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 advertised deals for the remaining 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.
Vail Destinations allows you to browse properties according to the room you want: cabin, condo, hotel, lodge, etc. A two-bedroom property is listed here at $222/night. Split four ways, that's an example of an affordable Vail address. Unfortunately, deals such as that are more the exception than the rule.
To the north at Jackson Hole Resort in Wyoming, you can ski for free when you book a room at $79 per person/night (quad occupancy). You must ski at least three days. The offer is valid until Apr. 8, but take note of some December blackout dates.
Ski.com claims to be North America's largest provider of mountain vacations, and therefore might offer some volume discounts. You can find fifth-night free and 25 percent discount promotions here, especially early in the season.
Squaw Valley, California near Lake Tahoe gives college students the ability to buy a season pass for $349. Although it's good for the season, there are some blackout dates. They also offer mini-snowmobiles for children ages 6-12.
Closer to Los Angeles, Mammoth Mountain offers early season lodging deals for hotel rooms ($149/night) and Condos ($249/night), with a four nights for the price of three deal. Prices are based on double occupancy and subject to room availability.
Horizon Air offers LAX-Mammoth air service at discounts depending upon time of season. The flight reduces a five-hour drive from Los Angeles to a 65-minute trip.
Nordic Inn at Crested Butte offers rooms starting at $145/person per night. It's a family-owned property.
Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City, Utah offers "bronze" and "silver" packages that include room, breakfast and lift ticket from $265/person that extend as late as April.
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, and a good place to start is the Whistler special offers page. Discounts in the 20-30 percent range are offered at various lodgings. 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 Banff National Park and do some skiing. The Douglas Fir Resort offers ski specials starting at $189 CAD 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.
If you're looking for a U.S. ski destination east of the Mississippi River, don't forget about Michigan. Shanty Creek near Kalkaskia in the northern Lower Peninsula offers $84/night packages that include room and lift tickets.
New England offers a variety of top-tier resorts, including Stratton Mountain. Among the offers: five nights from $249, and you can add skiing for $49/day. Joining the Stratton Trailblazers Ski Club offers those older than 50 some additional discounts.
At Killington, skiers can book season passes that afford unlimited skiing and riding as conditions permit until the end of the season.
Snowshoe in West Virginia offers promotions by season. Book any five-day ski and stay plan through Mar. 26 and lift tickets become a free season pass good for unlimited skiing, discounts at restaurants and retail locations, discounts on lodging on return trips and discounts at other Intrawest resorts.
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 £281 ($439 USD) including flights.
SkiEurope.com offers a series of packages that allow you six nights starting at $1098 USD for Andorra, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy or Switzerland. Most of the offers here are in the $1,200-$1,700 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. Prices are quoted in Euros.
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.
