5 Things to Consider When Planning a Ski Trip

So, you’re thinking of going skiing for your next vacation? What a great idea! Skiing is a great way to explore new places and get outdoors in the winter. It can also be a great way to regularly reconnect with extended family members or friends. Before you load up the car or head to the airport though, it’s important that you take some time to fully plan. This guide will share 5 things to consider when planning a ski trip. 

Whether you’re brand new to skiing or have been hitting the slopes for years, planning a ski trip is exciting. However, if you don’t take the time to really plan, you could be in for quite the disaster. 

The Importance of Planning Ahead

If you’ve ever been on any trip before, you know how important it is to plan ahead. If you’re under the impression that you’ll just “make plans and decisions along the way,” you could be in for a rude awakening. Imagine getting to your travel destination only to find that all of the lodging’s been booked? What if you pack lightly only to find that the weather is much worse than anticipated? 

If you’re skiing, going without plans can be downright awful! Maybe you didn’t look into ski passes and end up arriving only to discover that you didn’t budget for the steep ski lift prices. Or, worst of all, you plan a big trip with the family to your favorite ski resort—only to find that you didn’t book enough rooms! 

There’s nothing that’s worse than the headache of an ill-prepared trip. Fortunately, you can make your life a whole lot easier by considering a few things before you leave. Trust us, we’ve been on plenty of ski trips—both successful and unsuccessful. We’ll help you avoid the latter to make this ski trip your best vacation ever. 

5 Things to Consider When Planning a Ski Trip

Who’s Going? 

We think that this is the most important consideration to make before you plan your ski trip. Without knowing who will be joining you on the ski trip you won’t make it very far when trying to plan the location, order the ski passes, arrange transportation, or know what to pack! 

Many people like to ski with their partner, and a ski trip can make for a nice romantic getaway. Some people prefer to go with the whole family, it’s a great way to introduce kids to the wonderful world of wintertime sports! There are also quite a lot of people who plan annual ski trips with the extended family. When you have several people going, it makes it less likely for someone to feel left out. Also, with more people, accommodation tends to be cheaper. 

Another thing to consider when it comes to who will be joining you on your ski trip is kids. Are you bringing your children, or do you have any young nieces or nephews who will be joining you? If you’ve got young, inexperienced kiddos joining you, check for resorts that offer kids’ camps, or lessons for children.

Also, if you’re going with both snow bunnies and people who don’t really like winter, make sure that the resort you choose has fun activities that don’t involve skis and poles. Some have nice restaurants, entertainment, and even shopping.  

Location

Ahh skiing—who doesn’t like this pastime? But for anyone who’s serious about skiing, you’ll know that the location can make or break your trip. That’s why we think that choosing a ski resort is one of the most important things to consider when planning a ski trip.

So how exactly should you choose a ski resort? Well, with more than 500 ski resorts in the United States alone—plus all the other great ones found internationally, there are a couple things you could consider to narrow your decision down.

What type of skiing do they offer? 

Each ski resort will vary in terms of the type of skiing experience they provide. Some will naturally be on smaller mountains and, as a result, will have smaller slopes. Others will be in more extreme locations that are better suited to experts. 

What type of lodging is offered?

Will you want to be staying at the actual ski resort? Or would you prefer to stay further away from the slopes. Depending on what you’re interested in and who you’re going with, it might be nice to stay close by the slopes. That way, anyone can ski anytime they want. If you’re planning a longer trip and want to save a little money, it may be more affordable to stay further away from the slopes. 

Transportation

Actually getting to the ski resort is an adventure in and of itself. Travel can be as fun—or as simple—as you make it. If you’re going with the whole family, you may find it cheaper to drive. If you’re heading abroad or away on a romantic weekend, flying may be the best option. If you’re travelling with the kids, it could be fun to explore alternative modes of transportation, like taking a train. 

Once you consider how you’ll get to your final destination, there may be some more considerations you’ll have to make. If you’re flying, how will you get to the actual resort? If you aren’t staying at the slopes, will you rent a car to get to the resort, or do they offer a shuttle? Do you have any plans to do anything in the area that you’re visiting? If you want to explore the sites around the resort, you might want to drive or rent a car.

It’s probably a good idea to look into what the resort offers. Some will provide travel options for those visiting their slopes. Some have shuttles that regularly run from the local airport. Some provide private cars and some even offer private jet service! Wherever you plan to go, don’t forget about arranging transportation! 

Ski Passes 

Next, we move on to the actual skiing itself. Picking the perfect ski ticket or pass can be a long process. Many resorts offer several different options and it may be difficult to determine what’s best for you and your family. Before you get too bombarded with making a decision, here’s our advice: keep an open mind and explore all options.

If you’re reading this article months before the snow season, even better. If you have a good idea of where and when you want to go, you may be in luck! Many resorts offer great discounts if you book early. If you’re going with a big family or group of friends, you may also find a good deal for everyone to ski. 

You can also check out different packages offered by the ski resorts. Some will provide a package that includes lessons, transportation from the airport, or lodging. Explore what’s offered by each of the resorts before you make a final decision. 

Another thing to consider is how many days you’ll be skiing. If you’re going for a long weekend or even a whole week and you’re a new skier, you may want to start out with less days on the slope. They call skiing a sport for a reason! Look for resorts that offer other things in their packages, like spa treatments, or find one that has other amenities like an indoor pool or hot tub to soothe those aching muscles. 

What to Pack

So, you’ve rounded up your friends and family, chosen the perfect resort, booked your transportation, and purchased your ski passes. Now we get to the fun part—figuring out what you need to go skiing. There are two main decisions when it comes to packing. 

Pack your gear.

Do you already have skis, poles, a helmet, boots, a jacket, and pants from last year? Excellent, you can take these with you. However, if you’re flying, this could make for a lot of checked baggage. You may want to consider renting.

Rent your gear. 

Check that the resort or local shops have renting options and take a look at prices to see what’s better economically. In most cases, it ends up being cheaper to rent, especially if you don’t ski all that often. Some resorts even offer packages where rentals are included in the ski tickets. 

After you’ve arranged your essential gear, you can start packing everything else. Here are a few essentials we think you shouldn’t leave home without:

• Long underwear or thermals
• Turtlenecks and sweaters
• Ski-socks
• Face mask or neck warmer
• Mittens or glove liners
• Ski goggles
• A hat
• Lip balm and sunscreen
• Winter boots
• Comfortable clothes to wear while not on the slopes

Final Thoughts

Well, now you can move beyond the daydream stage of your ski trip planning and actually start making some decisions! As you can see, there are a few important things you should consider before heading to the slopes. We hope that this list of 5 things to consider when planning a ski trip helped. Have a great time on the mountain!