Ultra-Affordable Ski Resorts for 2020 Vacations

Lift tickets at many of the most popular ski resorts throughout the U.S. cost more than $100 per day. That can be the most expensive part of any ski vacation if you’re traveling with family or friends who can spread out the cost of lodging among the group. But if you can seek out the “locals” mountains, the smaller ski areas that aren’t attached to fancy resorts and which are often further away from areas tourists can reach easily, you can find relative steals. And if you’re willing to travel elsewhere in the world, you can get a lot more for your money. Slovenia, for example, has many affordable ski resorts you’ve almost definitely never heard of, including Kope in the northern town of Razborca. Lift tickets here start around $32. Slovenia is far more affordable than Western Europe, so you can plan a ski trip here on a budget. Just watch for flight deals to Ljubljana — Skyscanner says they start around $440 roundtrip from U.S. cities.

Now’s an excellent time to plan a trip to Quebec, especially if you live in the northeast and can easily road trip. The U.S. dollar is strong right now and offers quite a favorable exchange rate against the Canadian dollar, so your money will go a lot further than usual. Full day lift tickets at Quebec’s Mont-Sainte-Anne resort cost $65 for adults, and kids 6 and under ski for free. To save more, consider skiing in the afternoon or evening, when lift tickets start around $27, or book a ski-and-stay package. Through mid-February, your third day of skiing and lodging is free, and packages for two adults start around $420. The resort also has cross-country ski tracks, fat biking, snowshoeing and alpine touring, so there are activities available for every level.

The Austrian Alps offer some of the most picturesque skiing in Europe, if not the world. Even still, tickets are remarkably affordable for such excellence. There are scores of Austrian ski resorts that cost well under $65 per day, not to mention wide expanses of backcountry skiing. SkiWelt, a massive area with 90 lifts and nearly 175 miles of trails, costs just $54 for an adult day pass; it’s $280 for a 7-day pass. SkiWelt offers other discounts, too, so pay attention to the calendar when you’re booking. The resort also offers other family-friendly activities like tobogganing.

These dramatic peaks might look terrifying, but the vast majority of Whakapapa’s terrain is intermediate. This New Zealand resort town at Mt. Ruapehu offers slopes up to 7,500 feet high and a dedicated beginner area ideal for teaching kids and newbie skiers. Lift tickets start around $100 for a single day or $53 each for two or more days. Passes are also good at Turoa Ski Area. Keep your costs low by staying in a hostel. The YHA National Park hostel, for example, is just a 12-minute drive from Whakapapa and bunks start at $18 per night. Ski season runs from about mid June through early November.