Skiing in North America has an unjust reputation for being expensive based on high in-season prices for lift tickets and accommodation, say Ski Safari. But savvy skiers and snowboarders who book before December can save over £2,500pp on a 10-night holiday and can ski for as little as £32 per day. Ski Safari has run the numbers to find the biggest savings across North American resorts.
Lift tickets are the main way that customers can save in North America. Stroll up to a ticket window in-season and you’ll be asked to cough up over £200 per day in some resorts. Book the right pass product in advance and the same resorts can be as cheap as £32 per day on a two-week holiday. But here’s the catch – these pass products go off sale in early December.
PHOTO: Heavenly, © Vail Resorts
Overnight, lift ticket prices shoot up by as much as £1,589 per adult for two weeks of skiing.
Hotels and transfer providers are equally keen to secure early bookings, offering as much as 40% off standard in-season rates. On top of that, flights will only go up between now and the end of the season as seats fill. Based on accommodation, transfers and flights, customers can save as much as £1,750pp on a 10-night holiday to Whistler, Canada.
Canada & USA Product Manager, Rupert Hatfield, says: “Many skiers like to wait to see what the snow is doing before they book their holiday. However, it doesn’t really work like that in North America unless you have very deep pockets. Plus, you don’t really need to worry about the snow! Eight metres of snow was considered poor in Whistler last winter. The snow is already falling and resorts are gearing up to open in November, while the high chance of a La Niña winter has our team very excited for what’s to come.”
Here Ski Safari reveals four destinations where skiers and snowboarders can save the most on skiing by booking before the lifts start spinning.
Lake Tahoe, USA
In April 2024, the Ski Safari team travelled to Tahoe in California for the first time in six years. Not just to refamiliarise themselves with the mountains and visit new accommodation, but also to work out the best way to use the best value lift pass in North America – the Tahoe Value Pass.
This £419 season pass provides unlimited off-peak skiing at Heavenly and Sunday to Friday off-peak skiing at Northstar and Kirkwood. Based on 13 days of skiing on a 14-night trip, if you were to buy individual advance lift tickets it would cost £2,008 per adult, and so buying the £419 Tahoe Value Pass is a saving of £1,589 per person. That’s just £32 per day vs £154 per day. Buy your tickets on the day in resort and it would cost even more.
Their new and improved Lake Tahoe Ski Safari was put together to take full advantage of this pass. The three resorts of Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood offer a combined
10,000+ acres of all-abilities terrain, deep and dry snow, and jaw-dropping scenery across Lake Tahoe and the Nevada Desert. It’s not only the lift pass that provides value on this trip – it’s the cheapest multi-resort ski road trip in the USA too thanks to a good range of affordable accommodation.
How much? A 14-night Lake Tahoe Ski Safari costs from £2,620pp, based on 2 adults departing 22 January 2025. Price includes 2 nights at the 4* Gravity Haus Truckee (Northstar), 10 nights B&B at the 3* Hotel Becket (Heavenly), 2 nights at the 3* Mountain Club (Kirkwood), return flights into Reno, and standard SUV car hire. Add a Tahoe Value Pass for £419pp or upgrade to a £504 Tahoe Local Pass for weekend access to Northstar and Kirkwood. Restricted off-peak dates: 29 to 30 Nov, 26 to 31 Dec 2024, 18 Jan, 15 to 16 Feb 2025. Book by 30 November 2024.
Whistler, Canada
Despite its size and fame, Whistler is still one of the most affordable destinations in North America thanks to its early booking discounts. Although the best of these have already been and gone, for this winter there are still savings of up to £1,790pp to be had on accommodation, transfers and flights. Plus, the Whistler Blackcomb Day Pass allows you to save as much as £100 per day on lift tickets, costing £542 for 9 days vs £1,447 for individual advance lift tickets (£60 per day vs £161 per day).
However, the early booking discounts end on 15 November and the Whistler Blackcomb Day Pass goes off sale two weeks later in early December. At that point, the exact same holiday would cost as much as £2,695pp more.
The best prices are in April – a great month to ski Whistler with long days, sunny skies, fewer skiers on the mountain and a metre of snowfall on average.
How much? 10 nights at the 3*+ Listel Whistler Hotel from £1,410pp, based on 2 adults and 2 children (under 12) departing 05 April 2025. Price includes return flights and shared transfers. Add a 9-day Whistler Blackcomb Day Pass for £542 (adult) and £273 (child aged 7 to 12). Book by 15 November 2024.
Colorado, USA
Skiing in Colorado is divided across lift pass product lines, with five resorts featuring on the Epic Pass and four on the Ikon Pass. This means you can ski multiple resorts on the same pass, saving more money the more you ski. Breckenridge is the base of choice for Ski Safari as it has the most affordable accommodation and is just 30 minutes from Keystone, 45 minutes from Vail, and one hour from Beaver Creek.
Travel late in April and you can take advantage of the well-priced Keystone Plus Pass at £324. This provides unlimited skiing at Breckenridge (from 1 April) and Keystone (all season outside of peak dates), compared to £1,111 for individual advance tickets (£36 per day vs £123). No need to worry about late-season snow conditions – Breckenridge is high altitude and stays open until mid-May.
Need to travel earlier? The Summit Value Pass is available for £478 and still represents big savings compared to 9 days of advance lift tickets at £1,264 (£53 per day vs £140). Want to include Vail or Beaver Creek too or ski and stay longer? The £589 Epic Local Pass provides unlimited skiing in Breckenridge and Keystone (including peak dates) and 10 days off-peak skiing in Vail and Beaver Creek.
Alternatively, choose the Ikon Pass resorts for Winter Park, Steamboat and Aspen Snowmass for a powder-filled road trip across Colorado. The Ikon Pass is one of the more expensive options at £961, but still represents savings of £719 compared to buying individual advance lift tickets for these resorts (£87 per day vs £153). That’s based on 11 days’ skiing, so the more you ski, the more you save.
How much? 10 nights at the 3*+ Pine Ridge Condos in Breckenridge from £1,750pp, based on 4 adults departing 14 April 2025. Price includes return flights and shared transfers. Add a Keystone Plus Pass for £324pp. Book by 30 November 2024. (www.skisafari.com)
A 14 night Colorado Ski Safari costs from £3,335pp, based on 2 adults departing 22 January 2025. Price includes 6 nights at the 3* Gravity Haus Winter Park, 4 nights at 3*+ The Holiday Inn in Steamboat, 4 nights at the 3*+ Stonebridge Inn in Aspen Snowmass, return flights to Denver, and 5 seat SUV car hire. Add an Ikon Pass for £961pp. Book by 30 November 2024.
Utah, USA
The biggest individual resort lift ticket saving in North America can be found at Park City,
where the £589 Epic Local Pass costs £1,267 less than buying 9 days of advance lift tickets (£65 per day vs £206). And with the USA’s largest single ski area and a lively mountain town to explore, you won’t need to visit any other resorts!
If you’re up for a road trip to some of the USA’s snowiest resorts (we’re talking 12+ metres of snow), six Utah resorts feature on the Ikon Pass, and they can be skied from three bases. Stay in Ogden for Snowbasin, Cottonwood Canyon for Brighton, Solitude, Alta and Snowbird, and then finish in Park City for Deer Valley. With so many individual tickets to purchase, you’ll save nearly half by opting for an Ikon Pass at £961 (£80 per day vs £151).
How much? 10 nights at the 4* Park City Peaks Hotel from £2,020pp based on 2 adults and 2 children (under 12) departing 15 February 2025. Price includes return flights to Salt Lake City and shared transfers. Add an Epic Local Pass for £589pp (adult) and £309 (child aged 5 to 12). (www.skisafari.com)
A 14 night Utah Powder Hunter Ski Safari costs from £2,870pp, based on 2 adults departing 23 January 2025. Price includes 4 nights at 4* The Hilton Garden Inn in Ogden, 6 nights at the 4* Hyatt Place in Cottonwood Canyon, 4 nights at the 3* Landmark Inn in Park City, return flights from Salt Lake City, and 5 seat SUV car hire. Add an Ikon Pass for £961pp.
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