Family Skiing Tips – Money-Saving Tips
Source: http://travelwithkids.about.com/od/familyskiing/a/Family_Skiing_Tips.htm
Family skiing can be a costly sport, especially when buying gear and lift tickets for three or four or five or you. Below are money-saving tips.
Drive to Your Family Skiing Getaway: Not always possible, of course; but if you can drive to the slopes you can save a lot of dough, not only on airfare but also on luggage fees if you bring your gear along, or on rental costs if you rent your gear at your destination.
Try a Smaller Ski Resort: Sometimes smaller places without high profiles are star-quality for family skiing, with uncrowded slopes, lower prices, manageable size, friendly ambiance.
Kids Ski Free: There are several different ways that kids can ride and slide for free. Most ski resorts let kids on the slopes gratis up to a certain age, and sometimes that age is as high as ten years old. Also, every winter, major vacation packagers offer “Kids Fly Free” promotions. Check out these and other types of Kids Ski Free opportunities.
More Tips to Reduce the Price of Lift Tickets
-Try off-peak times: many resorts have deals early or late in the season
-Check out seasons passes (often sold months before the season starts), multi-visit passes, online tickets — any and all alternatives to the regular ticket price! Local newspapers may have promotions for lift tickets.
-Take lessons, and you’ll often get a price break on lift tickets
-Save on accommodations by sharing a big condo with another family.
-Save Money on Gear or Rentals
Kids outgrow equipment so fast that excellent gear is available second-hand.
-Buy equipment at ski-swaps, consignment stores, or special buyback programs at sports equipment retailers. Think creatively: do you have friends whose kids have outgrown their gear?
-Try to buy before the snow season opens, when you’ll be desperate for gear!
If you need to rent gear at your destination: rentals right at the ski slopes are most convenient; however, on-site rental shops can be expensive. They can also be extremely busy at peak periods: you might lose an hour of your day just getting gear.
Check to see if ski shops near — but not on– the mountain rent equipment more cheaply. You do have to factor in the hassle of lugging boots and skis and boards to the slopes: decide if the savings are worth it!
