First Time Colorado Ski and Snowboard Tips for Families

This year we took our first ski trip to Colorado as a family of four.

It was my first time in Colorado in the winter and our first time attempting to navigate Colorado’s many iconic ski destinations.

If you are like me you may be wondering where to begin? Although there are countless answers to this question I hope to provide you with some Colorado ski and snowboard recommendations that will allow you to maximize your time while saving money and having more fun.

Colorado skiing is expensive

In case you didn’t know skiing or snowboarding in Colorado is expensive! Especially if you plan to visit some of Colorado’s bigger, world-renown destinations. These include Breckenridge, Vail, Copper Mountain, Steamboat Springs, Aspen, Keystone, and Beaver Creek (to name a few).

The good news is, if you plan early you can save a boatload of money while still hitting some of the best ski resorts Colorado has to offer.

Do not buy single-day tickets

The first rule of thumb is if you plan to ski more than one day avoid single day tickets like the plague and buy a multi-resort season pass. There are two passes that most visitors use, this includes the Epic Pass and the Ikon Pass. There is also a third, lesser-known option called the mountain collective.

If you have never purchased a season ski pass before this may at first sound a bit excessive. But when you price out a single-day lift ticket versus a season pass for even a 3-4 day ski vacation the pass will always win. And if you live in a region close to resorts included in the season pass the savings will grow exponentially.

As a Northern California native, both the Ikon and Epic passes offer good value. But for those wishing to include a Colorado Ski vacation into their winter plans, I believe the Epic Pass makes the most sense, especially for first-timers looking to explore multiple Colorado ski destinations all within a modest geographical radius on a single trip.

If you do have to buy single-day tickets buy online at least 7 days in advance

If you have come across this article too late or you were nervous and missed your opportunity to buy a season pass while you still could (like I did) then you are going to have to purchase resort day passes.

When I was a young lad you could buy discounted lift tickets from local retailers for $30-$40 and multi-day tickets for about $60. These days are gone! At Vail, a single-day lift ticket can easily set you back $200 if purchased at the window. Yes, you read that correctly! Children’s tickets while less, are hardly a bargain.

If you buy online the night before you can save about $8 per ticket. The savings go up the further out you purchase your tickets. Since we have never been able to make big vacation decisions as a family more than 1-2 days in advance it’s rare we have saved more. But, buying online will always save you money when compared to buying at the window even if done on the same day. So buy your tickets online at the very least.

Choosing the Right Season Pass for Your Needs: Epic vs. Ikon vs. Mountain Collective

Once you start your search you will realize that season passes come in all shapes and sizes. Beyond the basics Ikon vs. Epic, for example, there is Epic Local and Epic multi-day passes, those with and without blackout dates, etc. etc. The Ikon pass offers a discounted “base pass” option and if I were a betting man, there will be many more options in the years to come.

The various passes are in a state of flux and choosing the right one may not be immediately clear as your plans may not be clear at the time of purchase.

The truth is, you may not know until you go and that is OK. After two winter ski trips, one to Utah last year and now to Colorado this year I have finally started to figure things out. And I can guarantee you I could have done it cheaper.

The Ikon Pass gives skiers access for up to 39 destinations like Copper Mountain, Winter Park, and Eldora on Colorado’s Front Range. It also includes a lot of other great mountains across the West, including Jackson Hole, Banff’s Big 3, Steamboat Springs, Mammoth Mountain, and Alta Snowbird.

The Epic Pass gives up to 69 resorts (30 for the Epic Local pass). These include some icons such as Vail, Whistler, Breckenridge, Stowe, Park City, and Telluride. There are also lots of options for travel as far as Japan.

Finally, traveling skiers should not ignore the Mountain Collective Pass. It gives 2 days each at 17 resorts, so if you want to really stretch your legs this winter, it’s worth investigating. It comprises resorts like Aspen, Alta, Banff, Big Sky, Jackson Hole, Taos, and more.

Ultimately, you should consider a few factors when making this decision. Where do your friends ski? Do you want to hit one mountain for many days or travel to various mountains through the season?

The Ikon Pass gives North American skiers a lot of opportunities to chase powder through the season, so it’s a real winner for those who want to travel.

The Epic Pass hits some real gems of the Colorado high country. Vail and Beaver Creek are legends, and with day rates in the $200 range, a few trips to either will quickly pay for the season pass.

You HAVE TO buy your Season Passes Early

If you think you can wait until you have booked your Colorado ski vacation to buy your passes think again.

Season Pass ticket companies are onto this so they have a window of opportunity that closes early. In 2019 the last day to buy and Epic Pass was Sunday, Nov. 18.

Discovering when season passes go on sale is more difficult than finding US nuclear launch codes, but they tend to go on sale in the spring around mid-march.

When you buy early you will save more moola and if you are serious about purchasing don’t wait. Epic allows you to make a $49 non-refundable early purchase with the option to pay off the rest later. This is a good option if you are on the table. It allows you to secure the best price with minimal risk.

Every one of these passes encourages you to sign up for a newsletter so that you can be alerted to when these passes go on sale. This is both annoying and good marketing. I have signed up for each of the mountain season pass newsletters this year in hopes of making a better early comparison which I will publish for you next year.

Buddy Passes are NOT a Good Deal

In case you were thinking (like me) that you could buy a couple season passes and then purchase buddy tickets for the other members of your family to save money think again.

Buddy passes advertise “up to 40% off” tickets for friends and family. But, when you go to buy your buddy pass you will soon realize that the “discount” is more like 10-20% and $15 off a $180 lift ticket hardly seems like a good deal.

So don’t bet on the buddy passes. The buddy pass is best given to friends who do not ski often and may be coming with your family for a day on the slopes. It is NOT a cost-saving tool for families.

Where to stay for an Epic Colorado Ski Vacation

Since I purchased an Epic Tahoe Local Pass I will share my experience, but your needs will vary depending on your itinerary and what pass (or lack of pass) you chose.

We went all-in on our Colorado ski vacation about 6 weeks prior to our departure date. This may have been unintentionally good for airline tickets but bad for ski accommodations since many condos and smaller hotels book out 12 months in advance.

There are few options for affordable ski-in and ski-out within 2 months of booking. Mountain resorts, of course, have lodging on site but during peak times it is very expensive. Plus true ski-in and ski-out is relatively hard to find in this area at a reasonable price.

We chose the town of Frisco Colorado as a home base for our family Colorado ski vacation.

Frisco as a Homebase for Your Corado Ski Vacation

Although there are many places to stay in Colorado for those holding an Epic pass, we really lucked out when we chose Frisco as a home base for our Colorado ski vacation. Main street Frisco has a small, quaint village feel with tons of amenities all within walking distance of one another.

There is a wonderful nordic center and sledding facility, places to rent skis, an old town museum and lots of food choices along with coffee shops and good Colorado brew.

Frisco is centrally located between Breck, Keystone, and Vail which are all Epic pass destinations. Beaver Creek is also just an hour away.

There are other mountains nearby such as Copper Mountain (which is spectacular) although this is not included on the Epic Pass so we had to save it for another time.

There is a bus system on Main street Frisco which provides free transport every 30 minutes to Breck and Keystone.

Vail is about 45 minutes away by car although there currently is no free bus system to Vail from Frisco.

We chose to stay in the spectacular Frisco Lodge. During the peak season, this wasn’t cheap. For our family of four, it ended up being $300/day. But, this includes a free breakfast and dinner (advertised as an evening snack) along with two glasses of white or red wine per person and enough food to fill the entire family. We didn’t buy one meal during our entire stay which I figured saved $150 per day, making the Frisco Lodge an affordable option.

Plus, we met amazing people from all over the world which made evening time a blast… plus, did I mention the fireside spa!

Dillon is the other nearby central town that would make a reasonable home base although it has more of a suburb/strip mall feel. You may find some cheaper options here though and if you are with a group of friends in a ski condo you may not care so much about quaint downtowns and the “vacation vibe.”

Choose one central location over a ski resort

For anyone holding a pass, I think choosing a central location over a resort town like Breck or Keystone is the better option. Not that skiing the same resort is a bad thing but having the option to visit many resorts all within equidistance of one another was golden.

You will need a rental car though and if the weather is rough so will be the driving which may limit your options or with road closures could potentially ruin a ski vacation.

Rental cars with 4wd are going to set you back about $$400 – $500 per week which is an added expense. But, transportation two and from the Denver Airport is going to cost you about the same so you will have to decide what works best for your family and what your goals are.

We were considering staying in Keystone but after visiting the town we were glad we didn’t. If you did want to stay mountainside I think Breck would be the better option as it is still somewhat centrally located and if the weather were to become an issue you would still be able to make it into a ski day.

Renting a car from Denver Airport

As I mentioned car rentals are going to be about $500 per week for a 4wd vehicle during peak times. We rented from PayLess car rental but there are lots of options so do your research and book early enough that you are able to get a good deal.

Make sure you have a credit card that covers rental car collision so you don’t have to buy the added insurance. We never have purchased this add on, and even had an accident in the past that ended up being fully covered.

You will save a lot of money this way.

What Airline is Best for Your Colorado Ski Vacation?

You may be enticed by low-cost airlines while searching for the best deals to and from your location. Airlines like Frontier may look like a good deal but for a ski vacation, you need to read the fine print.

When I say fine print I am talking about baggage and fees. For this there is no better deal than Southwest Airlines.

Southwest’s baggage policy is the very best in the business. We were able to bring ski’s, snowboards, and boots for our entire family along with plenty of checked baggage for $0 in fees. Compare this to airlines like Frontier which charge $30+ per bag. A “discount” ticket quickly becomes a nightmare and what you thought you saved on the flight with baggage fees or ski rental charges becomes a nightmare.

So, book with Southwest and save the hassles. Download the app so that you are reminded to check in early and guaranteed a good seating position for your family.

Renting vs. Bringing Ski and Snowboard Gear for the Family

Packing your family for a ski vacation can be a bit daunting. Helmets, boots, gear, bibs, gloves, extra gloves, jackets, and all those layers!

We did bring gear for the entire family but had a bit of mishap when we showed up to Breck which required that we rent skis and boots for my daughter.

I did some comparison shopping prior to our Colorado ski vacation but in a pinch, I ended up having to walk to the closest rental shop which just happened to be Christy Sports which was a great find. 

Christy Sports has rental shops at every ski location including Vail, Breck, Keystone, Beaver Creek, in Frisco, Dillon and probably every other Colorado town. Plus they have great rental prices. We ended up renting my daughter’s ski package for $20 and we were able to return it to any one of their locations at no additional charge. This ended up being a great deal.

Pick up a Christy Sports 20% off discount card from just about any hotel for an even better deal. P.S if you do decide to return to a different location you may not be charged for extra days of rental, although don’t tell them I told you that!

Have Fun

Since I am a budgeter it was hard for me to swallow the cost of a one week in Colorado for winter fun during holiday peak season. We spent about $3500 for the week after factoring in a rental car, flights, hotel, lift tickets, tips, rental gear, etc. etc. We had two season passes and two family members without (of our group of 4) and buying tickets online a day in advance was painful since an adult ticket to Breck even with my “discounted” Epic Buddy Pass was still $175 for the day!

But we had a blast! So, in the end, I should have just stopped complaining about the high priced lift tickets and just enjoyed the moment. I would recommend that be your plan as well.

Hopefully, with some advanced planning, you can do this better than I and have lots of fun on a bit more of a budget! I know I am already planning our trip for next year!

Enjoy!