Let’s face it – as heavenly as those mountain vacations are, skiing/snowboarding are expensive sports…the gear, lift tickets, travel expenses. Wouldn’t it be nice to reduce the cost?
Here are some tips to help you have a nice trip, and not break the bank.
1) Consider your parking situation at the mountain. Check with the ski resort – some charge less for parking on week days… and charge less for high occupancy vehicles. Translation: carpool. It can save you $10 a day in some places.
2) If you have children, buy their equipment on Ebay. I have bought every new set of kids’ skis on the auction website, and hand each pair down to the next child. If you only have one child, it may not be worth it to buy skis and boots since kids he or she grow out of them. Also, skis = extra baggage charges on planes, so see if there are special package deals for rentals if you put your child in a lesson.
3) Consider flying Jet Blue or Southwest to your ski destination if possible – they still allow a second free checked bag. Otherwise, make your boots your carry on so you can put all the skis together in one bag.
4) If you own a credit card linked to an airline, check to see if that gets you any benefits when it comes to checking skis or extra baggage.
5) Instead of renting a car online, call the local rental car agencies directly- especially if you are renting last minute. I have found they sometimes have cars that the online websites don’t list – for a better price!
Now all we need is more SNOW! Have a great season!
These can be more expensive, and not recommended for babies under 6 months old.
