Ten tips for scoring cheaper lift tickets.
Skiing is fun, but it’s not always inexpensive. Try any of these tips for getting lift tickets for less.
1. Check out Liftopia, Ski.com, and Snow.com
Liftopia is an online provider of discount ski lift tickets around the world. Whether you’re looking to ski in Switzerland, New Zealand, or Colorado, there are a lot of deals listed. For the greatest discount, try purchasing your tickets far in advance.
Although Liftopia is the most popular discount lift ticket retailer, there are several other websites that sell cheap lift tickets, such as snow.com and ski.com. Note: Snow.com offers savings up to 15% with a four-night or longer stay with three days of skiing.
2. Visit tourism and visitor centers
Often these are a great source of information if you’re looking for lift discounts—they sell discounted tickets directly or can point you in the direction of a retailer that does. The tourism center in Salt Lake City, Utah, for example, will give you a list of local retailers that offer discount ski tickets.
3. Free ski schools for kids
Many resorts offer free or discount ski tickets for kids. In Colorado, for example, kids in kindergarten through the fifth grade can register for the Epic SchoolKids pass, which includes a four-day lift ticket good at Vail, Beaver Creek, Crested Butte, Keystone, and Breckenridge. Note: Book early, as these spots fill up quickly.
4. REI lift tickets
REI offers discounts on ski lift tickets for a number of ski resorts throughout the U.S.m such as Solitude, Big Bear Mountain Resort, Mountain High, Waterville Valley Resort, Homewood Mountain Resort, Snow Valley, Killington, and more. Discounts range from 15% to 54%.
5. Costco
There are often ski lift tickets available at the Costcos near the ski resort. Doesn’t hurt to check!
6. Student and university discounts
Universities located near ski resorts will often offer discounted lift tickets. If you’re a student, staff, or faculty member, check student services or outdoor activities for discounted lift tickets. And ski resorts often offer students substantial discounts on season passes.
7. Ski at a less popular time
If you can hit the slopes at a less popular time (for example, evening or mid-week), you’ll often be rewarded with cheaper lift tickets.
8. Buy a package deal
Look for packages sold from hotels near the ski resort. For example, Sunlight Mountain Resort near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, has a kids ski, swim and stay package that includees free lift passes for kids with a paying adult. It also includes admission to the popular Glenwood Hot Springs Resort.
9. Buy multiple days
Some resorts offer a discount for skiing multiple days. Homewood Resort in Lake Tahoe, for example, offers a midweek 3-dat pass for $199, making the daily cost $66. In some cases and for some resorts, it may even make sense to buy a full season pass (especially at pre-season prices) even if you only plan to ski a week.
10. Ski a lesser-known resort
Of course it’s great to ski at well-known resorts such as Vail and Park City, but if you’re looking for a budget ski day, check out if there are other resorts nearby that don’t cost as much. Here are a few examples of big-brand resorts with their lesser-cost alternatives.
Big-name resort, single-day ticket price Budget alternative, single-day ticket price
Vail, from $208 Copper Mountain, from $99
Killington, from $149 Pico, from $40
Park City, from $185 Brighton, from $85
Whistler Blackcomb, from $138 Cypress Mountain, from $93
Lake Tahoe, Heavenly from $158 Homewood, from $66 per day
Aspen Snowmass, from $164 Sunlight, $49 – $72
Twist’s Take: Skiing isn’t cheap; check out these tips to save money on lift tickets.
