers, upper slopes only |
| December | 49 | – | Everything, from the first weekend |
| March | – | 11 | Low resorts close: the SkiWelt on 29 March |
| April | – | 54 | Most of the Alps close between 4 and 18 April |
| May | – | 10 | High resorts: Val Thorens, Tignes, Ischgl, Sölden, Obertauern |
Source: Intski resort database, checked 14 September 2026. Opening and closing dates come from the resorts’ own announcements; the remaining resorts publish theirs in October and November and appear on their Intski resort pages as they do.
The pattern is a bell: a few glaciers in October, a rush of high resorts in mid and late November, everything else in the first two weekends of December, then the reverse in spring, with low resorts closing in late March, the bulk in April and a high-altitude tail into May. Where a resort sits on that curve depends almost entirely on the altitude of its top station, which our guide to why altitude matters for snow explains.
October and November: glaciers and high resorts
Three resorts in our data open in October: the Stubai glacier on 9 October, and Kaprun‘s Kitzsteinhorn and Engelberg on 10 October. All three have top stations above 3,000 m. Skiing in October means a glacier, a limited number of runs and a good chance of the best snow in Europe if a cold front comes through.
November is when the high resorts open the top of the mountain. Arosa, Lenzerheide and Mürren start on 7 November, Sölden on 12 November, Davos on 13 November, Verbier and Nendaz on 14 November, Obertauern on 20 November and Tignes and Val Thorens on 21 November. Ischgl opens on 26 November and the Skicircus on 27 November. Twenty-nine resorts in our data open in November, and the pattern holds: almost all have a top station above 2,300 m. Expect upper lifts only, a partial piste map and, at the November openers, a lower ticket price than the high-season rate in our index.
December: everything opens, then everything fills up
Forty-nine of the 81 dated resorts open in December, and 31 of them on the weekend of 4 to 5 December, including Mayrhofen, the Zillertal Arena and the SkiWelt; St. Anton opens on 2 December. A further nine open on 12 December and three on 19 December. By the third weekend of December the Alps are fully open.
Early December is one of the best-value windows of the season: full lift systems, quiet slopes, low-season prices where they exist, and the risk that the lower runs are thin. Then Christmas arrives. The two weeks from about 19 December to 3 January are the busiest and most expensive of the year in every Alpine country, with the shortest days and, in a poor year, the least reliable snow of the main season. If you must ski at Christmas, choose a high resort: Val Thorens, Tignes, Obergurgl, Obertauern, Zermatt or Cervinia.
January: the best snow, the emptiest slopes
The second and third weeks of January are the quietest of the season in the Alps. The holiday crowds have gone, the French and German school breaks have not started, the snowpack is building and the temperatures are the coldest of the year, which keeps the snow in condition. The downside is daylight: lifts close around 4 pm and the sun is low. January is the month to ski the big linked areas that get crowded later: the 3 Vallées, the Portes du Soleil, the Dolomiti Superski, the Skicircus, St. Anton.
February: peak snow, peak crowds, peak prices
February has the deepest snow of the season and the most people on it. The French school zones stagger their two-week winter holidays across the month, the UK half term falls in the middle of it and German states and the Netherlands add their own. Prices for accommodation peak, lift queues are the longest of the year and the lively resorts, Ischgl, Saalbach, Val d’Isère, Verbier, St. Anton, are at their loudest. If February is your only option, book early, and consider a country with fewer school holidays in play: Italy and Austria are calmer than France in the UK half-term week.
March: sun, long days and the best of both
March is the month experienced skiers pick. The snowpack is at or near its maximum, the days are long, the sun is warm at lunchtime and, from the second week, the crowds thin. The trade-off is that low resorts start to suffer: 11 resorts in our data close in March, the SkiWelt among them on 29 March, and south-facing slopes below 1,800 m turn to slush by early afternoon. Ski high in the morning and low before lunch. Resorts with top stations above 2,500 m, of which there are dozens in the Alps, are at their best.
April and May: the high-altitude tail
Fifty-four resorts in our data close in April, most between 4 and 18 April; 10 stay open into May. April skiing means altitude. The May closers are the guide: Kaprun on 17 May, the Stubai glacier on 9 May, and Val d’Isère, Tignes, Les Deux Alpes, Ischgl, Sölden, Obertauern, Engelberg and Mürren on 2 May. All have top stations of 2,300 m or more, most above 3,000 m. Late April and early May offer empty pistes, spring snow that is perfect from about 10 am to 1 pm, sunshine and the lowest prices of the season, with Ischgl’s closing concerts as the party at the end. Our month-by-month season guide lists what is open in every month, including the summer glaciers.
The best time to ski in the Alps, by what you want
- Best snow, fewest people: 10 January to 5 February, then 1 to 15 March.
- Cheapest with everything open: the first two weekends of December and the last two weeks of March.
- Sunshine and long days: March and early April, at high resorts.
- Families tied to school holidays: February half term or Easter (28 March 2027) at a high resort booked early. The family planning guide helps with the shortlist.
- The earliest possible turns: Stubai, Kaprun or Engelberg from 9 to 10 October.
- The last: Kaprun until 17 May.
Set a snow alert on any resort page and Intski will email you when 15 cm or more is forecast and, for resorts with a published date, a week before opening. The resort finder filters by season, and the compare tool shows two resorts’ seasons and elevations side by side.
Waiting for the first snow? Every resort page has a 7-day snow forecast for the top station, updated every few hours.
Quick answers
What is the best month to ski in the Alps?
January for snow and empty slopes, March for sun and long days. The second half of January and the first half of March avoid the school holidays and have all lifts running.
When does the ski season start in the Alps?
The Stubai glacier opens on 9 October 2026, Kaprun and Engelberg on 10 October. High resorts open through November and most of the Alps opens on the weekend of 4 to 5 December, when 31 resorts in our data start.
When does the ski season end in the Alps?
Most resorts close between 4 and 18 April 2027. Ten in our data stay open into May: Kaprun until 17 May, Stubai until 9 May, and Val d’Isère, Tignes, Les Deux Alpes, Ischgl, Sölden, Obertauern, Engelberg and Mürren until 2 May.
Which month is the cheapest to ski in the Alps?
Early December and late March to April, outside the school holidays, when many resorts sell lower early- and late-season passes and accommodation is cheapest. Christmas to New Year and February are the most expensive.
Is it worth skiing in the Alps in April?
Yes, at a high resort. Fifty-four resorts in our data are still open in early April, ten into May, and spring snow, sunshine and empty pistes make it a favourite of experienced skiers. Choose a top station above 2,500 m.
Can you ski in the Alps at Christmas?
Yes, and it is the busiest and most expensive fortnight of the season. Choose a high resort such as Val Thorens, Tignes, Obergurgl, Obertauern or Zermatt, where the snow does not depend on an early-season storm.
