Skiing is not normally something that you think of when you think of budget friendly vacations. That being said, We never travel without being budget conscious. We had a friend say they thought Breckenridge was a really expensive spot. That didn’t occur to me, because we always go in to vacations with a budget and the knowledge to stay within that budget. Like every trip, you have to do your research. In 2015 we skipped Christmas and headed for the mountains, Breckenridge, Colorado to be exact. Since then, we’ve been back multiple times and have truly fallen in love with this little mountain town in Colorado! You can read about our first trip to Breckenridge, or our guide to the most delicious bites in Breck.
Regardless of where you are traveling, you can make almost any destination affordable.
Sharing all about how we kept our trip to Breckenridge or any ski town under budget & very affordable!
Use AirBnB
We turn to AirBnB for just about every single trip we go on, but seriously when an AirBnB costs 1/4 of the price of a hotel, it just makes sense. We stayed in this downtown Breck condo on our first trip to Breckenridge, and it was seriously the best. We were right near the gondola to go up to the mountain and Main Street for all the delicious food and activities. Not to mention, at the bottom of our condos was a ski rental shop! It was probably the most perfect location!
When it comes to where to stay in Breckenridge, here’s where we’ve stayed: Downtown Breck condo, North of the Main Area whole house with a backyard, and condo right off Main Street.
Rent gear early
We rented through Christy’s Sports (which we mentioned above was right below our condo), and received 20% off our total rental by booking ahead. They even hooked us up with upgraded gear since we were so early in the season.
How to get to Breckenridge
You have a few options when it comes to how to get to Breckenridge! If you’re flying in, you can rent a car., but truth be told, you don’t need a car in a little town like Breckenridge. Breckenridge has a great bus system, and if you stay near main street, walking will be no problem, because everything is super close. Really, the only time a major mode of transportation is needed, is getting to and from the airport. You can also take a shuttle – we’ve never done this, but there are tons of shuttle services that run from the Denver airport to Breckenridge, but they can be expensive.
Make a few meals at your place
There might be a ton of great Breckenridge restaurants, but going out for every meal anywhere can be super expensive, especially in a resort/tourist town. If you can, book an AirBnB or hotel with a kitchen or kitchenette, this will help you keep costs down by being able to reheat leftovers and pop in some oatmeal or scrambled eggs.
Make sure you have everything you need for skiing before you go
Try all of your ski gear on, make sure everything looks and feels how you want it. Prices for buying new ski gear in a ski town are much higher than if you were to purchase things at home. Amazon also has a ton of great cheap ski gear for women and cheap ski gear for men. If you plan to go skiing more than a few times, you might want to consider gear that is a little more expensive, but if you’re still unsure, the cheap gear will work just fine!
Consider the off season
We went the second week of December, which was before most grade schools were out for winter break. You miss all of the inflated peak prices and people are much friendlier (or so we hear).
Don’t try to ski every single day
That defeats the purpose of being there, right? WRONG! There are lots of other things to do in Breckenridge. We spent an entire day snowmobiling, hanging out at Georgia Pass, and sightseeing around Main Street, and that was far cheaper than a day on the slopes.
23 comments
I've actually never been on a ski trip/any vacation involving snow, which is weird because I'm from the midwest! Maybe I should try it sometime!
-Anna | http://www.fivefootandfabulous.com
I have never been to Breckenridge and would love to go!!
I've always wanted to visit breckenridge! saving this for later!
Rachel | The Confused Millennial
I am planning our wedding from Breckenridge next October and AirBNB is amazing!! What a fun trip it sounds like you had 🙂
Joy
http://www.basicallyjoy.blogspot.com
Love Breckenridge!! We went over Christmas last winter. Great tips!
I've always wanted to visit breckenridge! This is a really informative post!
How fun! My family loves to ski, me not so much haha! The mountains are beautiful this time of year though!
xoxo,
Katie
chicincarolina.blogspot.com
I've always wanted to ski, but I heard it was super expensive! I'm glad you shared this – totally convinced I can do it on a budget now and have a great time ! 🙂
X,
Cristina / cristinawashere.com
I've always wanted to go to Breckinridge! Looks like you guys had tons of fun.
Alix | http://www.apintsizedlife.com
Great tips! I haven't been on a ski trip since high school, but I would love to go sometime soon!
Xoxo,
Amanda
http://www.trulyyoursa.com
I've NEVER been on a ski trip, so looks like it's time to print this out and make it happen!
Coming Up Roses
I've heard great things about this destination but have never been. If I ever get a chance to visit I'll definitely refer to this post! 🙂
xoxo A
http://www.southernbelleintraining.com
I've heard amazing things about this place! I'm actually using AirBnB for an upcoming trip to Sedona in arizona and it really cut costs and it's probably even nice than staying at a hotel!
One of my best friends goes to Breck all the time for skiing, but I would love to visit with her one day! I love being able to try new things with my friends so I'm going to share this with her! AirBnB is my favorite, and am constantly looking at it for trips!
xoxo
The name Breckenridge just sounds like a good time! I really want to go on a big holiday trip next year and this couldn't be a more perfect fit. xx Merisa | Monogrammed Magnolias
I live in the Vail Valley, only about an hour away from Breck! These are some great tips for tourists on a budget! I would also like to add that there are boutique hostels in Breckenridge and Vail for the budget traveler as well!
http://www.darlingnomadess.com
sounds great, what is the place you booked on Airbnb? The link would not show the place.
It looks like the unit we were in isnt for rent anymore – this AirBnB is the unit next to it, in the same building, from the same host!
Hi, the whole thing is going perfectly here and
ofcourse every one is sharing facts, that’s truly
fine, keep up writing.
I hope Sarah is out on a date with her husband…lol There was a
guy in the bed when she was about to give up on her dreams…he probably had something to do with it too. Thanks for posting! On my shopping list.
I love Breckenridge!! It is such a fun place, but can get expensive real fast! Thanks for the ideas on how to make it cheaper!