With ski season upon us and winter break creeping closer (any faster would be great!), it’s the perfect time to start planning a ski trip. HC has put together some options for three ski trips for you this winter: one on the East Coast, one in the Rocky Mountains, and one on the West Coast. We’ve found trips that won’t bust your budget, so you can enjoy the best snow in the country worry-free. Plus, we’ll tell you all the gear you need to bring and general tips for skiing cheap. If ski bums can do it, so can you!
Savvy skier savings While ski trips definitely take some saving, here’re a few tips to help you stretch your dollar:
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Don’t rent gear from the resorts. Rent from shops instead, like Christy Sports- www.christysports.com- in Colorado ($36/day for a ski or snowboard package), AJ’s Ski Shop in Stowe, Vermont – www.ajssportinggoods.com- ($26/day for a ski or snowboard package), or Dave’s Ski and Boards in North Lake Tahoe- http://www.tahoedaves.com/ – ($27/day for a ski package and $29/day for a snowboard package.
- Renting at resorts: Keystone – http://www.keystoneresort.com/plan-a-vacation/equipment-rentals.aspx -$35.11
- Heavanly – http://www.skiheavenly.com/plan-your-trip/equipment-rentals/equipment-re… – $40.85 for skis, $35.51 for snowboard package
- Stowe: http://www.stowe.com/equipment/equipment/rentals/ – $42 for ski or snowboard package
- Pack your lunches! Go to the store where you are staying and get stuff for lunches. Lunches at the ski resort can be up to $15 for the basics (main dish, side, drink)
- Consider booking your trip through a company like Campus Vacations – http://campusvacations.com/ or www.collegeskitrips.com
- Go between Sunday and Thursday for cheaper hotel rates and smaller crowds at the slopes.
- Check student discount sites like www.onthesnow.com before you go.
- Consider staying in hostels and book at sites like www.hostelworld.com
Pack your bags Knowing where to go and how to save is one thing. But you can’t forget about all the little things you need to pack.
- Snow pants and jacket
- Warm, knee-length socks
- Leggings, Underarmour, or Long underwear
- Ski gloves
- Fleece gloves
- Warm sweaters or sweatshirts
- Jeans and sweat pants
- A warm hat
- Sunglasses and/or ski goggles
- A swimsuit (for hotel hot tubs!)
- T-shirts and long sleeved shirts
- Tennis shoes
East Coast: Stowe Mountain Resort http://www.stowe.com/ Where to stay: www.gostowe.com Here you can browse through available inns, hotels, motels, cabins and resorts. Here are some of the best deals I found:
- Sun and Ski Inn and Suites – http://www.stowesunandski.com/ – January rates are $106-115 per night for double occupancy plus $22 for each extra person. For the cheapest room, this ends up being $34.40 per person, per night for you and four friends.
- Commodores Inn- www.commodoresinn.com – January rates are $118-$178 per night for a double occupancy room and breakfast, add $18 for each extra person. For the cheapest room, this ends up being $34.40 per person, per night for you and four friends.
- And the winner is…Stowe Cabins in the Woods – http://www.stowecabins.com/index.html – These cabins include bedrooms, a kitchen, a full bath and a living room with cable TV. The cheapest rate for a cabin that sleeps five is $109-159 for double occupancy plus $10 for each extra person. For the cheapest room, this ends up being $27.80 per person, per night for you and four friends.
Ticket prices: $84/day. Deals and steals: Buy the lift tickets for all the days you will be there all at once. Buying 4 days worth of lift tickets at once decreases the daily price to $72 per day. Cost of four days of skiing and four nights of lodging: $399 Rocky Mountains: Summit County- www.summitcountycolorado.com In Summit County, Colorado, you will find you have access to four major ski resorts – Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Copper and Breckenridge – all within about 20 miles of each other. That means that staying anywhere in the county allows you fairly easy access to these resorts. Where to stay:
- The Luxury Inn and Suites in Silverthorne – http://www.summitcountycolorado.com/luxuryinn/index2.htm -January rental rates for family suite rooms, which sleep six, are $119-$189. For the cheapest room, this ends up being $23.80 per person, per night for you and four friends.
- The Best Western Ptarmigan Lodge – http://www.summitcountycolorado.com/ptarmigan/ – For a 2 bedroom suite, which includes a kitchen, 1 queen bed, 1 double bed and a pull-out couch, January rates are $160 per night for double occupancy, plus $5 for each extra person. This ends up being $35 per person, per night for you and four friends.
- And the winner is: Vacation Rentals – www.snowscape.biz – Cabins that sleep six rent for $140 per night in January, plus a $90 cleaning fee for stays less than five nights. Fifty percent of the total booking cost is due at the time of booking and the other 50 percent six weeks before you arrive. This ends up being $28 per person, per night plus $18 each for the cleaning fee, for you and four friends.
Ticket prices: Keystone/ Breckenridge – www.keystoneresort.com – Adult 4 day pass: $212 Basin – www.arapahoebasin.com : Prices TBD. Check the Web site before you go! Copper: www.coppercolorado.com – 4 day adult ticket: $229 Deals and steals: If you want to ski at some of the smaller resorts in Colorado (some of which are close to Summit County!), consider the Gems Card – http://coloradoski.com/Resorts/Gems/GemsCard/ – . This $10 card offers you amazing deals and discounts on lift tickets. You even get some free days! Cost of four days of skiing and four nights of lodging: $307.20- $369
West Coast: Lake Tahoe- www.skilaketahoe.com All around Lake Tahoe, you have access to almost 20 places to ski, including Heavenly on Tahoe’s north end Squaw Valley on the south end. Where to stay:
- Monaco Inn Hostel – http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Monaco-Inn-Hostel/South-Lak… – This hostel offers beds for $28 each, TV and private bath.
- And the winner is: Alpine Meadows Condo #48 – http://www.tahoeguide.com/15872/?linkid=11892 – This condo sleeps 6 and rents for $150 per night plus an $85 cleaning fee. This ends up being $30 per person, per night and $17 each for the cleaning fee.
Ticket prices: Heavenly: http://www.skiheavenly.com – 4 day adult lift ticket: $196 Squaw Valley – http://www.squaw.com -: 4 of 6 consecutive days, adult lift ticket $272 Deals and steals: If you’re willing to cut your vacation one day short, check out the Heavenly “Listen to your Mother” vacation package – http://www.skiheavenly.com/plan-your-trip/vacation-deals-and-packages/of… – which gives you three days of skiing and three nights of lodging for $275 per person. Also, consider the Tahoe Card, a $50 card that gives you discounts, free stuff, a one year subscription to Freeskier or Snowboarder magazine and more! Cost of four days of skiing and four nights of lodging: $243 – $319 While skiing might not be the cheapest way to spend your winter break, there are lots of little ways to save. Do your research, grab some friends, and head to the slopes!