It’s no secret that skiing is a somewhat expensive sport, and by now I’m sure you know that lift tickets at Vail are some of the priciest out there. That being said, the sheer amount of terrain available makes it worth the price of a lift ticket, and keeps people coming back for more year after year. Though, if you’re like me, you want to save your dinero whenever possible without sacrificing quality (so you can perhaps spend that money on an amazing dinner in Vail). So, with that in mind, here are a few tips to help you get the most bang for your buck when buying lift tickets for your ski trip to Vail…
- Buy a multi-day pass in advance of your trip – Vail Resorts offers a variety of discounted multi-day passes that they call Epic Day lift tickets. You save the most money by buying these 7 or more days in advance of your trip.
- Purchase an Epic Pass – if you’re going to be skiing/riding for a week or more at any combination of the 15+ resorts that are part of the Epic Pass, consider purchasing a season pass, since you’ll likely save more money this way. For example, if you’re an east-coaster who will ski a few days at Stowe, Sunapee, or Okemo and then take a week-long trip to Colorado, you can get a week’s worth of skiing at your east coast mountain and then hit the hill in Colorado, all with one pass: the Epic Pass. Or, even consider the Epic Local pass, which comes with a few blackout dates and a limited number of days you can ski at Vail and Beaver Creek, but it will save you $200+ compared to the unrestricted version of the Epic Pass, if you’re able to plan your trip around the blackout dates. Be aware, though, that season pass sales do eventually stop towards the end of summer, so this is really only an option for people getting started planning their ski vacation well in advance.
- Make friends with somebody who has buddy passes or ski-with-a-friend tickets on their Epic Pass – buddy passes and SWAF discount tickets are a perk that certain Epic Pass holders are given based on when they purchased their season pass. If you’re friendly with someone who has these perks and they’re able to accompany you to the ticket window, ask them to help you out with a discount.