A pair of snowshoes rents for €8 to €15 a day in Italian mountain resorts. With poles you get to €12 to €18. Buying costs €60 to €250, and most people who buy use them three or four times a winter. For almost everyone, renting is the right call, as long as you book before the New Year week.
What snowshoe rental costs
Prices barely change from one valley to the next. They change a lot between a January weekday and 30 December.
| Item | Resort shop | Big sports chain | Peer to peer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowshoes, 1 day | €8–15 | €10 | €5–10 |
| Poles, 1 day | €3–5 | €3 | €2–3 |
| Snowshoes + poles kit, 1 day | €12–18 | €13 | €7–12 |
| Kit, 3 days | €30–40 | €30 | €18–28 |
| Gaiters | €3–5 | often unavailable | €2–3 |
| Kit, full season | €60–90 | €50–70 | negotiable |
A seasonal rental pays off above six outings. Below that, pay by the day. Peer-to-peer prices are lower because the owner has no shop to run: these are tools used three days a year and idle the other 362.
What to bring from home
A snowshoe clips onto the boot you already own. No special footwear is needed. What you need is a high, waterproof hiking boot with a stiff sole, the one you would wear for an autumn walk in the rain. Trainers do not work, they soak through in ten minutes.
Then: thick wool socks and a spare pair, waterproof gloves, sunglasses, waterproof trousers or gaiters. Gaiters matter. Without them, snow gets into your boot with every step and halfway round your feet are wet.
What you rent: the snowshoes, poles with wide snow baskets, and gaiters if you do not have them.
Getting the size right
Snowshoes are sized by weight, not shoe size. The weight that counts is yours plus your backpack and clothing.
- Up to 70 kg: small model, 20–22 inches.
- 70 to 90 kg: medium model, 25 inches.
- Over 90 kg, or with a heavy pack: large model, 30 inches.
In fresh, deep snow go one size up. On the packed snow of marked trails one size down is easier to handle. If unsure, ask the rental shop what kind of snow there is that week: they know better than you.
There are two families. Hiking snowshoes have a crampon under the toe and work on all packed trails. Mountaineering snowshoes have side rails and a heel lift for steep climbs: you only need them on slopes above 25 degrees, and then you also need a guide.
When to book
Snowshoe rental searches in Italy have a single peak, January, and start climbing from mid-December. The busy weeks are Christmas to Epiphany and the weekends of February. On those days the shops in well-known resorts run out of medium sizes by ten in the morning.
For New Year, book by 15 December. For a January or February weekend, a week ahead is enough. On a January weekday you turn up and find what you need.
The places with the highest snowshoe rental searches last winter, according to Google Trends Italy: Alpe Devero, Asiago, Abetone, Bardonecchia, Madonna di Campiglio, Corno alle Scale, Bormio. They are also the ones that sell out first.
Rent or buy
A decent kit costs €120 to €180 new. At €15 a day you pay it back in eight to twelve outings. If you go twice a year, that takes five winters, and in the meantime the snowshoes take up a cupboard.
The rule we use for everything, explained in our guide on when renting beats buying, applies here too: under ten days of use a year, renting wins.
Children are a special case. Kids’ snowshoes cost €40 to €70 and last one season before the foot grows. Renting them at €5 to €8 a day is the obvious choice.
If you already own snowshoes
Someone who bought snowshoes and uses them three times a year has 362 days of idle gear. A kit listed at €10 a day, rented fifteen days between December and February, makes €150 a season. In two winters it has paid for itself.
Doing it well takes little: a clear photo showing model and size, and the recommended weight range written in the listing. Then the straps. They are the only part that breaks. Check them before every handover. On Sharepact listing is free, every renter is ID-verified and every rental is insured, as our guide on renting out safely explains.
FAQ
Is a deposit required?
Shops usually do not ask for one, but they keep an ID. Between private people the deposit is up to the owner, usually €30 to €50 for a kit.
Do snowshoes work with ski boots?
They clip on, technically, but walking three hours in ski boots is torture. Use hiking boots.
Can I snowshoe with no experience?
Yes, on packed, marked trails. It is walking with slightly wider feet. The first hundred metres are clumsy, then you stop thinking about it.
What if there is no snow?
Most shops cancel the rental at no cost if the resort is closed. Between private people, agree on it in the chat beforehand: it is the most useful question to ask.
