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Original poster

Anyone skied in Canada or the USA?

33 replies

Primrose123 · 28/09/2014 10:54

DH and I have been skiing for about 25 years, but never outside Europe. We'd love to go to the USA or Canada but don't know where to start looking. We've been tempted by tales of long uncrowded slopes! We are a bit worried about the cost, there seem to be good offers, but there are always extra costs.

We don't really want a car if possible and would like somewhere where we could walk to the slopes, but I don't know if there are resorts like that.

I suppose budget would be around £2000 for flights, transfers and hotel, but cheaper would be even better!

Does anyone have any recommendations? If someone could suggest good resorts and hotels, that would be great. :)

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 28/09/2014 11:04

Breckenridge for luxury skiing, Jackson a bit more serious. Both are very high with dependable deep snow.

Jackson is quite isolated but from Breckenridge you can do day excursions to other excellent or smaller resorts.

Original poster
Primrose123 · 28/09/2014 12:34

Thanks PigletJohn, I'll have a look at those two.

OP posts:
LIG1979 · 28/09/2014 13:19

We had a lovely time at breckenridge and did a day trip to vail. Definitely worth the trip!

Sparrow8 · 28/09/2014 13:23

We had a great time at Lake Tahoe, Heavenly ski resort

SpaghettiMeatballs · 28/09/2014 13:25

We did Whistler. It was fantastic but I think it might be tight on £2,000 with the cost of flights?

We especially liked it because we had a few days in Vancouver too before heading to Whistler.

hellokittymania · 28/09/2014 13:29

Only on a skiing camp for visually impaired in Winter Park, but it was great.

claraschu · 28/09/2014 13:34

Park City near Salt Lake City, Utah. It was fantastic.

SilasGreenback · 29/09/2014 09:02

I posted a long reply but then lost it, but actually thinking about this more I think your budget is going to be a problem - the flights are such a big chunk of the cost, and with time changes I think less than 10 days doesn't make sense. But you do get empty runs and great snow!

In my experience East Coast skiing is not worth it - you still have the increased flight costs, but not such great snow.

You generally don't need a car, as the resorts that aren't ski-in ski-out include ski buses in the lift ticket price - for example Banff and the Lake Tahoe resorts, but obviously this takes time.

For ski-in ski-out I would agree that Brekenridge is good - but it is very high and we suffered with altitude for the first few days. It can also be very cold - frost bite on lifts cold. Our favourite is Big White in the Okanagan - amazing snow, not crowded even at peak times (mainly new year) and skiing from your door.

I would see how cheap a flight you can find to Denver or Vancouver and then work out what you would have left. We have always found booking direct works out cheaper than a package.

SilasGreenback · 29/09/2014 09:05

Unless that is £2000 each, rather than for 2? Then you would have no problems!

tryingtocatchthewind · 29/09/2014 09:10

I did Banff about 4 years ago. Canadian affair do cheap flights with Monarch and someone else but you're still looking at £500 each I would think. There's plenty of cheap accommodation but not walkable. There's 3 resorts that are accessible by bus and you can get a three area lift pass. You're really going to struggle if that £2000 includes food but might be doable without. Assuming you have your own equipment?

Original poster
Primrose123 · 29/09/2014 20:32

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll have a look at them all.

We usually book everything ourselves, fly to Austria and hire a car, but we've been tempted by some of the package deals on the internet. Some of the basic prices for the USA are much the same as Austria, but it seems that the extras are more expensive!

Unfortunately our budget is for the two of us not each, but we could go over it a bit if we found the right deal. We sort of feel that we don't mind paying a bit more than in Europe to ski in the USA, but not if it's double the price!

OP posts:
Original poster
Primrose123 · 29/09/2014 20:36

We were looking at this sort of thing but are open to other suggestions.

OP posts:
rednellie · 29/09/2014 20:43

We lived in Canada on the west coast for a bit. Everyone local goes to Big White or Revelstoke. Both amazing and can be reasonable.

Whistler is fine if you live in Vancouver and can pop up when the snow is good, but not reliable enough for a once in a lifetime trip out of Europe.

Incacola · 29/09/2014 20:45

Another vote for Whistler, and also Park City in Utah. We had brilliant holidays at both with amazing off and on piste snow conditions. With both of them you may not be able to walk directly to the piste but there are good bus services around all of the accommodation areas which regularly pick up and take you to the centre of the resorts.

claraschu · 29/09/2014 21:04

We rented a condo at Park City for a family of 5. It was very cheap and nice and we could walk a few feet to the slopes. We found it on e-bay.com.

Pufflemum · 29/09/2014 21:08

Sorry to hijack, but which of these resorts would be good for an early Easter trip?

SilasGreenback · 29/09/2014 21:33

I wouldn't go to Tremblant - we had lousy snow, most of it from snow machines and it was bitterly cold. I also think those deals are for packing lots of people in a room, so if there are just 2 of you not so good.

Banff or Big White in Canada if you can find good deals would be my suggestions (they would work early Easter for you too Pufflemum)

uptheauntie · 29/09/2014 21:37

We went to New Hampshire in early February and it was great. My first time skiing in USA, and loved it. Quiet, wide open runs. Friendlier too. Lots of great snow. We went for a week which is really doable for eat coast and East Coast keeps your flight costs down too.

PigletJohn · 29/09/2014 21:37

I have not skied in Canada, but my chums (who have also skied with me in Jackson and Breckenridge) said it was too cold.

PigletJohn · 29/09/2014 21:39

...but it is a long journey so IMO not suitable for a short trip.

Due to the resort height (not just the mountain, which is similar in height to skiing at Zermatt) it may take you several days to acclimatise.

BikeRunSki · 29/09/2014 21:47

We went to Whistler in 2002, at the same time as the International Olympic Committee, and the snow was awesome. Even though it was Spring Break it didn't feel crowded. I don't remember it being cold. It was the first fortnight of March.

We have also been to Brekenridge. There is less skiing from the the same base, but lots of opportunities for day trips to Vail, Arapahoe and other places. Lots of buses.

snowmummy · 29/09/2014 22:49

Would you mind linking to the cheap deals please?

Original poster
Primrose123 · 30/09/2014 00:00

I don't know if they actually work out to be cheap, but I've been looking at these - www.virginholidays.co.uk/special-offers/ski-and-board.

OP posts:
claraschu · 30/09/2014 17:28

We looked at ebay for Park City, and found great cheap accommodation.

PestoSurfissimos · 30/09/2014 17:37

I've skiied in Colorado, Nevada & California - various resorts, but think it would be difficult to do on a budget tbh.

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