Summit County Resort Group, reservation service:

800 944 9601

Peter at this place saved DD's trip when they found her a last minute place to stay the night in Dillon, instead of trying to drive to Denver in a blizzard. The tunnel was closed. (This was a couple of years ago.)

The weather is changeable in Colorado, any time of year, even December. Counting on being able to travel to and from a ski area from miles away is foolish IMHO.

Find another cabin!

Thanks everyone for the posts, i feel like a complete idiot for missing the obvious "Ski resorts" section, I lost $115 but ill be like 20-25 minutes from Breckinridge and not far from Keystone. remember guys I'm from Texas and I'm not used to the snow, i was wondering if i absolutely need a 4X4 truck or can i just rent a regular car? the reason I'm asking is because the management at the cabin said it was highly recommended. might be a stupid question but im not used to the snow at all.

We've never rented a 4x4 on our ski trips and never felt like we needed one.

<i> the management at the cabin said it was highly recommended.</i> Unless they rent cars and are trying to scam you to get a more expensive rental, I would say listen to them. They know the roads, the driveway etc. And if you are from TX and aren't used to snow, be safe rather than sorry and go with a 4x4.

So you forfeited $115 and rented a different cabin that's close to Breckenridge? Good move.

If management says a 4x4 is recommended, is that because the cabin is on an unpaved road? Better take the advice, if so.

No they actually don't offer any rental services, were going with budget, unless anyone knows another trusted rental company, and yes they assured us that our new cabin was a max 25 min drive from breckenridge=D the mountain is up a hill, so I'm guessing 4X4 a must

Meant the cabin is up a hill

It will totally depend on whether there is new heavy snow--AND ask the landlord if the road to the cabin is plowed in the case of snow. The cabin we use (family's) near Silverthorne is up a hill for the "subdivision" and then up a REAL hill to the cabin. The garage is at the road, and you can certainly walk up the hill, but it would not be fun to do carrying groceries or ski equipment. The one year we didn't have a 4WD was OK, but almost ended up against a tree trying to negotiate the last hill.
If you start now for a rental you may be able to get a good price. But the closer you go, the more expensive it will be.
If you don't have snow, and have the 4WD, you'll say "bah". If you have snow, you'll feel very smug.
BUT I would really ask the landlord for the lay of the land--you might even be able to google it.

Shop for your rental on HOtwire and then maybe Priceline--don't just go with one company--in my opinion. The Hotwire quoate will give you all the add ons for the place you are renting so you can tell the final amount.

OP is male, under 25. Going to be $$$. Make sure you have insurance

yeah I'm gonna check all those places out for a car rental, I've decided that insurance is a must! I'm trying to figure out which car rental place and ski rental locations.

You might be setting yourself up for a difficult trip, for the sake of renting a cabin. If this is VRBO, the cabin could be up a serious hill.

I suggest you look at condos for rent. Get one with a fireplace and a view, and I'll bet your friends will be happy. Especially if you can get to and from the hill to snowboard, which is your ultimate goal. What if you went there and got stuck in the cabin and could not get to the mountain? Bummer.

Here's the deal with the 4x4 recommendation - if it's uphill to the house and there's snow AND the road is not plowed (even with just a few inches of accumulation), you may not get enough traction to get up the hill without putting chains on a regular 2WD vehicle. Rental car contracts prohibit you from putting chains on their cars - too much risk of damage. Therefore you probably DO want to rent a 4WD. One year my sister and I rented a ski cabin in Incline Village (Lake Tahoe, CA) and we drove there to discover the road to the house was up a fairly steep incline. It was snowing pretty well at that time and my 2WD Honda just could not get up that road. We had to put on some chains (always fun in the snow & slush) and the darn cable broke halfway up the road. Luckily it did not damage my car, but it was a highly frustrating experience. We rented the same house the next year, but by then I had an AWD Subaru and it managed the road in similar weather conditions without a problem.

Well they said they would assure us that there would be no snow on the hill, but if it were to snow alot while we were there that the 4x4 was a must

The other thing is - are you used to driving in snow?

Even a 4 WD, while better in snow, can;t really handle ice unless you SLOW down - and keep a very long distance from the car ahead of you (you want plenty of time to stop in case that car decides to fishtail and slide down the road sideways and out of control). Also - make sure your car has a good shovel, strong scraper for windshield, windows and lights, and that you have somethng to give you extra traction if necessary. (I always carry several bags of cat litter.)

And the key to driving on ice is do not stop. Keep going, even if only at 5 mph - since once you stop you may not have the traction to start moving again.

Well, just to put the ice driving in true perspective, 4WD has NOTHING to help with starting or stopping on ice. It is what people unused to it forget.

"Well they said they would assure us that there would be no snow on the hill"
Uh, no.

well I've got experience with ice, just not heavy snow, and what i meant with "the assured us no snow on the hill" is that the management said that they will make sure to plow the snow the day of my arrival. idk if thats true or not but I'm staying firm on the 4x4, decided to get a chevy silverado 4wd....

I think that's a truck. How many of you are there? Double cab? Toss your stuff in the back?
A truck is even harder to drive in snow than a 4WD SUV because of the lack of weight in the back, although I am sure a Texan knows how to drive a truck!!

Frankly I think SUVs or trucks are fatal in ice or snow. they are way too high off the ground, tip over at the slightest bump, and give a very false sense of security. I would always go for a CAR with 4 WD - so it won't turn over or slide sideways on the first curve of a mountain road. I've driven a lot in snow/ice in a small car with front wheel drive - and if you use first gear and drive sensibly I think that's safer than some gigantor vehicle with nothing to keep it on the road.