For many, skiing is a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. Not only can it be extremely time-consuming to plan and organize, but they also aren’t the kind of holidays you feel “relaxed” after. That gets a lot of people wondering whether skiing is actually worth the money.
Skiing is definitely worth the money for those that enjoy being outside, enjoy freedom, and creating incredible memories with friends. It’s worth the money even if you aren’t sure that skiing is for you.
Though skiing is worth the money for practically everyone to try at least once, there are a few questions we should go over first to make the decision a bit easier. Below, we go over the specifics of these questions and what the answers to them are.
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How Much Does It Cost To Go Skiing?
It costs around $1,000 to go skiing if you have your own gear, don’t have to travel far, and are able to budget. If you don’t have your own equipment, you can pay around $2,000, which also includes higher-end purchases. You could even spend upwards of $10,000, depending on what you buy.
One of the biggest factors when contemplating a ski holiday is the price. Because of a number of differentiating factors, the cost of a skiing holiday can be one extreme or the other, but often always seems to be more expensive than what you budgeted for.
As a rough estimate, you can expect skiing to cost around $1,000 if you have your own gear, pick a budget resort, and don’t have far to travel. Yes, you may have to cut corners and make compromises you don’t particularly want to make, but it is possible to get holidays this cheap.
Averagely, you can expect to pay around $2,000 and up if you don’t have your own equipment and go for more luxurious accommodation. If you’re skiing out of high season, you could likely get some impressive ski-in/ski-out accommodation that will almost definitely make your trip a lot better.
Really, there is no upper limit to how much skiing holidays can cost, but you could easily spend over $10,000 under the right circumstances. Spas, professional chefs, incredible rooms, and indoor pools all start to quickly add up the price.
Why Is Skiing So Expensive?
Skiing is so expensive because of a variety of factors, including the costs of parking and rental cars, the cost of flights, the fee of a ski pass, the cost of either purchasing or renting ski equipment, how much lessons may cost, the price of hotels, and the cost of food.
It’s common knowledge that skiing is perhaps the most expensive of all holidays, and also one of the most expensive hobbies there is. Well, it certainly can be depending on what decisions you make during the planning process. Let’s have a look at a few specific things that can keep your wallet looking flush or completely empty.
Transfers
Depending on how far you live from the airport and how far your accommodation is on the other side, the price you pay will go up accordingly. Like all holidays, if you’re driving to the airport, then you also need to account for parking costs before you fly and car rental or taxi costs when you’re in the resort.
Of course, if you’ve decided to drive to the ski resort and not bother with a plane, then this may not concern you. You will still need to account for fuel which could quickly add up if it’s far away. In fact, while it may seem cheaper than going by plane (especially if you’ve got your own gear), insurance and fuel may outweigh any benefit.
Flights
Flights are one of the main considerations to account for while planning your ski holiday. The further away you are from your destination, the more the flights are going to cost. Couple that with the expense of a ski carriage, and you’re already looking at quite a lot of money. In fact, it’s not unusual for a ski carriage to be even more expensive than renting your own gear when you’re in a resort.
Of course, should you really want to fly in style, you could go business or even first class. If, however, you’re but a mere mortal, this would cost more than the entire holiday, so we don’t recommend it! Budget economy flights are fine, as long as they have decent ski carriage options.
If you’re skiing with a family, even the budget flight options can quickly add up. Flying to somewhere like Japan from Los Angeles will set you back around $1000. Yes, it’s a dream destination, but sadly not for the budget-conscious.
Ski Pass
Ski passes are essential to any ski holiday. Well, that’s unless you want to walk your way up the mountain after every run. Unfortunately, it’s a necessary cost that we all have to deal with.
The price varies from resort to resort, but you can expect to budget an average of $100 dollars a day for most places. That means around $500 for a week’s holiday or close to $2000 for a group of 4 people.
Vail in Colorado is frequently touted as the most expensive ski resort in America, and no wonder, with prices often around $200 for a single day’s skiing. It was only recently that Arizona Snowball bested it with a ticket selling for $249 for a day. Granted, it was only for a few days, but it shows you how crazy some of these prices can get and how quickly they’ll eat into your budget.
You can normally choose to buy your ski passes for a single day or the length of time you’re staying for. It’s normally cheaper to buy it for a longer period of time, but then you’ll lose out on the freedom of being able to choose your skiing days based on the weather. Buying for five days at a time is probably better than buying each morning as you’ll end up saving time and money in the long run.
Ski Equipment
If you’ve never been skiing before, ski equipment is likely going to be a big expense that needs accounting for on your holiday. It’s probably worth borrowing a friend’s or family’s clothing if it fits you, especially if you aren’t sure skiing is the right sport for you.
Granted, you could go out and buy it all, but it’ll likely set you back hundreds of dollars. You’ll then have to take into consideration how you may want to upgrade your clothing if you become more advanced or specialize in a particular area of skiing.
Lessons
At any level of skiing, getting lessons is always a beneficial idea. Unfortunately, with lesson prices easily topping $100 dollars for an hour’s lesson, you may not be able to budget for as many as you want to.
Depending on the resort, your level of skiing, whether you want a specialized lesson, or a private one, the price will fluctuate. Despite the cost, ski lessons are well worth the money you’ll spend on them, so budget accordingly. After all, you’re on a ski holiday to improve your skiing, so lessons are always going to be important.
Accommodation
Whether you book them in advance or last minute, hotels always seem to be a huge expense. You’ll end up paying a premium if your accommodation is on the slopes or if it has more premium facilities than others in the area.
Places like club med include absolutely everything like lessons, extra activities, transfers, flights, rooms, food & drink, and lift passes. As you can imagine, choosing an option like this will hike the price considerably, but it’ll also take the stress out of organizing what could be an otherwise confusing holiday.
On one end of the scale, you’ll be looking at a dirt-cheap Airbnb or basic hotel room. That will likely include no food, transfers, or anything else. Sometimes you can get lucky with Airbnb rentals that end up being rather cheap and close to the resort lifts.
On the other hand, you’ll have fully catered chalets. Incredible cuisine each day as well as cakes in the afternoon if they’re really looking after you! If you’ve emptied your wallet in one of these accommodations, the owners will likely help you book lessons, lift tickets, and any other activities you’ll need for the holiday.
Food
It’s well known by everyone that food on a ski resort mountainside is some of the most expensive there is. You’ll probably need a good chunk of money saved to be able to grab hot chocolate on the mountainside. Forget eating in a ski resort restaurant during the day, if you want to save money, then pack your own lunch!
Is Skiing Worth The Money?
Skiing is worth the money, as it allows for an opportunity to create some once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. A skiing holiday will allow you to create lifelong memories.
Despite its rather high expense, skiing is well worth every last penny we spend on it. Just ask the almost 15 million yearly skiers in the US each year. If that doesn’t tell you that skiing is worth the money, we don’t know what will!
The feeling of being outdoors, surrounded by incredibly huge mountains is almost unexplainable to those who haven’t experienced it before. If you take all the aspects of skiing out of the picture, and all you had left was the environment, it would still be worth it.
If you’re skiing with a group of friends or family, you’ll have a far more enjoyable time and hopefully create some lifelong memories. Sure, there are moments on a skiing holiday that aren’t ideal, but that’s the same with all holidays. For a lot of people, it’s not a frequent activity, and that’s what makes it special.
Try It Out
At the end of the day, the only way you’ll really know whether or not skiing is worth it for you is to try it once. If you’re concerned about the money, you can do it on the cheap (as we’ll find out next). If it’s the physical act of skiing that’s worrying you, you can visit your local dry slope or indoor ski center before you commit to a holiday.
Sure, it won’t be worth the money to some people, but they probably won’t even be reading this article. If you’re on the fence as to whether it’s worth the money for you or not, give it a try because otherwise, you’ll never know.
Is Skiing Only For The Rich?
Skiing is not only for the rich, as it’s possible to have a skiing holiday that’s affordable and doesn’t break the bank. In order to do this, you need to budget accordingly and go for a destination that’s close to you and affordable to travel to, all while still meeting your needs.
While skiing used to be considered only for the upper class and the rich, that’s simply not the case anymore. With the huge amounts of holiday options available to you before you book, you’re bound to find something suitable for your financial situation.
The biggest expense of a ski holiday will be the location you choose. If it’s a resort a couple of hours away, the transport costs are going to be minimal. If it’s St. Moritz, Switzerland, then the plane tickets, lift passes, and accommodation are likely going to be well out of your reach.
It’s worth doing the research if you’re budget conscious about the cheaper resorts. You won’t get the best resort infrastructure or slopes in the world, but it’s more than worth it just to get more time on your skis.
Places like Bansko, a Bulgarian ski resort, have a hell of a lot to offer at a relatively affordable price. It’s all about searching out hidden gems close to where you live before everyone else does. You’ll have to compromise on a few things, but if you don’t mind a smaller amount of runs or a less lively après ski, it might not be a deal-breaker.
Is Skiing Worth The Risk?
Skiing is worth the risk if you like the snow and physical activities. If you’re hesitant about whether or not you’ll like it, you can go to a resort for a day lesson to get a feel for what skiing is like. If you don’t like snow or physical activity, then skiing is unlikely to be worth the risk.
There are two big “risks” people usually consider when they’re booking a ski holiday. The first is should they risk all that money when they might not actually like skiing. The second is, “Is skiing worth the potential danger associated with it?”
If you only get one holiday a year, spending all your money on one that you might not even like is understandably considered a risk. Fortunately, there are a few things we can do to negate that risk. The first thing to do is ask yourself a couple of questions.
Do you like the snow? And do you like physical activity? They may seem like basic questions, but they are the prerequisites to enjoying skiing. If your answer is a strong no to either of them, booking a ski holiday may not be worth the risk.
Skiing At A Resort
If you like the snow but aren’t sure you’ll love skiing, go to a local resort for a day’s lesson, or perhaps an indoor or local dry slope. It won’t be similar in all ways to a proper ski holiday, but you’ll begin to understand the techniques and amount of strength needed to enjoy your holiday.
That said, skiing in a quaint little resort with snowy mountains in the background is hugely different from your local dry slope in the middle of summer. If you’re still on the fence after a few practice sessions, take the risk because resort skiing is almost always better.
Is Skiing Worth It For You?
Whether skiing is worth it for you depends on your own wants and needs as an individual. You’ll only be able to find out if skiing is worth it by going out and trying it. If you don’t like it, you could always find some other things to do with your time at the skiing resort.
At the end of the day, skiing won’t be worth it for everyone, but the only way you’re going to find that out is by going for yourself. The freedom you’ll experience by cruising around the mountain with your friends is undeniably incredible and something everyone should do at least once.
For a lot of people, they may not enjoy the physical act of skiing, but the environment and beautiful area bring them back season after season. There’s a certain buzz in a ski town that’s unlike other destinations at the same time of year.
There certainly is a lot to organize with a ski holiday, especially if you’re trying to do things on the cheap. So it’s not surprising that a lot of people feel like they need another holiday after their winter holiday. Skiing isn’t always a relaxing experience, and it will definitely leave you feeling a little tired at the end of your week.
If You Don’t Like It
The worst that can happen is you’ll spend the money booking a ski holiday and realize when you’re there that it’s not worth it for you. At that point, if you’ve truly given up on the sport, it’s time to make the most of the holiday your way.
Spend the week exploring the town, being out in the fresh air, and perhaps going on a hike or two. With that in mind, it’s hard to say that at least one ski holiday won’t be worth it for absolutely everyone, provided they’re in decent health.
Final Thoughts
Whether skiing is worth the money will be dependent on how much you’re willing to spend, whether you feel like it’ll be worth the risk, and if you’re willing to try something new. However, skiing is definitely worth the money if you’re a fan of snow and physical activity.