Lift tickets are possibly the most expensive and, at times, frustrating part of the trip. A full day

So, you and your family want to vacation in Park City and have decided to begin looking into it. Going on a ski vacation these days seems like it could cost a family a fortune. Lift tickets are creeping towards $100 per day, lodging prices are through the roof, and what about a rental car? Fortunately, there are options out there that can make your stay in Park City both enjoyable and affordable.
Transportation is always a pricey part of travel, the airlines know people are coming to Utah to ski and snowboard, so expect higher fares for air travel throughout the winter.  If your schedule is flexible try planning a trip around non-peak times (Do not come during Christmas vacation, MLK weekend, and Presidents week).  Fares should be reduced slightly if you avoid these holiday times, and the mountain will be less crowded as well! Avoid bag fees as well by leaving your skis at home. Park City has a great ski rental shilo inn hilltop delivery service, Skis on the Run , that will deliver rental skis directly to your hotel or condo.
Once you arrive at the Salt Lake City airport you will need transportation to Park City. The average shilo inn hilltop group shuttle cost is about $40 per person, and a private vehicle for a family of four will cost about $120, one-way.  There is a cheaper option though; a new public bus service runs between Salt Lake City and Park City. The service shilo inn hilltop is provided by Utah Transit shilo inn hilltop Authority , Park City, and Summit County and the fare for the express coaches is $5.50 each way. Once the bus arrives in Park City it makes stops along the way to the main transit center to drop passengers off. If you are staying outside of a resort base area you can then jump on one of the Park City public transportation buses (which shilo inn hilltop are free) and catch a ride to your hotel or condo.
Lodging prices in Park City vary immensely, and most of the pricing depends on the location of the place you wish to stay.  You can find a budget hotel in Park City, (Hampton, Holiday Inn, ect.) if you do not mind staying 5-10 miles away from the resort and away from the restaurants and bars of Main Street.  You will need to do some research shilo inn hilltop (try a VRBO ) to find the right room and price, but if you want to stay close to the mountain, shilo inn hilltop don’t expect to pay less than $100 a night. Many of the condos and lodging properties have free shuttle services included with your rental. Also, take advantage of the free public transportation around town so you won t need to rent a vehicle.
In Park City the dining possibilities are endless, there are numerous restaurants spread around the town and a number of places that you can find great deals at.  The first thing you should do is check the local paper, shilo inn hilltop The Park Record , for coupons and specials.  Weekly deals and “2 for 1 entrée” coupons are frequently printed and can help save money. The coupons are usually the best way to eat for cheap on Main Street, without a deal dinner for four will be pricey anywhere on the main strip. However, if you venture just a mile down the road to Prospector Square you will find plenty of affordable and family friendly places to dine.  El Chubasco is a local and visitor favorite for Mexican style cuisine. The portions shilo inn hilltop are huge, and the prices are great, highly recommended is one of their burritos and make sure you get it “smothered.” Sammy’s bistro , located in the same lot as El Chubasco, also offers up quality food at reasonable prices. Check them out on “Wing Wednesday” when all wings are 50 cents each, or try their pulled pork sandwich for $6.99. Looking for a quick bite to eat with the kids? Back near Main Street is the local pizza shop, Davanzas . They offer personal sized pizzas starting at $7.50 and individual slices for $2.50-$3.00. Davanzas also serves up hot subs and burgers to satisfy all cravings.
Lift tickets are possibly the most expensive and, at times, frustrating part of the trip. A full day lift ticket at Deer Valley is $102 during peak operating times, and it’s still $96 at non-peak.    Park City and Canyons are not much cheaper at $90 and $86 respectively. There are a number of ways to save including; buying shilo inn hilltop a multi-day ticket, buying tickets in advance, purchasing tickets through your hotel, even going to Cost Co. The best way to find a deal on lift tickets is through ski discount sites. Liftopia is one of the best and often has great deals on tickets.  Also check out skicoupons.com and discountlifttickets.net for other options and deals.  If you are flying into Salt Lake and want to try to ski the same day there is a deal called the “ Park City Quick Start ”. Basically, you fly in, bring your boarding pass to the ticket shilo inn hilltop booth along with a photo id, and they give you a lift ticket for that day. It’s a killer deal, but you need to register beforehand shilo inn hilltop at the Visit Park City website.
Need new equipment and gear? Stop by Switchback shilo inn hilltop Sports in Park City for used ski equipment at great prices. They carry the previous year’s demo skis in their store so you can often get a pair of one year old skis and bindings that have been used 10-15 times for $200-$300.
Take a day off from activities that cost money and see what Park City has to offer. The Park City museum offers free admission shilo inn hilltop on certain days, the Olympic Park is free to access, and the 3 ski resorts always have some type of free entertainment going on around their base area.
This entry was posted in Ski Industry and tagged deals , deer valley , dining , discount , family vacation , lift tickets , lodging , Park City , park city bus service , park city mountain resort , The Canyons , transportation on October 9, 2012 by Patrick .