Canadian Ski & Snowboard Resort Price Comparison

Posted on December 2, 2015  •  3 minutes  • 621 words

Skiing and snowboarding is a favourite pastime of mine. Unfortunately, shopping for the best vacation deal is a bit of a process. Between the prices of lodging, lift tickets, rentals, and then the necessities (beer, food, etc) – it can all begin to add up quick. To make matters worse, getting that final “total” can be a total pain. It’s not exactly like booking a flight where you can see which days are more expensive, or if there’s another option that’s cheaper. We’re stuck having to add up the cost of rentals, the cost of lift tickets, the cost of lodging, and hoping the total is a close approximation of what you’ll end up actually paying once you’re booked. Out of curiosity, I wanted to try a little experiment. My plan was to see how some of my favourite Canadian Ski Resorts compare to one another in terms of pricing. I hadn’t come across a ski vacation price comparison list, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.

What is the cheapest Ski Resort in Canada?

I began with a Google Spreadsheet, and started the long and arduous process of getting quotes for each resort on the same week (Feb 1 - 6th, 2016). While I own my own gear, many people don’t, so I wanted to get estimates on rental costs as well. I’m searching well over 30 days in advance meaning there are some added discounts automatically applied. Depending on how far in advance you’re looking at booking, prices may vary. [box]

Protrip

Book before November 15th to get early bird pricing on Canadian Ski or Snowboard Vacations. Savings can be 30-40%. [/box]

Canadian Ski Resort Price Comparison

<img alt="big-3-rocky-mountain-ski-snowboard-resorts" src="/images/blog/snowboards1.jpg">

Total price per Canadian Ski / Snowboard Resort

Keep in mind these totals are what I received during my search. As you can see, according to my ghetto price comparison, the cheapest ski resort in Canada on that particular week appears to Panorama, BC. Check out my post on snowboarding in this beautiful part of Canada . This total doesn’t include food, beer, etc, and is for only 1 adult. You may want to refer to the price comparison chart above to double the price of lift tickets and rentals if you’re not planning on vacationing alone.

Ski Resort Name

Total

Whistler Blackcomb

$1,111.37

Banff/Lake Louise

$1,078.65

Revelstoke

$1,376.55

Panorama

$887.99

Fernie

$1,505.75

Kicking Horse

$1,314.28

Big White

$1,388.25

Ski Resorts looking too expensive for you?

While I firmly believe getting to the mountains and skiing or snowboarding is a must-do activity if you’re traveling in Canada. The price may prohibit you from doing more than a day or two. If you’re still wanting to get in some skiing and snowboarding on the cheap, consider looking at some smaller ski destinations. Most provinces have a local ski/snowboard hill within a couple hours drive from major city centres. Some of them are in smaller mountains, some are in valleys, and while your runs might be shorter in time, they’re typically still a great option for a cheap ski or snowboard vacation. Check out places like Crabbe Mountain NB , Mission Ridge SK , or Asessippi MB . Lastly, if you’re new to snowboarding or skiing, I recommend reading these safety tips I wrote last year. _Disclaimer: I have no way of knowing for sure which ski resort is cheapest, and I doubt even the ski resorts know. This is just my best guess. Dear ski resorts, get better booking engines so we can shop around easier. It’s almost 2016 guys. Get it together! _ [box] Looking to get your kid into snowboarding? Check out this post on the best snowboards for kids: visit site here . Helpful stuff! [/box]