 Poster: A snowHead
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First time heading to North America (or maybe not at the current price point (i know it can be done cheaper) and we've been looking at Vail, the skiing in the back bowls looks great and the accommodation types meet our desires. All that said, it's costing an absolute fortune, comparing to Meribel (to try to get a reasonable European comparison in resort strength). So is it worth it? What do people expect to pay pp? Any experience / thoughts welcome
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I went once off the back of a business trip. I can't comment on the back bowls but as far as the pistes or the scenery were concerned, it doesn't compare with a major alpine resort.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I've been a few times and would go back again. It doesn't have the same feel of a european resort (but why would it??) but is still a great place to ski. Though for on-piste skiing we actually preferred Beaver Creek over Vail.
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American ski resorts don't really compare to European ones. They are significantly different and all the better for that. Service levels are far superior to European ones. Lift line management is superb. Downsides as you have discovered is the cost but if you can afford it, it is well worth it. I've only skied the Tahoe resorts, Big Sky & Sun Valley in the States, but would definately try others given the chance, which is exactly why I am off to do a season in Steamboat Springs in Colorado this November.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Old Man Of Lech, i've seen some of your comments throughout the various threads, great insight. I guess my expectations are slightly warped and i'm just looking for some perspective.... coming close to 10k all in which is mind boggling tbh. Similar in France i guess would be around 5-6k for equivalence, i'm not so concerned with the monetary value, but more the comparative value is is twice as good and therefore can charge twice as much (if you get me)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I agree that 10k sounds an awful lot. Is that just for 1 week & 1 person or 2? You can definately get better deals on some of the specialist US ski tour operators sites. Crystal have deals to Vail from about 1200 GBP and I'm sure the other TO's do to. Do a bit of research to find a more economic way of making it there. The lift pass will be significantly more expensive but eating will be far cheaper,(and more substantial). Good luck
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@Old Man Of Lech, wow, yep thanks, found the same hotel and similar time through Crystal for 4k package rather than 8......... amazing..
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| Old Man Of Lech wrote: |
| Lift line management is superb. |
What are these "lift lines" of which you speak? Ok Espace Killy is pretty much the only place I go these days but avoid peak weeks and you will barely see any queues .
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@dogwatch, I guess as you say it depends when you go, the main lift out of Val Claret towards Val at home time was busy for most of the time we were there, generally queues during the day too but most extreme at hometime. I guess with the amount you're going you know where to avoid?
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@Levi215, personal view, I wouldn't usually go to USA just to ski. Exception might be if snow conditions in Europe very poor. I've enjoyed USA skiing in more than a dozen places but only as part of a wider travelling holiday, taking in cities, national parks, etc.
However if expense is no object and you don't mind long flights, Vail is one of the best ski areas over there. Just that I prefer lower costs, bigger linked areas, shorter travel, more dramatic scenery and extra vertical drop of main European circuits.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Old Man Of Lech wrote: |
| American ski resorts don't really compare to European ones. They are significantly different and all the better for that. Service levels are far superior to European ones. Lift line management is superb. Downsides as you have discovered is the cost but if you can afford it, it is well worth it. |
I'm not sure either of those reasons justify the trip and cost if your main focus for a skiing holiday is the skiing part rather than the holiday part. I've thought about going a number of times and read a lot about the different areas but it often comes back to the question of just how different or special is the actual skiing. I think Japan has become more attractive to me... given I am skiing focused, rather than holiday focused. But I have children and budgetry restrictions so it's all a bit off limits at the minute.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I've skiied Vail and Tahoe a number of times but like other posters, it's been because I was already in the US on business. The Vail trip my wife flew out of the UK, I hopped over from St.Louis, and we met up in Denver by which time I'd picked up the hire car etc and was waiting to drive off straight away. I liked Vail a lot - it's right next to the Freeway which makes for a much easier transfer from Denver, especially if you're jetlagged and hit by the altitude. We hired a very nice apartment but still had access to hotel facilities. I also liked the on-piste guides who help you for free (part of the skipass cost), lack of queues, and the general openness of the pistes, and the back bowls were great for an intermediate like me. But it was our most expensive trip per head - more than the hotel full board in Verbier in a New Year. Even so, I can't conceive of how you can get a trip to Vail up to £10K for two people! I suppose if you go Business Class, peak period and stay in 5* accomodation .....
The trouble is with that transatlantic flight, plus jetlag, then the drive in the dark, then the altitude meant that it took 3 days for my wife to recover. So I wouldn't go to the US to ski unless it was part of a wider holiday of at least 2 weeks. And Denver isn't to Vail what San Francisco is to Tahoe i.e. if I wanted a broader sort of holiday, I'd go to SFR and Tahoe, or perhaps Vancouver and Whistler ....
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Layne :- Just done Japan in Feb/March for the first time. Went to Hokkaido valley where there are several resorts. Costs about the same as a US trip for me & OH. Again It's not that Japan is better or worse than Europe, it's different. Really glad I went. Thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but the 'legendary' powder wasn't there for us. Just the luck of the draw. Still glad I went. Would I go again? hmmm, maybe, but I'm pretty certain given a choice of US & Japan--I'd go for the US.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Old Man Of Lech, should have gone earlier! Hokkaido prime season is Jan/Feb, at least for cold powder.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Vail is good skiing - despite the "it's flat" meme it is a very good experience. Particularly if you take your own steaks and use one of the free grills. Back bowls and Blue-sky are great see it and ski it terrain with very few chances to actually get cliffed out. And lots of tourists seem to like the frontside groomers. Plus the Beav with it's world class bump mountain and way quieter queues plus World Champ groomers is just round the corner. Just don't take your averagely tuned skis on the top pitches of the men's downhill if it's recently been injected.
If you want seriously rad skiing in a similar tourist price bracket though I'd say Aspen And Jh top it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I skied all over Europe before retiring to the Caribbean. Nowadays I have a 3 week ski trip to the USA each year. There is plenty skiing for a week at Vail although nothing is particularly long and challenging. Generally queues are non existent but I have seen monster queues for the back bowls.
I slightly prefer Beaver Creek, as it is even less crowded. Skiing down to a lift to find zero queuing was the norm on my last visit. .
Recently I have been staying in Salt Lake City and skiing the Wasatch resorts especially Alta/Snowbird. However this year I may split my time between Colorado and SLC.
If I was back in the UK would I consider it worthwhile to fly to the USA and ski Vail rather than Val d'Isere? As a different ski experience the answer is probably yes. The quality of the service there is much better than Europe. The food is not as good except for steaks and barbecue. The snow is usually better and the chances of a powder day is much higher.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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What about Canada? Lots of the advantages of the US but seems a bit cheaper. Also don't have the problem some people have with the altitude
The thing I really liked about Banff/Lake Louise wasn't the lift lines but how much quieter the pistes were. I went to Val D'Isere in low season (mid January) and lift queues were pretty minimal and quick, but the pistes seemed to be like a human slalom, with people speeding through green runs and so on. Perhaps its all the investment in mega-gondalas, 8-seat chairs and so on that eliminates the queues by delivering more people to the start of the runs?
By contrast Easter weekend in Banff and we were straight onto almost every lift and the pistes were just as empty
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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If you are going to Vail make sure you buy an epic pass in time and get a few cheeky weekends in St Anton, Madonna di C and the Tarantaise covered.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Has been said but beaver creak is nicer, you must ski with a fanny bag there though...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| If you want seriously rad skiing in a similar tourist price bracket though I'd say Aspen And Jh top it. |
Jackson Hole is not all that expensive. Aspen is. Both have top notch skiing
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you stay in Teton Village priced compare. obviously if you stay in Jackson then it's low season so really good value but then you are also commuting so possibly Basalt/ Carbondale or Eagle should be your comparators.
Personally my top tip for doing Vail/Beav on the cheap is to stay in Eagle or Avon/Edwards with a rental car. But it's not quite the ski "resort" experience.
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| Levi215 wrote: |
| @dogwatch, I guess as you say it depends when you go, the main lift out of Val Claret towards Val at home time was busy for most of the time we were there, generally queues during the day too but most extreme at hometime. I guess with the amount you're going you know where to avoid? |
Aeroski would be my preferred lift home to Val d'Isere, or Tufs, both going to the Toviere. I don't remember seeing a significant queue at either since the Aeroski was upgraded. Better skiing than from the Fresse on the Val d'Isere side too, at least to my taste.
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| abc wrote: |
| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| If you want seriously rad skiing in a similar tourist price bracket though I'd say Aspen And Jh top it. |
Jackson Hole is not all that expensive. Aspen is. Both have top notch skiing |
Yes, the OP should go to Jackson Hole.
Way better than Vail.
Better skiing, snow, culture, wildlife, sightseeing and scenery.
Creamy, deep Teton snow will make the wet, shallow, icy cr*p of Meribel look gash.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
If you stay in Teton Village priced compare. obviously if you stay in Jackson then it's low season so really good value but then you are also commuting so possibly Basalt/ Carbondale or Eagle should be your comparators.
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Carbondale and Eagle are no more than glorified highway truck stop with a grocery store and a few motels. No place to eat or shop.
Jackson village is a proper village with probably the best ski country food (compete with Aspen), plus many sightseeing opportunities.
No comarison at all.
That said, I would be creful recoomend Jackson Hole. It's a largely expert oriented mountain. There's some easier terrain, but almost no beginner terrain.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sat 10-09-16 12:37; edited 2 times in total
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I've very, very seldom endured any serious queues (>5 minutes) in my last 15 years of skiing in Europe. Most lifts seem to be ski up and get on. Those lifts with queues all seem to be very good natured IMO.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| abc wrote: |
Carbondale and Eagle are no more than glorified highway truck stop with a grocery store and a few motels. No place to eat or shop |
Yeh not true - where do you think the people who work in the spangly resorts live? Obviously not the same full on tourist trap as Jackson town but not what you represent.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Went to Vail just the once. Both myself and TOH were disappointed. The runs were fine but not always as groomed as we expected. The lift queues were large at times but very organised and everyone was extremely polite, we would be asked if we minded if someone sat with us! The back bowls became skied out quickly but the runs in the trees were great even so. We loved Beaver Creek and would recommend this over Vail.
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Purpoe built Ski Resort on the side of an Interstate 
Far better place in Colorado
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