Students, Groups & Solo Travel
Erasmus Ski Trip 2026/27: Snow Weeks, Costs & Options
An Erasmus ski trip is usually a 3–5-night snow week for exchange students, organised by a local ESN section or a specialist event company. It typically includes a bus, shared apartments, a lift pass and a heavy party programme, and costs from roughly €230 to €500 before extras. This guide explains how these trips work, how they compare with booking a student tour operator or going DIY, what you should check about insurance while you're abroad, and how to fit a ski week around your exams.
In a minute
- What it is: Erasmus snow weeks are big social events for exchange students. Some are run by ESN sections, others by commercial organisers who market to Erasmus students. Skiing is part of it, but so is the nightlife.
- Cost: As of November 2026, published packages range from about €230 to €500 per person for 3–4 nights, with rental, lessons, bedding and deposits often extra.
- Alternatives: Student tour operators offer more choice of resort and dates with a calmer mix of skiing and après-ski. DIY is the most flexible but needs a group and planning.
- Insurance: An EHIC (or UK GHIC) covers medically necessary state healthcare in Europe, but not mountain rescue, private clinics or repatriation. Add travel insurance with winter sports cover.
- Timing: Book early. Popular trips sell out and early-bird deadlines often fall in November. Avoid weeks that clash with your host university's exam period.
- In Germany: If you're studying in Germany, German-language student trips such as Semesterkur's Alpine ski trips or the Große Skifahrt for Berlin universities are another option.
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What is an Erasmus ski trip or snow week?
The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a volunteer association with local sections at universities across Europe. Many sections run a winter trip every year, and some team up to run large international events. Alongside them, private event companies sell "Erasmus snow weeks" aimed at exchange and international students. They're similar in feel, but they're commercial products rather than student-run events.
Two examples show the range:
- Erasmus Snow Week (Sestriere, Italy): A commercial event run by an Italian tour operator. For 2026 it's advertised for 4–8 December in Sestriere, with 3- or 4-night packages. Its published prices run from €229 to €489 depending on pack and early-booking deadlines, plus a €20 on-site fee. Bed linen and towels are not included unless rented for €35. The organisers say around 2,000 students joined the previous edition.
- ESNow (ESN Italy, organised by ESN Trento): An ESN event that has run for more than two decades. The 2026 edition took place 20–23 March. Places go through local ESN sections. For example, ESN Padova's 2025 ski trip listing showed €350 plus a refundable €50 deposit, with a 4-day lift pass and après-ski events included and lessons and rental extra. An ESNcard from the section was required.
Other ESN sections, including many in Spain, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, run their own trips to the Alps, the Pyrenees or local mountains. The easiest way to find one is to ask your local ESN section or check its event page and Instagram.
Erasmus snow week vs student tour operator vs DIY
The best choice depends on your budget, how much you care about skiing versus partying, and how flexible you need to be.
| Erasmus / ESN snow week | Student ski tour operator | DIY trip with friends | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | approx. €230–500 for 3–4 nights (published 2025/26 and 2026/27 prices) | approx. €650–1,000+ for a week with lift pass and accommodation (varies by operator) | from approx. €400 if you share an apartment and travel cheaply, more in peak weeks |
| What's included | Bus, apartment or residence, lift pass, events, sometimes rental | Accommodation, lift pass, often half board, a local contact person, optional rental and lessons | Only what you book yourself |
| Age range | Mainly 19–26, Erasmus and local students | Often 18–28 or 18–30 | Your group |
| Party level | High, with nightly parties, DJs and themed events | Medium to high, après-ski plus your own pace | You decide |
| Flexibility | Fixed dates, one resort | Several resorts and dates, cancellation rules vary | Maximum |
| Language | English, plus the host country's language | Often the operator's home language | Your group's language |
| Skiing time | Often 3 ski days | Usually 4–6 ski days | As many as you want |
| Effort | Very low | Low | High |
Prices are approximate and depend on dates, resort and what's included. Always compare the total including rental, lessons and travel. For a detailed cost breakdown, see how much a ski trip costs in 2026/27, and for money-saving tactics, cheap ski trip tips.
When an Erasmus snow week makes sense
You've just arrived, don't know many people yet and want an easy, social weekend. The organisers mix you into apartments, so coming alone is normal. You're a beginner or don't mind only three ski days. The price is hard to beat.
When a student operator or DIY is better
You want more time on snow, a quieter room or a specific resort. Or your exams fall on the snow week dates. Or you'd rather travel with your flatmates and keep the evening programme optional. If you're organising for a group, our guide on how to organise a group ski trip walks you through it. If you're going without friends, read solo ski trip.
How much does an Erasmus ski trip really cost?
The headline price is never the full price. Here's a realistic budget for a 4-night snow week, based on the published Erasmus Snow Week and ESN Padova examples above, with estimates for the extras.
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Package (bus, accommodation, lift pass, events) | approx. €230–490 | Early-bird deadlines often in November |
| On-site / admin fee or deposit | approx. €20–50 | Deposits are often refundable |
| Ski or snowboard rental (boots, helmet) | approx. €55–120 | Sometimes included in higher packs |
| Lessons | approx. €40–150 | Group lessons are cheaper |
| Bed linen and towels | €0–35 | Bring your own if you can |
| Food and drinks | approx. €100–250 | Self-catering apartments help |
| Travel to the departure city | €0–80 | Depends where you study |
| Travel insurance with winter sports | approx. €15–40 | If not already covered |
| Realistic total | approx. €450–1,000 |
The extras are estimates. Check each item on the organiser's page before you pay. If you've never skied, a group lesson is the best money you'll spend. See first time skiing tips and decide early whether to try ski or snowboard.
Insurance and health cover while on Erasmus
This is the part most people skip, and the one that can hurt most.
EHIC and UK GHIC
If you're insured in an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in another of these countries on the same terms as locals. UK students can apply for a UK EHIC or GHIC, and there's a specific UK Student EHIC/GHIC for people studying in the EEA or Switzerland, which needs a letter from your university.
What the EHIC does not cover:
- Mountain rescue and helicopter transport, which can cost thousands of euros
- Private clinics, which are common in ski resorts
- Repatriation to your home country
- Any co-payments that locals also pay
What to check before the trip
- Does your Erasmus or university insurance cover winter sports and mountain rescue? Many basic policies exclude them or cap them.
- Is the trip in a third country? If you're studying in Italy and ski in Switzerland, check that your policy covers that too.
- Does the organiser's package include insurance, and what exactly does it cover?
- Do you need off-piste cover? Most basic policies only cover marked pistes.
Read our full guide to ski trip insurance and safety and brush up on the ski slope rules before your first day.
When to go: timing around exams
Erasmus calendars vary a lot between countries, which is why snow weeks are spread across the season.
- Early December: Some events, such as Erasmus Snow Week in 2026, run around the Italian public holiday on 8 December. Snow can be thinner at lower resorts, though high resorts like Sestriere often have good early cover.
- January to mid February: Many universities have exams. In Germany, Austria and Italy the winter-semester exam period typically falls in late January and February. Check your host university's calendar before booking anything.
- Late February to March: After winter exams and before the summer semester gets busy. This is the classic window for ESN trips, and often the best mix of snow, sunshine and long days. See spring skiing.
- Easter: Pricier and busier in many resorts, but still a good option if your semester allows it.
When you've picked a window, check ski season opening dates 2026/27 to make sure your resort will be open.
Studying in Germany? Your options
If you're doing Erasmus or a degree in Germany, there are fewer big English-language snow weeks than in Italy or Spain. Most student ski trips are run by German operators and university sports clubs. Semesterkur is one of these operators, and here's what it offers according to its current information:
- Who it's for: Students, apprentices and young adults aged 18 to 28, mainly from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Under-18s need parental consent.
- Alpine ski trips: Resorts in Austria, France and Switzerland, from about €769. Accommodation in double or multi-bed rooms, a lift pass for the whole area, half board (breakfast and dinner) and a local contact person or guide are included. Rental, beginner courses and bus travel on selected trips can be added. Usually you travel there yourself.
- Große Skifahrt 2027: A trip for students at Berlin universities, 21–26 March 2027 in Nassfeld (Carinthia, Austria), with overnight coaches from Berlin, Hermsdorf and Munich, 4 nights at the Jugendsporthotel Leitner around 500 m from the Millennium-Express valley station, half board and a 4-day lift pass for about 110 km of pistes. From €649, with après-ski with live DJs and optional ski lessons. Read our Nassfeld ski resort guide.
- Practicalities: Student discount with proof of enrolment, payment by PayPal or bank transfer, and a "Flexi-Buchung" option with a 100% refund up to 14 days before departure. There are no single rooms and no single supplement.
The trips and booking pages are in German, and so is the group atmosphere. That's a plus if you're working on your German, less so if you aren't. For more on travelling from Germany as an international student, see our guide to ski trips for international students in Germany.
Checklist for your Erasmus ski trip
- Check your exam dates at your host university.
- Ask your ESN section which snow trips it offers and whether you need an ESNcard.
- Compare the total price (package, rental, lessons, fees, food, travel) with a student operator and a DIY plan.
- Read the cancellation and refund terms before paying.
- Carry your EHIC or GHIC and buy travel insurance with winter sports and mountain rescue cover.
- Book rental and lessons in advance if they're cheaper that way.
- Pack properly, starting with our ski packing list and the guide on what to wear skiing.
- Save the organiser's emergency number and the resort's mountain rescue number in your phone.
- Agree on a meeting point and a buddy for the first day.
As of November 2026. If you're studying in Germany and prefer a full week with half board and a lift pass, our ski trips are on our winter page, and the Berlin student trip is on the Große Skifahrt page. Booking pages are in German.
