How to plan an affordable family snow vacation
By Eileen Ogintz
Tribune Content Agency
Taking the Kids
Snow bunny or adrenaline junkie? Maybe you want to indulge at a slopeside spa, cozy up by the fire with a new novel while the kids are in ski school, or include a cultural experience overseas off the slopes. But will it be an affordable family snow vacation?
However you envision your getaway to the snow, there have never been more options – and that includes overseas, which despite the cost of flights, can be less expensive than a comparable trip to the snow in the United States or Canada.
“We’re seeing consistent upticks in bookings and demand in Europe and Japan,” said Dan Sherman, chief marketing officer for Ski.com, which specializes in booking personalized all-inclusive packages designed for your family’s needs.
Last season, Japan set booking records; this season bookings to France are already up more than 125 percent, in part because they have many ski-in, ski-out chalets that work well for families and multi-generational groups.
“Depending on where you are flying from, it can be just as easy to fly to Europe as to an American or Canadian resort,” Sherman said. He also noted that guides or instructors overseas are not only considerably less expensive but can do much more than help improve your skiing skills, helping you to see the destination as a local does, sharing best restaurants and sites, making sure you don’t get lost on the massive mountains, ending up in a different town or country.
You may also find luxury accommodations a deal. For example, the Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland, with its new Alpine Sports Lounge & Boutique, is offering complimentary ski passes and a complimentary fourth night with rates for two starting at just over ($1,000, less than many luxury hotels in US Ski Country.)
As Italy gears up for the Winter Olympics, Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti in Italy’s Dolomites is offering ski adventures together with wellness options, including a package of three nights or more that includes breakfast, spa treatment, two lift tickets and entrance to the hotel’s huge spa.
That said, you can certainly enjoy snow sports on a budget closer to home, especially if you avoid peak holiday weeks and can drive rather than fly. And though fancy mountain resorts are certainly fun to be pampered (check out the decadent haut chocolate that has attracted considerable attention on Instagram and the new chocolate-centric spa treatment at the Four Seasons Vail), you can also save significantly by opting for a vacation rental, especially if you share with friends or family and cook in.
(Ski.com just launched a new deal-focused landing page where you can search by dates, what resort passes you might have, state or country.)
Check out the many kids-ski-free (or nearly free) passports offered by states, including Utah, New York, Colorado, Vermont, Michigan and Pennsylvania among them.
Be forewarned that every program is different and while you don’t necessarily need to live in that state, they may not always be available for kids of different ages.
Many US resorts, including Jackson Hole, Mammoth and Sun Valley typically offer free skiing for young kids under six. (Ski.com has put together a comprehensive list of where kids can ski free.)
Some mountain resorts offer kids-free deals with a stay. For example, in Colorado, Keystone, a Vail resort, offers a free day on the slopes for kids 12 and under with a two-night stay and an additional day of free skiing for each day booked. (We love Keystone’s huge mountaintop snow fort!)
In Vermont at Killington, lift tickets are discounted with a lodging package. And with a five-day adult lift ticket, you can get a free lift ticket for kids 12 and under, though it isn’t available on peak days.
Rent kids equipment (ages 7 to 12) at Four Mountain Sports in Aspen Snowmass and kids get complimentary lift tickets for the same number of days.
You can also save significantly by booking a package. Book a three-night stay at participating Park City, Utah, lodging companies and get a $400 Delta Airlines electronic gift card (though there are blackout dates). Jackson Hole, Wyoming, touts up to $500 per person off airfare when flights, lodging and a qualifying activity (like lift tickets) are booked through Jackson Hole Resort Reservations; book three nights and you save $200 per person.
If your kids are young or you are a family of beginners, consider smaller resorts. For example, Ski Cooper in Colorado with five lifts and 480 acres of terrain offers passes good Monday through Friday for $49 (ages 22 to 68), $5 less for teens and just $35 for kids ages 6 to 14).
Compare that to Vail Ski Resort – as wonderful as it is to tackle Vail’s many slopes – where even with the discounted Epic Day Pass (available for one to seven days at Vail Resorts) is $125 a day for adults at the major resorts, including Vail and $66 for kids.
There are also many adaptive programs at snow resorts for those who have special challenges, adults as well as kids. The National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park, Colorado, for example, is celebrating its 55th year offering alpine skiing, snowboarding, ski bike and Nordic ski and snowshoeing. A new adaptive playground has just opened in Winter Park, the birthplace of adaptive skiing. All activities are provided at reduced cost and there is a sliding scale while those in the military and veterans can participate at little or no fee.
One expense that’s definitely worth it: lessons – and not just for the kids. (Hear that moms?) I’ve always thought taking the kids to the slopes was one of the most labor-intensive vacations – schlepping the gear, making sure we had food in the condo rental. When I could take time for a lesson, I could relax, not worrying about skiing too slow for the rest of the family or finding my way on my own.
Everyone will be happier if some else besides mom and dad teach the kids. The instructors know the best runs on the mountain; the kids will like being with other kids. And you can then join them on the slopes to see how much they have learned without any frustration on your part, or tears on theirs.
Hear that, dads?
(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The fourth edition of The Kid’s Guide to New York City and the third edition of The Kid’s Guide to Washington D.C. are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)
©2025 Eileen Ogintz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.