Narrow strip of artificial snow on a green Alpine slope beneath an empty chairlift

What applies if there is no snow?

Last updated 29 August 2026

Snow guarantees, the Package Travel Regulations and the distinction between bad luck and a defect in the holiday

Quick answer

The weather is your own risk, but closed lifts are the operator's responsibility. On a package holiday, the Package Travel Regulations entitle you to a price reduction when a significant part of the holiday is not delivered, for example when the ski area is closed, and in serious cases to withdraw from the contract. A snow guarantee is something else: a voluntary promise from the operator, usually free rebooking when a certain number of lifts are not open. What it is actually worth lies in the terms, not the word itself.

Lack of snow is the question where most skiers guess wrong in both directions. Some think they have no rights at all, others think a green mountainside means an automatic refund. The truth lies in a distinction that is easy to state: nobody promised you snow, but somebody promised you an open ski area.

Bad luck or a defect in the holiday?

Situation Assessment
Little snow, icy or hard pistes, artificial snow Bad luck with the weather. No compensation, unless a snow guarantee states otherwise
Part of the ski area closed, the main part open Grey area. A price reduction may apply if what is closed was a significant part of what you booked
The ski area effectively closed A defect in the package holiday. Right to a price reduction, and in the case of a significant defect that is not remedied, also the right to withdraw
The area was already closed before departure The holiday has been significantly altered. You may be entitled to withdraw from the contract and get your money back

The basis lies in the package travel rules: the operator is responsible for ensuring all parts of the package holiday are delivered, and on a ski holiday, the skiing is not a detail but the whole point. This is why closed lifts are treated as a defect in the holiday, while snow quality on open slopes is treated as weather.

What the snow guarantee actually promises

A snow guarantee sounds like a promise of snow, but in practice it is a promise of rebooking. A typical guarantee states that if fewer than a set number of lifts or pistes are open on a specific date before departure, you can switch to a different resort or a different week without a rebooking fee.

Read three things in the guarantee before you rely on it: which threshold applies (the number of open lifts or pistes), at what point the assessment is made, and what you are offered: rebooking, credit or a refund. Guarantees assessed several days before departure can go wrong in either direction when the weather changes late.

Also remember that a snow guarantee never limits your statutory rights. It can only add something beyond the regulations, never take anything away.

Why high altitude resorts are the best protection

The strongest snow security is not something you buy in the terms, but in your choice of resort. Ski areas with a high lowest skiing altitude and glacier skiing stay open even in seasons when low lying resorts struggle. If you are travelling in early December or late April, resorts such as Obergurgl, Obertauern and Ischgl are built for exactly that situation. We have gathered them in the guide to high altitude resorts.

Want to minimise the risk from the start? Compare stays with hotel and lift pass at snow sure resorts with high altitude, throughout the season.

High altitude resorts See all resorts When should you book?

Frequently asked questions

Will I get my money back if there is no snow?
Not simply because the snow fails to arrive, since no operator can promise the weather. But on a package holiday you are entitled to a price reduction if a significant part of what you booked cannot be delivered, for example if the ski area included in your stay is closed. Closed lifts are a defect in the holiday, bad weather is not. This distinction is what everything hinges on.
What does a snow guarantee mean?
It is the operator's own promise, not a statutory right, and the content varies. Most commonly you can rebook to a different resort or a different date free of charge if a certain number of lifts or pistes are not open at the time of departure. Read the exact terms: what counts as closed, when the assessment is made and what you are actually offered.
Can I cancel before departure if the snow conditions look poor?
A poor forecast gives you no right to cancel. If the entire ski area is closed by the time of departure, however, the holiday may be so significantly altered that you are entitled to withdraw from the contract under the Package Travel Regulations. There are many borderline cases, so document the lift status via the resort's official lift report and raise the matter with the operator in writing before departure.
What applies if I have booked accommodation and a lift pass separately?
In that case there is no package travel protection to rely on, and each part is assessed separately. The accommodation is provided even if the snow fails to arrive, so it is not refunded. The lift pass is normally only refunded to the extent the seller's own terms allow, for example if the area is completely closed. This is one of the strongest arguments for booking your hotel and lift pass together, especially for early and late season weeks.
How do I complain correctly if the ski area was closed?
Report the defect to the operator or the local representative on the spot, not only once you are back home, and keep evidence: the resort's lift report, dated photographs and receipts for any extra costs. If you get no response, you can submit a written complaint after returning home and then take the matter to ABTA's arbitration scheme or the relevant ombudsman.

Read on

Snow sure high altitude resorts When should you book? Is the lift pass included?

Rights in the case of defects on a package holiday follow from the Package Travel Regulations. Snow guarantees are the operators' own terms and vary. This page is general information, not legal advice.