January/February 2006
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Slash the Ski Budget
Text by Everett Potter
Photo by Dan Campbell and Park City Chamber/Visitors Bureau
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Skiing the slopes in Park City, Utah. |
Seven strategies for making your next ski trip affordable.
 nne Keyser and her family are passionate skiers who, every winter, travel from their Cambridge, Massachusetts, home to Park City, Utah, booking a condo for a week of big-mountain skiing.
"It's far more cost-effective for us to stay in a condo," Keyser says, adding that there are savings even during the high-priced Presidents' Day long weekend. "And that doesn't even include the money we save by eating in."
Strategy is everything when it comes to planning a ski vacation these days, and it can help ease the financial burden of what's invariably an expensive holiday. At the ticket window in Aspen this winter, you'll pay $78 for a one-day lift pass. Renting skis, boots, and poles at Vermont's Okemo? That'll be $47 per person, per day. And $552 is the minimum nightly rate in mid-March for a two-bedroom unit at the Beaverhead Condominium in Big Sky, Montana. A hefty tab? You bet, especially since you've still got to factor in airfare, ground transportation, and dining. It's easy to see how a family of four can spend $5,000 for a ski week. And while ski resorts such as Vail are undergoing redevelopment, funded in part by real estate, they're not offering any outright discounts as a result of construction. What's a penny-pinching skier to do? Put these strategies into action:
Time It Right
It's a no-brainer that the week between December 25 and January 1, as well as the Presidents' Day week, are the priciest times to ski. But what you may not know is that there's a hidden low season in the middle of the winter. After the Christmas/New Year's blowout, kids return to school and most wallets are in deep recovery until the February break. This makes January through mid-
February a good time to go, with rates approximately 20 percent lower. At most resorts, the only exception is the pricey Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday weekend. If you can't do January, consider putting off your ski trip until late March, when spring skiing kicks in. Mountains don't run out of snow, they run out of skiers. Prices begin a gradual slide of 20 to 40 percent off. And there are hidden benefits to waiting. You get a season's worth of snow, sure. There's also April's snowfall, which can be heavy in places such as Alta, Utah. Nearly 77 inches fell there last April, bringing the resort's yearly total up to almost 698 inches.
Buy Early and in Bulk
Buying a one-day ticket is like paying the sticker price for a car. So don't stand in line for the privilege of paying more. Choose multiday and early-purchase tickets. For example, Killington, Vermont, combines both by offering eTickets at Killington.com. A six-day ticket is $354, which comes out to $59 a day, versus the day-ticket rate of $69.
Go Condo
When shared among four or more people, a condo means more than a fridge and a comfy couch. It generally results in lower costs per person compared to
a hotel. And having a kitchen means saving on meals: You eat out when you want to, not because you have to. At Maine's Sunday River, a typical two-
bedroom weekend package starts at $125 per person, per night at a hotel, but only $60 at a condo. Both are slopeside.
Get a Little Distance
Heading to pricey Beaver Creek, Colorado? Then stay two miles away in the town of Avon. That's what Heidi and Matt Carey and their three boys did last winter. "Avon was convenient, and there's even a free shuttle to the slopes," she says. "In Avon, we ate in a pizza place that was reasonable, compared to eating at the base of the mountain. But in Beaver Creek, food was so expensive."
The cost difference between a condo in Avon and a condo in Beaver Creek can be as much as 40 percent. In the East, skiers heading for Killington can lodge 11 miles away in the city of Rutland and save up to 20 percent over Killington prices. And in Utah, some skiers opt to stay in discounted lodging in downtown Salt Lake City, taking a Utah Transit Authority bus up to Snowbird or Alta for just $6 round-trip.
Nix the SUV
One of the great mountain myths is that you need a gas-guzzling SUV when you get to Colorado or Wyoming. Mountain airports charge usurious rental rates in wintertime, capitalizing on the great American obsession with driving. A one-week GMC Yukon rental at Vail's Eagle Airport this March will run you $770 before gas, taxes, or parking is factored in. Instead, rely on airport shuttles, such as Colorado Mountain Express, which charges $44 per person to go one way to Vail. The fact is, Vail, like many ski villages, is relatively compact and walkable. So are Whistler, Telluride, and Park City. Those that aren't, such as Aspen, are accessible via free shuttle buses. Even if you must have wheels to get around, a sedan will probably do, as most roads around ski areas are kept clear of snow.
Point Your Skis North
The American dollar still has buying power in Canada, making it an attractive ski haven for those on a budget. U.S. dollars still buy 20 percent more north of the 49th parallel. Both Skican and SkiCanada feature a variety of Canadian ski vacations. The latter has a seven-night package to Whistler in January, with a five-day lift ticket and airport transfers from about $1,948 U.S. per couple. Accommodations are at the Pinnacle, a boutique hotel within walking distance of the slopes, with a Jacuzzi and fireplace. Compare that to the Sky Hotel, in Aspen, which charges $519 per night through most of January. That's $3,633 for two before you've even bought a lift ticket.
Seek Out Sales
Why pay retail? Buy two or more days of skiing or riding at the Canyons, in Utah, and you'll get an additional day on the slopes for free. Colorado's Winter Park offers a "Winter White Sale" from January 2 to February 9 (excluding Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend), starting at $278 per person for three nights with lift tickets. And Park City's "Quick START" promotion (January 2 to February 16 and March 27 to April 16) means you can exchange your airline boarding pass for a free same-day lift ticket for several ski areas. Every ski resort relies on a roster of such deals to keep their rooms full. Try websites such as Vail.snow.com, JacksonHole.com, SkiLakeTahoe.com, and Ski.com.
Click here for money-saving ski deals
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