Today’s reader question:
I want to plan a snowboard trip, but I’m kind of broke, any general tips for saving money on accom and other expenses?
I’ve said previous that snowboarding can be done cheaply if you’re a local living at the resort, because you aren’t paying for hotels and other holiday expenses, but what I should also say is that you don’t have to be a local to live and snowboard like a local while on holiday.
Snowboarding like a local
There’s no reason your ski trip has to cost a lot of money, but it just ends up that way because most people look at ski trips as a big holiday where they can go crazy eating, partying and snowboarding every day.
Nothing wrong with that (heck – sign me up!) but those types of ski trips are also not something you can do all that often, unless you have insane amounts of money to spare.
What would a local do?
Plan your trip as if you were a local and you’ll find it doesn’t cost anywhere near as much as your typical snowboard holiday.
Does a local stay at a hotel in the main village? Nope. He rents a room in a shared house and catches the bus or stays in a budget hostel and works clean up duty to get cheaper rent.
Does a local eat at the steakhouse? Nope. He cooks most of his meals and never eats on the mountain (unless they’re mountain staff with a discount).
People look at travel booking sites like Expedia and they see that the average ski holiday costs you thousands upon thousands of dollars and start to think that’s what you have to pay to enjoy a ski holiday, but that’s far from the truth.
You just have to get away from the mindset of staying in hotels and and living large. Think more like a local when it comes to spending money on your holiday.
Book short term room rentals in houses instead of staying in hotels. Cook your own meals instead of eating out. Don’t go drinking and spend $100 on your bar tab every night.
Honestly, outside of plane tickets (which by the way can be had for nothing if you’re smart with using a good rewards credit card) and lift tickets, your other expenses such as accom and food can be found for not much more than you’d pay for a week living at home.
- Jed
ps – if you’re someone that never carries debt on their credit card and you live in N. America, I recommend checking out the SPG Amex card. Amazing flight/hotel reward points if you run all your expenses through the card.
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Also when you are with a group the expenses can go lower. I planned a trip last feb with 12 people. We paid for a 10 day trip to the French Alps from The Netherlands, including Bus trip, hotel and 6 days liftpasses for 340 euro each. That is a bargin because the lift passes normaly are 200 a week.
Make friends with snowboard teachers or locals. And try to get a sleepover. Maby you find a nice girl/boy. Then you hooked up for life.
I heared a story from a guy that used to hitchhiked from The netherlands to the alps, and took his tent with him and camped on a empty campside. He only bought a liftpass.
If you are broke that is the best option, but sleeping in -20 degrees celcius is another thing.
Yep very true, group travel is waay cheaper, especially if you negotiate activities because you have a group.
I don’t know about sleeping in a tent in winter though, that guy is more hardcore than me haha.
What’s the best way to find rooms to rent from? Are they easy to find? Can you find rooms for multiple people?
I’m currently on a snowboard trip in a hotel; we got a good deal, but if there was a way to bring the cost down even more I’d definitely consider that for next season.
Depends on location, but in N. America you can usually check out craigslist temp accom (careful of scams) and local classified listings.
In Whistler we have Pique Newmagazine, which has local short term listings too, but it’s different in every resort town as each has their own local classifieds.
I find an area in the Austrian Alps I like, look for accommodation through the town site and pick one of the cheapest. In Austria you can’t go wrong with accommodation even with the cheaper ones. Even the smallest B&B or pension is nicely equipped and people are friendly. I always find something for 2pers. for 300€/6nights. Lift pass averages 200-300€ a week.
I have a company car so that cost is almost nothing, and eating can be done by yourself (like at home) or outside because in Austria you find a lot of small taverns with good prices.