It seems as if everyone’s vacation plans are suffering these days, what with the high cost of fuel and economic uncertainties. Many people who are fortunate enough to still be able to afford some time off and some travel are still looking for ways to make it less expensive, and planning ski vacations is no exception. Since skiing has the added cost of lift tickets and sometimes equipment rental it’s often thought of as one of the more expensive hobbies and sports you can choose. But there are some ways to cut corners when planning ski vacations without cutting into your enjoyment of the hobby itself. Let’s take a look at some of these things that other avid skiers have tried and see if they won’t work in your case.

For one thing, who says that ski vacations need to involve excess travel? Many people have access to ski resorts and lodges that are close to home; they may need to look a bit harder for them since some of the smaller ones don’t advertise as much as others but they offer a lot of beautiful trails and hills. If you stay close to home you don’t need to pay for accommodations or a plane ticket. These types of ski vacations may mean a bit more work and might not seem as special as if you actually went out of state or even left the country, but usually they offer a great change of scenery for even the most avid skier.

Many lodges and resorts that offer ski vacations also offer discounts but don’t advertise them very well. You need to get into the habit of speaking up and asking about them. If you’re a student, a senior citizen, a veteran, a member of AARP or AAA, or are traveling in a group you may be eligible for discounts on lift tickets and park admission, but you need to ask about these discounts. Sometimes coupon books also offer discounts on ski vacations if you look. It might be a discount on car rental, lodging and lift tickets at a particular lodge, or equipment rental. If you have an Entertainment Book or other coupon book then flip through it and see what you can find.

Be careful of equipment rental when planning ski vacations. If you purchase your skis and other equipment and keep it in good repair it should last you for years and even a lifetime. This can really add up to serious savings if you enjoy ski vacations on a regular basis. Sometimes the equipment rental can be more than the lift ticket itself! Consider getting used equipment if new items are out of your financial reach. Make sure you maintain everything properly for longer use.

Of course there are other ways to cut costs when planning ski vacations; giving these things some thought beforehand and being prepared for a bit more planning and work can really go a long way toward keeping your money in your wallet.

You might not be thinking that camping is the way to go when planning a ski vacation, but if you’re traveling with friends or your family you might want to consider this option. While it takes some adjustments and some specific equipment to plan out your winter camping, and of course there are precautions to observe, you might find that it provides the most enjoyable ski vacation you’ve ever had. Let’s take a look at why this is.

For one thing even the most avid skier may want a break from the slopes and trails during a long ski vacation. If you stay at a hotel or motel there may not be much else for you to do except sit around and watch television on those off-days. But when you’re out winter camping you can go snowshoeing, build a snow fort or snowman, take a sleigh ride, or try your hand at photography. The kids especially might appreciate a break from the slopes and trails and may appreciate some time when they can make up their own snowman army or have a friendly snowball fight. When you break up your ski vacation with some other fun activities they’re more likely to have fun and may be more agreeable to returning next year.

Winter camping is also one of the most affordable options when it comes to a ski vacation. You are not just saving on your rooming accommodations but you can cook many of your own meals so you’re saving on a restaurant tab, and may be able to stay at a resort right at the foot of the mountains. This means that you save on travel costs as well! Many winter campgrounds are made for those planning a ski vacation and may have their campgrounds set up right along the ski trail so you can easily step out of your tent and get skiing right away!

You do need to be careful when planning on winter camping for your ski vacation; you need to dress appropriately in not just warm clothing but water resistant clothing all day and night. You need to be prepared to get yourself warm when you get back to the campground after skiing since this is more difficult when camping than when staying in a hotel. And you need to keep a closer eye on the kids when planning this type of ski vacation! Don’t let them wander off unsupervised and make sure they’re dressed appropriately as well. Make sure you have the right equipment – a propane stove is typically preferred over a campfire since the wood is usually wet and unusable during winter months. Get a thermal blanket to put under your sleeping back since the ground can get much colder. And make sure any campground you want to try is actually open during the winter! There’s no sense in planning a great ski vacation at a location that is actually closed for the season or that doesn’t host skiers.

Taking your family on ski trips every year or even more than once per year can be a great and enjoyable outing for everyone. Skiing is very good exercise for everyone and gets the kids out of the house, away from their video and computer games, and is a great way for everyone to spend time together without getting bored. If you plan ski trips you can also enjoy some beautiful scenery and landscaping as you make your way around the terrain or down the hill; you might even meet up with a deer or two! But there are some things to think about when you consider taking your entire family with you to a ski lodge or resort as of course you want it to be as enjoyable for the kids as it is for the adults.

For one thing keep in mind that ski trips don’t always need to involve just skiing. You may be a diehard fan of the sport and maybe the rest of your family is too, but very often there are some kids who just don’t care for it as much as everyone else does. Some too really don’t enjoy downhill skiing or snowboarding and find it a bit intimidating or even frightening. Don’t think that ski trips are the time to force this sport or hobby on anyone; everyone is different with their preferences. Respect the kids who aren’t comfortable on the skis and make sure they have things they can do as well. Many ski resorts or lodges offer sleigh rides, horseback riding, snowshoeing, building snow forts or snowmen, bonfires, and other activities as well. They may also have indoor activities like scrapbook making or computer rooms. When planning ski trips for the entire family do some research on what is offered at your particular lodge or resort and make sure that everyone has something to do that they will enjoy.

Your kids may also need some additional instruction and guidance on those ski trips. You may be used to just slapping on skis and sliding down the mountain but kids aren’t always as adaptable. Even if you take ski trips regularly they may need some extra encouragement if they haven’t been on the hill or on the skis in awhile. Make sure you don’t get impatient with them as this is a surefire way to get them irritated and frustrated and absolutely dreading the trip every time you want to go! Your ski lodge might even offer instruction from a professional and this might be a good investment.

Remember that ski trips with the family aren’t just for you but they should be enjoyable for everyone involved, even the younger kids. You can’t just demand that they love the sport as much as you but they probably can be encouraged to enjoy being there if you provide other activities for them as well. Be sensitive and encouraging and everyone will have a great time.

If you’re thinking of making a ski trip part of your upcoming holiday or vacation schedule, you might be scratching your head wondering how to afford such a trip. Rising fuel costs are making travel more expensive all around and of course when you’re thinking of skiing, you have the added expense of lift tickets, eating out, equipment, safety gear, and so on. Your ski trip might also need to include some instruction or a good brush-up on the tips and techniques needed for skiing if it’s been awhile since you hit the slopes!

But as expensive as you might expect your ski trip to be there are ways to save. For one thing, consider your accommodations. You might really want to stay at a luxury lodge with a big fireplace and hot tub in every room, but shouldn’t your ski trip be about the skiing rather than the accommodations? Try to keep an open mind about more affordable hotels, cabins, and inns rather than assuming you need to stay right at the foot of the mountain and that you should be paying for all those luxuries that you may hardly use. Many find that they have an enjoyable ski trip if they stay at a cabin or do some winter camping. This might mean that you can also split your expenses with other families and friends as well, saving you even more money.

Another way to save on your ski trip is to forego the rental car. You might assume you need one to get your ski equipment and gear from your hotel to the resort but many resorts have shuttles that are ready to accommodate skiers and snowboarders. There may also be public transportation available on your ski trip that also can accommodate you and your gear, making a rental car unnecessary. Remember that when you rent a car you pay not just the rental fee but you need to fill it with gas as well. This can be quite an expense for any vacation.

If you can get your own gear so that you don’t need to rent any equipment during your ski trip this too can be more budget-friendly. Skiing is one of those sports where you can easily get used equipment at a nearby resale shop or online, and skis are meant to last for years. You can usually get a good bargain on some used equipment that you can keep for virtually a lifetime if you maintain it right, which makes your ski trip that much more affordable.

You might have your own ideas about how to save on a ski trip and sometimes just some creative thinking is all that’s needed to figure out how to cut a few corners. Pack a picnic lunch rather than eating out all the time, or drive to a nearby resort rather than flying out of state. Remember that you can have an affordable ski trip that is still enjoyable and fun!

Finding some affordable ski resorts can be a difficult proposition for most people. Skiing is often considered one of the most expensive hobbies you can indulge in when you consider the cost of equipment, lift tickets, accommodations, and so on, and most ski resorts know that their guests are willing to pay more for these things simply because they can afford them. It is true that often get what you pay for and lodges you find in places like Vail or Aspen offer a wealth of luxuries and amenities making them worth the extra cost and expense.

But all of this aside, many people simply cannot afford the luxury of most of these ski resorts but still love the sport. While it would be nice if every hotel room had a huge stone fireplace and a hot tub built for ten, these types of accommodations are out of financial reach for many. So how do you find affordable ski resorts that allow you some great terrain and slopes and maybe some additional activities for the entire family but that won’t put you into debt for the rest of the year?

Consider taking your ski vacation close to home. Many people live near or within driving distance to several ski resorts but often don’t consider them just because they expect to travel to Colorado or northern California or some other tourist destination. You might not be readily aware of these many ski resorts near your home but if you do a bit of research and planning you might find that you have many options open to your ski vacation and don’t even need to leave your home at all.

For example do you have any state parks or large public parks nearby? Usually these places have trails marked off for skiers during the winter and may make manmade snow during the winter on any hills they have as well. These parks may not be what you were expecting by way of ski resorts but very often you get some great scenery along the trails and find that it’s just the getaway you were looking for.

You might also find that some ski resorts just don’t advertise as much as you would expect and so you don’t know that much about them. If you don’t see a TV commercial, how are you supposed to know what ski resorts are near your home? But usually if you do a quick internet search of your local area you can find many such resorts and lodges and other areas that you can try and that require only a bit of driving on your part.

By choosing ski resorts close to home you are saving on accommodations and transportation costs. You don’t need a plane ticket or a hotel room and don’t need to rent a car. You can easily bring your own equipment and don’t need to rent items. You’re stimulating your local economy and supporting local businesses as well.

Would you like it if you could find an affordable ski resort that offers beautiful slopes and trails as well as everything else that would make your beloved sport that much more enjoyable? Of course you would. And believe it or not such a place is probably much closer than you think. You may be able to find an affordable and beautiful ski resort within a few hours’ drive if you just know where to look, and this can mean added savings for you versus a destination resort that requires a plane ticket and rental car.

For example, if you live in the Midwest United States you might consider the state of Michigan. Whether it’s a ski resort in the Upper Peninsula or Lower Peninsula you have many options available to you. While you may not have thought of Michigan as being a desirable vacation spot their long winters and varied terrain make it perfect for finding a ski resort that suits you perfectly. Boyne Mountain, Apple Mountain, Pine Knob, and Alpine Valley are all favorites of locals and tourists alike. To the east there are many places in the New England states that offer great skiing and vacations. Consider Black Mountain or Bretton Woods in New Hampshire. You can even find a great ski resort in Canada if you know where to look! The Canada Olympic Park is a “must see” for many skiers and offers a wide range of options for the whole family. There is also Castle Mountain and Big White, both of which are favorites for downhill and cross-country skiers alike.

Sometimes finding a ski resort that’s close to home will mean a bit more homework and preparation than you might have expected but usually this extra work is nothing compared to the cost savings you actually get. Consider that extra time on the internet or those few extra phone calls you need to make to find out about accommodations and potential discounts as being an investment in savings when it comes to the ski resort you’re considering for your vacation. Rather than resent the time you need to spend with this planning, appreciate the fact that you’re able to save yourself that much more money on your trip!

One benefit of choosing a ski resort that’s closer to home is that you can typically drive rather than fly and fueling your car is usually much cheaper than purchasing a plane ticket. This also means you won’t need to rent a car once you arrive at your ski resort. Yes, fuel is more expensive more than it probably has ever been and it doesn’t seem as if it’s going to get a lot cheaper anytime sooner, but a few tanks of gas can still be less expensive than a plane ticket and a rental car. So rather than just head off to some tourist trap, do a little bit of homework and research on these other options and you’ll have a great vacation.