Holiday Week Price Premium Index 2026

It varies by region. In USA/Canada the rank order is typically: Christmas week (largest premium, 100–160%) > New Year week (90–145%) > Presidents Week / mid-February (90–115%) > Easter (18–35%). In Europe the rank order is: New Year week (95–145%) > Christmas week (80–130%) > February school holidays (varies by country, 60–100%) > Easter (28–40%). The single most expensive resort-week combination globally is typically Aspen (USA) at Christmas, Courchevel 1850 (France) at New Year, or St. Moritz (Switzerland) at either — all exceeding 130% over January low-season baseline.

The premium percentage compares total cost of a standard 7-night slope-side lodging + 6-day lift pass package for two adults during the holiday week versus the same package in the second week of January (the universally-recognised low-season baseline). A 100% premium means double the January price; a 50% premium means 1.5x. The baseline package price (in EUR per person) gives absolute cost context — a resort with low premium but high baseline (e.g., Courchevel 1850) can still be more expensive than a high-premium-low-baseline destination (e.g., Killington).

For Christmas/New Year/Presidents Week: book by April for the following season. North American resorts release Christmas inventory in April–May; European premium chalets release in March–April. Late October/November rebooking can occasionally find cancellations at major resorts. For Easter: book by December — Easter pricing is typically released after January holiday booking demand crystallises. Last-minute (within 6 weeks of holiday departure) almost never delivers value at premium destinations; consider shifting to non-holiday weeks (e.g., second week of January, mid-March, late April) for 50%+ savings on identical snow conditions.

Yes — significantly. Easter premiums (typically 18–40%) are roughly one-third of Christmas premiums (typically 80–160%). Easter is also one of the longest reliable powder windows in alpine skiing — the Alps and Rockies typically receive heavy late-season storm cycles in late March and early April. The trade-off: variable snow at lower-elevation resorts, shorter days for apres-ski, and weather-dependent above-treeline access. Best Easter value-for-snow combinations: Val Thorens (France, glacier-backed), Mammoth Mountain (USA, Eastern Sierra), and Whistler Blackcomb (Canada, Coast Mountains). Worst Easter value: low-altitude European resorts (under 1,500 m base) and Eastern US resorts (often slushy/closed by Easter in late years).