Value Vacations
Five unexpected, un-touristy destinations where your dollar will stretch up to 70% further.
By Sean O'Neill
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, November 2006
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Skiing under the big sky
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The Bridger Bowl resort embodies what skiing was like before resorts started charging $7 for hot chocolate and lift lines were longer than the runs. Unlike places in Aspen and Vail, Bridger Bowl is run as a nonprofit, keeping a lid on prices. This winter, lift tickets will cost $41 a day; comparable destinations in the Rockies will charge about twice that in peak season. Ski rentals are $25 a day.
Susan Kamsky Sussman of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., skied the slopes of such famed destinations as Stowe, Whistler and Beaver Creek -- until she discovered Bridger Bowl, 16 miles from Bozeman, during a business trip to Montana. For the past three winters, the retired chief executive officer of a luxury-goods company has gone there for weeklong ski trips with her husband and other family members. "There's no sense paying twice the price at a place like Aspen or Vail when the people are nicer, the lines are shorter, and the slopes are just as good at Bridger," she says.
The Sussmans like the resort's steep and deep dry powder (dubbed cold smoke). They also like the mix of slopes. About 60% are for novice and intermediate skiers. But if you can brave double diamonds, you may prefer the resort's 1,500-foot vertical drop.
THE LOWDOWN: BRIDGER BOWL
What you'll pay: A four-bedroom house for a week is typically about $2,400. Inns offer cheaper, though more Spartan, lodging. Flights to Bozeman are often affordable. For instance, round-trip tickets from Dallas average about $400 year-round.
When to go: Prices are consistent throughout the ski season, so there are no deals for spring skiers.
Best bargain: A 90-minute, private ski lesson is $75.
Money saver: Browse package deals at BridgerBowl.com. For instance, the Hampton Inn recently offered a four-day winter getaway, with lift tickets, for about $585 for two.
Old-world charm
With its fairy-tale castles and imperial boulevards, Prague rivals the beauty of Vienna, but you'll pay about 20% less for food and entertainment. In fact, Prague's signature drink -- draft pilsner beer -- is a terrific value at only about $1.50 a pint. Pilsners cost about three to five times more in other Western European capitals, says Evan Rail, an American who has lived in Prague since 2000. And this capital city of roughly 1.2 million lets Americans avoid the sting of the euro because the Czech Republic uses its own currency (koruna, or crowns).
This past summer, Mary Reilly-Kliss and David Kliss celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary by visiting Prague, choosing the city for its beauty and value. Mary calls the city a "visual feast" because it showcases more than 800 years of architectural styles. The city is unique among European capitals because during World War II it escaped heavy bombing, which spared its fine architecture. The bill for the Klisses' six-night stay at an inn, round-trip tickets from Chicago and daily tours totaled $5,100. Incidental expenses, such as concert tickets, and an additional night's stay added nearly $1,000.
THE LOWDOWN: PRAGUE
What you'll pay: Airfares are typical for trans-Atlantic travel. From Chicago, round-trip fares vary from $800 in spring and fall to $1,100 in the summer. Hotel rates rival prices in other Western European capitals, and rooms at three-star chain hotels may cost about $300 a night during peak season. The eight-room House at the Big Boot charges from $95 to $205 a night, including breakfasts.
When to go: Spring and fall offer the best prices and thinnest crowds.
Best bargain: Walking and bus city tours go for $10 to $20. The reason: Guides cost about a third less in Prague than in other Western European destinations, according to travel expert Rick Steves.
Money saver: Keep a lid on costs by booking at locally owned inns.
