The number-one reason folks come to Tahoe is for the snow. Whether you’re a skier or a snowboarder, into cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, or even just want to play in the snow with your kids, Tahoe’s got a resort that’s perfect for you.

Getting Discount Lift Tickets

The prices for skiing the famous mountains at Tahoe have garnered their own unique infamy. New skiers quickly learn that spending a day on the slopes of Squaw, Alpine, or Heavenly can cost almost as much as spending the night in the nearby hotels. So what’s a budget-conscious boarder to do?

Go coupon hunting. Check the racks full of leaflets in Tahoe hotels, or go to the visitors centers. The advertisements for the various ski resorts often include discount coupons for lift tickets, or free rides on the resort ski shuttles. In supermarkets and pharmacies, look at the soda cans and popular snack products — some of these include a lift ticket coupon with proof-of-purchase. (This type of coupon gets popular every winter down on the flat land of Sacramento and the Bay Area.) Mine the Internet by entering “discount coupon [ResortName]” to find any online discounts or tips to find physical coupons.

Ski in the afternoon. If you’re a casual skier who only needs a couple of hours on the slopes to feel satisfied, check with your favorite resort for its afternoon rates. Most resorts offer lower-priced lift tickets after 2 or 3 p.m.

Ski a lot in one place. Find your favorite resort and stick to it, taking advantage of the discounts built into two- and three-day (or more) lift passes.

Getting to the Resorts

Parking at the ski resorts, especially on weekends, can be a serious hassle. A much better option, if you’re staying in one of the towns, is the resort shuttles. Most of the major ski resorts maintain shuttles that bring skiers and their equipment up to the mountains in the morning and back down to their hotels in the late afternoon.

You can usually find seasonal brochures for the shuttles in all the major hotels and resorts. If not, you can call or go online for the shuttles for the following resorts, among others:

Squaw Valley
www.squaw.com/getting-squaw

Heavenly
www.skiheavenly.com/mountain/services/shuttle_system

Alpine Meadows
www.skialpine.com/winter/plan/shuttle_schedule

Kirkwood
www.kirkwood.com/main.asp?pID=51