Like every trip, you have to do your research. Research. Research! Last year, we skipped Christmas and headed for the mountains! You can read about our trip to Breckenridge, or my guide to the most delicious bites in Breck.
Skiing is not normally something that you think of when you think of budget friendly vacations. That being said, We never travel without being budget conscious. I recently had someone say they thought Breckenridge was a really expensive spot. That didn't occur to me, because we always go in to vacations with a budget and the knowledge to stay within that budget. I always feel like, regardless of where you are traveling, you can always make almost any destination affordable.
Sharing all about how we kept our trip to Breckenridge under budget & very affordable!
1.
AirBnB. I turn to AirBnB for just about every single trip we go on, but seriously when an costs 1/4 of the price of a hotel, it just makes sense. We stayed in this downtown Breck condo on our trip to Breckenridge, and it was seriously the best. We were right in the middle of the gondola to go up to the mountain and Main Street for all the delicious food and activities. Not to mention, at the bottom of our condos was a ski rental shop! It was probably the most perfect location!
2.
Rent gear early! We rented through Christy’s Sports (which I mentioned above was right below our condo), and received 20% off our total rental by booking ahead. They even hooked us up with upgraded gear since we were so early in the season.
3.
Take a shuttle from the airport. Renting a car is enticing, but 1) you don’t need a car in a little town like Breckenridge, and 2) it’s dangerous driving on snow if you are unfamiliar with it. Breckenridge has a great bus system, and if you stay near main street, walking will be no problem, because everything is super close. Really, the only time a major mode of transportation is needed, is getting to and from the airport.
4.
Make a few meals at your place. Going on for every meal anywhere can be super expensive, especially in a resort/tourist town. If you can, book and AirBnB or hotel with a kitchen or kitchenette, this will help you keep costs down by being able to reheat leftovers and pop in some oatmeal or scrambled eggs.
5.
Make sure you have everything you need. Try all of your ski gear on, make sure everything looks and feels how you want it. Prices for buying new ski gear in a ski town are much higher than if you were to purchase things at home.
6.
Consider the off season. We went the second week of December, which was before most grade schools were out for winter break. You miss all of the inflated peak prices and people are much friendlier (or so we hear).
7.
Don’t try and ski every single day. That defeats the purpose of being there, right? WRONG! There are lots of other things to do in Breckenridge. We spent an entire day snowmobiling, hanging out at Georgia Pass, and sightseeing around Main Street, and that was far cheaper than a day on the slopes.
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I've actually never been on a ski trip/any vacation involving snow, which is weird because I'm from the midwest! Maybe I should try it sometime!
ReplyDelete-Anna | www.fivefootandfabulous.com
I have never been to Breckenridge and would love to go!!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to visit breckenridge! saving this for later!
ReplyDeleteRachel | The Confused Millennial
I am planning our wedding from Breckenridge next October and AirBNB is amazing!! What a fun trip it sounds like you had :)
ReplyDeleteJoy
www.basicallyjoy.blogspot.com
Love Breckenridge!! We went over Christmas last winter. Great tips!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to visit breckenridge! This is a really informative post!
ReplyDeleteHow fun! My family loves to ski, me not so much haha! The mountains are beautiful this time of year though!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Katie
chicincarolina.blogspot.com
I've always wanted to ski, but I heard it was super expensive! I'm glad you shared this - totally convinced I can do it on a budget now and have a great time ! :)
ReplyDeleteX,
Cristina / cristinawashere.com
I've always wanted to go to Breckinridge! Looks like you guys had tons of fun.
ReplyDeleteAlix | www.apintsizedlife.com
Great tips! I haven't been on a ski trip since high school, but I would love to go sometime soon!
ReplyDeleteXoxo,
Amanda
http://www.trulyyoursa.com
I've NEVER been on a ski trip, so looks like it's time to print this out and make it happen!
ReplyDeleteComing Up Roses
I've heard great things about this destination but have never been. If I ever get a chance to visit I'll definitely refer to this post! :-)
ReplyDeletexoxo A
www.southernbelleintraining.com
I've heard amazing things about this place! I'm actually using AirBnB for an upcoming trip to Sedona in arizona and it really cut costs and it's probably even nice than staying at a hotel!
ReplyDeleteOne of my best friends goes to Breck all the time for skiing, but I would love to visit with her one day! I love being able to try new things with my friends so I'm going to share this with her! AirBnB is my favorite, and am constantly looking at it for trips!
ReplyDeletexoxo
The name Breckenridge just sounds like a good time! I really want to go on a big holiday trip next year and this couldn't be a more perfect fit. xx Merisa | Monogrammed Magnolias
ReplyDeleteI live in the Vail Valley, only about an hour away from Breck! These are some great tips for tourists on a budget! I would also like to add that there are boutique hostels in Breckenridge and Vail for the budget traveler as well!
ReplyDeletewww.darlingnomadess.com