Anonymous
11/03/2025 17:22
Subject: Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Anonymous wrote:Hot take, if you have this much sticker shock pricing out a trip out west, then it is not worth the premium to you to ski out west.
Go to VT or Maine, spend 5k instead of 10 (I don't see how a family of 5 really gets all in for 7.5 out west as I am cheap AF and 4 days at Killington last year was close to 5k for us, but spectacular, highly recommend Killington OP!).
If you are like, a really regular skier who loves skiing etc then sure go out west, but if you don't even have the skill set to appreciate it (and that isn't an insult just reality) then to me it wouldn't be worth the markup. There is plenty of good skiing a day's drive away where you can bring your gear and spend a lot less.
I'd recommend, Killington or Snowshoe or Sunday River if you want a more resort feel. Stowe if you want that LUX feel. And if you were open to smaller mountains there are a ton you could hop around to in Vermont and Maine.
I don't want to be one of those people. Killington can be fantastic, weather dependent. Snowshoe isn't worth the drive ever. Sunday Reiver, meh.
That said, the East Coast taught me to hate skiing. And the Rockies taught me to love it again. I just don't think even northern New England is worth that kind of spend.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 15:18
Subject: Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Hot take, if you have this much sticker shock pricing out a trip out west, then it is not worth the premium to you to ski out west.
Go to VT or Maine, spend 5k instead of 10 (I don't see how a family of 5 really gets all in for 7.5 out west as I am cheap AF and 4 days at Killington last year was close to 5k for us, but spectacular, highly recommend Killington OP!).
If you are like, a really regular skier who loves skiing etc then sure go out west, but if you don't even have the skill set to appreciate it (and that isn't an insult just reality) then to me it wouldn't be worth the markup. There is plenty of good skiing a day's drive away where you can bring your gear and spend a lot less.
I'd recommend, Killington or Snowshoe or Sunday River if you want a more resort feel. Stowe if you want that LUX feel. And if you were open to smaller mountains there are a ton you could hop around to in Vermont and Maine.
Go to VT or Maine, spend 5k instead of 10 (I don't see how a family of 5 really gets all in for 7.5 out west as I am cheap AF and 4 days at Killington last year was close to 5k for us, but spectacular, highly recommend Killington OP!).
If you are like, a really regular skier who loves skiing etc then sure go out west, but if you don't even have the skill set to appreciate it (and that isn't an insult just reality) then to me it wouldn't be worth the markup. There is plenty of good skiing a day's drive away where you can bring your gear and spend a lot less.
I'd recommend, Killington or Snowshoe or Sunday River if you want a more resort feel. Stowe if you want that LUX feel. And if you were open to smaller mountains there are a ton you could hop around to in Vermont and Maine.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 15:10
Subject: Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You can all go to Europe and ski for less all-in.
Enjoyed this place as a family. It’s right on the slopes and caters to parents/children. The family rooms are awesome. I have never found the same here. There’s a little room with a bunk bed and you can close the door. Adult bedroom has a door too! Loved it!
https://www.falkensteiner.com/en/hotel-cristallo
But how with the cost of airfare? Flying to Paris, Munich etc is way more expensive than Denver. It also eats up two days of vacation time.
You can find reasonable accommodations at Beaver Creek, Breck, Park City etc. Buy 5-7 day Ikon or Epic day passes.
I don’t see how it’s cheaper to go to Europe when you have to begin by spending $5-10k on airfare for a family of four. It’s also a bad use of miles considering you can inexpensively fly to Denver.
I’m one of the PPs who suggested Europe. I ski there every year. January/February tickets to Paris are not that expensive ($600 or so and often substantially less), particularly if you book in advance. Geneva is a bit more expensive, but not crazy, and is usually worth the premium if you are just skiing and not adding on a few days in Paris.
I usually fly AF and pay 35k points plus $200 or so in taxes for a round-trip economy ticket. I don’t think the cash price is that far off for a RT on a full service airline to SLC or Denver during ski season. Hotels are the same price or cheaper, and lift tickets, lessons, and food are SO much cheaper that you’re still saving money even if the airfare is a little more expensive.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 12:33
Subject: Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Colorado. My parents put me on a bus in downtown Denver that took kids up to various ski resorts. They started doing this when I was 8. I can’t even imagine sending an eight year-old alone skiing today.
That said, East Coast skiing is crap. I don’t take my kids skiing on the East Coast, but I’m probably a snow snob. Which means they haven’t skied very often because as everyone else has mentioned, it is outrageously expensive to do a ski vacation out west.
The problem with taking a smaller no experience child skiing on the East Coast is it can be an ice rink or slush pond. This isn’t actually fun for a child to learn on.
I did the same at 14 in Washington State. I think we could start as early as 13. Do we have something like that here for Massanutten or similar?
I miss crystal. And the relatively easy trips up to bc. Living in dc it just doesn’t seem worth it.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 12:18
Subject: Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
We do this trip annually. Yes, it's freaking expensive but it's my DH and kid's greatest joy in life so...here we are. We save by buying the Epic pass every year, using airline and hotel points and eating in most nights. But it's still expensive. And you don't want to totally cheap out on gear. It makes a huge difference in whether your kids will actually enjoy their time if they are warm and dry!
I do highly recommend making it a driving trip for first timers. You can rent the equipment very inexpensively here and bring it (go get the rentals now. We have used Ski Center in Gaithersburg for many years). We love Vermont. Okemo and Stowe both have great ski schools. It is about 7.5-8 hours. We make couple stops along the way. You can also do Seven Springs in PA or one of the NY mountains like Gore or Hunter (just tend to be very crowded).
I do highly recommend making it a driving trip for first timers. You can rent the equipment very inexpensively here and bring it (go get the rentals now. We have used Ski Center in Gaithersburg for many years). We love Vermont. Okemo and Stowe both have great ski schools. It is about 7.5-8 hours. We make couple stops along the way. You can also do Seven Springs in PA or one of the NY mountains like Gore or Hunter (just tend to be very crowded).
Anonymous
11/03/2025 12:07
Subject: Re:Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
^^^PP here. Europe is definitely less expensive but the snow and snow quality are less guarenteed, especially if one is beholden to the school schedule. We go to Utah because it is the most reliable. (Though this year they are getting a slow start)
Anonymous
11/03/2025 11:51
Subject: Re:Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
We are avid skiers and do two trips out West per year and are at Timberline most weekends. Our 8 yo can ski anything out West, nothing is too steep, bumped, narrow or treed for him. Anyway, we put him on skis at 2.5.
Yes, ski vacations are expensive. We buy IKON passes in the spring for the following year which are about 3K for the 3 of us but lift tickets at the resort are way more than that for the amount of days we are sking.
We are going to Alta/Snowbird for the holidays. We are staying up in one of the Alta hotels, which include breakfast and dinner. Our room for 8 nights comes to $6500. I put the munchkin in ski school for 3 days, which was 765. Airfare was $2500 from here to SLC, with a stop. The direct Delta flight would have cost us $4500. We will be renting a car for around $600.
So, yes, a ski vacation is expensive. You can do it cheaper. For example, you don't have to stay right on the mountain. That would cut down on costs considerably. Even with two meals included which we figure is worth 200 per day for the 3 of us, lodging alone for the 8 nights is 4900. For us to be able to ski and to not have to worry about driving up every day is worth it to us.
Yes, ski vacations are expensive. We buy IKON passes in the spring for the following year which are about 3K for the 3 of us but lift tickets at the resort are way more than that for the amount of days we are sking.
We are going to Alta/Snowbird for the holidays. We are staying up in one of the Alta hotels, which include breakfast and dinner. Our room for 8 nights comes to $6500. I put the munchkin in ski school for 3 days, which was 765. Airfare was $2500 from here to SLC, with a stop. The direct Delta flight would have cost us $4500. We will be renting a car for around $600.
So, yes, a ski vacation is expensive. You can do it cheaper. For example, you don't have to stay right on the mountain. That would cut down on costs considerably. Even with two meals included which we figure is worth 200 per day for the 3 of us, lodging alone for the 8 nights is 4900. For us to be able to ski and to not have to worry about driving up every day is worth it to us.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 09:22
Subject: Re:Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:That sounds inexpensive. Last year we spent $6000 for 4 nights in Snowshoe for a family of 4, Dec. 26-30, and we all have our own skis.
dear god, $6000 for 4 nights at snowshoe when the entire mountain isn't open is insane. We spend that for a full week out west with ski in and out accommodations.
We own our gear and have season passes so I don't factor that into the cost.
Yeah, that's a lot of money. Sounds like they were there during Christmas break, which is $$$. Snowshoe and Davis, WV ski hills can get snow and make snow in December, but I still don't think of the ski season starting there until after the New Year. This whole global warming thing, at least lately, has really pushed the start of winter back.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 09:19
Subject: Re:Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Anonymous wrote:That sounds inexpensive. Last year we spent $6000 for 4 nights in Snowshoe for a family of 4, Dec. 26-30, and we all have our own skis.
dear god, $6000 for 4 nights at snowshoe when the entire mountain isn't open is insane. We spend that for a full week out west with ski in and out accommodations.
We own our gear and have season passes so I don't factor that into the cost.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 09:15
Subject: Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Yes, ski vacations are expensive. Even if you slum it at Liberty or Whitetail, it can be expensive. The reason Liberty and Whitetail cost so much, aside from Epic evilness, is their winters are so short. Their window for making money gets shorter every year.
I love everything about Utah and Colorado, but I can't justify the money for a trip out there to ski. For a family of four, you are probably looking at $4,000 before you even get to the mountains. This is probably a conservative estimate, but flights, shuttles or rental car, and airport parking/UBER adds up.
I'm not a ski snob, or maybe I am, but I can't do Liberty or Whitetail any more. The conditions are usually terrible, trails are short and it's expensive. Locally, I will ski Wisp, Timberline or Canaan. If conditions are good, I will drive to Vermont. Vermont's not cheap, but like a prior poster noted, it's cheaper than out west and logistically it's easier.
Yes, ski vacations are expensive. Even if you slum it at Liberty or Whitetail, it can be expensive. The reason Liberty and Whitetail cost so much, aside from Epic evilness, is their winters are so short. Their window for making money gets shorter every year.
I love everything about Utah and Colorado, but I can't justify the money for a trip out there to ski. For a family of four, you are probably looking at $4,000 before you even get to the mountains. This is probably a conservative estimate, but flights, shuttles or rental car, and airport parking/UBER adds up.
I'm not a ski snob, or maybe I am, but I can't do Liberty or Whitetail any more. The conditions are usually terrible, trails are short and it's expensive. Locally, I will ski Wisp, Timberline or Canaan. If conditions are good, I will drive to Vermont. Vermont's not cheap, but like a prior poster noted, it's cheaper than out west and logistically it's easier.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 08:50
Subject: Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You can all go to Europe and ski for less all-in.
Enjoyed this place as a family. It’s right on the slopes and caters to parents/children. The family rooms are awesome. I have never found the same here. There’s a little room with a bunk bed and you can close the door. Adult bedroom has a door too! Loved it!
https://www.falkensteiner.com/en/hotel-cristallo
But how with the cost of airfare? Flying to Paris, Munich etc is way more expensive than Denver. It also eats up two days of vacation time.
You can find reasonable accommodations at Beaver Creek, Breck, Park City etc. Buy 5-7 day Ikon or Epic day passes.
I don’t see how it’s cheaper to go to Europe when you have to begin by spending $5-10k on airfare for a family of four. It’s also a bad use of miles considering you can inexpensively fly to Denver.
A 4 day Ikon pass is $600 for an adult. That's $1200 for you and DH before the kids. A family ski pass in St Johan in Tirol is $240 which is both parents and two kids.
Flights to MUC are pretty reasonable if you book well in advance and you can get supersaver airfares. Food, lodging, and lessons are all cheaper there.
That's how. I've done it for years (I'm the PP who mentioned it in a reply with a link to the hotel). If you don't want to research it or go, don't. But not only is it great skiing, it's a great cultural experience that can't be had in Colorado.
We go there in spite of the fact that we own a second home in a US Ski destination. So we do both, I definite can compare the experience and cost.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 08:47
Subject: Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I love Vermont. It isn’t Colorado or Utah, but it’s so much cheaper, and logistically much easier. In addition to saving $$$ on flights, driving to Vermont is a breeze compared to shlepping all your to the airport and flying out west.
Yuck half the time there is crap snow more ice
The other half of the time it’s awesome. I’ve seen bad snow in Colorado too. All things being equal, Colorado is way better than Vermont, but I’ve had great skiing in VT too.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 08:45
Subject: Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I love Vermont. It isn’t Colorado or Utah, but it’s so much cheaper, and logistically much easier. In addition to saving $$$ on flights, driving to Vermont is a breeze compared to shlepping all your to the airport and flying out west.
Driving to Vermont is not quite a breeze. It's eight hours. It takes me about the same to get all the way to Beaver Creek driving 70 from DEN. I admit I've done it enough to do it blindfolded. But in terms of effort, living all the way down here makes New England really not particularly attractive. It also seems overpriced to me on a value basis.
As far as logistically easier to drive... generally, yes. However; I have a bag that takes almost everything including my skis, along with a boot bag, and United/other majors take it as regular luggage. I'm flying direct to Eagle twice this year from Dulles, so potentially easier.
Being a “breeze” is relative. I still think driving to Vermont is easier than jumping all of your ski gear to the airport and getting to the resorts in Colorado. Plus the money savings, which is important to me, is huge.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 08:42
Subject: Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Anonymous wrote:You can all go to Europe and ski for less all-in.
Enjoyed this place as a family. It’s right on the slopes and caters to parents/children. The family rooms are awesome. I have never found the same here. There’s a little room with a bunk bed and you can close the door. Adult bedroom has a door too! Loved it!
https://www.falkensteiner.com/en/hotel-cristallo
But how with the cost of airfare? Flying to Paris, Munich etc is way more expensive than Denver. It also eats up two days of vacation time.
You can find reasonable accommodations at Beaver Creek, Breck, Park City etc. Buy 5-7 day Ikon or Epic day passes.
I don’t see how it’s cheaper to go to Europe when you have to begin by spending $5-10k on airfare for a family of four. It’s also a bad use of miles considering you can inexpensively fly to Denver.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 08:41
Subject: Are ski/snowboard family vacations crazy expensive?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You can all go to Europe and ski for less all-in.
Enjoyed this place as a family. It’s right on the slopes and caters to parents/children. The family rooms are awesome. I have never found the same here. There’s a little room with a bunk bed and you can close the door. Adult bedroom has a door too! Loved it!
https://www.falkensteiner.com/en/hotel-cristallo[/.quote]
How did you get there? Looks a little complicated from US.
Fly into Munich and drive.
NP. We took our kids every year from age 0 (youngest, oldest 4) to, well, now. (College aged). It's easy to fly to MUC, rent car, and then drive to any one of many ski areas in Germany or Austria.
For young kids, I'd highly recommend here: https://www.furtherwirt.at/
We stayed there roughly 10-12 times when kids were younger. Lovely family, the hotel has been in their family since before the US was a country.
