How to save on a family ski weekend

Book early. The earlier you commit, the more you save, said John Briley in The Washington Post. Check Liftopia.com for big discounts on advance-purchase lift tickets. New York’s Whiteface Mountain, for example, is offering more than 30 percent off a package of four lift tickets—if you purchase by Dec. 8.

Place some calls. Ski resorts prioritize customer service, so get on the phone to ask the customer reps if they can help put together a ski and lodging package. Often you’ll save both time and money compared with shopping for packages online, a task that often involves “maddeningly illogical” web interfaces.

Consider smaller resorts. Everything is twice as expensive at a megaresort, and kids especially will be just as happy at a small one—such as Wyoming’s Grand Targhee or Vermont’s Mad River Glen, which is offering three unrestricted, transferable lift tickets for $169, 37 percent off the regular price.

Buy megapasses. Hoping to hit a few resorts? The Mountain Collective Pass, at $499 per adult and $99 a child, will buy two days of skiing or boarding at any of 16 resorts, plus half off additional days. Colorado’s $899 Epic Pass provides unlimited skiing at 15 resorts, plus six discounted tickets for friends. ■