alliegator

Hoping some expereinced Copper Mountain visitors can give me some info. The hubby and I are looking to get away for 5-6days for a romantic winter trip (leaving the baby at home ). I've heard Copper Mountain is good for beginners and it looks as though there are some other non-ski activities around as well.

Here is my question...where is a good place to stay? We are looking for something with a nice atmosphere...doesn't have to be top notch, just cozy. We enjoy the beauty of the outdoors so a great view might be nice too. I heard Frisco is a good place to stay, but not sure if it meets what we are looking for. We don't want to travel around too much and are from Florida so we aren't crazy about the idea of driving in snow/ice.

Hope this enough information to get some suggestions.

Pumpy

If you've not already done so, go to the copper mountain web site.

abram

Copper is a great place to ski. They are building up the village, but when we were there two years ago, there weren't many restuarants or shops.

I'd recommend some place like Vail, where there is a village for nightlife, and you don't need a car.

yale

Copper is a great resort for beginners. However, if you don't want to drive, you need to stay in Copper. There is a great new restauarant there named Alexander's on the Creek. Frisco is right in the middle of Summit County and you can access Keystone, Copper, and Breckenridge from there. There is a shuttle service... but I'm not familiar with it.

If you don't want to drive, I'd recommend Breckenridge. It's also great for beginners and has a great town. There are plenty of restaurants and shopping... and you can walk to everything. We love the Cafe Alpine for a special dinner.

padams421

I'd recommend Breckinridge, Vail, or Beaver Creek for beginners looking for a romantic trip. All 3 have nice areas to walk around, restaurants, etc. Copper overlooks the interstate and there isn't much there except for skiing.

Coskier

Copper is a good mountain but not much there for other activities. Not sure I could hang out there for 5-6 days. Breckenridge has a good town, OK mountain though it gets crowded. I read recently in our local paper that Breck gets 90% of the skiers that Vail gets but Breck has only 1/2 the terrain.

Vail is an excellent idea for great sking and romance. Lots of other things to do. Wonderful dining. Maybe BlyVail will chime in with lodging suggestions.

If you consider Vail you might look into flying into Eagle. You would avoid the hectic 1-70 drive.

alliegator

Thanks for all the great responses. You all gave me a good direction to start. We are looking into going in mid-Jan. Does that make a difference in whether we should go to Breckenridge or Vail?

Also, Lodging suggestions in either location would be appreciated.

Coskier

Not really Vail will be less crowded than Breckenridge. I have not been here, though we tried to once but they were full. Only 2 rooms.
http://www.alpinecreek.net

amwosu

I like Copper but I would choose Breckenridge and/or Keystone because Copper has little to do at night after you are done skiing. Breck, Keystone and Vail are all owned by the same company and when you buy a lift ticket you can go to all three places (although there are some restrictions on how many days at each place).

Breck and Keystone are closer to Denver than Vail and the roads are usually pretty well maintained unless there is a snow storm at the time you are driving.

Breckenridge is a nice little mining town with charm and enough to do for several days. Dillon is kind of a mini version of Breckenridge and a good place to stay when skiing Keystone or Breck. I don't like Vail. Too big, and rather a cheesy dated Disney type ideal of a European ski village that cropped up in the 60s and 70s and could use some updates.

I use www.vrbo.com to rent directly from condo and apt. owners which cuts out the middleman and saves me money. I've rented in Hawaii, all through France, Florida, and Colorado with good luck and no problems. If you'd like to see an example check out the Keystone condo I'm renting Christmas week at www.vrbo.com/27133. I saved quite a bit over the prices listed on the official Keystone website. To familiarize yourself with the towns and ski areas check out www.snow.com.

Ski in ski out locations cost more but I like the convenience of not having to drive to the mtn or take the shuttle. That way I can stop in for a rest, a bite to eat, or a bathroom break without much hassle.

I can't emphasize enought the importance of ski lessons. It will make or break your trip. Frustration and fear are no fun and the instructors are outstanding at every mountain we've tried in the past 20 years. I started my kids in a group lesson years ago but neither is a natural athlete and they were uncomfortable and ready to quit the first day as they couldn't keep up with the other kids. I hired a private instructor and they have loved skiing ever since. The costs seem extreme for instructors (about $500/day including tip for a private in Aspen) but when you've spent all that money to get there and to buy gear don't skimp on the lessons. The best values at most mountains are a "Learn to Ski" package that includes lessons, lift ticket, and ski rental at most mountains for a day or for three days. You can join the PEAKS program on www.snow.com for modest discounts on lift tickets. Most ski rental places offer an online discount if renting at least 7-14 days before your trip.

Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have any questions. Curious where you're from in FL. There is a large ski club from Tampa that I see every year at Snowmass.

amwosu

Oops. I meant Frisco is a mini version of Breck, not Dillon. There is a good sporting goods store- Gart Brothers in Silverthorn- the exit just before Lake Dillon that is great for discounted ski clothing. There is also an outlet mall if you're into that.

Also, I always rent an all wheel drive vehicle for Colorado ski vacations, just in case.

abram

In Breckenridge, we liked the Placer Inn B&B.

alliegator

Wow thanks for all the information especially about the private instructor! I think we might just do that. We were in Queenstown, NZ 2 years ago and tried SnowBoarding. We took a group lesson...what a mistake! I just Kamikazed down the slope the whole day...it was fun but not very safe and I learned zilch. We rollerblade so i figured we will try traditional skiing this time and hope we can find someone who can really teach us.

About the instructors...was that $500pp? Did you just tip 20%? Where did you hire the instructors?

alliegator

PS We live in Orlando.

amwosu

Go to www.snow.com then choose a mountain then go to lessons and look up private instructor. I think Breck's are $480-495 this year for a 6 hr lesson. I buy the instructor lunch and tip 20%. The good thing about private instructors (or lessons at all) is that you cut the lift line and go straight to the front as they don't expect you to pay them to wait in line.

I would check the info online and get an instructor lined up in advance. I don't know if you will be going at a peak time but they do run out of instructors at times.

Becoming a private instructor is pretty tough stuff. There are many who try out each year and few are selected. They range in age, gender, and nationality but all are chosen not only for their ski abilities but their patience and their friendliness. I go as far as describing my kids' personalities- geeks, not dare devils so they pair them with the right personality. A cute little 22 yr old Australian dental student on break was their favorite to date. They wanted me to hire her EVERY day!

Grasshopper

$495 for a 6 hour private lesson and you tipped $100 (and bought her lunch)?! Man, That's expensive! And nobody would be taking any lunch breaks out of my 6 hours!

amwosu

You do get what you pay for. The group lesson instructors are typically less experienced and can give each participant less time as they are dealing with up to 6 (or even 8) people at a time. If there are six people in a group lesson you can figure you are getting about an hour of the instructor's time and you've paid $99 for the lesson. And there is always someone who ends up taking more of the instructor's attention for one reason or another.

We chose to pay $500 for a private instructor for 6 hours and my 2 boys have learned so much more than what they ever did or could in a group lesson.

Many of the instructors are just amazing people. I turned my neighbor on to the idea of hiring one a couple of years ago and the instructor had more advanced college degrees than my neighbor who is a surgeon. He thought that was great.

You would die to see the number of 4-6 year olds out every day with their private instructors on Snowmass. Some parents get an instructor for five days at a time so the parents can ski at their own pace. That is a $2500 babysitter before tip.

Coskier

alliegator Vail has top notch intructors many who post at www.epicski.com you might ask your questions there to get a feel for who might work well for you. Bob Barnes and Ric Reiter both teach at Vail. If you end up at Keystone book Annie Black the best instructor I have ever had!

If the cost seems high try to take group lesson during the week. I often am the only person in my "group" though I ski at a advanced level. If you book a private Ask for a level 3 instructor to ensure you are getting your monies worth.

"A cute little 22 yr old Australian dental student on break" may make for a fun kids day but unless she has the training, it is money down the drain.

alliegator

Thanks for all the info. I was sort of browsing the various suggested websites and it looks as though much of the lodging are condos with 2-3 bedrooms, which we really don't need.

I was also looking at some of the web-specials that were giving buy 3 nights get 1 free, including lift tickets. Are these good deals or is it cheaper to book ala cart?

Since we are beginners, is it better for us to stay in the area close to the beginner slopes (since we will be getting used to lugging around the gear). Do the free shuttles transport you and the gear around easily? Sorry for the stupid questions, but for us it makes a huge difference.

Grasshopper

I'm not sure where you're looking, but when I used to rent in Keystone, we often rented a one bedroom condo. Sometimes you can get lift tickets with condo rental. At Keystone it's absolutely easy to use the shuttle system to transport your ski things, get to restaurants and shops, and anywhere you want to get within the resort. I always liked renting in the Flying Dutchman condos because we liked being a little way out of the main village area. Shuttles run often and take you virtually anywhere you want to go.

skipop

Ski in/ski out is generally more enjoyable, but I don't think whether you're a beginner or an expert makes any difference in the choice. If you had young kids, then there's an additional advantage to ski in/ski out. Using shuttles is fine. It's just a little more hassle and time. Your choice is a little like getting a house on the beach versus one that's three blocks away. Both are enjoyable, it's just whther you want to pay for the extra convenience.

As for lessons, unless you have personal references for the instructor, I would stick with group lessons. If you go in value seasons, you can usually get deals on three lesson packages that are great. Or, take a beginner group lesson on your first day and, if you enjoyed the instructor, ask him/her at the end of the lesson to give you private lessons the next day. That way you don't just blindly sign up for a private instructor you don't know. If you didn't enjoy the day in group, find the ski school director, tell them why you didn't like the experience and request recommendations for a priavte instructor the next day.