 Poster: A snowHead
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Folks
I've moved to Bermuda and despite the heat it is only two hours to the US East Coast resort and a day to the Rockies. I'm trying to plan some snow time but I am having problems with the American way of vacationing
Usually at this time of year I would load up on brochures that list packages and all the variables, transport, accomodation, distance to lifts, kid friendly, passes all on a couple of pages. Even if i book bits seperately its easy to compare and contrast
However, here its all US-style travel shopping. Nothing much in the terms of brochures in the agents. Resorts have strong websites but the functionaility for searching for accomodation/distance-to-lift/kids combinations is poor and then you have to sort out the travel and transfer stuff. With a family I am looking for the smoooth package like the Uk kid-friendly operators offer.
The airline sites such as AA.com tout discounts for kids but don't have a link from the promo copy to do anything like a 'normal' travel site would have.
Is there anyone in the US offering packages that are packages like we are use to in the US. I know a lot of EU operators come here but we are travelling from Bermuda so we are out of their realm
Any tips appreciated, particular kid and baby friendly places next to lifts!
Cheers
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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 think you might need to get used to the flight/hire car/hotel or condo model of North American skiing if you are to maximise choice. Plenty of places that have "villages" with near slope accomodation, usually at a premium, but often on slope accomodation means you're a decent length walk or even car ride away from a variety of restaurants/bars/supermarkets etc. Most resorts are very kid friendly ski-wise.
As a general rule hotels or condos will make a big deal of it if they are right next to slopes so you should know. I'm sure there are US package operators but I doubt even they run transfer buses although most ski airports are served by frequent shuttle services.
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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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United Vacations do some, but the Brit style package holiday isn't really the done thing - if you do choose a resort (or even a state), then the best thing to do is ask here or on www.EpicSki.com for opinions on where to stay and how best to get there.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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any "major" US resort in colorado or utah will offer what you are seeking. IMHO folks fret about the choice too much. i work at winter park as a ski instructor and know we have a wide range of accomodations ranging from ski in/out at our base area to nearby condos. this is pretty much the case at all the colorado resorts. pick a place online to stay, make your travel arrangements, hire a car in denver. we have child care, kids ski school, etc.
i realize the choices can be daunting. i'm very familiar with our resort and fairly familiar with all the others. if i can be of help please let me know
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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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I've always used a package when skiing in N.America (including United Vacations, as mentioned by Wear The Fox Hat), but for skiing inEurope we DIY. I don't see why N.America should be any more difficult to DIY. The resort websites seem pretty helpful, with info about location, lifts, facilites (they're selling the place, of course, but so are TO brochures/sites; my impression is that resort sites are more honest than TO brochures/sites).
A lot of resorts offer travel +accomodation packages from N.America, but I don't know if these extend to Bermuda.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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SussexSnow,
IIRC Ski America in the UK offer vacation-only planning options on their packages: so why not buy into one of those, and arrange the flight from Bermuda yourself? And then you'll have the transfers, the accomodation / passes / lessons / hire /in resort transport all thought one company, your only DIY is the 'plane.
And there really is no need for anyone to care your start point.
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SussexSnow I am based in the UK, have skiied in North America every year for the last 14 and never use Tour Operators. It used to be more of a challenge but the internet has changed that, Whenever I buy a flight on expedia or opodo, it is always trying to sell me car hire and hotel/condo at the same time, and even, when I booked a flight to JH a few weeks back, lift passes. That sounds like a package to me,
I would decide where you want to go, put a query on here or another forum, or from the local tourist office, to get advice about where you should stay and then hit the computer. I find North America easier to DIY than Europe,
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N America is definitely easy to DIY due to a culture of hire cars and book by the night accomodation. Even "packages" are generally the separate elements bundled together. If you don't like driving in the mountains, resort shuttle buses serve major airports like Denver, Reno, SLC, Calgary & Vancouver & most resorts have a decent ski bus service.
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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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Folks, many thanks for all the angles on piecing it together. I think my desire for ski-to-the-door is fed by the majority of accomodation descriptions which proudly boast of a shuttle connection with the rest of skiing life - the lifts! Also travelling with baby clobber means as little inter-modal interchanges as possible. I checked out Epicski and it was great. Soon found about Smugglers Notch, Its site is perfect pitch to family skiers, what a proposition. And, it has packages. I googleearthed it and the only downside is there is no link to Stratton across the back of the hill! Duh! Still intrigued by Winterpark as a friend has been and sings its praises.
As for US resort sites versus EU ones. I still think the EU mega resorts sites still outscore the US ones. The US push the spending opps more than the skiing.
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SussexSnow, Smuggs is great - if you are going there, contact oboe on Epic - that's his home hill.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We have not been in winter but we stayed in Stowe for a few days on a summer trip to New England (you said Stratton across the hill, did you mean Stowe?) which is just over the mountain from Smugglers Notch. We visited Smugglers Notch for a look see and it seemed great. especially if you have young kids.
Stowe I did like, a nice village, very picturesque and some good restaurants.
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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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A few years ago I tried to find a family package to ski in the States. I could be flexible with dates so I thought I'd have no trouble.
My first attempt was with Virgin. I couldn't find anything suitable so rang them up, only to be told that they had only one holiday in the brochure on any date where they could guarantee that a family of five would all be housed in adjacent rooms under one roof.
That didn't sound good, so I tried a travel agent. Four exhausting hours later, we'd firmly established that the best deal available was £5,500 for a week self catering in Breckenridge. Sure, the brochure price was only £550 with discounts for children, but then you had to add every surcharge you could imagine plus a few more that took creative pricing to new heights.
Then I tried independent travel using the web. Within 30 minutes I'd booked flights, car hire, lift passes, acommodation and ski school. Unlike the agent's deal, I had a direct flight with a decent airline, ski-in/out accommodation of a higher class and a set of wheels to explore other resorts. And the price? Less that half what the tour operator wanted.
It seems to me that the Bermudans aren't stupid. They don't want travel operators because it's quicker, cheaper, easier and better to do it yourself.
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Smugglers Notch and Stowe used to have a skiable connection and an agreement whereby you could trade a day off your Stowe pass for one at Smugglers Notch.
This agreement died a few years ago, I was told by a ski instrcutor at Stowe that the two resort marketting organisations fell out. It's a real shame because it did add another dimension to the skiing at Stowe, for which a week is probably a long time if you are only there for the skiing.
Stratton is in Southern Vermont near Manchester, a good 2 to 3 hours drive south of Stowe/Smuggs but worth skiing albeit very very pricey ( Intrawest ).
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