jrm612

Hi! I am looking to book a trip for mid-March for four adults and five children (3 yrs old to 7 yrs old). We will be traveling from Florida to either Utah or Colorado. My friend and I have not skied in five years - so I would be taking lessons and probaly stay on greens/easy blues. Our guys - one snowboards and one is a black diamond skier. We will likely put all of the kids on skis for the first time - so we are looking for a good ski school.

Ideally we would like to rent a place with four bedrooms and a kitchen - so we can all be together. What would the best destination be for us Floridians? This would be the kids first time seeing snow - so we would love some tubing and other fun activities. A fun town would be nice too. Restaurants are not that important as we would probably cook dinner each night.

Our budget is $600 per night - if this is even possible. Flights to Utah seem high in comparison to Colorado - but then we would have to rent a suv or two plus a two hour drive with five kids. Not sure what would be the best scenario.

All opinions are welcome and very much appreciated.

fmpden

Have your reviewed the comments under ski trip: utah or colorado since it is basically the same question. Breckenridge and or Copper Mt would be your best choices.

fmpden

PS -- It is pretty late in the season to be looking for a big house and it is height of Spring skiing which means the highest prices.

jrm612

Thanks - I just saw the other post. I did not even realize it.

tomfuller

Figure out a way to get to Glenwood Springs Colorado. There is a good bus service from Glenwood up to Aspen (41 miles).
http://www.ci.glenwood-springs.co.us/transpo/1a.htm
Your best option is probably to fly to Denver and rent a big enough vehicle for people and gear. Glenwood Springs has the world's largest hot spring fed swimming pool.

Gretchen

The ski schools now are all good, and have that wonderful magic carpet for the little ones to get up the hill.
As I said on the other thread, if you and even your expert skiers take lessons (maybe only one for the expert) you'll improve by leaps and bounds.
Copper Mountain has an excellent ski school--and hosts many snowboarding championships. Their mountain is also "divided" so that the better (faster) skiers are on one side, making the greens and blues nicer for those cruising types.
I love Aspen, but there's no real need to head that far--Summit County has more than enough to offer.
I don't think one vehicle is a good choice--there will be some who want to ski all day, some who want to go home, etc.

fmpden

Tom, I know you are really hung up busing between Glenwood Springs and Aspen but that really is not a good solution for a group of 9 people. The bus ride is an hour and forty minutes. Do you really want to ride a bus for over three hours to and from your ski area. Second the best ski area for this group would be Snowmass but that would require a transfer at Snowmass and just addition more time to getting there. Snowmass is my favorite mountain in Colorado but riding a bus is my idea of a ski trip.

fmpden

Keep forgetting to put the "not" in. Riding a bus is not my idea of a ski trip.

Gretchen

You're just trying not to be negative!! It is absolutely crazy to think of doing that!!

fmpden

The big issue is that the valley bus system is designed to move workers and some local skiers up and down the valley but not as skier shuttle for day skiers. It works but at $7/trip/person, it is more expensive than renting a car and paying for parking if you have a large group. It does not work.

sf7307

I'm not suggesting Aspen for this group (I agree it might be better to stay 'closer in') but I'm just curious --- do they still run the free skier shuttle between Aspen and Snowmass?

Christina

Of course, that's a big industry in Aspen, the ski industry. I think they run free shuttles like that in most big resort areas with a town (like Aspen and Park City).

I went to Aspen last year and really like the place a lot. Haven't been to those in SUmmit County. Of course the ski school is excellent at Buttermilk for beginners (that's where I learned a zillion years ago). I went alone so wanted to be in town for stuff to do, I like Aspen Highlands, also, and it's not that far by bus. Snowmass is maybe 30-45 minutes.

This year I'm going to Park City for a change just because I don't like to go to the same place every year for my major ski trip. Airfares are going to vary by where you are, for me, they are cheaper to SLC. But if I go to Aspen, I fly into Aspen, so that isn't going to be as cheap as flying to Denver.

I have no idea on housing, though, major ski resorts like ASpen and Park City are never cheap compared to some other places. I like Aspen as a town better than Park City, I think it's got more going on. I'm not into "shopping" as an activity, anyway, though, and that seems to be what people tout as a prime attraction in both. I jut think there is more other stuff in Aspen.

Tabernash2

You could also consider Winter Park, CO. Free shuttle buses will take you to the ski area. It's a less expensive and less glitzy place than many ski areas.

You'd need two cars for that many people; about a 2-hr drive from the airport.

Amtrak runs to Fraser, CO (part of the greater Winter Park area), but I think it leaves at 8 a.m. from downtown Denver, so it's not all that convenient for travelers.

fmpden

There still is the free shuttle bus that links the four ski bases - Aspen, Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass. The bus system I was discussing earlier is the Roaring Forks transit something which is scheduled bus service running up and down the valley between Aspen and Glenwood Springs with lots of stops along the way.

fmpden

Opps, hit submit too quick

For example, if you wanted to go to Snowmass from Glenwood Springs you would take the Roaring Fork bus to the stop at the turnoff or entrance to Snowmass and then wait for the free bus to come by for the rest of the ride into Snowmass. And, of course, reverse when leaving.

williamscb13

Here are my thoughts. If you go to the front range or park city you will need a car. For Utah, in park city there is a great public bus system around the area.

Deer valley is out because no snowboarding.
Park city doesn't have a nursery for the 3 year old. The tubing hill is outside of town and I think not served by the bus so don't go to Psrk City.

I'm going to suggest my favorite place to ski. Crested Butte. There's a direct flight from Dallas to Gunnison. It's a short half hour drive to the mountain once you land. If you don't want to rent a car you can take the alpine express up the mountain. My crested butte and the town of crested butte are served by a tree shuttle bus between them. There are tons of great restaurants for such a small town. There's a great children's museum at the base plus an adventure center with the cutest tree house for the kids to play on, a jumpy things, a tubing hill etc. it's small and easy to get around. Go to skicb.com to see if they have any offers for your dates. And your little one can take lessons at 3.

Tabernash2

Crested Butte is a great idea. It's a very charming town. If flying there is affordable.

starrs

Crested Butte is great. Family has a place there and the kids grew up skiing there.