Settling a ski trip with several families
Published on Sun, 18 October
Apartment, lift passes, ski school, rental and the drive – how to settle a ski holiday with several families fairly, without needing a spreadsheet at the end.
A ski trip with several families has more items than a summer holiday: apartment, lift passes, ski school, rental, mountain huts, the drive. The good news: only part of it needs to be shared at all.
What is shared – and what isn't
| Item | How to split |
|---|---|
| Apartment or chalet | by nights, children with a children's share |
| Groceries, cooking together | evenly, children with a children's share |
| Drive | per car or shared pot |
| Lift passes, ski school, rental | not at all – each family pays its own, at real prices |
| Mountain huts | whoever eats pays – or as a shared expense for those present |
The most common mistake is putting lift passes in the shared pot. Then the family with two toddlers who don't ski pays for the teenagers' passes.
Tips for the ski trip
- Shopping on arrival day: one person shops for everyone – an expense for all, children with their share.
- Children's ski school: belongs to the family, not the group.
- Driving in convoy: if several cars go, decide: each car on its own or everything in one pot.
- Record expenses right away. On a ski trip nobody is in the mood for receipts in the evening.
How Tripkitty does it
Tripkitty knows families, children and nights. Expenses that only concern one family are recorded just for it; the accommodation is split by nights. At the end there's one amount per family – and who transfers how much to whom.
Frequently asked questions
Do we share the lift passes?
No. Each family buys lift passes, ski school and rental for itself, with real child prices. Only what everybody uses is shared – accommodation, groceries, rides.
What about teenagers?
Teenagers from about 14 usually count like adults for accommodation and food. For lift passes the ski area's price applies anyway.
A child doesn't ski – does it still pay?
For accommodation and food yes, with its children's share. Not for lift passes or lessons, of course – those belong only to those who ski.