Skiing in Vail, Colorado | A Guide to Your Ultimate Ski Adventure

I’m Kim, The Abundant Traveler, and welcome back to the channel! Today I’m going to be sharing with you everything that you need to know before you go to Vail, Colorado. If you’re interested in coming here, make sure to watch this entire video. I’m going to be sharing transportation, how to get around, how to get here, where to stay, what to do, where to ski, where to shop, and the best restaurants in town (my opinion) of where to eat. So, let’s go ahead and get started!

So, where is Vail located? It is located about two hours west of the Denver airport. It’s relatively easy to fly into Denver. Southwest goes there, and it’s inexpensive flights getting in and out of Denver, or you can fly into EagleVail, which is about a 25-minute ride from that airport. At that airport, you can fly in on Delta or American or United. It’s much quicker, but typically flying into EagleVail is a little bit more expensive.

So, if you’re gonna fly into Denver, how should you get here? Since it’s two hours away, well the first recommendation is, if you just want to take a regular shuttle, then I recommend what is called the CME or Colorado Mountain Express. It’s about $89 one-way, and you can book online. It’s relatively simple; they’ll meet you, they’ll bring you directly to your door. Nice, clean, excellent delivery, but it is a shared ride. If you’re looking for private transportation, there are lots of private shuttles and big, beautiful black SUVs, and I have left a link in the description below for a couple options for you.

Another option is to rent a car. The only thing about renting a car is if you’re not familiar with driving in the snow, that I-70 can be pretty scary sometimes if there’s been a lot of snow. Also, when you’re coming and going, I definitely recommend that you do not come into the mountains on a Friday and out of the mountains on a Sunday because the rest of Denver is also thinking the same thing. So, it is bumper-to-bumper traffic on Fridays into the mountains and on Sunday afternoons on the way out.

Let’s talk a little history about the city of Vail. It was actually started in 1962. Some towns like Steamboat and Telluride have been around since the silver mining era, but Vail is a relatively new town. After World War II, a couple of the veterans from the 10th Mountain Division came back to Vail and actually started the ski resort that we see today. Of course, it was a little smaller back then.

Let’s talk a little bit about what Vail looks like. There are two primary areas of Vail. We have Vail Village, which is a little bit to the east, and then the newer area, which is Lionshead. Both of these have a gondola going up the mountain, they both lead to the ski area, but the vibes are a little bit different.

Vail Village is a little more high-end; this is where you’ll find the nicer restaurants. The accommodation is a little bit more expensive, and honestly, I find the gondola lines at Gondola One a little bit longer than I do in Lionshead.

In Lionshead, this is a newer area. Typically, you will find a few more condos. That’s also where the Marriott is and the Arrabelle, and over there, they have two ways up. The first is the Eagle Bahn, which is a gondola, and then they have a chair lift. Personally, I like staying in Lionshead; it’s just a little bit easier, but I tend to come into Vail Village every afternoon for apres ski and dinner, so it just depends on what you’re looking for and what kind of vibe you would like to have.

As to which area you’d like to stay, if you’re looking for a combination that is a little bit less expensive, you can stay in East Vail or West Vail. They’re on the way to Avon, or you can stay over in Gore Creek, which is also another entrance to the mountain.

When you’re coming to Vail, how many days should you stay? Well, it’s going to take you one day to come in because it’s a two-hour drive from the airport in Denver, and it’s going to take you one day out because you need to leave plenty of time to get back to the airport. With two days on either side, how many days do you want to ski in the middle, and also, do you want a day off? Personally, I like staying a week to 10 days. I like to ski for three days, a day off, and then three days, and go home. So, that’s me actually saying about seven to eight nights. That is my personal preference. It just depends on how you like to ski and how many days you want to ski, and also how much money do you want to spend. Honestly, Vail is quite expensive; you will be hard-pressed to find any accommodation under $400 a night.

Let’s continue on that front with accommodation in Lionshead and in Vail Village. I have left a link in the description below for some of my favorite hotels and condos in both areas. Lionshead, you can stay at the Arrabelle, which is luxury at its best. You can stay at the Marriott, which is a wonderful place to stay, as well. You can stay at the Lion Square Lodge, which is a ski in-ski out that I like a lot. You can stay at The Landmark, which is a great condo very close to the lifts. Those are my top picks unless you find an Airbnb that you like.

Staying in Vail Village? Well, I recommend coming over here and staying at the Tivoli, which is ski in-ski out. I also recommend a European-style, staying at the Sonnenalp, perhaps staying at The Sebastian. Or, just a little bit further away from Vail Village, you can stay at the Four Seasons. If you’re looking for ski in-ski out, which is easier on the body, easier to carry, and easier to walk in your boots, then I recommend staying at the Tivoli, I recommend staying at Bridge Street Lodge, at the Arrabelle, or I recommend staying at the Grand Hyatt. I’ve put the link to all those in the description below.

So, now that you know how long to stay and where to stay, the next thing is what to pack. Well, of course, you have to pack your ski clothes. And if you’re interested in my packing guide for ski clothes, you can go to the description below. I have this free download that is everything that you need to pack for the perfect ski trip.

Now, here in Vail, this town is quite fancy and quite expensive. So, you could be a ski bum and wear your flannel shirt and your jeans and your boots. Or, you can go super high-end and wear your bling and wear your jewels and your furs and your fancy hats and your very boho chic and all of that, as well. So, it really depends on the vibe that you want; you can have everything. Here in Vail, I do recommend that you tend to dress up just a little bit more than some other ski resort, though. So, ladies, you want to look nice.

So, if you’re here in winter, the primary reason for coming is to ski. So, let’s talk a little bit about ski rentals, skis, and skiing this huge, huge, huge ski area. First of all, if you’re in Lionshead, I recommend renting skis (if you don’t have your own) from Vail Tech. They’re just about a three-minute walk from the lift; they’ve got great prices and high-quality skis. If you’re at Vail Village, then I also recommend going to Christy Sports, but they always have great skis. You can also rent from Vail Sports, or if you want door-to-door service, you can rent from Black Tie, where they will deliver your skis and boots directly to your accommodation. Then they’ll pick them up when you leave, and you don’t have to do a thing, like traipsing around with your skis and boots when you go to rent them. What type might be the answer for you? Who knows!

Now that you have your skis and boots or snowboard, let’s talk about the mountain. There is over 5,200 acres of skiable area – are you kidding me?? It’s huge! That’s one of the primary reasons to come to Vail. No matter what level of skier you are, there’s plenty to ski. It’s unbelievable! There are 31 lifts, as well, and there are 195 runs. So, there are three distinct areas when you’re skiing in Vail, as well. So, you have the front side, which is primarily beginner and intermediate, which is the green and the blue runs. When you go off the back side, that is called the back bowls. That’s where you have the wide open bowls; they’re all black, but they’re wide open, and they are spectacular, and they always get great snow. It’s China Bowl and Mongolian Bowl, and there are a couple of great lifts up there, as well, and it is a wonderful place to ski. It’s probably my favorite place to ski!

Then, once you’ve gone up the front, over the back, then you can go up the next section, which is called Blue Sky Basin. Blue Sky is basically for a good intermediate to expert skier. There’s lots of rocks, sometimes cliffs, sometimes moguls, all the time trees, when you want. Or, there’s some more narrow runs. Going out to Blue Sky is quite a hike, but if you’re a decent skier, then I definitely recommend you go out there. 

While you’re skiing or boarding, there are plenty of places to eat on the mountain. You can go to Two Elk, Mid-Vail, you can go to the Eagles Nest, or there’s a couple of huts at the top of the different lifts and at the top of Blue Sky Basin.

So, what’s interesting is if you’re a tourist, you tend to call the lift lines or the lifts by the name, like Wildwood or Mid-Mountain Express or Avanti. But if you’re local, you call those chairlifts by the number. So, just be prepared some people might tell you to go take chair three while somebody else tells you to go take the Mountaintop Express.

Now that you are headed up the mountain, you need something that’s very, very important. You need a lift ticket. And, if you’re new to skiing, or even an intermediate, I definitely recommend that you take some ski lessons, as well. I’m a firm, firm believer in taking proper education so you are safe and have more fun on the mountain.

So, lift tickets. Lift tickets, regular day passes during the week are $220. Shocking, I know. Uh, on the weekend, they’re $230; on holiday weekends, they are even more. I get the Epic Pass every year, which is a ski pass that covers all of Vail resorts, as well as a few European resorts and one in Japan. And that lift pass is about $900 a year, so if I come to Vail for about five days, I’ve covered the cost of my Epic Pass.

Now, ski school. Ski school is $250 if you’re going to do a group lesson, and that is up to six people. If you want to have a private lesson, it is $1,200 a day, but you can divide that $1,200 by you and five of your friends. I’d say getting a private lesson is a great opportunity and a great thing to do. If you’re an absolute beginner, they have a wonderful thing that is just for you. It is $500 for three days skiing and a $55 lift pass for each day. I would say that is a screaming deal if you are a beginner.

So, now that you have been skiing or boarding all day and you’re exhausted and you need a drink and some nachos, there are some great apres ski places here in Vail. If you ski down to Lionshead, then I recommend going to the Chop House, and on the weekends, you can listen to the musician. His name is Phil, and he is fantastic. Also, in Lionshead, you could go to the Arrabelle for a fancy cocktail, or you can go over to Garfinkel’s and maybe watch some sports while you have the biggest, most delicious plate of nachos and a delicious beer.

If you are in Vail Village, then the place to go is the Red Lion. That is probably the most famous place to go; that seems to be where everyone ends up. There’s also a place that is a little quieter, also with great music, and that is Pepi’s, and that is more of a European flair with the German tables, beer pretzels, and brats. Which is also great when you’re not looking for the chaos of the Red Lion. Phew, it’s getting bright out here!

So, now that we have gotten up, skied, apres skied, gone back to our place, gotten changed, and taken a shower, we are now headed back out. Let’s do a little shopping before we go to dinner. So, some of my favorite places to shop are typically in Vail Village. My number one store is actually to go to Lanae (l-a-n-a-e). Ladies, they have beautiful jewelry and beautiful bags, and my favorite jewelry in there are Lele Sadoughi’s huge, huge earrings that I just love. They also have, um, great places like lululemon, Patagonia, Helly Hansen, all the typical main brands that you would find. There’s a cool place just off of Bridge Street that is called Wild Bill’s, so if you’re looking for something that is unique and a little bit different and possibly a little kitschy for somebody at home, then I recommend you get your souvenirs there. There are some wonderful fur shops, as well. There’s just tons of shopping, so make sure to save some time and money to do your shop.

Let’s talk about where to eat dinner. Let’s start over in Lionshead. There are a couple of great places that I love to go one is the Blue Moose Pizza; they have a wonderful gluten-free pizza, which I’m gluten-free, so I love eating there. They have a seafood restaurant named Montauk, as well, which is delicious food. And, I also recommend where we went to apres ski and went to the Chop House where we listened to Phil, the music, they have delicious food, as well. Also, I have been to Garfinkel’s. Garfinkles is wonderful. Again, as I mentioned, those gigantic nachos that are so good. You need at least two people to get through about half. So, those are my picks over in Lionshead. Again, it’s a little more casual over there.

If you’re looking for higher-end eating, then you want to come over here to Vail Village. My favorite restaurant in town is called Mountain Standard. Mountain Standard is the sister restaurant of Sweet Basil, which is one of the finest restaurants in town. I recommend going to both, but for me, if I have to choose, I prefer going to Mountain Standard. Also over here, high-end if you’re into sushi, I recommend going to Matsuhisa, which is at the Solaris. And I also recommend going to Yama if you’re a big sushi eater. They’re both delicious.

If you’re looking for something fun, maybe a flatbread and something a little bit different, then I recommend going to Deca Bol. You can actually go bowling in Deca Bol, and it’s just under the Solaris, whereas Matuhisa is just above. My suggestion to you, though, is make reservations in advance. Basically, none of the bars take reservations, but if you want a table, I would suggest probably booking your stuff a month in advance, especially if you’re going to be here on a weekend.

So, if you’re not a skier or a boarder, then what do you do? Well, I just mentioned all the shopping and eating, and there is plenty to do. You could be here three or four days and just go shopping and eating and not even realize that there’s a mountain behind you. Also, you can have a wonderful spa day, as well. I recommend going to the Four Seasons, to the Arrabelle, or to the Sonnenalp. The Sonnenalp has a more European feel to it, the Arrabelle and the Four Seasons, of course, are extremely luxurious.

I also recommend going snowshoeing. You can go snowmobiling, you can go have a meal in one of the cabins, and the number one thing is: I asked the local if you’re not a skier, what should you do, she said to take the gondola up to the top and check out those 360-degree spectacular views of the village. So, you heard it here first.

So, that about sums up everything that you need to know before you go to Vail. There is so much to see and do; there’s tons of shopping, tons of food, plenty to stay, plenty of places to stay, and a huge, huge mountain to go skiing. You could spend the whole winter here and not see it all.

So, if you have any recommendations or suggestions, leave them in the comments below. Make sure to give this video a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel. I am Kim, The Abundant Traveler, and I thank you so much for watching today. Please make sure to stay safe on the mountains, and I cannot wait to see you next time I’m in Vail. Take care, everybody, bye!