Ski week budget for 16: the full cost, line by line

With sixteen of you, the budget question comes fast: “how much is this ski week going to cost us?” The good news is that the answer is almost always gentler than each person imagines — provided you think per person rather than in total. Because the real secret of a trip for 16 is that the chalet divides the heaviest expense by sixteen. Here is the complete budget for a ski week from Oz-en-Oisans, line by line, with real figures and our owners’ read on each — for January as well as February.

The two big lines: accommodation and lift passes

Over a ski week, two costs dwarf all the others: accommodation and lift passes. Together they often make up more than 70% of the total budget. That is where the game is really played — and precisely where a group of 16 changes everything.

Start with accommodation, the line where numbers make all the difference. The weekly chalet rate is a fixed amount, whatever the number of guests: the more of the 7 bedrooms you fill, the lower the price per head. At 16, here is what the maths gives by period, at Ozalp’ Cottage (Saturday to Saturday):

Look at the right-hand column: even in the most expensive week of winter, accommodation works out to about €437 per person for seven nights in a 175 m² chalet with a view of the slopes. In off-peak January, that drops to €235 per person for the week — the price of two nights in a decent resort hotel. That is the “divided by sixteen” effect.

The second big line is the lift pass. For 2026-2027, the adult 6-day Grand Domaine pass for Alpe d’Huez (250 km of runs, five linked resorts including Oz) sits around €330 as a guide, with a day rate starting near €66-72. Unlike accommodation, this line does not divide: each skier pays their own pass. But it negotiates over time: bought online and in advance, it costs noticeably less than at the ticket window on arrival day.

The optional lines: hire and lessons

Here are two costs not everyone has — which is exactly why they must be counted person by person, not as a block for the group.

Ski hire first. A skier who owns their skis and boots pays nothing here. For the others, budget roughly €120 to €180 for a week’s adult ski + boots pack of mid-range gear; a beginner pack drops to around €90-95, “performance” gear climbs towards €200 and up. Here too, booking online in advance saves 20-40% — and guarantees the right sizes for everyone, a real issue when you are kitting out part of a group of 16.

Ski lessons next. At the ESF of Oz-en-Oisans, a week of group lessons starts around €180 to €200 per person (the lift pass, gear and insurance are not included). This line is for beginners and improving children: the confident skiers in the group skip it. In a mixed-ability group — the most common case at 16 — the trick is to line up everyone’s morning lessons at the same times, then meet up for lunch.

Feeding 16 people: the grocery line

This is the chalet’s other great saving compared with a hotel or half-board stay: you cook on site. With a proper equipped kitchen and a big table, preparing meals for 16 becomes as much a pleasure as a saving.

Budget in the region of €120 to €150 per person for the whole week — breakfasts, lunches (or slope-side picnics) and dinners included — or about €2,000 to €2,400 for the group. That is the budget for a stay where you eat well, with the mountain classics (raclette, fondue, tartiflette) that, precisely, cook for a full table with no effort. One or two restaurant or altitude-terrace outings can be added to taste, but they stay the exception, not the rule.

For organisation, the best approach is to share the meals between families or tables: each takes charge of one dinner, you shop on arrival at the Oz grocery or the supermarkets of Bourg-d’Oisans, and you set up a “common pot” for drinks and extras. Our article on big family celebrations at the chalet details this logistics of catering for sixteen.

Travel: car-sharing and common sense

The last line, and the most variable depending on where you come from: travel. From Grenoble, allow about an hour’s drive; from Lyon, a little over two hours. Sharing four to a car, fuel and tolls often work out to €50-80 per person return from the Lyon or Grenoble area — more from Paris or the north, less if you come from within Isère.

Two things to anticipate. First, vehicle equipment: the Mountain Law requires, from 1 November to 31 March, winter tyres (3PMSF) or chains in the Oisans municipalities. Second, the smart option of the free Allemond car park followed by the Eau d’Olle Express gondola, to avoid resort parking fees. We cover every route — car, train, plane, shuttle — in our guide to getting to Oz-en-Oisans.

The complete budget, line by line

Now let us assemble all the pieces. Here, for one skier in our group of 16, is the budget for a full week — first in off-peak January (the best deal of the winter), then in February (peak season). Amounts are per person, options included.

The read is telling. For a self-sufficient skier (own gear, no lessons), a full week in Alpe d’Huez from Oz comes to about €765 in January and €967 in February, all in — accommodation, pass, food and travel. That is in the lower range of, or below, the widely cited national average of €900 to €1,000 per person for a ski week. And for a beginner who hires gear and takes lessons, you stay around €1,100 to €1,300, lessons and hire included.

How to bring the bill down

A few simple levers let a group of 16 trim almost every line without cutting into the fun:

• Aim for off-peak January or March. The accommodation line falls from ~€437 to ~€235-278/person, for an area that is often quieter and snow of good quality.
• Buy lift passes online, early. Early-booking rates, one grouped order, a few euros per day × 6 days × 16 skiers: the saving runs into the hundreds.
• Cook at the chalet. Shared meals cost a fraction of a restaurant stay, and raclette for sixteen is an event in itself.
• Car-share. Four to a car, and travel becomes marginal per person.
• Only hire and take lessons for those who need them. These two lines are individual, not collective.

To go further on the overall organisation — bedroom allocation, countdown planning, group roles — read our guide to organising a group ski trip, and for everything about the accommodation itself, our 16-person chalet guide and the detail of the rental terms (deposit, security deposit, cleaning).

Our advice for finalising your budget

Let us sum up the method. One, start from the per-person price, not the total: at 16, accommodation is the line where you gain the most. Two, set the period by your priority — off-peak January for budget, February for the school calendar. Three, buy lift passes online and in advance, in one grouped order. Four, cook at the chalet and car-share. Five, count hire and lessons only for those who genuinely need them.

Follow these five reflexes and a ski week for sixteen comes together, all in, within a very reasonable range — often below what a couple spends for the same week separately. To find the exact rate for your week and availability, see our rates and the season essentials on our winter page. For pass and lesson prices at the source, the Alpe d’Huez Tourist Office and the ESF of Oz-en-Oisans publish their updated grids each autumn.

See the rate for your week