A Budget Traveller's Guide To Skiing In Western Canada

There are numerous ski resorts in British Columbia and Alberta. Although a lot of them look luxurious in photos, a ski holiday in Western Canada doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are some tips for budget travellers, to help you get the most out of skiing in Canada, while spending less.

Ski Holiday Packages

There are some websites that specialise in ski vacations. Ski Canada and Skican are just two companies that can offer you packaged deals. Ski Canada has good specials for groups and does Ski Safari RV Tours, which includes hiring an RV and visiting more than one ski resort. Skican hosts group ski tours around British Columbia too. Break down the costs and see if a ski holiday package works out cheaper for you.
Some ski resorts also offer packages that include accommodation and lift passes to save you money. Visit the Whistler or SkiBig3 websites for such deals.

Don’t Stay on the Mountain

Buy Lift Passes Online

To save money, buy lift passes online prior to your first day on the mountain. Most ski resorts advertise that buying in advance online means extra discounts, so check out their individual websites. Another website to look at for excellent lift pass deals is Liftopia.

Visit Out of Season

One of the best budget travel tips is to always travel out of season. For Western Canada ski resorts, this usually means visiting before Christmas and around spring. Visitors will find good deals and packages for skiing at the end of the season. Sunshine Village in Banff has the longest season out of all of the resorts, from November to May.

Rent Equipment

Unless you’re an avid skier or snowboarder that hits the slopes every season, it may be cheaper to rent your equipment and clothing at the ski resort you select. Most rental services offer deals depending on how long you want to rent for. Check out Amazon for inexpensive snow gear too, such as moisture-wicking thermal tops (imperative), goggles and waterproof pants.

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