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6 ways to save on a ski vacation
Skiing's popularity is greater than ever, but the costs are higher, too. Here are some ways families can save.

Look for kids' skiing discounts. Ski resorts eager to capitalize on the family skiing boom frequently offer freebies or discounts for children under 12, according to Eileen Ogintz, who writes the syndicated travel column "Taking the Kids."

Ski-school packages frequently offer deals for kids in need of lessons, equipment and lift tickets. Many resorts make such all-inclusive packages available by the day or half day so you can pick the one that best suits your needs. Carol Chapin, who runs Zephyr Cove Resort in Lake Tahoe, highly recommends lessons for kids, especially those who haven't skied often.

"I would never teach my kid to ski myself even if I were in the industry," she says. "Kids always respond better to outsiders, and most instructors are trained in the sport and know how to motivate kids."

She warns that many younger kids don't have the stamina for more than an hour or so at a time in a lesson or on the slopes, so it's better not to spend a ton of money the first time on expensive lessons.

Ogintz agrees, saying that a positive experience is more important than clocking hours on the slopes. "Don't feel like you have to keep your kids on the slopes every single minute," she says. "If they aren't having a good time, let them go in day care and try it again the next day."

Thrifty choices
Go local or off the beaten path. While nationally known resorts are quite expensive during the ski season, many local resorts are much more reasonable. Although these local and regional resorts don't offer all the amenities or the expert trails touted by the largest resorts, they are a great place to start when introducing your kids to skiing.

For example, Buffalo, N.Y., isn't the skiing capital of the world, but there are several resorts within an hour's drive. Lack of snow usually isn't a problem in the Buffalo area -- average snowfall comes close to 100 inches per year.

In the West, resorts in Wyoming, especially in the Jackson Hole area, are offering special promotions to drive tourist traffic.

If you live near areas that get snow in the winter, there are usually small or medium-sized resorts within a decent drive so you can sample skiing by the day to see if it is right for your family. Many resorts oriented to local skiers set up deals with local high schools and middle schools where kids and their families can ski one night a week through the season with discounted packages of lift tickets, lessons and equipment. The whole family can frequently piggyback on these packages and ski together.

Join a ski club. Most cities have at least one ski club, and many are family-oriented. Even if you don't ski often, it's worthwhile to pay the modest membership fee as ski clubs can secure significant group discounts on lift tickets, hotel rooms and equipment rentals.

The Pittsburgh Ski Club offers memberships for $25 per year for adults and $10 for kids. Memberships include access to club trips as well as discounted lift tickets, rentals and lessons at nearby resorts. Out west, the Idaho Falls Ski Club holds an annual winter ski sale as well as subsidized ski trips organized by the club's coordinator.

To find a club in your area, go to the National Ski Council Federation's Web site.

Not all clubs are members of the ski council, though, so you may have to do some digging to find a club near you. Try calling local ski shops, doing an Internet search and asking friends that ski.

Timing is everything
Go during off-peak times. Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations are the busiest times for ski resorts and are consequently the most expensive times to ski. If you can take your kids out of school for a couple of days and/or go at the very beginning or very end of the season, you can save money.

Alan Lips, a CPA in Miami, Fla., took his family on their first ski vacation in Colorado in November. They arrived just when the resort opened and found it was pretty empty, especially during the week. While the vacation wasn't cheap, they saved money on the airfare and the hotel because it was early in the season and most kids were still in school.

Ziff recommends spring skiing, saying that many Western resorts still have snow on the ground in the spring and that you can ski for less money when it's warmer. Consider buying travel insurance when you book an early or late season skiing vacation because snow many not fall by your early November date or may melt in March.

Mix skiing with other family activities. Even if you're making reservations for a week, you can save money by only skiing for three, four or five days and doing different activities on the other days. Four- or five-day packages are obviously less expensive than seven-day packages and leave some time for tubing, ice skating, cross country skiing, snowmobiling and even swimming in the old reliable hotel pool.

"I would never schedule a whole week of skiing for the first time," says Chaplin, who frequently skis with her two sons. "If you do too many days back to back, that's too much. Either take a day off or just schedule a half-day, with part of that skiing and part of it day care or just goofing off. If the parents want to ski and the kids don't, put them in day care."

Lips agrees, saying that his family's first day in Colorado was spent exploring the surroundings, rather than skiing. "Thursday we just walked around the town," he says. "We're from Florida, and this was the first time my kids had seen snow and just playing in the snow was fun for them." He said that four days of skiing and one day of snowmobiling was plenty for everyone.

If you shave a day or two off your trip, you might be able to afford a nicer room or a resort with more amenities, says Ogintz. "I would rather pay more and be right at the resort where we can ski in and ski out," she says. "The last thing I want to do at the end of a long day is to throw tired kids in the car or a shuttle bus and drive 10 or 15 miles back to my hotel."

By cutting back on the number of days you ski, you can avoid skiing on the weekend. Not only do resorts price weekend lift tickets, lessons and rentals high, they are frequently so crowded that you'll have a less-than-optimal experience. Instead, ski during the week when it's less expensive and reserve your weekends for lying around or exploring.

Lower your food costs
Rent a condo or room with a kitchen. Whether you go to a big-name resort or a smaller place, check out all the lodging options. Many resorts offer condos with small kitchens as well as traditional hotel rooms.

"If you eat meals in your condo, you'll save money," Ogintz says. "Lots of times after a day of skiing younger kids are too tired to go out. If the adults want to go out and leave the kids in the room, many of the employees at ski schools babysit, and you can usually find someone by asking around."

Ziff notes that you can save a lot of money on lunch by packing sandwiches and granola or power bars to get the family through the day. "Lunch on the mountain can be expensive," she says. "I know people that rent condos and pack sandwiches and then buy hot cocoa and a cookie for a treat for everyone, and that's a good way to save."

excerpt from MSN website.
 

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