Stowe Mountain Resort: How To Save Money When You Go (2023)
It’s no secret that skiing and snowboarding isn’t the cheapest sport, so why not save money at Stowe Mountain Resort when enjoying this winter pleasure?
Read on to learn how to save money at Stowe Mountain Resort with discounts on lift tickets, rentals, tune-ups, group lessons, dining, lodging, and parking as well as tips on how to maximize your day on the slopes.
Disclaimer: Good Dimes is a participant in the AmazonServices LLC Associates Program as well as other affiliate programs. Links to products and services on this website may contain affiliate links which provide a means for us to earn a small commission from clicks that result in qualifying purchases within a certain time frame. The commission, paid by the retailer, helps support this small business, at no cost to you.
Top 7 General and Budget Tips for Saving Money at Stowe Mountain Resort
- Purchase your lift ticket in advance to save up to 65%. The cheapest pricing is usually mid-late March for the upcoming winter season but discounts continue to be offered in the months leading up to the beginning of the ski season. Be sure to purchase by early October at the latest before prices go up. Check the Epic website for more pricing information.
- Epic Pass Holders receive exclusive savings on rentals, tune-ups, group lessons, and dining at Stowe. Even if you just purchase a 1-day Epic Pass, you will still enjoy the same exclusive savings! Double-check to make sure you aren’t able to get a less expensive lift ticket through SnowPak or another outlet. If the advanced purchase Epic Pass is the least expensive option, buy your Epic Pass first and then use your Epic Pass to search for discounted lodging up to 20%.
- A fun and free, kid-friendly activity for those who are not hitting the slopes:
- The Over Easy Gondola carries passengers over the road between the base of Mt. Mansfield and the base of Spruce Peak. It is free for all to ride; no lift ticket is required. Alternatively, if you want to go to the top of Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, on the Stowe Gondola SkyRide and you don’t have a lift ticket, it’ll cost you $40 for 13+ and $29 for ages 5-12 (in 2023).
Good Dimes tip: opt for the free ride on the Over Easy Gondola!
→ For more free and cheap things to do in Stowe, VT and the surrounding area, read my guide to visiting the resort town on less here.
- Season Epic Pass Holders can enjoy Gondola rides to the top of Mt. Mansfield all year long.
- The path of the sun traces from the left to the right of the map above, so the best skiing conditions on a sunny day are usually as follows: left in the morning, middle at midday, and right in the afternoon. When it’s overcast, the conditions will remain similar across the mountain.
- Download the EpicMix app to access:
- A digital, interactive trail map with real-time data on lift line wait times and grooming conditions
- Hours of operation
- Ski patrol contact information with your current latitude and longitude
- Directions and parking information
- Find my friends
- The current number of trails and chair lifts open
- Weather
- Resort cams
- You can also opt to “track your day” using GPS to see your vertical feet, distance skied, highest elevation, and a map of your day.
- Additional planning information
- Maximize time on the slopes by reducing wait times in lift lines. A local skier who claims Stowe as his home mountain told me that the Sensation Quad has the shortest lines on the mountain. It’s the farthest right chair lift on the map and it only accesses a handful of intermediate and advanced trails. My family and I rode this lift several times shortly after lunch on a Saturday afternoon and there was absolutely no line, whereas some of the other lifts seemed to have upwards of ~15-20+ minute long wait times just before lunch.
- On a crowded Saturday in early February, we experienced the following chair lift line wait times from shortest to longest (of note, we did not ride every lift on the mountain):
- Sensation Quad – 0 minutes
- Over Easy Gondola – <1 minute
- Meadows Quad – <3 minutes
- Sunny Spruce Quad – ~5 minutes or less
- Sunrise – varied between ~5-15 minutes
- Four Runner Quad – seemed like ~15 minutes from the singles line! I’m assuming it was upwards of 20 minutes for a group.
- Main Gondola (to the Summit) – we didn’t ride it on Saturday because we heard the lines were even worse than the Four Runner Quad
- Keep in mind, lift lines vary throughout the day so someone else who skied the mountain on the same day in a different order may very well have had a different experience. Unfortunately, almost all of the lift lines are easily accessible from the parking lots, therefore it’s very challenging to escape the hoards of people unloading from their cars onto the mountain throughout the morning unless you head straight to Sensation Quad. Another option to reduce your wait time is to go single file in the singles line.
- On a crowded Saturday in early February, we experienced the following chair lift line wait times from shortest to longest (of note, we did not ride every lift on the mountain):
How To Save Money On Equipment Rentals
An Epic Pass entitles you to a 20% discount on rentals at participating slopeside rentals including:
- Front Four Rental-Repair
- Front Four Demo Center
- Spruce Rental Shop
- TrueNorth.
✴ Front Four Rental-Repair and Spruce Rental Shop have the lowest advertised prices online.
Better yet, if you book online in advance, you’ll save anywhere from $11-20 in comparison to the walk-in price. Stowe recommends that you reserve your rental online ahead of time especially for weekends and holidays to ensure availability and a faster, smoother rental experience.
See the screenshot below for an example of the savings from TrueNorth on a high-end demo rental comparing walk-in, online, and rewards pricing.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, if you provide your email address, you can get $10 off your first rental.
How to Complete an Online Equipment Rental Through Epic Pass Vendors
- Start here
- Optional: sign up for the rental email to receive $10 off your first rental and retrieve the discount code from your email inbox.
- Then, log in to your Epic Pass account for your 20% rewards to be automatically activated.
- Next, select the rental shop that you want to rent from. Pay attention to the location of the rental shop in comparison to where you plan to park your car (if driving).
- I rented from Front Four Rental-Repair which is located on the bottom level of the Mansfield Lodge adjacent to the Mansfield parking lot. The Mansfield lot appears to fill up fastest (with the exception of the Toll House lot during paid periods). If you’re going on a weekend or holiday and want to both rent from Front Four Rental-Repair and park in the Mansfield lot, you’ll need to arrive early. I would recommend calling Stowe to get a better idea of when you might expect each lot to fill up given the timing of your trip. See the parking section below for more information about our Saturday arrival time and subsequent experience.
Online rentals at Front Four Rental-Repair start at $59/day for sport skis/snowboard and boots + $13/day for a helmet without the 20% Epic Pass discount for non-holiday periods. My husband completed his reservation less than 24 hours in advance for a non-holiday period utilizing the $10 email promo and the 20% off rentals reward as a single-day Epic Pass Holder. He was initially able to rent sport skis, boots, and a helmet with the $4 ‘insurance’ damage waiver inclusion for $47.60 + taxes and fees ($56.98 total) as shown below.
However, when my husband finalized his rental in the shop the day he picked up his gear, they credited him back an additional $11.40. Therefore, he actually paid $45.58 for his full rental inclusive of taxes, fees, and the waiver. We’re still not sure what the credit was for, but regardless this rental was a steal!
My snowboard boot rental cost me $20.03 for the first day inclusive of taxes and fees without the $4 damage waiver. The Epic Pass rental website for Stowe does not permit a boots-only rental online, however, I was easily and quickly accommodated upon arrival. Additionally, the clerk informed me that the 20% Epic pass discount did not apply to a boots-only rental. However, the second time I rented snowboard boots from the same shop, the clerk applied the 20% discount, bringing my rate for my second day down to $17.81. I snowboarded on a Thursday and a Saturday, thus the two separate rentals. The rate at Front Four Rental-Repair was significantly cheaper than any rates I found advertised online for boots only at other rental locations on the mountain and in town.
As you can see from these examples, we experienced some strange inconsistencies in pricing so I can’t guarantee that you will receive the same discounts and credits that we received. But, my best advice for maximizing your discounts and credits is as follows:
- Plan your trip during a non-holiday period if possible, keeping in mind traditional holidays as well as winter and spring breaks from school
- Sign up for the Epic rental email for $10 off your first rental
- Reserve your rental online ahead of time for savings of $11-20 in comparison to the walk-in price
- Log in to your Epic account before completing your online reservation to activate your 20% discount if you’re using an Epic pass
- Show your Epic Pass again when you pick up your rentals in person
Equipment Rental Discount that doesn’t require an Epic Pass
- Pinnacle Ski and Sports – save $5/day if you reserve online at least 24 hours in advance
How To Save Money On Basic Tune and Wax
10% off one basic tune per season at Stay Tuned located in Spruce Camp. Additional locations offer discounts on wax and tune services. Be sure to show your pass at the time of purchase.
How To Save Money On Ski and Snowboard Group Lessons
Epic Pass Holders receive 20% off group ski and snowboard lessons when booked online, over the phone, or in person. If you’re booking a group lesson less than 48 hours in advance, you must visit one of the Ski & Ride Schools or call (802) 253-3000. Your pass must be presented when you check in for your lesson for the discount to be honored.
Book your accommodation below on Agoda, my go-to site for the best deals on lodging!
How To Save Money On Dining
Epic Pass Holders enjoy 20% off food and non-alcoholic beverages on orders up to $150/day at Stowe Mountain Resort. If you have a Season Pass, you can enjoy these discounts year-round. Since Epic Passes don’t scan on the card readers in the lift lines when placed in the same pocket as a credit card, you’ll have to store your plastic form of payment and lift pass separately.
Good Dimes tip: either bring cash and rubber band it to your lift pass or secure an “Epic Pass” reminder to your credit card so you don’t miss out on savings, as not all cashiers will prompt you for your pass.
Food discounts apply at the following locations:
- Mansfield Café
- Midway Café
- Octagon Café
- The Great Room Grill at Spruce Camp
How To Save Money On Parking & Transit
- Free parking is available in all lots, except for Spruce Peak Premium Parking, Monday-Thursday during non-holiday periods, and after 2 PM daily. Friday-Sunday parking is $30 per car OR free if at least 4 people are in the car.
- To receive free parking Friday-Sunday, you must find a Park Stowe Parking Ambassador who will verify the number of people in your car and give you a small card with a code to enter into the online parking payment system (see below). The attendant who directed us into our parking spot immediately noted that we had four people in our car and presented a carpool code card to our driver.
- Once you receive your code card, you still need to register your car in the parking system through one of three ways. You can go to parkstowe.com to scan the QR code and access the online parking system, scan a QR code from the many signs posted around the parking lot, or locate a payment station in the Mansfield and Midway lots.
You’ll enter your license plate number and either your free parking code if applicable or your payment information (Apple pay, PayPal, credit, or debit) if you don’t have a code.
- Free parking at Toll House and the Cross Country Center 7 days/week located south (left side) of the mountain. Toll House is 1.6 miles south of Mansfield Lodge and the Cross Country Center is 2.1 miles south of Mansfield, however, the Toll House Double ski lift adjacent to the Toll House parking lot is skiable to the rest of the mountain. There is parking on both sides of Vermont Rte. 100 at Toll House, however, both parking lots are fairly small and fill up fast. We reached Toll House by 8:00 AM on a Saturday and both lots were already full! The Toll House lift starts operating at 8:00 AM. By 8:00 AM, there were only three cars parked at the Cross Country Center. However, if you park at the Cross Country Center, you’ll need to catch the Mountain Road Shuttle to Toll House or to the main resort area.
- Good Dimes Tip: Carpool and save! There are Carpool Park & Ride locations with free parking in surrounding towns. Four or more people can meet at one of the following locations and consolidate into one car to receive free parking on the mountain: Waterbury Park & Ride, Morrisville/Stowe Airport Park & Ride, Richmond Park & Ride, and Middlesex Park & Ride.
- If you’re staying along Mountain Road/Vermont RT-108 between Stowe Mountain Resort and Stowe Village, consider taking the free Mountain Road Shuttle operated by Green Mountain Transit. The Shuttle loops through town every 20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes during off-peak hours. For more details, visit www.ridegmt.com.
- ADA Parking & Transit:
- Available for free at all of the following: the Mansfield Base Lodge (ADA ramp accessible to the upper level of the lodge), Over Easy Gondola, Midway, B Lots, D2, Toll House, and the Cross Country Center
- Spruce Peak Base Area (not operated by Vail Resorts) has additional parking options and a parking garage (pricing is not disclosed)
- Free paratransit services are available on the Mountain Road Shuttle. Call RCT at 802-748-8170 for more information.
Book your rental car below!
Additional Savings On Vacation Packages, Lodging, Activities, Retail, and Dining
Check out the following links for discounts on vacation packages, lodging, activities, retail, and dining:
Book tours in Stowe below through Get Your Guide!
I hope you found this guide to the Stowe Mountain Resort helpful and that you’re on your way to planning an epic winter getaway. Let the community know in the comments below if you know of any other ways to save money at Stowe Mountain Resort.
→ Before you go to Stowe, be sure to read my post on the 13+ best things to do in Stowe, VT: A guide to visiting the resort town on less.
2 Comments