Each fall many people begin planning their next great ski vacation. However, these trips are typically very costly ventures and often times are foiled by lack of funds. I have put together this handy guide to help save you money when planning your ski vacation this year. This guide includes tips on airfare, accommodations, lift tickets, gear and more!
1) Research – Devise a list of ski resorts that you would like to potentially travel to. This is a great place to begin a sort of “bucket list” of areas you would like to someday ski. Challenge yourself, add a few resorts that are outrageous (ie. Heli skiing in Alaska) and a few that are a little less then ideal. Depending on who you go with, the location may end up not being as important as you think. Ski vacations are all about the overall experience.
2) Budget – It is vital to determine how much money you can afford to spend on your ski vacation. This can be very difficult considering all the little extras that always seem to arise. However, do your best. Try to think about everything from the time you leave your house to the time you get to your destination. Then imagine a typical day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, lift tickets, gear, snacks, etc… Don’t forget the return trip, even though your airfare may be paid for, there are many remaining expenses yet to come. It’s also a good idea to try to have a little “emergency” fund just in case.
Tip: Invite a few close friends or family members to join you. This is a great way to have more fun and divide some of the cost
3) Logistics – Now that you have your list of ski areas and an approximate budget, begin going down your ski resort list and think about the logistics. Is the destination close to your house? Will you need to fly? If you need to fly, where is the closest major airport? You will want to research lift ticket prices and lodging expenses. Will you need transportation to and from the airport? What about ski gear? Do you own or will you need to rent?
Tip: If you choose to rent ski equipment, consider at least buying your own ski boots. Having a pair of ski boots that fit you correctly has a dramatic impact on your skiing ability and enjoyment
4) Resort Selection – Once you have considered a handful of the logistical questions in relation to your budget and initial research, you should have a pretty good idea of what is realistic this year and what might just need to wait.
5) Save Money – Everyone loves to save money wherever they can, so I put together this list of places (mostly on the web) where, if your timing is right, you can save a ton!
* Airfare – If you’re going to fly then I highly recommend checking out Airfare Watchdog. This site is unique to other airfare deal sites in that you can set fare alerts to be emailed to you for select destinations. I have been using this site for two years now and have found flights from DC to Salt Lake City for as low as $150!
* Accommodations – This one can be tricky, especially if you want to stay on the mountain. My advice is to look for “stay & ski for free” deals. Alta, Utah has some pretty great arrangements. The Alta Peruvian Lodge has a dorm style room that offers a handful of bunk beds and it will run you about $107 a night and that includes 3 meals a day!
* Lift Tickets – Did you know that many areas offer discounts on lift tickets if you purchase them ahead of time online? Pretty cool really! The best place to find the deals on lift tickets is at a site called
Liftopia.com
. Here you can search for just about any ski area and see what they have to offer.
* Ski Gear – If you want to enjoy the trip to the fullest extent possible, you need to be sure you have the right gear. I highly suggest checking out the ski shop right here at the Virginia Skier where you can find ski gear deals up to 80% off as well as a great selection of used skis! Deals of the day are also a great place to score some cheap ski gear. The best site for this is Tramdock.com
where they have one killer deal at a time and it’s usually like 70% off! For a complete list of ski deals of the day head over to Snow Ski Sale.com There are also countless online retailers out there, my personal suggestion would be Backcountry.com
as they always seem to have the best prices, outstanding customer service and superior selection.
I hope this guide helps you out a little with planning your ski vacation. I would love to hear all about your ski trip including tips of your own, so please comment below!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
The simple 2 step ski trip plan: Go to Utah.
Stay in Alta.
Amen.