Where to look for ski deals?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're going to stay in Frisco/Silverthorne in a few weeks and will head to Copper. It's reasonable priced and centrally located to other resorts should we opt to venture out.

My friends love Purgatory becuase they have the kids ski free, which is fantastic. I looked into it and it was pretty cheap but the flights down to Montrose are more expensive than Denver.

A lot of resorts will offer package deals if you book lodging through them. I had thought about staying at Copper ad they offered discounted lift rates with stay

I found it cheaper to get an Airbnb in Frisco, plus we have family staying and I need space.

A lot of people drive down to Purgatory from Denver in a rental car. Makes sense if you're doing a 5-7 day trip. If Montrose is anything like Vail airport, you will be at the mercy of the weather gods. So many people get canceled flights at Vail airport and then need to scramble to Denver at the last minute to try to get home.

Montrose is on the Western Slope (so not in the mountains) and doesn't have the same weather issues that Eagle and Aspen/Pitken have. You can also fly in and out of Grand Junction and avoid the weather issues. I wouldn't recommend flying into Denver for anything on the Western side of Colorado because I70 sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're going to stay in Frisco/Silverthorne in a few weeks and will head to Copper. It's reasonable priced and centrally located to other resorts should we opt to venture out.

My friends love Purgatory becuase they have the kids ski free, which is fantastic. I looked into it and it was pretty cheap but the flights down to Montrose are more expensive than Denver.

A lot of resorts will offer package deals if you book lodging through them. I had thought about staying at Copper ad they offered discounted lift rates with stay

I found it cheaper to get an Airbnb in Frisco, plus we have family staying and I need space.

A lot of people drive down to Purgatory from Denver in a rental car. Makes sense if you're doing a 5-7 day trip. If Montrose is anything like Vail airport, you will be at the mercy of the weather gods. So many people get canceled flights at Vail airport and then need to scramble to Denver at the last minute to try to get home.

Montrose is on the Western Slope (so not in the mountains) and doesn't have the same weather issues that Eagle and Aspen/Pitken have. You can also fly in and out of Grand Junction and avoid the weather issues. I wouldn't recommend flying into Denver for anything on the Western side of Colorado because I70 sucks.

Why does I-70 suck? Is it just traffic? Not from CO myself

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're going to stay in Frisco/Silverthorne in a few weeks and will head to Copper. It's reasonable priced and centrally located to other resorts should we opt to venture out.

My friends love Purgatory becuase they have the kids ski free, which is fantastic. I looked into it and it was pretty cheap but the flights down to Montrose are more expensive than Denver.

A lot of resorts will offer package deals if you book lodging through them. I had thought about staying at Copper ad they offered discounted lift rates with stay

I found it cheaper to get an Airbnb in Frisco, plus we have family staying and I need space.

A lot of people drive down to Purgatory from Denver in a rental car. Makes sense if you're doing a 5-7 day trip. If Montrose is anything like Vail airport, you will be at the mercy of the weather gods. So many people get canceled flights at Vail airport and then need to scramble to Denver at the last minute to try to get home.

Montrose is on the Western Slope (so not in the mountains) and doesn't have the same weather issues that Eagle and Aspen/Pitken have. You can also fly in and out of Grand Junction and avoid the weather issues. I wouldn't recommend flying into Denver for anything on the Western side of Colorado because I70 sucks.

Why does I-70 suck? Is it just traffic? Not from CO myself

Traffic, rental cars without snow-rated tires, really bad snow storms. Usually all three of those combined. And then once you get off 70, you may have to take smaller twisty highways to get to your resort (A-Basin, Winterpark, Keystone, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're going to stay in Frisco/Silverthorne in a few weeks and will head to Copper. It's reasonable priced and centrally located to other resorts should we opt to venture out.

My friends love Purgatory becuase they have the kids ski free, which is fantastic. I looked into it and it was pretty cheap but the flights down to Montrose are more expensive than Denver.

A lot of resorts will offer package deals if you book lodging through them. I had thought about staying at Copper ad they offered discounted lift rates with stay

I found it cheaper to get an Airbnb in Frisco, plus we have family staying and I need space.

A lot of people drive down to Purgatory from Denver in a rental car. Makes sense if you're doing a 5-7 day trip. If Montrose is anything like Vail airport, you will be at the mercy of the weather gods. So many people get canceled flights at Vail airport and then need to scramble to Denver at the last minute to try to get home.

Montrose is on the Western Slope (so not in the mountains) and doesn't have the same weather issues that Eagle and Aspen/Pitken have. You can also fly in and out of Grand Junction and avoid the weather issues. I wouldn't recommend flying into Denver for anything on the Western side of Colorado because I70 sucks.

Yeah, I confused Purgatory with Wolf Creek. WC is drivable from Denver.

[Anonymous]

These are all good tips. I would add to get a Southwest credit card now. Tons of flights from BWI to DEN or SLC. Two free bags/person means you can bring your own equipment for free. Start getting points now and by next year you won't be paying for airfare.

We live in CO now and have done a mix of Ikon and Epic over the years. The Epic close-in mountains have better ski towns than Ikon (Breck, Vail, Beaver Creek) vs you have to go out further for Ikon (Apsen, Steamboat).

If I had to do this for one week, I would probably get an Epic pass and book early somewhere in Vail. There is so much to explore there and you can easily pop over to Beaver Creek for a day or so - which all the kids love bc of the Candy shack and fresh cookies - but probably doesnt have enough terrain to keep everyone excited for a week.

[Anonymous]

rental cars without snow-rated tires

I really wish the state of CO could regulate this somehow. Like impose massive fees if you rent a stupid ass car and cause a snow/ice related problem.

I don't know...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're going to stay in Frisco/Silverthorne in a few weeks and will head to Copper. It's reasonable priced and centrally located to other resorts should we opt to venture out.

My friends love Purgatory becuase they have the kids ski free, which is fantastic. I looked into it and it was pretty cheap but the flights down to Montrose are more expensive than Denver.

A lot of resorts will offer package deals if you book lodging through them. I had thought about staying at Copper ad they offered discounted lift rates with stay

I found it cheaper to get an Airbnb in Frisco, plus we have family staying and I need space.

A lot of people drive down to Purgatory from Denver in a rental car. Makes sense if you're doing a 5-7 day trip. If Montrose is anything like Vail airport, you will be at the mercy of the weather gods. So many people get canceled flights at Vail airport and then need to scramble to Denver at the last minute to try to get home.

Montrose is on the Western Slope (so not in the mountains) and doesn't have the same weather issues that Eagle and Aspen/Pitken have. You can also fly in and out of Grand Junction and avoid the weather issues. I wouldn't recommend flying into Denver for anything on the Western side of Colorado because I70 sucks.

Yeah, I confused Purgatory with Wolf Creek. WC is drivable from Denver.

Yes, though much closer to Colorado Springs than Denver. Of course, WC may get a bump in skiers after the NYT article earlier this week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're going to stay in Frisco/Silverthorne in a few weeks and will head to Copper. It's reasonable priced and centrally located to other resorts should we opt to venture out.

My friends love Purgatory becuase they have the kids ski free, which is fantastic. I looked into it and it was pretty cheap but the flights down to Montrose are more expensive than Denver.

A lot of resorts will offer package deals if you book lodging through them. I had thought about staying at Copper ad they offered discounted lift rates with stay

I found it cheaper to get an Airbnb in Frisco, plus we have family staying and I need space.

A lot of people drive down to Purgatory from Denver in a rental car. Makes sense if you're doing a 5-7 day trip. If Montrose is anything like Vail airport, you will be at the mercy of the weather gods. So many people get canceled flights at Vail airport and then need to scramble to Denver at the last minute to try to get home.

Montrose is on the Western Slope (so not in the mountains) and doesn't have the same weather issues that Eagle and Aspen/Pitken have. You can also fly in and out of Grand Junction and avoid the weather issues. I wouldn't recommend flying into Denver for anything on the Western side of Colorado because I70 sucks.

Yeah, I confused Purgatory with Wolf Creek. WC is drivable from Denver.

Yes, though much closer to Colorado Springs than Denver. Of course, WC may get a bump in skiers after the NYT article earlier this week.

I bet it's not a big bump. Five hours from Denver and 24 miles to a hotel is just not appealing for many.

Still, I bet the locals are pissed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you’ll consider Europe, there are lots of companies that do all package deals, though you’d need to either book your own flight (to somewhere like Geneva or Zurich) or fly to London and go with the package from there. They are very well priced and usually include half board accommodation, lift tickets, ski rentals, ski school and transfers to/from airport. See for example igluski.com or crystalski.co.uk

Where in the UK can you even ski? No thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’ll consider Europe, there are lots of companies that do all package deals, though you’d need to either book your own flight (to somewhere like Geneva or Zurich) or fly to London and go with the package from there. They are very well priced and usually include half board accommodation, lift tickets, ski rentals, ski school and transfers to/from airport. See for example igluski.com or crystalski.co.uk

Where in the UK can you even ski? No thank you.

Did you see where I said fly into Geneva or Zurich? Those cities are in Switzerland, perhaps you aren’t aware.
I was recommending the above UK-based ski tour package companies because they have deals which might appeal to people here. Not that complicated

[Anonymous]

There really aren’t any deals. Skiing is just crazy expensive - the end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an avid skiier and Ikon pass holder, I agree with the above advice with one caveat, Steamboat has gotten stupid expensive since the pandemic. We went Christmas 2019 and then Christmas 2022 and last month. We reserved our AirBnB in July or August to get a decent price and they raised the prices over 200 per day over last year for ski school/camp for our munchkin.

That said, Colorado is fantastic. You might want to look at places like Frisco, which are close to Copper, Keystone, A-Basin, and Breckenridge. You will need to rent an AWD car to drive to the different mountains. You will also want to research where you want to go. Lots of the Front Range are Vail owned, which means Epic. All of the Aspen mountains, Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper and A-Basin are Ikon.

You might also want to try Utah. Park City is fun, but it is expensive too. PC and Canyons are Epic, Deer Valley is Ikon as are Alta, Snowbird, Solitude and Brighton. I like Solitude as a mountain for first time out west skiiers. There isn't a town to speak of, just the village. The AirBnB type lodging there is more reasonable than in other places. I wouldn't recommend Alta-Snowbird for first time out west skiiers. They are amazing mountains but some of the toughest out there. (Snowbird more than Alta but Alta is no slouch) Also, there is no town to speak of and lodging is limited.

Either way, decide where you want to go and then buy one of the passes next spring when they go on sale. I know there may be sticker shock but you have to remember that day passes for most of the mountains are 200+ a day. I know Steamboat over Christmas is 275 per day.

As someone who learned to ski at Solitude (at 40 yrs old) and went there for a decade or so over winter break, I strongly agree with this. Excellent ski school, plenty of beginner/intermediate terrain, some very challenging terrain if you have experts in your party, cheaper than other places (slightly), better likelihood of good snow if you go early in the season, and best of all, nowhere near the crowds you'll see at PC/Canyons. We never rented a car - it's stupid expensive, and I didn't want to get caught having to drive there or back in a blizzard. There are plenty of shuttles from the airport (to Solitude, and all other resorts).

Drawbacks:

- there is no night life. A few restaurants, one "bar" - sort of - and a crappy pizza place. We ate lunch on the mountain, and out once or twice in a week, but stopped on the way out and picked up a big grocery order (and at the liquor store!), and made dinner most nights.
- If you take the shuttle, you're really confined to the village. When the kids are little that's fine, but as they get older it began to chafe a but, and we switched to PC (for a lot more money!).
- If you stay in a house off property, traffic can be a nightmare in the morning. Highly recommend staying in a condo in the village.
- You have to keep an eye in the weather, and you may need to leave early to make your return flight if a big storm threatens to close Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Some of my best memories are first tracks on Christmas day with my family and friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an avid skiier and Ikon pass holder, I agree with the above advice with one caveat, Steamboat has gotten stupid expensive since the pandemic. We went Christmas 2019 and then Christmas 2022 and last month. We reserved our AirBnB in July or August to get a decent price and they raised the prices over 200 per day over last year for ski school/camp for our munchkin.

That said, Colorado is fantastic. You might want to look at places like Frisco, which are close to Copper, Keystone, A-Basin, and Breckenridge. You will need to rent an AWD car to drive to the different mountains. You will also want to research where you want to go. Lots of the Front Range are Vail owned, which means Epic. All of the Aspen mountains, Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper and A-Basin are Ikon.

You might also want to try Utah. Park City is fun, but it is expensive too. PC and Canyons are Epic, Deer Valley is Ikon as are Alta, Snowbird, Solitude and Brighton. I like Solitude as a mountain for first time out west skiiers. There isn't a town to speak of, just the village. The AirBnB type lodging there is more reasonable than in other places. I wouldn't recommend Alta-Snowbird for first time out west skiiers. They are amazing mountains but some of the toughest out there. (Snowbird more than Alta but Alta is no slouch) Also, there is no town to speak of and lodging is limited.

Either way, decide where you want to go and then buy one of the passes next spring when they go on sale. I know there may be sticker shock but you have to remember that day passes for most of the mountains are 200+ a day. I know Steamboat over Christmas is 275 per day.

As someone who learned to ski at Solitude (at 40 yrs old) and went there for a decade or so over winter break, I strongly agree with this. Excellent ski school, plenty of beginner/intermediate terrain, some very challenging terrain if you have experts in your party, cheaper than other places (slightly), better likelihood of good snow if you go early in the season, and best of all, nowhere near the crowds you'll see at PC/Canyons. We never rented a car - it's stupid expensive, and I didn't want to get caught having to drive there or back in a blizzard. There are plenty of shuttles from the airport (to Solitude, and all other resorts).

Drawbacks:

- there is no night life. A few restaurants, one "bar" - sort of - and a crappy pizza place. We ate lunch on the mountain, and out once or twice in a week, but stopped on the way out and picked up a big grocery order (and at the liquor store!), and made dinner most nights.
- If you take the shuttle, you're really confined to the village. When the kids are little that's fine, but as they get older it began to chafe a but, and we switched to PC (for a lot more money!).
- If you stay in a house off property, traffic can be a nightmare in the morning. Highly recommend staying in a condo in the village.
- You have to keep an eye in the weather, and you may need to leave early to make your return flight if a big storm threatens to close Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Some of my best memories are first tracks on Christmas day with my family and friends.

To add - the best snow in the world is in Utah. People will claim Colorado or the Alps are better - but they're wrong.

[Anonymous]

Jackson Hole offers packages - hotel, flight and lifts. Usually there is a $400 flight credit if you do the package.

A number of other ski areas will offer similar packages if they have a central lodging bureau. Quite a few resort hotels will offer lift tickets as part of a ski package. Tremblant makes it easy to build a package on their website.

You have to evaluate the package vs getting a pass and making your own reservations.

I'd just browse around on resort websites and see what they are offering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’ll consider Europe, there are lots of companies that do all package deals, though you’d need to either book your own flight (to somewhere like Geneva or Zurich) or fly to London and go with the package from there. They are very well priced and usually include half board accommodation, lift tickets, ski rentals, ski school and transfers to/from airport. See for example igluski.com or crystalski.co.uk

Where in the UK can you even ski? No thank you.

Not PP but there are at least 2 indoor ski hills in England. I've skiied at one of them.

But the Brits are very big on their package tours and catered chalets (often staffed by British kids on a gap year). They can be a very good deal. I think PP was suggesting joining one of those.