Vail Lodging in a Nutshell |
Cara Pulick, Contributing Writer |
 Skiing along pedestrian-only streets, sipping beer at Bavarian breweries, and sleeping in European chalets, visitors to Vail can be excused for thinking they stepped into a centuries-old village in the Alps. What Vail really is, of course, is a fully modern, hustling and bustling international tourist destination of the highest caliber.
Five-star dining, upscale boutiques, a lively après ski scene, thousands of condo and hotel rooms, numerous ski-in/ski-out properties, and one of the country’s largest free public transit systems cement the area’s famed reputation as a vacationer’s paradise.
And then there’s the snow -- over 5,200 acres of it, to be exact. As can be expected for an area that was a ski resort (1962) before it was a town (1966), skiing doesn’t get any bigger, or better, than this. In fact, Vail consistently earns ski magazines’ respect as the best ski destination in North America. Add the nearby Vail-owned ski areas of Beaver Creek and Arrowhead and you’ve got yourself a genuine winter wonderland.
Vail stretches out along the Vail Corridor on Interstate 70 -- about 100 miles west of Denver. The seven-mile-long town is broken down into a handful of villages connected by a recreational path and a free public shuttle bus.
Most activity centers around the two pedestrian villages -vibrant Lionshead, where the Vail Mountain gondola is based, and the chic adjacent Vail Village. At the far ends of town are East Vail and West Vail, with Golden Peak, Sandstone, and Cascade in between. As a general rule of thumb, the closer you get to the gondola in the center of town, the more convenient, and expensive, the accommodations.
Although some of the villages offer more affordable lodging options, the one thing Vail is not is a bargain. Travelers looking to save a few bucks or just escape the glitz and glam of Vail -- where dogs have been seen wearing not only sunglasses, but their own doggie-sized fur coats -- might choose to stay in a nearby town. Rounding out the area known as Vail Valley are Minturn, Avon, Edwards, Wolcott and Eagle, all within 30 miles of Vail itself.
While skiing will always be the region’s big attraction, Vail doesn’t neglect its warm-weather visitors. Fishing and rafting in local waterways, hiking and mountain biking on an impressive network of trails, and golfing at a dozen area courses are among the summer options available. Furthermore, travelers looking to see the mountains on a budget might find an off-peak trip right up their alley: daily summer lodging rates run about half of wintertime rates.
Tourists can reach Vail by flying into Denver International Airport and renting a car or taking one of the many mountain shuttle services operating out of DIA. Alternatively, travelers can book their flights all the way through to the Eagle-Vail airport, located about 35 minutes west of Vail.
Renting a car is more advisable for guests staying outside of central Vail and for summer visitors, who will find driving less treacherous and activities more dispersed than in the winter. If you are driving around during the winter, be sure to leave yourself plenty of extra time. Weekend traffic can be a bear during the ski season.
But once you actually get to the heart of Vail, the advantage is unmistakable. Thanks to the pedestrian villages and free public transportation, you can check your car at the door. For some travelers, this is a vacation in itself.
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