Favorite ski towns in the world! & Most Overrated!

[Anonymous]

Vail is awful. I went once for a family event and my DH and I both looked at each other in shock. “So Vail is a large crowded outdoor mall?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alyeska

One of my best friends from grade school has lived in Alaska for nearly a decade. He's at Alyeska every week - he loves it.

Also, check out Eaglecrest outside of Juneau. Unreal snow drifts! It's on an island facing the bay and ocean. Gets some wild snow dumps.

Alaskan resort are fairly small. However, it's understood that you'll use the lifts to access side-country and backcountry terrain. Backcountry skiing and split-boarding is HUGE up there. It's quite normal to just drive beyond town limits, hike for two hours, and ski back to your car (with your dog chasing after you). Families do it.

[Anonymous]

What's the best Utah resort for families- young kids 5-7. 2 adult skiers but one is, er, not amazing.

We have enjoyed W. VA, VT and NY areas but looking to visit family out west next year or 2 for a week. Love apres ski scenes, but has to be family friendly (ie- not super cool probably!)
THANKS!

[Anonymous]

I'm from Italy and have only skiied in Europe, which I love because my preferred skiing day is: wake up and have delicious hotel/chalet breakfast, ski for a couple of hours, stop for coffee on the mountain, ski for an hour, stop for long lunch on the mountain - pasta, wine, etc - ski again for a couple of hours, have afternoon tea in town/back in the chalet, get back to hotel/chalet and go in hot tub/sauna/pool, then have dinner, go to some bars afterwards or have drinks with friends at chalet.
My understanding is that American skiing is much more serious - more skiing, less eating and drinking. Which towns, if any, out west, have what I want?

[Anonymous]

St. Anton in Austria is my favorite in the world. Telluride and Crested Butte in the US. Jackson is great too. Downside of Jackson Hole and Crested Butte is having to drive or bus between mountain town and real town. Worst town is Vail for me but good mountain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Italy and have only skiied in Europe, which I love because my preferred skiing day is: wake up and have delicious hotel/chalet breakfast, ski for a couple of hours, stop for coffee on the mountain, ski for an hour, stop for long lunch on the mountain - pasta, wine, etc - ski again for a couple of hours, have afternoon tea in town/back in the chalet, get back to hotel/chalet and go in hot tub/sauna/pool, then have dinner, go to some bars afterwards or have drinks with friends at chalet.
My understanding is that American skiing is much more serious - more skiing, less eating and drinking. Which towns, if any, out west, have what I want?

I think you’d enjoy Sun Valley. It’s not going to be exactly the same but there are plenty of places to stop for a drink or food on the mountain and a great old-western feeling town for low key drinks. Prepare to shell out more money for skiing than you would in Europe. We find it less expensive to pay for tickets to Europe because it’s more affordable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Italy and have only skiied in Europe, which I love because my preferred skiing day is: wake up and have delicious hotel/chalet breakfast, ski for a couple of hours, stop for coffee on the mountain, ski for an hour, stop for long lunch on the mountain - pasta, wine, etc - ski again for a couple of hours, have afternoon tea in town/back in the chalet, get back to hotel/chalet and go in hot tub/sauna/pool, then have dinner, go to some bars afterwards or have drinks with friends at chalet.
My understanding is that American skiing is much more serious - more skiing, less eating and drinking. Which towns, if any, out west, have what I want?

That;s been my entire ski experience and I've only ever skied on the east coast (smaller resorts) and one time in Tahoe (which was awesome)

There is a LOT of that vibe in US skiing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Italy and have only skiied in Europe, which I love because my preferred skiing day is: wake up and have delicious hotel/chalet breakfast, ski for a couple of hours, stop for coffee on the mountain, ski for an hour, stop for long lunch on the mountain - pasta, wine, etc - ski again for a couple of hours, have afternoon tea in town/back in the chalet, get back to hotel/chalet and go in hot tub/sauna/pool, then have dinner, go to some bars afterwards or have drinks with friends at chalet.
My understanding is that American skiing is much more serious - more skiing, less eating and drinking. Which towns, if any, out west, have what I want?

That;s been my entire ski experience and I've only ever skied on the east coast (smaller resorts) and one time in Tahoe (which was awesome)

There is a LOT of that vibe in US skiing

Oh great! Maybe the only people I've spoken to about it here have been very serious skiiers then! I will look into it - right now I have next Christmas in Italy already booked, but looks like that may not happen...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Italy and have only skiied in Europe, which I love because my preferred skiing day is: wake up and have delicious hotel/chalet breakfast, ski for a couple of hours, stop for coffee on the mountain, ski for an hour, stop for long lunch on the mountain - pasta, wine, etc - ski again for a couple of hours, have afternoon tea in town/back in the chalet, get back to hotel/chalet and go in hot tub/sauna/pool, then have dinner, go to some bars afterwards or have drinks with friends at chalet.
My understanding is that American skiing is much more serious - more skiing, less eating and drinking. Which towns, if any, out west, have what I want?

Ha!!this is exactly why I have never had any desire to go to Europe to ski. My ideal ski trip is eat a big breakfast, get on the first chair, take as short a lunch break as possible (or just eat an energy bar on the chairlift) and them collapse in my room at 4. Different strokes for different folks!! But definitely at a lot of ski mountains there are people who take long lunches and relax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Italy and have only skiied in Europe, which I love because my preferred skiing day is: wake up and have delicious hotel/chalet breakfast, ski for a couple of hours, stop for coffee on the mountain, ski for an hour, stop for long lunch on the mountain - pasta, wine, etc - ski again for a couple of hours, have afternoon tea in town/back in the chalet, get back to hotel/chalet and go in hot tub/sauna/pool, then have dinner, go to some bars afterwards or have drinks with friends at chalet.
My understanding is that American skiing is much more serious - more skiing, less eating and drinking. Which towns, if any, out west, have what I want?

You can definitely do this in Aspen. Good choices for lunch, plenty of apres places, plenty of bars. And very good skiing in between. Deer Valley is also a good choice for the daytime part of it, but you will have to go into Park City for the nighttime part.

I've skied in Italy a few times and as a serious skier it's great because the lifts are only crowded for about 2 hours - around 11-1 - because the rest of the time is for lunching and other activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vail is awful. I went once for a family event and my DH and I both looked at each other in shock. “So Vail is a large crowded outdoor mall?”

I mentioned Vail as a favorite and for me it's the combination of great skiing and a choice of decent restaurants and hotels, along with a place you can walk around. Those are surprisingly few and far between based on my experience.

[Anonymous]

Yellowstone Club. Go hard or go home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aspen is a special place of horribleness. So pretentious and snotty.

Best - Park City.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yellowstone Club. Go hard or go home.

What Yellowstone club isn't a town.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]What's the best Utah resort for families- young kids 5-7. 2 adult skiers but one is, er, not amazing.

We have enjoyed W. VA, VT and NY areas but looking to visit family out west next year or 2 for a week. Love apres ski scenes, but has to be family friendly (ie- not super cool probably!)
THANKS![/quote]

Deer Valley is amazing! Easy 45 min drive from SLC. Stein Eriksen and the Montage are great places to stay, but Stein Eriksen Lodge is near terrain that is easier than the Montage.