Resort information for Vail

Vail is a huge, swanky place with Vail Village, surrounded by chalets and beirkellers, now just part of an enormous resort, mostly built in anonymous modern style, stretching for miles. The vast area benefits from a free and efficient bus service which makes choice of location less than crucial, but the most convenient – and expensive – places to stay are in mock-Tirolean Vail Village.

Vail has one of the biggest areas of slopes in the US, accessed via three main lifts, with immaculately groomed trails and ungroomed terrain in open bowls and among the trees. You get a real sense of travelling around the mountain – something missing in many smaller American resorts. The front face of the mountain is largely north-facing, with well-groomed trails cut through the trees. At altitude the mountainside divides into three bowls. The slopes have yellow-jacketed patrollers who stop people speeding recklessly. As well as an exceptional natural snow record, Vail has extensive snowmaking, normally needed only in early season. Vail has some of the longest lift lines we’ve hit in the US, especially at weekends because of the influx from Denver.

The mountain restaurants are surprisingly poor (and pricey) – demand is increasing to the point where the major self-service restaurants can be unpleasantly crowded from 11am to 2pm. However in Vail itself, there is an endless choice for eating out, but most of it is pricey. The après-ski is fairly lively – as well as bars and restaurants, there’s lots to do on the snow.