Winter brings with it a new set of fun activities. From building a snow man to skiing trips, people plan many things to enjoy the snowy season. While building a snow man costs nothing, skiing trip can be really expensive. However, with right planning, good hiking tips, ski tips and enough money, you can certainly make your skiing trip a fun event in your repository of memories. This article aims to make you cognizant of real cost of a skiing trip along with tips on saving money. Read more to find out!
Skiing Trip – A Fun Way to Enjoy the Snowy Season
Gliding on the snow along with others is surely not less than a thrilling adventure.
Whether you intend to go on a skiing trip with your friends or family to enjoy the snowy season, your first worry is probably related to the cost of the trip. There is a possibility that you might have postponed this trip several times before due to your financial constraints. However, smart thinking suggests that instead of postponing, you should meticulously analyze the costs and plan a budget-friendly skiing trip.
Costs of a Skiing Trip
Skiing is an expensive sport. The average cost of a four-day family skiing trip can cost around $2,500 to $3,500. If you are planning to go with your friends, it can cost more than $1,000 per person. The reasons for this include peak-season to expensive skiing equipment.
Let’s break down the costs of skiing trip to have a closer look on why skiing trip is so expensive.
Travelling Costs
If you already live near areas for skiing, this is a plus point for you. However, those who have to travel from south all the way up to north, things are going to be a bit rough. This is because you will not only have to pay for flight but also for the taxi that will take you to skiing resort. While it is hard to say the exact cost of travelling considering the changes in airfare, you can book a flight a few weeks before your trip. This can help you properly calculate the other costs. Also, evidence suggests that booking flights weeks before the trip cost you relatively less.
If you intend to travel through your own car, you should take note of petrol’s prices in your area.
Equipment Costs
A lot of people suggest that you should buy your own skiing equipment as you can use it in future as well. However, if you are a first-time skier, you should rent the skiing equipment. This is because you do not know how your experience will turn out to be. Whether it is going to be a fun memory or an embarrassing one.
The price range for renting skiing equipment is between $25 and $45 per day. This can cost you around $100 to $200 for four days. If you want to buy your own equipment, it can cost around $350. But, this is one-time cost as compared to renting. Remember that!
Clothing Costs
Since the temperatures are pretty low in winter, you should wear warm clothes. Skiing itself is a thrilling experience, however, with inappropriate clothing, it will become more thrilling (in a negative sense, obviously!).
When choosing clothes for skiing, you have two options. You can either rent or buy your own skiing clothes. For analysis, you can compare the costs of renting and actually buying skiing clothes. While renting clothes can cost you up to $60, buying can cost you around $350. If you are planning skiing trip for the first time, it is better to rent skiing clothes. You never know you are coming back for another trip or not. Also, take extra clothing with you that you can wear under your skiing clothes.
Always go for water-proof clothing. Snow can wet your clothes and considering the weather, it will take longer than usual to get your clothes to dry.
Accommodation Costs
It is not possible to accurately estimate the accommodation costs. This is because it depends on several factors. You are more likely to find expensive accommodations during peak season or in worst case scenario, none at all. But, you can always find good alternatives. There are other hotels available with relatively cheaper prices. Moreover, you can also go for camping. For camping, however, you will need other things as well. Therefore, the better option is to avoid expensive hotels.
Food-related Costs
While there are plenty of eateries around skiing resorts, their prices will be higher than usual. You can either pack your own lunch or find accommodations with functional kitchens.
Tips on Saving Money
Skiing trip is a fun way to enjoy snowy season. While it can cost you up to $1000 to $1500, you can use the following tips to save money.
1. Look for Ski and Accommodation Packages
Before finalizing your plans for skiing trip, you should do your own research. Look for skiing packages being offered by skiing resorts. Moreover, go for hotels with offer you a good vacation package.
2. Rent Skiing Clothes
Instead of buying skiing clothes, you should rent them if you are going for the first time. As you never know the outcome of your trip, you will not regret wasting your money on buying your own skiing clothes.
3. Rent Skiing Equipment
Again, you should rent skiing equipment if it is your first trip. However, buy your own equipment if you plan to go next year too.
4. Book the Services in Advance
Most advertisements about packages and other details related to skiing start popping up in mid-summers. The booking for these packages usually start in mid-September or October. You should always keep your eyes on such advertisements. This can reduce the real cost of ski trip by 50%, in best case scenario. Otherwise, expect up to 20% to 40% reduction. Helpful, right?
As mentioned before, you should always book your flight in advance too.
What You Should Know About the Total Cost of Ski Trip
The average total ski trip cost can be up to $1000 to $1500 per person. However, it depends on how many days you spend on this trip. Considering other factors, however, it is not possible to provide an exact cost of a ski trip.