Snowshoe Condo

Snowshoe Condo

Snowshoe Condo

To get anything resembling a good deal at a ski resort, the first rule is simple: stay away from peak periods, which in the U.S. are the week between Christmas and New Year, Martin Luther King Day weekend, Presidents Day weekend, and the week following Presidents Day. Travel days surrounding those heavy vacation periods are often blacked out from frequent flier awards and discounts. If you can travel at any other time, prices are sure to be lower.

In general, the best time to book airline travel is a month to six weeks in advance, but in peak ski season, airline tickets to ski destinations tend to sell out earlier. For peak ski weeks, start checking prices and availability as soon as possible. Comparison websites such as Expedia, Kayak, Travelocity, and Orbitz are good places to start, but some of them don’t have price information from some of the low-budget airlines, so check individual airline websites as well.

December and March are generally good months for deals, but snow conditions can be uncertain, especially in the northeastern United States. Always ask about specials, not only for your first-choice travel dates, but for your other available times, as well.