Should You Rent Gear or Fly With Your Own

For a beginner with one trip per year, the rent-vs-fly-your-own decision comes down to math, hassle, and how well your gear actually fits.

The Cost Math

• Airline sports fee — €40–80 each way = €80–160 round trip.
• Resort rental — €30–50/day. A 6-day trip is €180–300.
• Crossover — Renting wins for trips up to 4 days. Flying with own gear wins for 5+ days.

The Hassle Math

• Bringing own gear — Bag drop, oversized luggage area, transfer to and from the resort. Adds ~1 hour each way.
• Renting on arrival — Walk to the shop, queue, fit, sign waiver. Adds ~30 minutes on day 1.

The Fit Math (The Real Decider)

Rental boots and bindings rarely fit perfectly. As a beginner, fit problems become injuries fast. The single best argument for bringing your own gear:

1. Your boots fit you. Rental boots are 50% off-the-rack, broken in by 100 other people.
2. Your bindings are set to your size. Rentals are roughly adjusted, never perfect.
3. You ride consistently across multiple trips. Same gear = same muscle memory.

The Recommendation

For your first trip, rent. For trip 2 onwards, own at least the boots (they don't fit anyone but you). Board and bindings can be either, depending on trip length and how much you ride.