Which Ski Resorts Are Open in Early December?

Opening dates for winter 2026/27

These are the dates the lift companies and tourist offices have published for 2026/27. Each one is subject to snow, and an opening day often means a few lifts rather than the whole area.

By 2 December, then, the high French resorts, the Austrian and Swiss resorts in the table and Cervinia are all scheduled to be running. Val Gardena and the 3 Vallées join on 4 and 5 December.

Glacier and high resorts that open in autumn

As the table shows, the glaciers and the highest ski areas open first.

• Tignes reaches the Grande Motte glacier at 3,656m by the Perce-Neige funicular.
• Saas-Fee has slopes up to 3,600m and opens on 1 November.
• Zermatt opens its Matterhorn glacier area on 1 November, four weeks before its lower sectors.
• Cervinia opens on 24 October, the earliest date in the table outside Austria's glaciers.
• Austria's earliest openings, including the Hintertux, Mölltal and Sölden glaciers, are in October.

Early in the season expect limited terrain, as InTheSnow notes below. The rest of each resort opens as snow allows.

How reliable is the snow in early December?

It depends on November. InTheSnow put it this way in December 2025: resorts need cold weather for snowmaking and, ideally, good early natural snowfall to open much terrain, and early December usually has limited terrain open. Austria Tourism warns that weather and snow conditions can shift opening dates at short notice.

Height is the best guide. Switzerland's snow and avalanche institute, SLF, has found that snow is arriving later in autumn at lower-altitude stations, and that winters are becoming less snowy at most stations below 1,300m. Above 2,000m, midwinter snow depths show no clear trend.

We have not measured early December itself. Our Christmas Snow Report records snow on Christmas morning, a few weeks later, and it shows the same gap by height:

SLF's finding that snow now arrives later at low stations points the same way for early December. For a pre-Christmas trip, choose a resort whose skiing is high, and check its Christmas Snow Score and our list of snow-sure resorts at Christmas.

Prices before Christmas

Lift passes are cheaper in some areas before peak season starts on 19 December 2026:

Holidays are cheaper too. In November 2024 Ski Beat priced Chalet Sorbier in La Plagne at £936 per person from 14 December against £1,366 from 21 December, and Chalet Cristal in Val d'Isère at £1,043 against £1,691, both catered with flights and transfers. In September 2025 Ski Beat was advertising Chalet Vallon Blanc in the 3 Vallées for 13 December at £784 per person, catered with flights and transfers. InTheSnow notes that resorts usually discount early in December to attract skiers while terrain is limited.

Crowds and who books the pre-Christmas weeks

The slopes are usually quieter. InTheSnow says early-December visitors face fewer queues and easier restaurant tables than in Christmas week. UK state schools are still in term until 18 December 2026 in most areas (see Christmas ski holidays 2026), so these weeks suit couples, groups and families with children under school age.

Quiet slopes do not mean empty chalets. In September 2025 Ski Beat said its 13 December departure was almost full and outselling Christmas week, and in May 2025 VIP SKI said its 14 December week was already 88% sold. Ski Weekend said the pre-Christmas week suits its corporate and group travellers. If you want a particular chalet for early December, book it as early as you would for Christmas.

Advent in the resorts

Early December is when resort Christmas markets run. Most are Advent events that close before Christmas week, so a pre-Christmas trip is the best chance to see one. Our Christmas markets guide gives the dates resort by resort.

Sources

• Cervino Ski Paradise — Breuil-Cervinia 24 Oct 2026–5 May 2027; Valtournenche 28 Nov 2026–25 Apr 2027
• Zermatt Bergbahnen (Matterhorn Ski Paradise) — Winter season 1 Nov 2026–3 May 2027; Sunnegga/Rothorn and Gornergrat open 28 Nov 2026; lowest prices 1–27 Nov 2026; six-day pass from CHF 384
• Saas-Fee/Saastal tourism — Saas-Fee winter season 1 Nov 2026–18 Apr 2027; slopes up to 3,600 m
• Austria Tourism (austria.info) — 8 Sep 2026: Hintertux early Oct; Mölltal Glacier 3 Oct; Kitzsteinhorn 10 Oct; Sölden and Stubai mid-Oct; Kitzbühel 6 Nov; Obergurgl-Hochgurgl 19 Nov; Ischgl 26 Nov; St Anton and Lech Zürs 2 Dec; dates can shift at short notice
• Tignes tourist office — Tignes season 21 Nov 2026–2 May 2027, progressive opening from 21 Nov, link with Val d'Isère from 28 Nov, subject to snow; Grande Motte glacier 3,656 m via Perce-Neige funicular
• Les 3 Vallées — Grande Première in Val Thorens 21–22 Nov 2026; 3 Vallées ski area opens 5 Dec 2026; special pass rates 5–18 Dec
• Les 3 Vallées — Six-day adult pass €378.50 for 5–18 Dec 2026, €421 from 19 Dec
• Val d'Isère tourist office — Val d'Isère winter season 28 Nov 2026–2 May 2027; Premières Traces weekend 28–29 Nov
• Les 2 Alpes — Ski season 28 Nov 2026–2 May 2027
• Ski Arlberg — Opening 2 Dec 2026 (limited operation possible); Wedel and Sun weeks 2–18 Dec at €395 for six days; peak €468 from 19 Dec
• Val Gardena tourism — Lifts in Val Gardena and on the Sellaronda open 4 Dec 2026 to 4 Apr 2027, subject to change
• InTheSnow — 1 Dec 2025: resorts usually discount in early December when limited terrain is open; success depends on cold for snowmaking and early natural snow; quieter slopes than Christmas week
• InTheSnow — 19 Sep 2025: Ski Beat 13 Dec departure almost full and outselling Christmas week; Chalet Vallon Blanc £784pp with flights, transfers and catering; Ski Weekend says pre-Christmas suits corporate and group travellers
• InTheSnow — 24 May 2025: VIP SKI week of 14 Dec 2025 already 88% sold
• InTheSnow — Ski Beat Chalet Sorbier, La Plagne £936pp from 14 Dec 2024 vs £1,366pp from 21 Dec; Chalet Cristal, Val d'Isère £1,043pp vs £1,691pp
• WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF — Later snow onset in autumn at lower-altitude stations; less snowy winters significant below 1,300 m; no clear midwinter trend above 2,000 m
• Chalet for Christmas — Christmas-morning depths: Zermatt Gornergratsee 30 of 30 with 30cm+; Saas-Fee Egginer 29 of 30; Tignes Le Chevril 28 of 30; St Anton Galzig 22 of 22; Megève village 12 of 30; Châtel village 10 of 26