All ski resorts have snow (even if the amount varies year by year), they all have steep mountains (some steeper than others), and they all have steep prices. Yet not all ski resorts are identical. Each has a little bit of its own personality, its own vibe, and each caters to slightly different strengths and slightly different crowds. As you plan your winter ski getaway, make sure you realistically assess your skiing needs and your lifestyle desires. Maybe you need a family trip that provides the kids a great introduction to the sport. Or maybe it will be an extreme skiing, adrenaline-pumping weekend with just the guys. Possibly the fine dining and the shopping are as important to you as the ski-acreage or the vertical rise. Plan ahead and find the resort that best matches your needs and you will guarantee yourself a memorable vacation.
Skiing and Lifestyle Needs
There are at least two major factors you must consider: your ski needs and your lifestyle desires. Is it not skiing for you unless you are in knee-deep powder? Do you only ski the bumps? Just starting out? Teaching the kids? Do you need groomed slopes because you are still learning or wide open slopes groomed for speed? Different resorts can offer you different snow conditions and varying degrees of difficulty.
Just as important are your lifestyle, après-ski, and travel needs. Do you want to be within an hour of the airport? Is it vital that you can find lodging right at the base of the mountain? Or that there is a selection of five star restaurants to chose from? Do you spend more time shopping than skiing? Do the kids need something to do? These variables can be every bit as important as the snow-pack or the length of lift lines when deciding where to go. Research accordingly before making your reservations.
Trip Planning
Here are some typical variables you might consider when you plan your next trip:
- Affordability
- Family-friendliness
- Snow conditions and length of season
- Size and amount of terrain
- Type of terrain and percentages of green, blue, black, and out-of-bounds or bowl skiing. Groomed slopes vs. bumps.
- Size of crowds and length of lift-lines
- Proximity to lodging and airport
- Friendliness towards snowboards, availability of terrain parks
- Ski school teacher/pupil ratio for kids and beginning skiers
- Nightlife; quality of restaurants, proximity to clubs
- Availability of other recreational activities: ice-skating, public pools, snowmobile rental or tours, tourist activities
- Nature of nearby towns and shopping. Do you want art galleries and designer labels or are you looking for deals of sports apparel and equipment?
- Looking for the "hot spot" or something quiet and out of the way?
Every magazine or individual that ranks ski areas will carry their own biases and their own perceptions based on personal preferences. How your individual needs add up when considering these variables can make or break your winter vacation. Two great resources that rank ski resorts based on several lifestyle attributes are Away.com and Ski Magazine, which polls its readers and offers detailed reports based on the opinions and experiences of a wide selection of dedicated skiers. Consult web and print materials available from any of the various resorts themselves when planning your trip as well. And don't forget to talk to your friends about their experiences, particularly those with whom you share similar tastes and dislikes. A little planning can help your next ski vacation seem like something you'd only see in, well, a ski resort brochure.
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