How to Plan a Ski Trip on a Budget!

​For the last 9 years I have planned a ski trip with friends where we do some big mountain skiing. Living in the Midwest this yearly retreat is a must for me because I absolutely adore skiing! The feel of the wind on my face as I maneuver down the mountain, the quiet all around me when I have a run all to myself, the smell of pine, and the burn of my legs when I go down a double black diamond and realize I have gone too far to turn back and 

now I have to muster through this field of moguls! But most of all I love the freedom and strength I feel when I ski. 

​I look forward to this every year and thought I would share some tricks for planning a ski trip on a budget! Whether you are going to a big resort like Squaw Valley in California with all the shops and restaurants or a mountain ski town like Red Lodge in Montana which doesn't have many additional amenities. You can make your trip more cost effective by focusing on these 4 areas: lodging, transportation, food, and lift tickets.

LODGING
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This is your biggest area where you can save money! I start planning a trip in October/November each year so I can see where we all want to go and what dates works for everyone. Normally we take our trip in mid-late February or early March since this is when snow conditions are at their best. But check the snow totals at the location you want to go to try and time your trip  right. There of course is no guarantee for great snow, but you can at least try your best!

My go-to websites for looking at lodging are Airbnb or VRBO. Normally you can rent a condo, home, cabin or townhouse for an affordable price compared to a hotel/motel. You get the benefits of having the place to yourself and an "at home" feel to further enhance your travel experience versus having to interact with other guests staying at the same place. 

When I start my lodging search I will set the parameters to number of adults, dates we are staying and narrow it by cost. Then I am left with just the places that are within what I want. Normally if you have 5 or more people on your trip you can get a great price because the lodging options are normally designed for 4,  and normally have an extra sleeping option like a hide away bed, pull out couch or air mattress. The biggest factor is having a spot for each person to sleep. Now that my friends and I are no longer in our 20’s anymore we all want an actual mattress. Having a good nights sleep is important so you are refreshed and ready for another day on the slopes!

Other key things I look at are:

1. Location: how far will we have to drive each day to the slopes? What other ski areas are available in the area? If there are multiple, it may be worth staying in a central spot in order to visit all of the ski areas versus just being close to one.
2. Amenities: what sort of amenities do they have? If special ones are listed like a hot tub, grill or gas fireplace, confirm that they work before you book. Otherwise that is a negotiating point for a discount after you leave. Especially if you choose that rental over another. Having all the amenities that are promised can be a big deal when booking for a group. 
3. Parking: most rentals only have parking for two vehicles so you need to think about how people are getting from the airport to the rental and how many are driving from their home. Check if they have street parking available.
4. Ambiance: the feel of a rental makes such a difference. We stayed in this mini cabin in the woods when we were skiing at Lake Tahoe and it was the cutest little cabin with a loft. Originally it was just going to be me and one of my girlfriends going but we had two more add-ons after I booked the cabin so we had to squeeze in. Luckily one of the guys was my fiancé (now husband)and the other guy was happy to sleep on the couch. That is the smallest group I have planned for but it worked really well even though the place was teeny tiny. It was right by everything we wanted to do, nestled amongst all these redwood trees and butted up to a state park. The biggest group I’ve planned for was 10 and it worked out ok. That’s when I learned that each person should have their own mattress and that pull out couches are the worst! Now when I plan trips I make sure that each person that confirmed and paid their lodging deposit has a mattress. Then if anyone signs up last minute you can let them know what’s left for sleeping options and see if they are ok with it. But having a cute cabin or rustic home is always a fun option when going skiing! I love when there is a view of the mountains as well!
5. Getting a deposit: the biggest financial issue that can come up is paying for the lodging. All booking places require at least a 50% deposit when you book. When I am inviting friends to come I make sure to let them know that each person must pay their portion of the lodging and it’s nonrefundable. Because once the lodge is booked you don’t get your money back or at least not all of it. Also, people are notorious for saying they are coming and then backing out due to time, family or financial issues. It’s not fair for the others in the group to have to pay the difference for the person/people that decided to back out. The non refundable lodging deposit has worked really well. And I keep track, in an excel sheet, of what everyone has paid. That way if any additional people decide to come last minute everyone gets money back from their initial deposit since the cost of the lodging went down with another person coming. 

TRANSPORTATION

Getting to the mountain is always the next hurdle. Once the group has decided which ski resort/area to visit start looking at the cost of transportation by car or plane. Carpooling is always a good option and saves a lot of money. Plane tickets are my preference if the drive is over 10 hours. I always worry about the weather when I am deciding to drive or fly. If it’s over a 10 hour drive, it is miserable to be white knuckling the steering wheel for the whole length of the trip due to snowy/icy roads. I’ve done it, I hate it! But I have a friend who loves to drive cross country so he always drives and loves the journey! So it really just depends on what  your friends/family like to do. 

When I am researching plane tickets I look at all of the main airlines and compare on their website. I don’t rely on a search engines solely. Also some of the smaller airlines have great prices. So check to see what is available in your area. Then watch the prices. Then when the flight is at a really good price you will know it and can book! Planes ticket prices vary depending on the day of the week and how far in advance you book. So do your research and it will be worth it! 

Also, don’t forget about frequent flyer miles! They are awesome if you travel regularly! A free plane ticket is the best!

FOOD

​Each person is going to have their own preference on what they want to eat. Some have food allergies and some will just want to eat out for lunch and dinner. But for those on a budget, we like to buy groceries to make breakfast, lunch and normally a few dinners. We try to budget for a couple meals eating at the local restaurants because it’s fun to try the local fare! 

Planning at least one group dinner at the cabin is fun because it’s a great time to just relax and be home and maybe even play a game afterwards!

LIFT TICKETS

This is normally your biggest expense next to transportation. Watching the lift tickets websites for deals can really save you money. Also, buying by 11:59pm the night before you go will save you as well. Don’t ever buy the day of at the ticket window, that is the highest price they charge. I recommend signing up to receive newsletters from Liftopia or GetSkiTickets. They will email you what the current discounts are for different resorts. 

When initiating the organization of this yearly trip I do some initial research and provide an excel sheet that gives people an idea of what the trip will cost as a whole. 

2018_ski_trip_-_lake_tahoe.xlsx
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File Type:	xlsx

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Of course it depends on how much they eat, do they go out to eat or bring lunches, are they renting from the ski resort or from a shop in town, and so on. So it is just a rough estimate but it helps people have a better understanding of costs.

I hope you find this article helpful and you can now save some coin for your other adventures! 

Happy skiing everyone,
Amy Karras 
Unnamed Adventures