For winter 2022, my boyfriend and I took a long weekend off to venture out to Vail to hit the slopes and enjoy some of the Après-Ski. Looking to do the same? Here is our recommended guide that is perfect for any duration.

Make Sure to Plan Ahead

• Purchase Lift Tickets: A common theme with large resorts is lift tickets selling out, so make sure to plan in advance when purchasing your lift tickets. Vail is part of EPIC pass, so based on your pass, you may be able to use it for your trip. Otherwise, head over to the Vail website to purchase your tickets. There is a discount on the per day rate if you purchase multiple days. Your lift tickets will be shipped to your home and you will to need to make sure you pack them.

• Reserve Ski Rentals: It is also common for rental stores to sell out. Make sure to make reservations as soon as possible. Check with your hotel to see if they are partnered with any of the rental stores, so you can possibly get a discount and delivery to your hotel. Our hotel had a Charter Sports store. The staff was great in doing our fitting and made sure to ask the right questions to ensure we received the best fit equipment.

• Book Transportation: If you are flying into the Denver airport, you don’t need to rent a car to go to Vail or to even get around the area. If you decide to go the no rental car route, you should book a car service in advance. There are a handful of shuttles services you can use. I used Peak 1 Express. My only concern was they collected our flight information during our reservation, and when our flight got delayed, I called their customer service to confirm they would be able to pick us up. They were not able to accommodate us until 6 hours after our flight landed. To not waste all that time at the airport, we ended up ordering an Uber for about $110 from the airport to our hotel in Vail. When I called back the Peak 1 Express customer service, they were only able to give me credit valid for 1 year, instead of a full refund – guess that means we need to come back next year. However, on our way back to the airport, the shuttle arrived promptly at our hotel and had us at the airport on time. Other shuttle services include Epic, Eagle Vail Express, and Summit Express, just to name a couple others. With there being so many shuttle services, I recommend looking for the best rate.
• Packing List: coming soon.

Hotels

Majority of Vail hotels are expensive. If you are able to, I recommend using hotel points for your stay. Additionally, when picking your hotel, make sure your hotel is either located by the ski lifts (Vail Village or Lionshead), has a shuttle service, or is by a Vail bus stop. Aside from the hourly parking rates being expensive, the lots do fill up quickly.

I stayed at the Highline Vail – a DoubleTree by Hilton. The rooms felt a little outdated especially for the rates they are charging. However, the hotel had a handful of great amenities. The hotel is located outside of Vail Village, so the hotel has a shuttle that runs from the morning to midnight. You meet the driver outside and let them know your drop off location. When you are ready to be picked up, you text the hotel, and they will send you a driver. The lobby area in the hotel had a lounge area along with a bar, Pivot62, that served small bites and a restaurant, Westside Café, which served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I wasn’t able to make a stop at Westside Café, but Pivot62 was our go to after hitting the slopes. Another perk of this hotel was it was located right next to a grocery store. If you are traveling from an area with low altitudes, avoid altitude sickness by stocking up on water bottles to drink throughout the day.

Daily Schedule

Our schedule for the trip was very straightforward. To start our day, we would wake up each day at around 6:30 AM, get ready with our ski gear, and head to the shuttle to get dropped off at breakfast. This would allow us to get to the lift about when they opened for us to avoid the long lines. Generally, we wrapped up skiing each day at 3:00 PM and headed back to our hotel to recharge for the evening. Around 5:00 PM, we would head back to shuttle to be dropped off at Vail Village where we strolled around the shops, had a cocktail and grabbed dinner.

The Trails

One the most unique parts of Vail is their beginner ski area – the bunny hill is on top of the mountain. To get to the beginner area, take Eagle Bahn Gondola from Lionshead. Most beginners usually practice in the area for a couple of days before they are able to go down the mountain. If you are beginner, take advantage of lessons (group or private) that can purchased as half days or full days.

If you are an intermediate skier, I highly recommend a warm up run in the beginner practice area. All the trails between Vail Village and Loinshead offer gorgeous sights. However, make sure you have a plan of action when going down trails. Many of trails quickly turn into black (or even double black) diamonds, so pay close attention to signs. Check out the resort’s trail map here.

If you are interested in storing your items in a locker, make sure to have $1s and $5s to buy tokens for the lockers. The resort only has one-size lockers. If you think you may need more space, look into storage at the local ski shops as they generally rent out lockers too.

Restaurant and Bars

• Dinner: If you are planning to eat out for dinner, make sure you make reservations. I recommend researching restaurants in advance and making a reservation when they open up. A couple a places we got dinner are:
  1. Sweet Basil [Vail Village]: Higher end, trendy restaurant in the heart of Vail Village. Every bite from appetizers to desserts was magnificent. Highly recommend if the price point fits your budget.
  2. La Bottega [Vail Village]: Standard Italian restaurant with a menu filled with salad, pasta and pizza. Price point is average for a dinner in the area. Great spot to do a family style dinner.
  3. Alpenrose Vail [Vail Village]: A German-Austrian restaurant serving cheese fondue, pork schnitzel, and apple strudel. The restaurant emulates a German village with décor that warms up the place for a cozy dinner. Price point is average for a dinner in the area.  
• Bars: Whether it’s the après-ski or a fine cocktail, Vail has a handful of great spots to grab a drink.
  1. Fall Line [Vail Village]: Modern space with a menu full of cocktails, perfect for a pre-dinner drink. The bar also has a full dinner menu.
  2. Vail Brewing Company [Vail Village]: Tasting room filled with a changing selection, perfect for your après-ski.
  3. Root & Flower [Vail Village]: Wine bar that also serves a great selection of cocktails and bites, perfect for a pre-dinner drink.
  4. Two Arrows Coffee Bar [Vail Village]: Coffee shop in the morning to cocktail bar in the evening. Cozy spot to enjoy your morning brew or a spiked cider after the slopes.
  5. Shakedown Bar [Vail Village]: Live music club perfect for an evening when you want to go out. Make sure to bring cash for a potential cover. Lineups can be found on the bar’s website.
  6. The Red Lion [Vail Village]: Another stop on your going out list. The Red Lion is a restaurant and live music venue.

• Breakfast: If you are looking to avoid the local McDonald’s or hotel’s hot market breakfast, here are a couple of options.
  1. Slope room [Vail Village]: We weren’t able to fit the restaurant into our dinner plans, so we decided to check out their daily breakfast starting at 7:00 AM. Compared to other breakfast spots, the restaurant was not busy and took orders at the counter. The menu offered delicious breakfast items including eggs benedict and breakfast burritos.
  2. The Little Diner [Lionshead]: Super popular spot in the area, expect to wait for a table. The restaurant serves up your favorite diner items including omelets and breakfast sandwiches. Want to spice up your breakfast? Pair your food with one of their breakfast cocktails.
  3. Yeti’s Grind [Vail Village]: Simple coffee shop that serves breakfast items including bagels and paninis.

• Mountain Dining: If you are looking to save money, then I would recommend avoiding any mountain dining. When you walk off the lift in Vail Village and Loinshead, you are surrounded by restaurants perfect for lunch at a fraction of the price. However, if you are looking to experience some mountain dining, then I recommend making a reservation at the The 10^th, located right off Gondola One. With the restaurant’s large windows, you are able to warm up and experience gorgeous mountain views. The menu is filled with American lunch foods including soups, salads and sandwiches. Make sure to pair your lunch with a Bloody Marry.