Ski deals can be found in any one of three or four seasons in which snow is present.
There are the times early in the year and near the end of the season when conditions are iffy, skiers are scarce and deals abound.
There are weeks when the crowds are larger; beyond that is peak season, when you'll pay top price for everything from lift tickets to your ride from the airport. To make matters even more complicated, dates for these seasons vary greatly by location.
Try to time your trip to fit with your budget needs. Skiers with flexible schedules make it down the hills with lower tabs.
Here are a few ski deals advertised on the Internet for the 2009-10 season. Note the expiration dates and other fine-print details carefully.
Please remember that these are only recommendations for starting points in your research, not endorsed travel products.
Colorado and the American West
You could spend the whole winter visiting different Colorado resorts each week and still miss many of the great slopes they offer in the Centennial State. Just considering all the possibilities is mind-numbing.
Crested Butte Vacations has a Friends and Family Fly Free offer: one free airline ticket for every two bought when you book a lodging package for three or more people. The offer is good until Apr. 4. Maximum travel credit of $450 per free airline ticket, and note that some blackout dates apply. Avon Village near Vail offers one bedroom lodges starting as low as $124/night. Check dates of eligibility carefully. The best deals are prior to January.
To the north at Jackson Hole Resort in Wyoming, you can ski for free when you book a room at $81 per person/night (quad occupancy). This is good until Apr. 4, but there are some blackout dates around Christmas and mid-February.
Squaw Valley, California near Lake Tahoe gives children under 12 skiing and snowboarding privileges for just $10/day. College students ski and ride for only $49 Monday-Thursday. In North Lake Tahoe, Hotwire.com offers early season four-star condos from $119/night.
Closer to Los Angeles, Mammoth Mountain offers early season lodging deals from $119 per person, and four nights for the price of three. Prices are based on double occupancy and subject to room availability. As of Dec. 18, Horizon Air offers LAX-Mammoth air service starting at $69 one way throughout the winter. The flight reduces a five-hour drive from Los Angeles to a 65-minute trip.
Canada: Quebec or the Rockies
Skiers rave about conditions at Whistler, but they don't always rave about their expenses after returning home. Deals are there if you look for them, but forget about finding them in February.
Whistler is hosting part of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and accommodations are advertised at $2589 CAD per person for a seven-night stay between Feb. 12-28. But early booking for four-night packages with three days of lift tickets starts as low as $366 CAD. Allura offers vacation rentals in the surrounding area. They claim it's possible to bypass the expense of an agent by booking rooms and even lift tickets with them. They also offer deals for other Canadian ski areas.
Banff, Alberta is a good base to explore the surrounding national park and do some skiing. The Douglas Fir Resort offers early bird specials starting at $208 night for a studio apartment, ski passes and breakfast groceries.
Another resource is About Canada for Visitors, which offers a list of major ski resort links.
New England/Eastern U.S.
In Vermont, Sun and Ski Inn offers $80/night rooms through Travelocity for the early season.
Nearby, Stratton Mountain offers a full page of deals for a variety of arrival times. Among them are lift/lodging packages starting at $59/person, per night. Joining the Stratton Trailblazers Ski Club offers those older than 50 some additional discounts.
At Killington, skiers who arrive Sunday night and stay five nights have snagged good rates. A five-day ski week starts at $113/night per person during the heart of the season; Early/late season starts at $87/night per person.
Snowshoe in West Virginia offers fourth night free promotions throughout the season. Prices start at $95 per person/night and vary by time of year, with peak prices on Presidents' Weekend and lower prices at the beginning and end of the season.
Don't miss About New England for Visitors and its ski resource list by state (includes New York). You'll also find a frequently updated deals page for New England skiing.
Europe
Slovenia might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think skiing and Europe, but some say the sport was invented here. In the major ski resort of Kranjska Gora, Hotel Lipa offers some attractive rates (as low as £444 for 7 nights).
SkiEurope.com offers a series of "SuperSki Week packages" that allow you six nights starting at $750 USD for Andorra, Austria, France, Germany, Italy or Switzerland. Most of the offers here are in the $1100 range for airfare from New York, transfers, hotel and daily breakfast. Lift tickets are usually extra.
Europe Mountains offers a great planning resource for resorts across the continent. You're likely to see a number of flash-generated last-minute deals here, so skiers with flexible schedules bound for Europe might benefit the most here. One deal offers a week in Austria starting at 292 EUR.
More Information
These links are only a few starting points for your ski deal searches. There are many more out there.
Here are a few additional resources providing general help with ski information:
About Skiing offers a comprehensive directory of U.S. ski sites. You'll also find a great list of tips and strategies for spending your ski money wisely.
About South America for Visitors offers information for those who would like to ski from June to October.
