Glaciers and high resorts in Austria, Switzerland and Italy offer skiing through November 2026, while Tignes and Val Thorens open on 21 November. Official dates and day-pass prices for 13 areas.
Cover image: Skiers on the Hintertux Glacier in Tyrol, Austria (file photo) — photo by Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Yes, you can ski in Europe in November 2026, but mainly on glaciers and high-altitude areas. As of 19 October, operators or tourist boards said skiing was under way at Hintertux, Stubai, Sölden, Kitzsteinhorn and Pitztal in Austria, and Zermatt resumed guest skiing on 14 October. Breuil-Cervinia in Italy is due to open on 24 October and Saas-Fee in Switzerland on 31 October.
The big French resorts come later: Tignes and Val Thorens on 21 November, Les 2 Alpes on 28 November. Austrian glacier day passes are published at €72 to €82 (from €54 online at Kaunertal), Zermatt starts from CHF 89, and the cheapest ticket in our table is Tignes' €50 opening-week rate.
Last checked: 19 October 2026.
Glacier opening dates depend on snow and weather and can change at short notice, so check the resort's own website before you travel.
Which European ski areas are open in November 2026?
Opening dates, adult one-day November prices and top altitudes for 13 areas, taken only from operator and tourism-board pages. Each resort name links to the operator's price information.
| Resort | Top altitude | Skiing from (status 19 Oct) | Adult day pass in November | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hintertux (Austria) | 3,250 m | Year-round; open | €82.00 | 92 |
| Stubai (Austria) | About 3,210 m | 9 Oct; open | €75.50 (from 24 Oct) | 85 |
| Sölden (Austria) | 3,340 m | Glaciers open; full area from 12 Nov | From €75.00 (dynamic) | 84 |
| Kitzsteinhorn, Kaprun (Austria) | 3,029 m | 10 Oct; open | €77.00 (23 Oct–26 Nov) | 86 |
| Pitztal (Austria) | 3,440 m | 26 Sep; open 7am–1pm | €77.00 | 86 |
| Kaunertal (Austria) | 3,108 m | 17 Oct, three lifts, per a news report; not confirmed on operator website | €77 ticket office; from €54 online | 86 / 61 |
| Mölltal (Austria) | 3,122 m | No date; closed, start depends on snow | €72 | 81 |
| Zermatt (Switzerland) | 3,883 m | Glacier since 14 Oct; winter season 1 Nov | From CHF 89 (dynamic) | 108 |
| Saas-Fee (Switzerland) | 3,600 m (Saas valley) | 31 Oct | CHF 84 | 102 |
| Breuil-Cervinia (Italy) | 3,899 m | 24 Oct; no lifts open on 19 Oct | €64 (€88 with Zermatt) | 72 (99) |
| Tignes (France) | 3,656 m | 21 Nov, subject to snow | €50 (21–27 Nov) | 56 |
| Val Thorens (France) | 2,300 m (resort) | 21 Nov | €66.10 (to 18 Dec) | 74 |
| Les 2 Alpes (France) | 3,600 m | 28 Nov | From €68 (public rate) | 76 |
Status as of 19 October 2026. USD figures are approximate, at European Central Bank reference rates of 19 October 2026 (€1 = USD 1.1225; CHF 1 = about USD 1.212). Sölden and Zermatt use dynamic "from" prices that rise with demand.
Which Austrian glaciers are open, and what does a day pass cost?
Hintertux, in the Zillertal, runs daily all year from 8.15am to 4.30pm, with skiing until 4pm, but may close early in bad weather. Its €82 pass costs the same online and at the ticket office, and children born after 1 January 2021 ski free with an adult.
Stubai's €75.50 day pass, valid from 24 October, includes the ski bus between Schönberg and the Mutterberg valley station. Pitztal keeps short autumn hours, 7am to 1pm, and holds its official winter-season start on 6–8 November.
Kaunertal charges €77 at the ticket office but sells online from €54, about 30% less, though online tickets are in principle non-refundable. Skiers with a valid pass use the glacier toll road free; check the winter tyre and snow-chain rules for Europe before driving up.
Kaunertal's operator announced a 17 October start, and the ski news site skinachrichten.de reported that morning that the area had confirmed three lifts would run. As of 19 October the operator's website had not confirmed that skiing began, and its live lift table was last updated on 16 October.
Sölden is glacier-only until 11 November. It hosts the World Cup giant slaloms on the Rettenbach glacier on 24 and 25 October, and the motoring club ÖAMTC warns of delays on the B186 Ötztal road on race-weekend mornings.
Mölltal, Carinthia's only glacier ski area, has no opening date: its operator says it is closed and that the 2026-27 season will start depending on snow.
Is Zermatt, Saas-Fee or Cervinia open for skiing in November?
Yes, though Zermatt shows how fragile glacier skiing has become. Zermatt Bergbahnen suspended guest summer skiing on 31 July because of persistently high temperatures and changed snow and glacier conditions, and resumed it on 14 October on the Plateau Rosa 1 and 2 lifts. The extent of the offer, it says, depends on snow, weather and operating conditions.
Zermatt's winter season starts on 1 November. A day pass costs from CHF 89 (about USD 108), and the operator says its lowest prices apply from 1 to 27 November.
Saas-Fee's Metro Alpin to Mittelallalin runs daily from 31 October, and an adult Saas-Fee Pass costs CHF 84 (about USD 102).
Cervino S.p.A. plans to open Breuil-Cervinia on 24 October; on 19 October no lifts were open. Its day pass costs €64 (about USD 72), or €88 (about USD 99) including Zermatt. At the ECB rate that is roughly CHF 81.50, below Zermatt's own international pass "from CHF 104" on the two operators' published rates, though Zermatt's price is dynamic and conditions differ.
When do Tignes, Val Thorens and other big resorts open?
Not in October. Tignes plans a progressive opening from 21 November and the link with Val d'Isère from 28 November, both subject to favourable snow; its Grande Motte glacier's summer skiing ran from 20 June to 19 July.
Opening week (21–27 November) costs €50 a day. From 28 November a Tignes–Val d'Isère day is €67, rising to €78 from 12 December. Children under 8 and those aged 75 and over ski free.
Val Thorens opens on 21 November, the wider 3 Vallées on 5 December. Its day pass is €66.10 until 18 December and €73.50 after, so early skiers save €7.40 a day.
Les 2 Alpes' autumn opening on 17 October sells bike-park and pedestrian passes, not ski passes; skiing starts on 28 November, from €68 a day.
Austria's national tourist office lists these later openings, warning that weather and snow can shift dates at short notice:
- Kitzbühel: 6 November
- Obergurgl-Hochgurgl: 19 November, ahead of a World Cup weekend on 21–22 November
- Obertauern: 20 November
- Ischgl: 26 November, confirmed by Ischgl's tourist board
- Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Silvretta Montafon and Tiroler Zugspitz Arena: 27 November
A late-November trip can be paired with a city break; see our guide to 2026 Christmas market dates in Europe.
How should you choose where to ski in November?
Start with altitude. Early in the season only the highest terrain is skiable, and not all of it: news.at reported on 16 October, citing the operators, that five of Stubai's 25 lifts had most recently been running.
- Read the snow clauses. Kitzsteinhorn, Pitztal and Kaunertal all say season dates can vary with snow or weather. Book accommodation you can cancel.
- Check the hours. Pitztal stops at 1pm in autumn; Hintertux skiing ends at 4pm.
- Weigh early against late November. Early November means glaciers only. Late November brings more terrain and opening-week prices at Tignes and Val Thorens.
Lift passes are only part of the bill; our breakdown of what a ski trip in Europe costs covers hire, lessons and food.
Frequently asked questions
Can you ski in Europe in November?
Yes, mainly on glaciers. As of 19 October 2026, Hintertux, Stubai, Sölden, Kitzsteinhorn and Pitztal in Austria were running and Zermatt had resumed glacier skiing. Cervinia plans to open on 24 October, Saas-Fee on 31 October, and Tignes and Val Thorens on 21 November. All dates depend on snow, so check the resort's website before travelling.
Is Tignes open in November 2026?
Yes, from 21 November, when the tourist office plans a progressive opening of the ski area, with the link to Val d'Isère from 28 November, both subject to favourable snow. A day pass costs €50 during the 21–27 November opening week and €67 for Tignes–Val d'Isère from 28 November.
How much is a day ski pass on an Austrian glacier in November 2026?
Operators publish adult day passes from €72 at Mölltal, which has not set an opening date, to €82 at Hintertux. Stubai charges €75.50, Sölden from €75 online, and Kitzsteinhorn and Pitztal €77. Kaunertal charges €77 at the ticket office or from €54 online, where tickets are in principle non-refundable.
When is the Sölden World Cup in 2026?
The season-opening Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slaloms take place on the Rettenbach glacier above Sölden on Saturday 24 October (women) and Sunday 25 October (men), with first runs at 10am. The Tiroler Tageszeitung reported that the FIS snow control on 15 October gave both races the green light.
Sources
- Zermatt Bergbahnen, Resumption of skiing operations for guests
- Zermatt Bergbahnen, Temporary closure of summer skiing on the Theodul Glacier
- Tignes tourist office, Resort opening dates 2026-2027
- Austrian National Tourist Office, Ski opening dates in Austria 2026/27
- Mölltaler Gletscher, Winter season 2026/2027 depending on snow
- Kaunertaler Gletscher, Start of the season on 17 October
- Ötztal Tourismus, Sölden live lift status
- skinachrichten.de, Ski season starts today at the Kaunertal Glacier
- Tiroler Tageszeitung, Green light for the World Cup opener in Sölden
