The Best Way to Plan a Family Ski Vacation
Posted on | November 29, 2009 | 9 Comments
It’s time to plan the next family vacation – and everyone wants to go skiing. Don’t fret, skiing isn’t as expensive as you might thinkit is, and there are several resorts that cater to families, offering a variety of packages tailored to save you money. The problem will be choosing the right destination for you.
Most ski resorts have websites. Start the planning process by accessing these websites to determine where you and your family might want to go for your family ski vacation. There are many different things to look for when choosing a resort. The absolute most important thing to look for is a ski school if someone in your family will need instruction. While most resorts do have ski schools, some don’t. Don’t make the mistake of choosing a destination where one or more of your family members won’t have fun, simply because they don’t know how to ski.
Next, take a look at the slopes, lifts, and trails. You want to make sure that the resort has something to offer everyone in your family. If the resort only caters to beginners, an expert skier will become quickly bored. If you have a snowboarder in your group, and there is no snowboarding park or terrain, that snowboarder will not be happy. There are resorts that serve all winter sports – so make sure that your families interests are covered.
Lodging is the next thing to look at. You want to be comfortable, so where you will sleep at night matters a great deal. In most cases, there is a hotel right at the base of the slopes – but this isn’t necessarily the best or most affordable place to stay. Find out what your lodging options are for the area, and choose the one that is right for your family and your budget. If you will be staying farther away from the slopes, make sure that there is transportation to and from the slopes each day!
Your family will have many more interests that you will need to search for before deciding on a particular destination and resort. Some of those interests may be dog sledding, sleigh rides, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, or horseback riding. Resorts do offer these activities, but some don’t – so be sure to ask about the winter activities, as well as the planned events during the time that you will be at the resort. This will help you plan a ski vacation that your family will enjoy and remember for the rest of their lives.
Related posts:
- Travel Agent Tips for Planning a Family Vacation
- Tips to Plan Out a Great Beach Vacation
- Traveling With Teens: Top Five Tips for a Peaceful Family Vacation
- How to Use 6 Simple Tip to Plan a Budget Family Vacation
- Affordable Family Vacation – 3 Simple Tips to Enjoy Now
- Comparing All-inclusive Vacation Resorts: How to Choose One
- The Top 5 Tips For Having The Perfect Family Vacation
- How to Plan the Cheapest Jamaica Inclusive Vacation
- Tips for Budgeting a Vacation for the Entire Family
- How to Plan a Cruise Vacation
Comments
9 Responses to “The Best Way to Plan a Family Ski Vacation”
Leave a Reply
November 29th, 2009 @ 10:00 am
NOT the east. People in the skiing community make fun of the east non-stop. The hills are small, the snow is HORRIBLE. It's absolutely pathetic compared to the West.
As someone who has skied all over the west (California, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Utah, Colorado) and someone who lives in Colorado, I think the best place in the US for someone to learn is Breckenridge, Colorado.
It's my favorite area as an advanced skier, and I really wish I would have learned there. The area is massive (4, soon 5 mountains) and the snow in Colorado is the best (along with the other high altitude Rockies areas). It doesn't matter what level skier you are, but assuming you're a beginner there is a beginner area the size of any eastern ski area, and an entire mountain with just blues (intermediate slopes)
And there are 4 other areas just 15-20 minutes away from Breck if you get bored there.
The best time to go would be in the middle of the week, it's a popular area, the weekends can get pretty crowded. I'd recommend late January (but it's good all season, especially if you're not an expert). It opens early November and closes late April. November can be pretty sketchy.
The people who work at Breck are SUPER helpful, they're really great.
Other notables are Jackson Hole, Wyoming (right next to Yellowstone as well), and Big Sky, Montana.
November 29th, 2009 @ 10:59 am
A ski trip is a great idea for a family vacation — you can enroll the kids in a great ski school for the day and know they'll be well taken care of (AND be learning something at the same time!), while you get some precious time on the slopes yourself. And afterwards, when you all meet up, everyone will have a different story to share over hot chocolate!
The range of family-friendly resorts is actually pretty mind-boggling, but here are a few stellar choices to narrow it down:
VERMONT:
Billing itself as "America's Family Resort," Smugglers' Notch offers private ski lessons for kids as young as two, while even four year olds can take a snowboarding class. As well as a great ski academy, the resort offers "kids' nights out," weekly fireworks shows, and even science programs for those a little more interested in test tubes and bunsen burners than whizzing down a mountain! There's a day care center for babies as young as six weeks, and TWO teen centers to choose from for older kids. http://www.smuggs.com/
At Okemo Mountain, kids under six ski for free (which will save you a buck or two), the day center stays open well into evening (meaning you can drop the little ones off if you fancy a spot of night skiing), and there's even a parent-free apres-ski area known as The Zone, where kids can warm up and grab a snack without mom and dad. http://www.okemo.com
COLORADO:
Winter Park boasts a Children's Center Lodge (which organizes lessons for 3-to-15 year olds and offers a 25-acre Learn To Ski area away from the rest of the park), as well as a kid-friendly cafeteria specializing in chicken fingers and mac n'cheese. Throw in a dedicated children's rental center (only kiddie sizes available!) and you've got a real family-friendly resort. http://www.skiwinterpark.com/index.htm
Crested Butte Resort has a special "For Kids Only" button on its website for little clickers! You'll find a kid-friendly magazine, a kids' trail map, and special kids' nights out, including pizza, snow tubing, s'mores-making, and movies. http://www.skicb.com/
UTAH:
Brighton has been voted "#1 for Child/Family-Friendly Terrain" by a local parenting magazine for the last six years — talk about a ringing endorsement! As the first resort to offer totally free skiing and snowboarding (all day, any day) to children six and under (and $25 skiing for kids aged 7-12), it's certainly set a pretty great precedent (and could serve to save you a whole bunch of money…) http://www.skibrighton.com/
CALIFORNIA:
Diamond Peak bills itself as “Lake Tahoe’s Premier Family Ski Resort.” It's relatively affordable for the area and offers "Family Ski + Ride" packages, and the "Interchangeable Parent's Pass." http://www.diamondpeak.com/
Soda Springs boasts what it calls "Tahoe's Best Snow Park For Kids," a specially-designed park for children ten and under that includes carousels, a moving carpet, and tubing. The resort also offers mini snowmobiles for children aged 6-12. http://www.skisodasprings.com
And if you do venture out to Europe — though, honestly, I think you can find enough family-friendly spots in the U.S. — look into Montchavin and Les Coches in the French Alps (good childcare, as well as being totally pedestrianized), Selva in Italy (which hires British nannies to look after kids — how about a Mary Poppins experience?!), or Arosa in Switzerland, whose wide slopes make it an idea place for kids learning to ski.
Hope this helps — have a great vacation with your family, wherever you end up going!
–Holly
November 29th, 2009 @ 11:19 am
I think you'll probably want to go to Park City, since Salt Lake City is a city- and not really a family resort place to go. Park City is about an hour's drive away.
I personally LOVE the town of Park City, and I think if everyone is a skier, Deer Valley is the place to go. (no snowboarders allowed though) It's gorgeous, and they limit the number of skiers on the mountain so it never gets overcrowded. But, if that doesn't suit you, there are tons of other resorts in that area to pick from- easy driving distance to one another too- Canyons, Park City Mtn, Snowbird. Have fun!
November 29th, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
If you want to ski, come to Lake Tahoe and you could also visit Yosemite and San Francisco.
For west coast Beaches….skip San Diego and go to Hawaii. Fun luaus and gentle beaches for the kids.
But I love snowboarding so would lean to the snow trip!
December 1st, 2009 @ 12:54 am
I haven't ever been to Aspen, but I would say go to Jackson Hole. It won't be too crowded in February and Jackson is beautiful!
December 1st, 2009 @ 11:52 am
December 2nd, 2009 @ 12:33 am
Were you REALLY not invited due to the trip not being family oriented or is your husband just telling you that b/c he doesn't want you to go? Because I find it strange that the boss would invite you, knowing there's children, and then just take back the invitation.
I strongly believe that your husband might feel overwhelmed by your depression and thus feel he needs a break from you. So, is it unfair for him to go on a trip w/o you?: (1) Yeah, if it turns out that you could have gone along with him, b/c this could have been much of a "NEEDED" break for you as it is for him. (2) No, if he feels he really needs a break from you and your condition. But that doesn't mean that you should be home wallowed in your depression.
And speaking of Paula Yates, do you know that b/c of Brooke Shield's appearance on Oprah, that her case was overturned. I was watching her story on E! back in Nov. and towards the end, they mentioned that on Nov. 9th, her case was overturned, which was approximately 2 days prior to me watching her story. And I JUST KNEW, it had to do with Brooke's appearance on Oprah.
December 2nd, 2009 @ 4:42 am
If you want to go back to Colorado, you really cannot go wrong. I'd personally suggest Steamboat Springs, which is beautiful, affordable, and very family friendly, but Aspen is the place you'll hear about the most. It is INSANELY expensive, so be prepared to spend twice as much there as you would at any other ski resort in the US. I personally really love Tahoe, and you cannot beat it for natural beauty and nightlife. Try Heavenly, thats the biggest ski area out there and is known for its demonic back country and mogul fields but has tons and tons of beginner areas too. If you want the East Coast, Sunday River in Maine is the best skiing on this side of the country. But if you're truly willing to travel anywhere, head out west. Colorado, Utah, and the Tahoe area are the best places. I'd suggest Montana and Wyoming for the adventurous advanced skier but certainly not for a four year old. The cold is almost unbearable up there.
Sorry, I know thats a lot! I hope you guys have an AWESOME time, wherever you go!
December 2nd, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
Washington D.C. There is so much to do.