Travel Tips

Start Booking 2014 Ski Trips in September to Save Big

Normally, it’s in a hotel or cruise line’s best interest to get you to book early. But when it comes to ski deals, it’s the traveler who benefits from early booking. Get a season pass or book your lift tickets now and you can lock in low rates, find companion flights and save big all around. So as the summer moves into fall, September is the time to lock down your winter ski deals.

Start Skiing for $6 with Liftopia

Liftopia is the largest online and mobile retailer of deals on lift tickets and other mountain activities. This September, they are proving great deals under $20 for winter lift tickets.

Best deals:

  • $15 for a single day lift ticket at Platterkill Mountain in New York
  • $5.99 for a single day lift ticket at Christmas Mountain in Wisconsin
  • $10 for a single day lift ticket at Cascade Mountain in Wisconsin
  • $7.50 for a single day lift ticket at Caberfae Peaks in Michigan

To book, visit the Liftopia website.

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Ski Free for Under $100

In New Hampshire, you’ll find big changes in Bretton Woods. The ski area has created a new Nordic Circle on Mount Stickney. The $1.3 million investment has also create new Alpine trails with 40 snows on Crawford’s Blaze and 20 snow guns on the Ben trails. Check out everything that is going on at The Omni Mount Washington Resort with  their “Stay Here, Ski Free” package. Rates start at $99 per person per night. The package includes in hotel accommodations and complimentary ski lift tickets.

Big Deals in Big Bear

Booking your trip early can save you big bucks.If you’ve been thinking about visiting Big Bear Mountain Lake, you can get some major discounts by booking a trip in January right now at the Big Bear Lake Resort.

Best deals:

  • Midweek Lift and Lodging packages are as low as $69 per person per night in a double occupancy rooms.
  • Weekend Lift and Lodging packages start at $89 per person, per night, with double occupancy with a two night minimum. The package includes two days of lift tickets.

To book, visit the Big Bear website or call 800-424-4232.

Telluride ColoradoStay Longer, Ski Longer

Telluride prides itself on 2,000 skiable acres over 84 trails that offer challenging Colorado skiing without the endless lift lines. Right atop the gondola in Mountain Village is the Hotel Madeline in Telleride. It’s a ski-in, ski out property, where the longer your stay the more you save.

Stay in the Superior King or Deluxe King guest rooms and save 25 percent on a two-night stay or 35 percent on a four night stay. Rates start at under $220 a night. You have until October 18 to book. Click here for more information

Make the Ski Weekend Count in Maine

In Maine, Sunday with River is one the state’s largest and most popular resorts. Right now, there are end of the summer deals for the start of the ski season. These deals all include lift tickets, lodging, ski lessons and breakfast.

  • A standard Stay and Ski package starts at $59 per person per night
  • If you’re staying for Christmas and New Year’s, rates start at $119 per person per night.
  • A 5 Day Ski Weekend starts at $309 per person per night

To book, visit the Sunday River website or call 800-543-2754.

A Sliding Scale of Early Savings

Crested ButteCrested Butte Mountain Resort has a “Book Early, Save Big” promotion works on a sliding scale. If you book by September 15 and you save 25 percent off. Book before October 15 and you’ll still save 20 percent.

In addition to the deal, guests flying to this popular ski destination have the opportunity of nearly free airline tickets. The resort is giving airline credit of up to $400 per ticket when guests book lodging and airfare by October 15. Restrictions and blackout dates do apply for the airfare deal, but the discounts will not getting any deeper for the 2013-2014 ski season.

$400 air credit will be given to travelers who fly inbound into the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the season, beginning January 1 through March 30, 2014. For those traveling on other days of the week, the resort is offering a $200 credit per ticket.

To book now, call Crested Butte Vacations at 800-600-2803.

Don’t miss our round up of the Best 2014 Cruise Deals and keep reading for all our Travel Deals

By Judith Retana for PeterGreenberg.com