Skiing and snowboarding are two of the most popular winter sports; they're also two of the most expensive. Unfortunately, after getting to the mountain, renting (or buying) gear and buying a lift ticket, your wallet can be a lot skinner than it was before you left. However, if you plan ahead and consider all your options, there are some easy ways to save a few bucks on lift tickets...even if you're just going to spend it on lunch in the lodge.
- Season Pass. The best way to get a discount on lift tickets, if you know you're going to be skiing a lot at one resort, is to buy a season pass. A season pass isn't for everyone, however. Most season passes are only good at one ski resort (or a handful of resorts), so if you're planning to travel around this ski season, a season pass is likely not for you. Additionally, if you're not going to ski at least (roughly) 20 days this season, a season pass is not worth your money either. Prices vary at different resorts, so take the time to do the math. If you think you'll be skiing a lot, look into a season ticket, find out what it costs and estimate the number of days that you'll hit the slopes. It might be well worth the cost up front to have your ski season paid for and your lift ticket on hand whenever you need it.
- Buy Early and/or in Bulk. Many ski resorts, like Vail in Colorado, offer discounted lift tickets if you buy a book of tickets before your trip. For example, you can buy a book of 10 lift tickets for almost (but not quite) 50% less than 10 regular lift tickets as long as you use the first ticket before 1/31. Some ski resorts, like Vail, are paired with other resorts (Vail is paired with Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado, and Heavenly in Tahoe), so you can use those 10 tickets at any of the affiliated ski resorts as well. While buying multiple lift tickets only makes sense if you know you'll be skiing at a certain resort for a certain number of days, it's a great alternative to buying a season pass. It gives you the flexibility to travel around, since you're not committed to one resort for the entire season. However, you're still committing to that ski resort for a minimum number of days, which gives you a discounted rate on lift tickets.
At some resorts, if you purchase a book of tickets at the beginning of the season, you can buy more throughout the season at the same discounted rate, so if you end up skiing there more than you initially thought you would, you can upgrade for the same, or perhaps slightly higher but still discounted, rate. Check with your ski resort of choice to determine what deals they offer for buying your lift tickets in advance and whether or not that discounted price extends beyond the initial deadline.
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Author: Liz Smith