5 Step Guide to a Whistler Ski Trip on a Budget

If you’ve been to Whistler, you’ll know it’s a little on the pricy side. To keep costs as low as possible we have written our 5 Step Guide to a Whistler Ski Trip on a Budget outlining the things we did and extra tips.

We stayed in an Airbnb in the village so we could do our own meals and washing, walk to the lift and everywhere we needed. This means we didn’t pay for a car hire, fuel, parking, eating out too often, or washing. We also negotiated the price by filling a gap the host had, we didn’t visit in peak season either. Right in the village, playground and mountain views from the balcony, outdoor hot tub and heated pool, gas fireplace and comfy beds!

It can be expensive so we packed snacks and lunch. This consisted of things like left overs which we heated in the free microwave at the lodges on the mountain, noodles which we made with the free hot water in the lodges, microwave popcorn, a thermos of hot chocolate and other snacks. Each afternoon at the lodges between 2pm – 3:30pm, a hotdog and drink for $7. So that makes for a cheap lunch option if needed. Dan only did this twice. We also treated ourselves to waffles at the Crystal Hut and we think everyone should budget this in as a splurge! Many of the lodges and eateries have great indoor and outdoor eating areas, with great views, so there is something for everyone in all weather.

We also did almost all of our grocery shopping on the day we went to Whistler, at a larger store out of town while we had a car (before we returned it the next day). The prices are about 20% more in the grocery store in Whistler so we only did the fresh top up groceries there.

Everything is within walking distance and you’re too busy on the mountain to need to venture too far anyway. There are also buses to take you around if needed. We had a hire car to arrive with all our gear and groceries, stayed at an Airbnb with parking, but Dan took it back to Vancouver the next day and caught the bus back up again. This saved us about $50/day plus any fuel, and we really didn’t need a car or miss having one.

There are free events such as the Fire & Ice show, snowboarding/skiing terrain park competitions, free mountain ski/ride tours & more, plus places like the museum and sliding centre and beautiful lake walks which are free to explore too. So there is plenty to keep you occupied.

We bought a season pass (which makes so much sense as a day pass ticket is soooo expensive) and bought all our own gear so we didn’t have to hire it (again makes sense for us as we have done the big trip). There are quite a few pass deals on EPIC, so take a look and see what works out best. Also, the earlier you buy the EPIC Season passes the cheaper they are.

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