9 Brilliant Winter Vacation Tips To Save Money

Come winters, and winter vacation planning will kickstart into high gear. Travelers concerned about the hiked-up vacationing costs during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the President’s Day weekend need to read this article. All your worries will come to a halt as these winter vacation tips and tricks can bring you great deals and rewards. Read on to discover some brilliant winter vacation tips:

1. Get a package deal 

Most winter resorts offer stay and ski deals with combined prices for lifts and lodging. If clubbed together, these deals are valuable to saving money. Explore some fantastic leisure travel guides for winter vacation tips and tricks; they will surely help you with flight and lodging packages. 

Top travel guides state that packaged flights and hotels, including other activities, have better negotiation powers based on the total sales volume and discounts. These deals, in some cases, include free nights, free lifts, and activities, along with terrific discounts on food and beverages. 

When you come to evaluate these packages, look for the ones that offer you utility-based value options, like kids-daycare, deals for kids staying for free, spa treatments, and much more, in addition to your lodging and airfare discounts. 

2. Look for discounts on Lift tickets. 

Before you start paying for lift tickets, check out different websites and online travel guides to save yourself the trouble of paying premium prices. There are plenty of discounts available on a large number of resorts and lodging options. You can simply visit the resort’s official website you are looking to book to see the type of online deals. 

Some resorts offer discounts when you book online directly from them. It is also wise if you can find ski association websites for the location you are traveling to. These websites offer great discounts on not just the activities but also different accommodations. 

Start researching for these discounts in early fall. Most of these offerings will be booked by November.

If you do not possess the time to research, call your resort directly or nearby grocery stores to ask if they know about local retailers offering discounts on passes offsite. The savings this way might not look so huge but still will end up saving you money if you are booking for more than two people. 

3. Rent your tools and gear 

If you are directly flying into your destination and cannot book an airline without the baggage fee, leave your skis and snowboarding gear at home. You can simply reach your destination and rent your gear upon arrival. 

Before making decisions hastily about what needs to be packed, you should check with your airlines about the fee for taking a snowboard and other gear with you. Compare the cost of this with the cost of renting, and then make a decision. 

4. Keep in mind your baggage fee.

This brings us to an important point. You need to check in with your airlines regarding your baggage fee. If you are looking to get your equipment to ski, baggage fees for larger groups of people can add up to your overall cost of vacationing. Seek out airlines like Southwest that do not charge heavily on baggage fees. Find one that offers you the option of a free first checked-in baggage. 

5. Take up half-day ski lessons. 

Ski lessons are a necessity for newcomers to the field. It can, however, turn into an extravagant expense when the total cost is calculated. Full-day lessons for a group of adults can go up to $100 or $500 a day for private lessons. Consider booking half a day worth of ski lessons, which is significantly cheaper and will be all the schooling you require to hit the slopes. Contact your travel guides and resorts to discuss this further before making any reservations. 

6. Choose Vacation Rentals 

The location holds excellent value when you are considering a great winter vacation. Typically, resorts located at the foot of the mountain have huge prices. If you are fine with staying a little farther away from the prime locations, you will end up saving a lot of money on accommodations. Another excellent option to save money is to book a vacation rental. These rentals can house large groups and families and offer you the ability to split costs easily. Check out some great vacation rentals on Airbnb.com to see different options for vacation rentals before you plan your vacation. 

7. Save up money on vacation meals.

The overall cost of feeding a family three meals on a winter vacation can strike fear into anyone’s heart, even the most steadfast travelers. However, you can be smart about the same if you just follow our winter vacation tips. The key here is to book accommodation or a vacation rental with a small kitchen. This will allow you to cook your meals and bring packed lunches to the activity zone. You can contact your resort to get you a room with a kitchen. Even if your resort does not offer you a kitchen, ask for a room with just a refrigerator and a microwave and carry microwavable items, saving you big bucks. 

Also, while you are at it, check out the resort lobby if you are staying in one. They will definitely display featured coupons and brochures from nearby local restaurants and stores and will end up saving you money. 

8. Book early 

When it comes to booking, ensure you are booking well in advance. Do not wait for the last moment to book your winter vacation. This is extremely important if you plan to travel around the festive season when the prices are skyrocketing, and accommodations are overcrowded. Resorts and flights tend to get booked in advance, and as they keep getting booked, the prices are bound to rise. 

Try to travel with well-planned bookings, and this does not just come under great winter vacation tips; this also applies to other vacations throughout the year. 

9. Pick out the right time to travel. 

When it comes to planning your winter vacation, think outside the box. With most people focusing on traveling during the festive season, the prices are bound to go higher. Traveling plunges in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which makes it an “off-season” of sorts. The prices at this time are lower as compared to the actual festive season. Try to pick out the right time during these weeks, i.e., the first three weeks in December, and save hundreds of dollars on bookings. 

Final Word

It is ultimately your choice to either accept or ignore some of these money-saving winter vacation tips. It always comes down to your travel style and preferences. However, if you do utilize even one of these winter vacation tips, you’re welcome! 

Keep reading for more such great traveling tips and leisure guides.