Hassle-Free Skiing: Travel Made Easier For Your Best Winter Vacations

I love ski travel. But I don’t always love carrying all the gear involved. So here are some tips I have picked up over the years to make things easier.

Consider Renting: While some bulky sports gear, including golf clubs and bicycles, are highly personalized, skis typically are not. Unless you have an esoteric brand, when it comes to alpine skis you can probably find exactly the same model you love at home at a rental shop.

But many times you won’t want to use the skis you have at home, especially if they are few years old and newer, better models are available. Likewise, if you live someplace with less powder, like the East Coast, which typically demands a narrower ski better at carving, and you are traveling to someplace with lots of snow, like most of the American West this winter, where you need a fatter model.

When it comes to the economics, bear in mind that unless you are a high-level frequent flier, you will usually have to pay to bring your own skis on the airline. Since skiing involves boots, helmets and lots of bulky clothes, chances are you will already have to check one bag before your skis, and for most airlines, the second bag fee is $40-$45 or more each way, so you will already have to spend $80-$90, money that can go toward rentals – and then you don’t have to drag skis. But as long as you have your own boots and you like them, you should always bring them with you. This is the most important hardware in skiing and if your boots are comfortable and work, don’t risk aching feet in rentals!

Rent Better: I recently rented skis at a resort that did not have a local delivery service, so I went down to a rental shop, and it was a zoo. Everyone seemed to arrive at the same time. Since getting rentals (especially when people need boots) includes getting the bindings adjusted and all the paperwork, it is a slow process, and you can waste a lot of time standing in line on your vacation. If you have kids it gets much more laborious.

Or you could sit on the couch sipping a glass of wine in your hotel room or condo and have someone bring you and your family exactly what you want. There are a handful of companies specializing in this, but I like Black Tie Ski Rentals, because they have a broad assortment of high-quality equipment and many locations, including most of the top Western resorts (Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge, Telluride, Park City, Big Sky, Jackson Hole, Mammoth, North and South Lake Tahoe, Banff, Whistler, Sun Valley and more).

Because each location is independently and locally owned, each stocks the brands and models of skis that have proven best for the conditions, whereas some multi-location rental companies just contract with a big ski manufacturer or two. Like most better rental shops, Black Tie offers different price tiers, Performance and Premium, plus lower priced kids’ packages. I just booked rentals for Black Tie for an upcoming trip to Sun Valley, and choices included dozens of models from many top manufacturers (Black Crows, Blizzard, Head, Nordica, Volkl, Elan, and Renoun). Most importantly, they have lots of top tier women-specific skis, which can be harder to come by at rental shops, including a personal favorite of mine, the Blizzard Black Pearls. Basically, you book your desired skis in advance online, pick the time you want them to come to your accommodations, and if you need boots, they bring multiple models for you to try on. If you have kids, this convenience cannot be beat versus the crowded shop.

But the best part is that with skiing, conditions change, and Black Tie will come swap your gear out on the fly at no charge. If you have a 5-day trip and on the second night it dumps snow, tell them you want to swap for a fatter powder ski, and they’ll come bring it. Black Tie can cost a little more, but for me, the experience is worth it.

Fly Better: If you do want to bring your own skis (or snowboard), here are some things to consider.

Many travelers do not know this, but most airlines count a ski bag and boot bag as one piece of luggage even though they are physically separate. Many airlines limit the boot bag to 25 pounds, but that’s still more than enough weigh to add some extras like socks (they fit inside your boots), gloves, goggles, and if you can get it in, your helmet, which is hard to pack in general because it won’t compress. Anytime airlines offer you free extra luggage it’s worth taking advantage of.

If you are going to Europe and shopping for tickets, it’s good to know that because of its alpine roots, Swiss Airlines doesn’t charge for ski or snowboard bags, and the savings should be considered when shopping for airfares (first set of ski gear, skis, boots, poles and helmet, free in addition to the one checked bag you get internationally). Domestically, Southwest is the only airline that doesn’t charge for checked bags for non-elite frequent fliers.

If you do have elite status and qualify for free luggage, it can make flying your preferred airline (or an alliance partner) worthwhile even if the routing is not ideal or the ticket is slightly more. For instance, my husband has very high Star Alliance status, so if I travel with him, we can both bring multiple checked bags for free. That’s a difference of at least $300 round trip, enough to justify (along with better seats and other advantages) a change of planes instead of a competitor’s non-stop where they charge for everything.

Just as with all other kinds of travel, luggage makes a big difference. I use a Dakine Fall Line Roller ($180), a top choice of pro skiers. The Fall Line easily holds two pairs of skis, allowing for different conditions or for you to share with your partner. It also holds two sets of poles and comes with a rectangular zippered bag designed to fit the case, which can keep a pair of boots and some extra ski clothing, while further protecting and cushioning your skis. Those skinny over-the-shoulder soft ski bags offer virtually no protection, but the Fall Line is padded and while it is pretty bulky, it rolls easily and has hand straps all over it to make it easy to pick up from any angle. It unzips like a clamshell for easy packing and access and can hold even more soft goods around the skis. Dakine also makes a snowboard version of the bag, the Low Roller.

Shipping: This is probably the least used option because it’s quite pricey, almost always more than the airline checked bag fee, but it is a luxury as you don’t have to drag your big bag around, try to fit it in a taxi or rental car, and you don’t have to worry (as much) about it getting lost or delayed, something that has plagued airlines recently. There are several services that specialize in shipping sports gear, and typically they will send you labels you attach to your ski bag, and they usually pick up at your house, or you can drop it off at certain locations. Because they negotiate bulk rates with UPS, FedEx and DHL, the actual shipping can be less than if you took your gear down to these shipping companies yourself, but freight is still expensive these days and you pay an extra fee for convenience. Rates vary dramatically based on distance, weight and speed, but if you are interested, some of the most popular services include ShipSkis, Luggage Forward and Lugless.

I have not tried it, but a newer company called TripHero claims to be the first with flat rate pricing, and says it has its own staff in resort destinations to handle the “last mile” delivery for the shipper, rather than relying on the UPS or FedEx van. They guarantee coverage against shipping delays caused by weather or other issues, with full rental replacement, including clothing.

Happy travels!