Colorado is most often known for one of two things:

1. Marijuana
2. Mountains

I can assure you this post is not about 420 and pot, but before we go on to the greater topic at hand, the incredible mountains, I just want to say that no, not everyone in Colorado smokes pot.

Now that I’ve cleared that up, we can move on to the incredible mountains in Colorado. Although there are tons of mountains and ski resorts to choose from in beautiful Colorado, Vail is one of the absolute BEST destinations to plan a ultimate ski trip to.

Vail is a resort known around the world for ultimate ski trips or simply just a luxury vacation for the non-skier.

To give you a clue as to how beautiful Vail is, my uncle was in the Air Force with a man that grew up in Vail, CO. My uncle thought the man was simply a showboat by talking about all the things he did in Vail and how beautiful Vail was. Well, several years later my uncle came to visit and got to see Vail for the first time.

His parting words were- “I understand why he talked about Vail all the time.”

Taking the ultimate ski trip to Vail Colorado will be the best decision you have ever made, especially if you are the avid skier.

Luckily for you, I have spent a majority of my family vacations in Vail, grew up snowboarding until I went to college AND lived only 2 hours aways which means I spent a good amount of time on day trips in Vail as well.

I have decided to put together a post that goes through everything you need to know in order to plan your next ultimate ski trip. 

The Best Time to Go to Vail Colorado

You may be thinking that this is a stupid category to have, the answer is obviously winter, and you’d be right and wrong. Winter is what Vail is known for but Summer can be just as great, but I’ll let you read Colorado Kelly’s post on the things to do in Vail in the Summer.

For now, we’ll stick to the great season of Winter. And yes, Winter is an incredible time to go to Vail and if you want the best skiing conditions I would recommend going in December through March. These tend to be the snowiest months and give you the best chance of getting the best skiing conditions.

And we all know that snow powder is one of the best conditions to ski in 😉

Plus, if you go around Christmas time you can see the incredible Christmas decorations and get an incredible “winter wonderland” feel.

Vail Cascade and Gore Creek

The Best Places to Stay in Vail Colorado

Vail has a large variety of hotels to stay at from cheap (In Vail Standards) to the ultimate 5 star resorts (Four Seasons). Depending on how much you are wanting to spend and how comfortable you are wanting to be will depend where you will want to stay.

The best of the best in Vail would be the Four Seasons located at the base of the mountain as well as the Arrabelle.

The Arrabelle is located in Lions Head which is approximately a mile west of Center Village. The Arrabelle is located at the base of the Vails best ski slopes with access to the gondolas.

The Four Seasons is located in Center Village (East of Lions Head) and is also located within walking distance of the gondolas.

Please keep in mind that Vail has an extensive free transportation system that can take you to and from Lions Head and Center Village with no fuss.

If you are looking for luxury that is slightly less expensive then the Arrabelle and Four Seasons I would highly recommend the Sonnenalp. It is located in Center Village and is a beautiful resort with the best of the best amenities.

The Sonnenalp is personally my favorite hotel and I often stay here when traveling.

If you are strictly going to ski and don’t care about the amenities, as long as the room is clean, then the Antlers and the Christiana are the places to go.

If you wish to stay at the Antlers, I would recommend getting nothing less than the “Gold” rooms. They are spacious condos with kitchens and multiple rooms. The Christiana is located right next to the ski slope but is outdated and has limited amenities. Both the Antlers and Christiana are clean and the service is awesome!

One of the cheapest places to stay in Vail is the Evergreen lodge. I personally have never stayed here and don’t know much about it, but it is also an option.

When booking your ultimate ski trip I suggest thinking about who is going. If there is someone going that doesn’t like skiing I would recommend staying somewhere with amenities such as spas and heated pools to allow for more options throughout the day.

Ski Passes

I would recommend getting ski passes in advanced. They can be pricey for just a day trip so keep that in mind when planning your trip and budget. Some options for Ski Passes are the Epic Pass and basic lift passes. For the basic lift passes I highly recommend getting them seven days in advanced to get the greatest savings.

If you choose to get the Epic pass then please keep in mind the best way to get your moneys worth is to stay for an extended period and going skiing in multiple locations.

Best Places to Eat in Vail Colorado

You guys, I just want to say that I am a absolute foodie. I blame my parents, they forever ruined fast food and casual dining for me.

With that being said, you can trust me when I say the following restaurants are some of the absolute best in Vail.

Breakfast:

There are of course the obvious places such as Starbucks and Yeti’s Grind (coffee shop). But the best place to go in Vail for breakfast in the Little Diner. The Little Diner is a small diner that is owned by a married couple and the food is to die for.

If you don’t want a full breakfast then you can always go to the several coffee shops throughout Vail (my personal favorite is Yeti’s Grind) or Starbucks.

Dinner:

A couple of my absolute favorite places to go in Vail is Montauk, Sweet Basil and White Bison.

Montauk is a seafood restaurant that is actually pretty awesome.

Yes, good seafood in Colorado. It is possible, just more difficult.

White Bison is another delicious restaurant but it does have a more limited food selection with limited seating. However, they have an amazing bar for socializing or having drinks before going to dinner.

Sweet Basil is absolutely delicious. The food was amazing, so much so that talking about it now makes me speechless 😉

Finally, there are casual lunch and dinner places to go eat at including Blue Moose, a pizza parlor and the Red Lion, another casual Italian restaurant.

Things to Do Besides Skiing in Vail Colorado:

Yes, if you are going on your ultimate ski trip you want to ski but you also may want to have other fun after dinner or in the afternoon if you get tired.

One of the best (in my biased opinion) thing to do is shop in Vail. There is so much shopping that you can do! From t-shirt shops to luxury retail stores, there is something for everyone!

There are a ton of spas scattered around that you can easily get a relaxing massage or facial.

There is also a movie theatre and bowling alley for someone wanting to get warm inside.

Finally, they have two ice skating rinks in the middle of Lions Head and in Central Village with music and beautiful lights. Perfect for little kids or a couple trying to have a romantic date night.

Overall,

If I were to plan my next vacation to Vail I would definitely recommend these amazing resorts and restaurants. Vail is known for it’s incredible skiing and I would highly recommend coming here for your next ultimate ski trip.

If you don’t believe me then believe the thousands of people that travel from all over the world to come to beautiful Vail.

I would love to hear where your favorite ski resorts are, no matter where in the world they are located!

If you have questions or concerns please send me an email at brooke@babblingwithbrooke.com or head over to my contact me page.

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