7 ways to save money skiing in Thredbo

Pick the right dates

Everyone loves a ski trip, and there's no more popular time in Thredbo than the winter school holidays, as families flock to the region to give little Timmy his first sight of snow. Not only is this the busiest time on the slopes, but it’s also likely to be the most expensive.

Snowfall allowing, aiming to avoid school holidays and visiting later in the season (August/September) is ideal if you don't have school-age children in tow. And choosing mid-week dates when booking instead of the weekend can add even more to the savings.

Get the best value lift pass

One of the biggest expenses when skiing or snowboarding is your chairlift pass, which effectively gates your access to the slopes. Prices vary depending on the specific resort, but you can expect to pay upwards of $160-210 a day for a single day adult pass.

To help with this, resorts including Thredbo, Perisher and Charlotte Pass offer multi-day or weekly pass options which tend to be better value with a reduced cost per day. For Thredbo Resort, if you're planning a trip early, there are extra discounts for ticket purchases 7 or more days in advance of the season.

On top of this, generally the later in the season you plan your visit, the better the value. Both Thredbo and Charlotte Pass offer reduced prices as the season enter into its final 4-6 weeks.

Save on accommodation

No one would label peak season Thredbo ski accommodation as cheap, but with its prime location and newly renovated co-living and private rooms, YHA Thredbo still manages to be one of the most affordable options in town.

Generally, booking a shared co-living room with your family or group is a good idea, as it means splitting the cost of a room across multiple people.

Even better – YHA has a discount of 10% for members (and up to 15% if you book using the YHA app), so if you combine all this with the rest of the tips in this artcle, you’ve got quite a cost-effective way to get the whole gang shredding. 

Be smart with gear hire

Savvy skiiers and snowboarders know to hire their snow gear from outside of Thredbo or Jindabyne – for example in Cooma, Canberra or Berridale or which all lie conveniently on the way to Thredbo from Sydney,. Usually you'll get a better deal the further from the actual slopes you are, and this is also a good excuse to get out and stretch your legs if you've been on a long drive.

Don't have suitable winter clothing? Snow apparel can be very pricey, but you don't need to buy them – most larger ski/snowboard shops will rent you things like jackets and snow pants on top of your actual skis, snowboards and boots. But you can even cut out this cost if you have a generous friend around your size with snow gear buried in their wardrobe.

Pro tip – you can also hire snow chains at ski shops, and during the winter season it's a legal requirement for two-wheel-drive cars to carry these when travelling through Kosciuszko National Park.

Think twice before hiring a car

Unless you’ve got an electric car, driving from Sydney to Thredbo and back might cost you $200 in fuel alone. This isn't actually too bad if you’ve got a couple of travel buddies to share a car with, but that’s IF you have a car.

If you don’t have access to one one, it should go without saying but car hire will definitely blow up your budget. Instead, bus operators such as Greyhound offer services to Thredbo/Jindebyne via Cooma during snow season. This’ll usually set you back at least $100 each way per person, but is a good option for solo travellers without a ride, and it’s better for the environment as well!

Bring and cook your own food

If your accommodation choice has cooking facilities available (hint hint – YHA Thredbo does!), be sure to stop off at a supermarket to pick up supplies for your trip.

With a bit of forethought, planning to cook up simple, hot evening meals (and lunches, too, if you’re extra thrifty) can save you a pretty penny in food expenses. 

Keep in mind that the combination of snowsports and alpine air will have you exhausted at the end of each day as well, so don’t get too ambitious with your cooking projects. You'll be so ravenous you probably won't be picky, and you'll likely be too tired to conjour up any gourmet masterpieces.

Don't overdo your length of stay

Realistically, one of the best ways to cut down the cost of a snowcation is to not over-extend yourself with a long trip. Skiing and snowboarding are super physically demanding, and it’s common for inexperienced folk to book for 5-7 days and end up worn out after just a few, wasting part of their trip nursing aching limbs and numb toes.

Unless you're a winter sports veteran, the sweet spot in our opinion is 3-4 days on the slopes, but 2 days of action might also be plenty if it’s your first time and aren’t sure you’ll even like it. 

Words: A. Hill-Lees

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