Four people. Three days of skiing at Vail. Nine thousand dollars.

Wait. What?

When you hear how much some people spend, you might just decide to give up on skiing. Don’t get discouraged! It’s not as hard as you think to plan an affordable ski vacation. In a nutshell, pros recommend choosing smaller resorts, planning your trip for shoulder season, and taking advantage of multi-resort passes and beginners’ packages. We’ll show you how it’s done. Just don’t forget travel insurance to protect your hard-earned vacation—find your perfect plan.

Step 1. Start planning your ski trip far in advance.

While it’s possible to score last-minute deals on ski vacations, you’ll save more if you book your trip early, at least three to six months in advance. Season-long ski passes are cheapest when you buy them early. So are regular lift tickets. Flights and hotels to ski destinations can fill up fast.

One note: Advance planning may not be your best bet if you’re going early or late in the season, when snowfall and temperatures are uncertain.

Step 2. Avoid peak ski season and holidays.

To save money on your ski vacation, rule #1 is don’t go when everyone else goes. Shoulder season is cheaper than peak season (which typically runs mid-December through February, although this varies by region). Midweek is cheaper than weekends and holidays. Night skiing is cheaper than day skiing.

Which is better: an early-season or late-season ski trip? There are pros and cons to both. In late fall/early winter, snowfall isn’t always reliable. While the slopes are uncrowded, some areas may be closed. Prices are 20–40% cheaper than peak, according to Vacasa.¹

Late-season skiing is even more affordable: 30–50% off peak, with last-minute deals on lift tickets and lodging. Some resorts are famous for staying open late into the spring and even the summer, such as Timberline Lodge and Mt. Hood Meadows in Oregon, Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, and Killington Ski Resort in Vermont.²

Step 3. For a cheaper ski vacation, choose a smaller or second-tier ski resort.

Marketers in high-profile resort towns like Vail and Park City know the value of those names and charge accordingly. Thankfully, there are more affordable ski vacation destinations, with terrain that is just as pristine. Choose a ski adventure at Loveland, Colorado and accommodations in the feeder town of Georgetown, and you could save thousands compared to the same experience in the nearby resort of Breckenridge.

You may hear people say that cheap ski vacations in Europe are the way to go. Travel+Leisure did the math, comparing trip costs for five U.S. ski resorts to similar destinations in France, Switzerland, and Austria. It found that Europe wasn’t necessarily more affordable, once you factor in airfare. Still, great deals can be found! Excellent budget skiing can be found in Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria.  

Step 4. Know all the ways to save money on lift tickets.

For a whole season of cheap ski vacations, buy an Epic Pass or Ikon Pass. These give you access to multiple resorts all season long for one price and includes discounts on gear rental, lodging, and food. These passes typically cost $1,000+ per adult, however, so they’re only a good deal if you ski several times in a season.

There are money-saving ski passes and discounts available for casual skiers, too. These include:

• The Snow Triple Play, a ski pass that, for less than the cost of a single-day pass at a pricey resort, gives you 3 visits to any of 16 participating ski areas in the northeast United States and Canada.
• A multi-day ski pass that lets you ski multiple, non-consecutive days at one resort or a family of resorts. One example is the Mammoth Mountain Quad Pack+, which gives you four days of skiing at Mammoth and June Mountain.
• A beginner’s ski package, like the Learn to Turn Pass. This super-cheap ski pass gives you three all-day or all-night passes, plus lessons and discounts on gear rentals and lodging, at more than 40 resorts.

Buy passes as early as possible to get the best rate. Don’t want to commit? If you have a friend with a season ski pass, they may be able to give you a friends and family discount of 25%-50% on lift tickets.³

Also, you may be eligible for an affinity group discount. Seniors, veterans, first responders, college students, and AAA members frequently get discounted lift tickets. If you have children in kindergarten through sixth grade, look into the CSCUSA Ski Passport for kids. This program gives kids 76 days of skiing at 19 Colorado resorts for less than $100.

Step 5. Book your lodging away from the resort.

Renting a chalet right on the slopes sounds idyllic. Is it really worth it, though? Typically, ski-in/ski-out lodging is around 15% more expensive than staying in a resort village, and can be 25% to 30% more than a hotel away from the resort.⁴

Consider getting a vacation rental in a town near your destination, instead of a high-priced hotel room at the foot of the mountain. It’s possible to find lodging options—both budget hotels and modest condos— for less than $150 per night in many ski areas.⁵

Step 6. Buy travel insurance for your ski vacation ASAP.

Once you have your dates, flights, lodging, and lift tickets, make sure your trip investment is protected. Ski travel insurance can reimburse you for covered trip cancellations; protect your packed gear and other baggage; reimburse necessary expenses during a trip delay; save you from paying exorbitant medical bills for a covered medical emergency, and more.

What’s the best ski trip insurance? OneTrip Prime is our most popular protection plan for family vacations, covering children 17 and under for free when they’re traveling with a parent or grandparent (one child per insured adult; not available on policies issued to Pennsylvania residents). Or if you ski frequently, an annual travel insurance plan might be a better choice. Get a quote.

Step 7. Plan your meals in advance.

When you come off the mountain at lunchtime, cold and hungry, it’s tempting to just pay the $15 for a ski resort hotdog. Don’t do it! Here are some cheap ski vacation meals that are better than a smashed sandwich in your pocket.

Breakfast: Pack microwavable breakfast burritos, bottled smoothies, or instant oatmeal (hot water and public microwaves are often available in ski resort lodges).

Snacks: Granola bars, string cheese, trail mix, jerky, and other pocket foods

Lunch: Fill a thermos with hot chili, soup, or macaroni and cheese. Fill another with hot cocoa, coffee, or tea. Leave them in a locker in the lodge, along with sandwiches, charcuterie, sliced fruit, and a sweet treat.

Step 8. Buy ski gear secondhand, or rent off-site.

Renting skis and gear from the resort will typically be the most expensive way to go. Finding a sports shop in the town nearest to the ski area is a better strategy, as you can take advantage of off-site pricing while not being too far away in case the gear fails and needs repair. If you’re a seasoned skier, you may want to check out local consignment shops for high-quality secondhand gear.

Another option: Put out the call in your local neighborhood or Buy Nothing group before your trip. You may be able to borrow ski clothing and gear in your size (just be prepared to pay if anything gets broken).

Related Articles

• Travel Insurance to Cover Your Ski Vacation
• 5 Reasons to Buy Travel Insurance for Your Ski Trip
• Peak Experiences: The Best Ski Resorts to Visit in the U.S.