HOW TO PLAN THE PERFECT SKI TRIP TO COLORADO RESORTS
We’ll help you make the perfect ski trip to Colorado, find something new and be prepared for anything that might get in the way of your trouble-free vacation.
Always try to plan
Make plans a year before your vacation. It is time when airlines start selling tickets for the lowest prices. Guess your vacation flight, find a hotel room, and save a lot. If you are not sure when the trip will take place, choose an air ticket with an exchange or refund option.
Reserve your airport shuttle service in advance
If you book your airport shuttle in advance, you will receive the maximum benefit, discount and a wide range of airport shuttle service that suits you. The Intermountain Express provides an airport shuttle service from Denver and Eagle airport shuttle to all Colorado ski resorts such as Steamboat, Crested Butte, Copper Mountain, Telluride, Buttermilk Ski Resort, Snowmass, Aspen, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge. Check the Best Deal: shuttle from Crested Butte to Denver airport and Eagle airport EGE shuttle from Crested Butte.
Try to save on air tickets
If you prefer to go skiing or snowboarding, when choosing an airline, find out if you will have to pay separately for the transportation of equipment. With the beginning of the winter season, many carriers lure passengers by promising to deliver their cargo for free. Moreover, as a rule, in addition to skis and poles, it is possible to put other things in the case and thus save much more.
Look for discounts
If you don’t plan ahead, wait for the sales. Often they are dedicated to the holidays. Both airlines and travel agencies arrange promotions. In order not to miss the chance, register on sites for lovers of inexpensive vacations. But be prepared that offers are sold there quickly and sometimes at erroneous rates. Erroneous tariffs are those that are incorrectly entered by airlines into the system, and therefore a ticket with a price that is not specified, for example, a fuel surcharge, is included in the issue. If you have made the purchase of such a ticket, then most likely it will be valid, however, there is a chance that the airline will cancel the wrong ticket.
Pay for the hotel immediately
If you are planning a vacation abroad, do not choose a room with payment on check-in. Hotels calculate in local currency, from the time of booking the rate may change, and the room will cost more. Look for the words “Pay now” when ordering a hotel. That way, you pay at the current rate and keep your risk to a minimum. Plus, prepaid rooms are cheaper. Look at the option with free cancellation: some services indicate this. If plans change, you will not lose money.
Take your time with ski rental
Do not take equipment at the first rental available. Go around and compare prices, or better, in advance, choose a rental point on the Internet based on reviews and price lists. Decide which gear is right for you. Do not overestimate yourself: you may not be able to use the professional skiing and will only waste your money. But you should not save on a helmet. Equipment is cheaper than treatment anyway.
Get Insurance
Don’t forget to insure yourself. Riding in the mountains is not the same as sunbathing on the beach. If you get hurt, you will spend more than you think. The insurance will pay for the helicopter to the hospital and treatment costs. Be careful with your registration and make sure your policy covers the required sports.
Vacation with Children
Vacation with Children can be affordable too. When choosing a resort, find out what free opportunities ski resort can offer. Some villages offer free classes to attract families. Sometimes there are free lifts for kids, or they are given a free ski pass if both parents buy the same passes.
Of course, it is worth asking the hotel at what age the child will have to pay the full cost of the stay and whether they have profitable family packages.
Equipment Discounts
Twice a year, there are huge sales on ski and boarder equipment: in autumn and spring. Discounts reach their maximum (40-50%) in spring, when traders are trying to get rid of goods not sold during the season. In the fall, discounts are slightly less, but still attractive (25-35%).
Ski Pass / Lift Tickets and Day Pass
Choose the right ski pass. The idea is to pay exactly for what you need:
A day ski pass bought on the day of skiing is an expensive option. Suitable if you have not yet decided when and in which resort you want to ski.
Lift passes for all days of vacation are more affordable. The most convenient are ski passes like 4 days out of 5 or 6 days out of 8: if you want to take a break or travel around the area, you will not lose anything.
A lift pass for all ski areas is a cool thing if you like variety, but it’s not cheap. Sometimes there is an intermediate option – a ski pass for one zone with the ability to ride one or two times to another.
The half-day lift pass is suitable if you like to ride without interruptions for coffee and croissants (and it’s not New Year’s with wild queues outside). Then in 3-4 hours you will get so tired that you will not need a ski pass for the whole day anyway. Or if you want to ride the slopes in the morning and walk or drive around the area in the second.
A group ski pass is an option for a well-coordinated company in which everyone wants to ride at the same resort.
Consider which is more profitable
Bring your own equipment or rent it. Take a calculator and summarize all the potential costs: transporting you with a ski bag to the departure airport, surcharge for oversized baggage during the flight, costs for ski transfers and daily ride to the lifts. Then compare with the price of rental equipment.
Not all ski resorts can be reached by plane, most of them have to take a long train or bus ride from the airport, and it is not cheap. The best option to minimize your spending on transfers is to book a private transfer. Our company provides individual transfers from airports to ski resorts. InterMountain Express has been a market leader for more than 10 years. Let us make your travel unforgettable!
