This winter sees the launch of a brand new concept for lift passes in the French ski areas managed by the Compagnie des Alpes.
The Holiski card is a credit-card sized, hands-free lift pass which covers 6 ski areas, accessed by 10 different resorts. With this in your pocket there is no need to queue up to buy your pass, or to charge it up each time you ski - as you walk through the barrier onto a lift, the card is recognised. Your credit card is then charged for the lift pass - and you only pay for the days you ski! So if you decide to take a day off mid-week that's fine. What's more the Holiski card will give you discounts of between 15 and 25% on a day's skiing in most of the resorts covered.
How does it work? Well you sign up online and create your Holiski account. The card costs 32€ and is valid until October next year. You register your credit card and then each time you ski your credit card is charged the following month.
The ski areas covered by Holiski are Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry, Paradiski (accessed from the Les Arcs side), Meribel Alpina, Les Menuires, Serre Chevalier and the Grand Massif. So if you're doing a week in the Grand Massif for example and then are planning a weekend in Les Arcs a bit later on, followed by Easter in Serre Chevalier, the Holiski pass could work out cheaper for you.
There are also various promotional offers promised throughout the winter - currently the Holiski site is offering a 50% discount on the cost of 4 or more cards for example.
The cost of a day's skiing depends on the ski area of course but with between 15 and 25% off throughout the season it certainly makes it more attractive to get in a quick ski weekend or short break to supplement your week's holiday. In the Grand Massif for example you can get up to 5.80 euros off a day pass, and in Serre Chevalier a Saturday skiing will cost 29.40€ instead of 39.20€. (NB discounts vary according to resort and days of the week - look at the Tarifs page for more details)
If you're a frequent skier the cost of the Holiski card will be quickly offset by the discounts you get, so it will soon become worth your while. The scheme is also set to expand to cover more resorts and ski areas, such as Avoriaz, Tignes, Val d'Isere and Chamonix - although at the time of writing there are no definite dates for this.
