Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DISCOUNT LIFT TICKETS & SKI PASSES
Sticker shock is a big part of the Colorado ski experience, and it's not just limited to Vail and Aspen. The initial
slack-jawed disbelief soon changes to stubborn denial, and that's where those discount tickets come in - surely
you don't have to pay $130 for a day out on the slopes, right? Well, it all depends on how much advance planning
you've done.
Most resorts offer partially discounted tickets online for advance purchases through their websites. In fact, this
is the only way to get discounted tickets for Vail, Aspen and Breck, where purchases must be made a minimum
seven days in advance. In addition to resort websites, online vendors
www.liftopia.com
and
www.ski.com
are also
worth checking out for various deals. Big resorts also offer accommodation packages that, for example, throw in
a free day of skiing if you book three nights or more - but you may need to reserve before September.
If you really want to save, however, you're better off at the local hills. Winter Park, Copper Mountain, A-Basin
and the like all offer coupons and special deals throughout the season, which you might find lying around at the
entrance to the local brewery or, for example, a Denver Smashburger outlet. You can also get discounted tickets at
grocery stores (eg King Soopers), though the savings are minimal and the choice of mountains is limited. This is
more of a last-minute strategy.
The biggest savings are known as
four packs
, which are four lift tickets sold together as a block (they're non-
transferable, so you can't split them with a friend or significant other). These are available throughout the year,
but if you buy them before the season starts you can score some serious savings - we're talking 65% off lift tick-
ets to both Winter Park and Copper and 33% off tickets to the five Vail resorts. You don't have to use them all at
once, but watch out for blackout dates.
Of course, if you're going to be spending more than four days skiing, the obvious way to go is to get a
season
pass
. The best of these cover several mountains, so you don't have to limit yourself to just one resort. The prices
here are for pre-season purchases. Children, teens and seniors get reduced prices.
Epic Pass
This is the Vail season pass and it covers a lot of terrain: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breck, Keystone, A-Basin
and Eldora in Colorado, plus Canyons (Utah), three Lake Tahoe resorts (California) and five free days in both
Switzerland and Austria. With all that skiing, who has time to work? Cost: $689
Epic Local
You don't really need those 10 free days in Europe, do you? This one gives you 10 days at Vail and
Beaver Creek, and unlimited access to other Epic Colorado resorts and Canyons and Lake Tahoe (blackout dates
apply). Cost: $529
Summit Value
Unlimited access to Breck (blackout dates apply), Keystone and A-Basin. No preferred customer
shortcut through I-70 traffic jams though. Cost: $439
Mountain Collective
Perfect for jetsetter types out west. You get 12 free days total: two each at Aspen, Jackson
Hole, Whistler, AltaSnowbird, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows and Mammoth. Additional days are 50% off;
lodging is 25% off. Cost: $379
Rocky Mountain Superpass+
Unlimited access to Winter Park and Copper Mountain, plus free days at Steam-
boat and Monarch too. Students apply here! Cost: adult/student $489/369
Rocky Mountain Superpass
Unlimited access to Winter Park and Copper Mountain. Cost: $419
Keystone/A-Basin
The pennypincher's pick. Only two mountains, but at this price, who's complaining? Cost:
$279
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