6 ways to Make Your Colorado Family Ski Trip More Affordable
The Colorado Rocky Mountains are a bucket list destination for families wanting some fun in the powder white snow. Creating those memories with your family is so special and can also cost more than you realize.
Achieving those winter wonderland memories is still within reach! Don’t lose hope! There are different ways you can save money to make this family ski trip more affordable for your budget.
Kids Ski Free Options
Parents will be overjoyed to hear that your kids 12 and under could ski for free at Keystone resort. To unlock this deal, you need to book at least two nights at one of the participating hotels. You can find the cost of hotels here that will fit your budget, and also give you vouchers for your child to ski.
Epic Schoolkids Pass is another option to save you money if you want to ski all season long. This pass is a free program for kids from Kindergarten through 5th grade. You get 4 days to ski for free at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Crested Butte. You do need to enroll at one of the participating Epic Mountain Gear stores, and verification of grade level is required. More perks include a free lesson and a day rental. Check out all the details for participating locations, how to enroll, and how to get the free lesson and rental HERE.
Kids 4 and under ski for FREE at many ski resorts, but check each resort when planning your trip because every year the resorts may change their policies. Currently, Breckenridge will give you a FREE lift ticket when you go to the resort ticket window on the day you ski. Depending on where you decide to ski, you can buy lift tickets ahead of time and get a discounted price from the ticket window. The savings do add up!
Go During Off-Season
Want to enjoy fewer crowds and also lower rates? Then take some extra time off work and pull the kids from school for a day or two, and schedule your trip off-season. The savings from going during the off-season can help with pricing and availability on lift tickets, flights, and hotel stays.
For example, a one-day lift ticket at Breckenridge for an adult during peak days is $299, but low season, the lift price is closer to $225. That’s a $75 savings for one person for one day!
Use Points for Hotel Accommodations
Did you know you can earn points through credit cards that can give you free hotel nights? If you were to put your groceries, gas, or utilities bills on a credit card and always pay off in full every month, you could earn some points to put towards free hotel stays.
Example: World of Hyatt has hotels at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone. If you were to open the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card (My favorite card!) and meet the minimum spend, you earn a good welcome bonus! Those points can all be transferred to World of Hyatt, and you can use points to book your free nights, and the resort fees are waived too when using points! Want to learn how to use points to cover travel? Grab my FREE beginner guide to get you started.
Choose Small Ski Resorts
This money-saving tip may not be for everyone because you may want to ski or snowboard at the larger resorts, which are higher on the price scale. For example, Vail is the largest ski resort in Colorado, but it is also listed of the top more expensive resorts to ski at.
Going to smaller resorts will also lower the price for you. So if you are a beginner and don’t care, this might be a good option for you. Consider Monarch Mountain, where a one-day adult lift ticket can be as low as $69. Other budget ski resorts in Colorado include Sunlight Mountain Resort, Arapahoe Basin, and Echo Mountain.
Enjoy FREE Perks at Resorts
How does a warm cookie sound at the end of a long day on the slopes? At Beaver Creek resort, this is a tradition at 3 pm at the Centennial Express Lift. Enjoy these free treats!
At Snowmass Village, FREE s’more kits are handed out at 3:30 in the village, and you can cook these at many of the fire pits on the resort. They also offer free ice skating as well if you have an off day to enjoy or have some kids not skiing for the day.
Check the ski town and resort that you plan on going to and see what free activities and events are going on. You never know what you will find. We went to Snowmass Village to see some of the X Games. We also found free ice skating, gondola rides, and s’mores! A day of free activities made this easier on our budget, but also full of new memories!
Learn How to Fly for Nearly Free and Book Free Hotel Stays
Traveling to the mountains can be more affordable by combining several of these strategies. If you want to learn how to fly your family for nearly free and stay in hotels covered by points, grab my free guide to get started today!
Now you can save money and make family memories together in the snowy Colorado mountains. Family travel may seem so far out of reach, but using some of these tips could save you money and make it easier for you to make those bucket list memories together.