Not the wrapped-in-glittering-ribbon ones that arrive around the holidays, though those certainly are nice, too. I'm talking about packages that send families off for fun in the snow without putting too big a dent in parents' wallets.
You not only will get a better air deal but probably shave some bucks off your hotel bill and lift tickets as well.
Just as important, busy moms and dads can plan their trip with one call or a few clicks of the mouse, whether they're driving to a ski area near home or flying thousands of miles in search of sunshine and perfect snow.
Where to start?
Look for ski resorts that already offer deeply discounted or free lifts for kids past kindergarten age. Just remember, you still have to pay for lessons and equipment:
-- Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Colo. Kids pay their age to 12. Ski before Dec. 19 and everyone in the family gets free lift tickets; 800-544-8448 or www.crestedbutteresort.com.
-- Telluride, Colo. Family packages including lodging and four days skiing start at $1,475; 888-355-8743 or www.telski.com.
-- Squaw Valley Ski Corp., Calif. Kids' lift tickets are $5 for those 12 and under and includes night skiing; 800-545-4350 or www.squaw.com.
-- Northstar at Tahoe, Calif. Kids 5 and under ski free; Kids 5-12 pay $10; 800-GO-NORTH or www.skinorthstar.com.
-- Copper Mountain, Colo. Kids pay $12 for multi-day passes. Book a three-night January package and kids ski free. The whole family gets a fourth night's lodging and day of skiing free, too; call 800-458-8386 or www.ski-copper.com.
-- Steamboat Ski Resort, Colo. One child 6-12 skis free when parents purchase a five-day lift ticket. Kids 5 and under ski free all the time. Ask about stay-and-ski packages where kids are free. They start at under $700 for a family of four for six nights low season; 800-922-2722 or www.steamboat-ski.com.
-- Snowbird Ski Resort, Utah. Two kids 12 and under ski free on the chair lifts ($10 more for the tram) with each skiing adult. Call 800-385-2002 or www.snowbird.com.
-- Big Sky Ski Resort, Mont. Two kids age 10 and under ski free per paying adult. Many packages include free kids' breakfast; 800-548-4486 or www.bigskyresort.com. Damon-Nelson Travel books air-land ski packages to Big Sky, 800-343-2626.
Look for airlines, resorts and packagers that are touting special family deals. Here are some of my value picks:
-- Book a five-day ski-and-stay package at Killington, Vt., the East Coast's largest ski area, and kids 12 and under ski and snowboard free. That means a family of four could stay and ski at Killington for roughly $700 (less early season).
Another plus: free parent's night out, ice cream parties, sleigh rides and parades are included in the deal. Non-driving New Yorkers should ask about the Amtrak Ethan Allen Express Ski Train-and-Ski packages. Kids up to age 15 ride from New York to Rutland free. Lesson and equipment packages are extra, starting for five days at under $250, but this deal isn't available over the holidays. Call 800-621-MTNS or www.killington.com.
-- Kids fly and ski free at Park City Mountain Resort in Utah if you book a Southwest Airlines package to Salt Lake City. For each paid adult plane and lift ticket, you get a free one for a child aged 2-11. Discounted lodging is part of the deal, lessons are extra. Five-night packages from Houston or Baltimore, for example, start at just over $1,200 for a family of four. Call Southwest at 800-SKI-8438 or www.southwest.com.
Another Park City plus: with the airport an easy half-hour drive, you can fly and ski the same day. You also can buy an interchangeable lift ticket that allows you to ski at Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, among other Utah resorts. For other Park City packages, call 800-222-PARK or www.parkcitymountain.com.
-- Rocky Mountain Tours can book a five-night fly-stay-ski package throughout the West at family-friendly resorts such asKeystone, Telluride and Steamboat in Colorado as well as Lake Tahoe, for under $2,500 from many gateways for a family of four. Call 800-525-SKIS or www.skithewest.com. (NOTE TO EDITOR: You can say ``Mention Taking the Kids for an extra 5 percent discount.'')
Get free baby and toddler care through Christmas Eve at Vermont's Smugglers' Notch -- a savings of $215 per child. The same deal is available the week of Jan. 3 and Feb. 7. Certain weeks of the season, children's ski school programs are also free. Free tubing, ice skating, game nights, teen center and the option to ski over to Stowe go with the packages, which start at under $1,650 for five nights for a family of four. Call 800-451-8752 or www.smuggs.com.
See your skiing dollar go farther in Canada where with the favorable exchange rate you get a $1.50 value for every dollar you spend. Opt for a package to Whistler Resort in British Columbia. Call 800-944-7853 or www.Whistler-resort.com.
Consider Mont Tremblant, a little more than an hour north of Montreal with 75 trails and a village at the foot of the mountain. Until Christmas Eve, five-night ski-and-stay packages start at under $600 for a family of four. Call 800-461-8711 or www.tremblant.ca.
-- Especially with younger children or beginners, consider smaller ski resorts, particularly early season and in January. Ski Bromley Mountain's nine lifts and stay Monday through Friday at the Vermont resort for $110 per night for a family of four with kids aged 12 and under; under $200 for those with teens. They throw in breakfast for the family. Good all year except the holidays. Call 800-722-2159 or www.Bromley.com.
Book Silver Creek, Colo., midweek and ski 251 acres in January or early February and get one free lift ticket for each night of lodging. Five-night ski-and-stay deals for a family of four start at just under $600. All season with the Family Passport Package, two adults and two kids can ski all day and at night for $99. Book three or more nights throughout the season and get 10 percent off your total package. Call 888-283-7458 or www.silvercreek-resort.
Have a hot chocolate for me.
(c) 1998, Eileen Ogintz. Dist. by Los Angeles Times
