In 2026 a single season pass opens more than 100 ski resorts across Switzerland, France and Italy — winter and summer — for one flat price.1 For property owners in the Alpes Vaudoises and Valais, the Magic Pass is not just another ski ticket. It is a structural driver of winter demand for short-term rentals, and one you can put to work in your listing, your pricing and your occupancy.
Short answer: The Magic Pass gives one holder access to 100+ partner areas for CHF 419 (2026/27),1 with no blackout days, from summer opening through the following winter. For a short-term rental owner in Gryon, Villars, Les Diablerets, Leysin or Ovronnaz, that pass is your strongest winter-booking argument: it widens your guest pool to every passholder and lets you advertise unlimited alpine access.
What the Magic Pass actually is
Born in 2017 out of a cooperative model, the Magic Pass runs on a radically simple idea: one subscription, accessible to everyone, with free and unrestricted access to all partner facilities.1 There is no blackout calendar, and it is valid from the summer opening to the end of the following winter season — 12 months on a single pass.1
- 100+ ski areas and close to 50 summer destinations in three countries;12
- valid all year — ski, hiking and mountain biking on one subscription;1
- only two categories: adult and child, no hidden tiers.
All the ski stations of the Alpes Vaudoises and Valais
Here is the full picture for an investor. These are the main ski areas across the two regions that matter for a western-Swiss rental.
Alpes Vaudoises (canton of Vaud)
| Station / area | Domain |
|---|---|
| Villars – Gryon | 100 km linked to Glacier 3000 |
| Les Diablerets / Glacier 3000 | year-round glacier skiing |
| Leysin | family + freeride, Le Kuklos |
| Les Mosses – La Lécherette | cross-country and ski, 41 km |
| Château-d'Oex | family resort, Pays-d'Enhaut |
Valais (main areas)
| Station / area | Type |
|---|---|
| Zermatt | highest resort, ski all year (Matterhorn) |
| Verbier & the 4 Vallées (Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon…) | largest linked domain in Switzerland |
| Crans-Montana | sunny high plateau |
| Saas-Fee & the Saas Valley | glacier, ski all year |
| Anzère, Leukerbad, Ovronnaz | family / wellness mountains |
| Aletsch Arena & Belalp | Aletsch glacier region |
| Champéry & the Portes du Soleil | large cross-border domain |
| Anniviers (Saint-Luc – Chandolin – Zinal – Grimentz) | authentic villages |
| Hérens (Arolla, Evolène), Goms, Val d'Illiez | remote, more intimate |
Which ones are covered by the Magic Pass?
The decisive map for a short-term rental owner: a Magic Pass makes a station far easier to sell to skiers.
| Covered by Magic Pass (base pass) | Not covered / separate pass |
|---|---|
| All the Alpes Vaudoises — Villars, Gryon, Les Diablerets, Glacier 3000, Leysin, Les Mosses, La Lécherette, Château-d'Oex | Zermatt |
| Anzère | Verbier & the 4 Vallées (Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon) |
| Ovronnaz (thermal baths included) | Champéry / Portes du Soleil |
| Leukerbad | Aletsch Arena (Riederalp – Bettmeralp) |
| Saas-Fee & the Saas Valley | — |
| Blatten – Belalp | — |
Note on Crans-Montana: it is not in the base pass — the Magic Pass offers it as an optional add-on (the “Crans-Montana / Aminona 100-day” option).
The rule of thumb for investors
All the Alpes Vaudoises resorts are on the pass, plus a solid cluster of Valais stations (Anzère, Ovronnaz, Leukerbad, Saas-Fee, Belalp). The giants Zermatt and Verbier / 4 Vallées are not — their passholders form a separate, smaller pool. Buying near a Magic Pass resort gives you access to the huge multi-resort passholder base.
How much it costs in 2026/27
Prices rise in tiers, so the earlier you buy the cheaper the pass:
| Category | Launch price (on sale 10 March 2026) |
|---|---|
| Adult | CHF 419 |
| Child | CHF 282 |
Prices are tiered: each edition launches at its best price and rises step by step until the official rate in mid-December.1
Validity: 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027.1 For context, the 2026/27 edition is the tenth — and it launched with an exceptional record: more than 341,000 subscriptions sold, up about +63% on the same period a year earlier.3 That is the size of the audience your rental can tap into. (The prior 2025/26 edition had already set a record of 277,000 sales and CHF 108+ million.)
Why it is a direct lever for your short-term rental
- It widens your guest pool. Beyond the skiers of one resort, you reach every passholder across 100+ areas looking for a base in the Alps.
- It converts in your listing. "Unlimited access to 100+ Magic Pass resorts" and "lifts a few minutes away, thermal baths included" are phrases that translate into bookings — especially from French, Swiss and Belgian travellers.
- It smooths seasonality. Because the pass also works in summer, hiking and mountain-biking demand stretches your season beyond snow.
Why it matters for revenue
Winter demand is what funds the annual projection. Strong ski-season bookings lift both occupancy and the average nightly rate, and the Magic Pass argument is one of the cheapest ways to get there — it costs you nothing to mention, and it enlarges the set of guests who will pay it.
Make the pass work for your apartment
Mobilising the Magic Pass in your listing, your winter pricing strategy and your guest communication is part of how a professionally managed apartment outperforms the market average — the same way a top listing sells the calendar instead of just pricing it. That is exactly the discipline we apply to every property we manage.
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Prices, validity and network figures above are from the official Magic Pass website and its press pages, retrieved August 2026.
Base yourself in Montreux
RivieraHost’s apartments sit steps from the lake — with kitchens, more space and better value than a hotel for families and groups. Every one is right on this guide’s doorstep.