Ask anyone in the know about snow and they’ll tell you that Aspen, Colorado is the US’s swankiest resort and the choice destination for Hollywood jet set. This pristine former silver mining town in the White River national forest might be littered with more fancy boutiques than you can shake a ski stick at, but that doesn’t mean you need a superstar bank account to enjoy its charms.

If it’s the bright whites of Aspen that attract hordes of A listers by day, it’s the bright lights of the night that keep them there. Yet you don’t need a movie star bank account to have a good time.

Turning on the charm

And its charms are manifold. Its ski areas are located on four vast mountains, each with its own distinctive terrain, all linked by free shuttle buses. The vast pistes mean you can pretty much wave goodbye to ski lift queues, which gives you at least an hour a day extra of ski action.

Pass the buck

An extra hour might not sound much, but when you have Buttermilk’s “world’s longest terrain park”, Snowmass’s endless runs, Aspen Mountain’s awesome steeps and bumps and Aspen Highland’s legendary hike to choose from, you need all the time you can get.

While 49 dollars a day for a lift pass isn’t cheap by anyone’s standards, it’s not much pricier than any of the other American resorts.  What’s more, if you bag a package deal you’ll find your tour operator will sort you one much cheaper. Another option is to book in advance online at aspensnowmass.com.

Cheap and beer full

If it’s the bright whites of Aspen that attract hordes of A listers by day, it’s the bright lights of the night that keep them there. Needless to say, if you want to keep it cheap, you don’t want to follow them to their swanky restaurants. Instead, you need to shadow the legions of youngsters from all over the world, who help staff the resort.

For the best deals on food and drink, no-frills grills, Mexican cantinas and bakery cafes serve food that’s as cheap as chips. Even some of the classier joints like Brexi Brasserie that won’t have you breaking into a sweat. Alternatively, you can always go to fancier places like Cache Cache and Elevation and binge on the bar menu. And if none of these do the trick, check out www.foodieaspen.com, which list pretty much all the bargain joints in town.

Trust me, you may not get treated like a movie star, but after a week on the slopes, you will still feel like a million dollars.