Where to go

Great for:

• Almost everyone, but especially mixed ability groups and families
• Anyone seeking convenience, superb accommodation and great service

Not so good if:

• You are looking for history or “authenticity” – head for Aspen or Jackson Hole
• You are a very, very good skier seeking treacherously steep couloir skiing
• You are on a tight budget

Good to know:

• Very high and very cold is a common misconception. Vail sees over 300 days of sun a year and altitude is much less of a problem than in higher resorts like
• Breckenridge
• Vail offers a wider range of hotels than Beaver Creek

Great for:

• Families with children not yet in their teens
• People who hate walking in ski boots and carrying skis

Not so good if:

• You are wanting variety of nightlife and raucous après-ski

Good to know:

• Easy to combine with Vail for a two center vacation –and a shame not to as the resorts appeal to similar groups
• Bachelor Gulch is about 10 minutes’ drive from Beaver Creek – but the Ritz-Carlton is a destination in its own right
• Strong skiers will have skied everything after 3 or 4 days

Great for:

• Adults, especially couples seeking a little sophistication with their skiing
• Good skiers who don’t mind traveling to explore different areas
• Crowd haters – with no nearby cities, Aspen avoids weekend crowds that can descend on other American ski areas

Not so good:

• If you don’t want to get on a bus to go skiing – head for Snowmass or Vail
• For mixed ability groups
For snowboarders – steep runs which narrow in places. Snowmass or Jackson would be better bets
• You are on a tight budget

Good to know:

• Aspen and Snowmass are separate resorts and could not be more different
• The airport is only 15 minutes away

Great for:

• Families and intermediate skiers - Snowmass is your heaven. Beginners are also well catered for
• Crowd haters – with no nearby cities, Snowmass avoids weekend crowds that can descend on other American ski areas

Not so good if:

• You are looking for a big variety of après and nightlife
• You are a strong skier - Snowmass is lacking in real steeps

Good to know:

• Aspen and Snowmass are separate resorts and could not be more different
• The airport is only 15 minutes away

Great for:

• Good skiers looking to tick one of the world’s great ski destinations off their to do list
• Off piste powder fanatics
• Anyone looking to mix their skiing with cowboys, Country & Western and wildlife

Not so good if:

• You are an intermediate seeking gentle blue runs
• You are not prepared to traverse or hike a little to get your fresh tracks

Good to know:

• Teton village is convenient for skiing but in the evenings, the action is in Jackson town
• The airport makes the road transfer short but you will need a connecting flight

Great for:

• All standards of skier and anyone wanting nothing but snow, snow, snow!/li>
• Skiers looking to cover a lot of ground and anyone looking to do some heli-skiing/li>
• Après and nightlife – sometimes of the “college” variety

Not so good if:

• You only want to ski in the sun – British Columbia is famous for its precipitation/li>
• You want a small, intimate or exclusive feeling town or village - Whistler is none of these

Good to know:

• North America’s biggest ski area is the only one to come close to Europe’s big linked areas

Great for:

• Luxury - the most luxurious and exclusive places to stay in Utah
• Skiers only – no snowboarders allowed
• Its renowned guest service – regularly rated number one in North America
• Tree skiing – over 1,000 acres at your ski tips
• You’re a snowboarder – you need to head for the slopes at Canyons or Park City

Good to know:

• The number of lift tickets sold each day is limited to avoid overcrowded slopes

Great for:

• The snow – deemed as “The Greatest Snow on Earth”
• Incredible terrain – over 400 trails suitable for all levels of skier
• The town – crammed with bars, restaurants and shops

Not so good if:

• You’re looking for somewhere luxurious to stay

Good to know:

• The Olympic Park is well worth a visit – you can even have a go on the Olympic bobsleigh run

Great for:

• The only heated-seat, enclosed chairlift in North America
• Variety of terrain – a bewildering amount of trails for all levels
• A Ski Beach – the ultimate location for après ski entertainment

Not so good if:

• You’re looking for a wide range of accommodation options

Good to know:

• The EpicPass includes Canyons so make the most of the EpicMix technology and capture your on-slope exploits and share with your friends