If you know, you know. And even if you do, here's a breakdown of an European-themed community in the Alps of Colorado. Some call them the Rockies. Lolzsies. After spending summers and winters in Vail for the better part of 20 years, it is a place that grows on you like an old friend you can't quite quit. Some times there is comfort in familiarity. It can, however, be so bubbled going in to town possesses the jarring feeling of juxtaposition - like waking from a dream on a bed of clouds to having to run blocks for the last cup of coffee at your favorite Midtown breaky booth. Rant aside the terrain is vast, even with current limited terrain, and après-ski festivities can have a warmth that keep you out of the house past the "holy hour" as I call it, lift closing at four. Après, of course, officially begins at 4:00:00:01. :) And yes, it and everything else draws you back year after year. There's something to be said for routine in a resort town, knowing exactly what you're going to get. But after near-decades of visits, Vail's habitual charm, though solid, can't always beat the polish of Aspen. While Vail is unquestionably comforting and consistent, Aspen offers something more refined: quality service pretty much 100% of the time. There's an undeniable level of attention from instructors to high-end retail staff. The experience is tailored, not transactional. In Vail, by contrast, service is oft hurried even indifferent. At worst, it can drip with envy. The t-shirt girl who ignores, the hostess offering crass commentary to a coworker about guests. Even though you know it's about someone else it's so fun to stop and ask: "What, wait. I'm a seasonal sojourner. Are you talking about me?" Talk about a master class in making a person's face go flush! Aspen, however, always seems to maintain a small-town elegance, more authentic personas, or at least better (worthy of an Oscar) acting. And, it makes all the difference. Then there's the familiar, quietly loaded question you hear most often in Vail - from attendants, gallery owners, even bartenders: "How long are you in town for?" It's not really about your itinerary; it's about your wallet. Locals and seasonal workers tend to gauge your response to place you in their hierarchy of visitors. It's an odd ritual, and it always stops them cold if you reply, "We have a home here." Suddenly, the conversation shifts. No follow-ups. No small talk. Just instant deference. In the end, Vail remains a beloved habitat, but Aspen's refinement and superior service give it undeniable edge. Still, both stand so far above other ski destinations that comparing them to lower elevation or lower design standards, kinda feels unnecessary and, at worst, unfair. read more

Vail misrepresented when I was committed to purchasing a season pass. From my reading, I was allowed to pay a down payment with flexibility, and then decide when the balance was due, whether or not I wanted to purchase. It turns out , once you pay the down payment, you are committed. I even received an email about a month before the final payment was due, reminding me to update my credit card info and to make any changes to my account that i wanted to make. Looks like they just wanted my cc. The commitment being made at the time of the down payment is in the very fine print and not clearly defined. I am very discouraged by this deception. It reminds me NEVER to ski Vail again. There are alternatives that are just as good, where the organization is honest. Shame on you, Vail Associates and Vail Ski Resort. If you have similar experiences, please post below. read more

Best mountain for disabled skiers / snowboarders in the area . Copper is second imho . There wasn't very much snow as the resort was about to close in two days when I went but I had a blast ! Everyone was so friendly including the bus driver . The village/ downtown was also super cute! It really reminded me of Europe . I can't wait to come back when there is snow ! read more

Vail is essentially owned by Epic, and Epic is a fitting example of what can go wrong when when capitalism goes too far. if you want proof, do a search on "Epic Pass Ruins Skiing."). Gone are the days when renting skis/snowboards were part of the fun experience and we chatted with locals who loved their jobs. Now, Epic grossly understaffs their rental services and their ski lift employees. As a result, many of the workers appear to have stopped caring and the excitement we may have felt about skiing/snowboarding is washed away by a growing frustration that we may pick up from the stressed workers. The ski lift experience--that was once run by fun people who were as excited to be there as we were--is now understaffed and some of the workers seem to take it out on the customers. We witnessed workers harass customers with accusational questions, as if they were certain that the customers were using someone else's pass. They made big deals about it, calling security in a loud, attention-seeking manner that seemed to intentionally intimidate, and I wondered if these workers would be good candidates for ICE agents. One of the people I witnessed them harass was a special needs young man that was alone in line. he simply shut down and it was awful to see. Their prices are ridiculously high and are no refundable. we had 2 family members that couldn't go because they had the flu and Epic said they required proof. After we sent a doctor's note, they still did nothing. Epic is a chaotic, angry nightmare and put profit over people, ruining an otherwise fun ski trip with their poor customer service. read more

I went skiing over at Vail for 5 days in mid February and I cannot say I was disappointed. I feel like Vail is widely criticized for its ownership, lines etc. But as far as I'm concerned, there were barely any crowds! There are so many lifts and trails and unique terrain that you will never get bored. Even though I came during one of the worst ski seasons in decades due to a strong lack of snow and lots of closed terrain, I still had a blast. Plus, a really nice storm came to save the day and just shows how Colorado can always give you something fun. Even though most of it was closed, the back bowls are pretty insane and I don't think there is another resort with quite the uniqueness of them. Even on the other runs, they are long and have some of the prettiest views you can find. I will say that the base village is a tiny bit tacky and expensive but it is well put together and it definitely shouldn't be of trouble to find somewhere to eat. If you are looking to ski Colorado for the first time, I'd strongly recommend Vail for its slope friendliness and iconic slopes that you can't beat anywhere else read more

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We checked out Vail this month for the first time and really enjoyed it! We've been buying various Epic passes the past few years, so figured it was time to check out the main company's resort with the same name. We had a large group and were able to book accommodations on Vrbo relatively affordably. Getting around Vail is easy with the bus system and the busses come every 30 minutes during the day. The resort is well-staffed and we always had help when we had questions about the mountain. The terrain was diverse enough for the various skill levels in our group. The terrain park wasn't fully open during all of our trip but we did get to enjoy it one day. The only major downside about this mountain is the hugeee amount of cat walks and flat areas (snowboarders beware). We had some days where we were just exploring and it was a struggle for some members of the group since there was no way to keep speed with how flat the trails were. read more

Note - my review is based on my ski experience at Vail Ski Resort. It has nothing to do with the cost to ski here, the Epic Pass purchase process, politics or any of the other stupid things complainers allow to ruin a good time. Vail Ski Resort is the largest ski mountain in Colorado and the third largest single mountain ski resort in the U.S. The summit is 11,570 ft. My buddy and I purchased Epic Passes for the first time this year so we could ski here. The Epic Pass allows you to ski at some of the best resorts in the country at any time with only a handful of restricted dates. I started skiing in Jr High and first learned at our little ski resort in Flagstaff, AZ. During my high school and college years, I began taking bus trip to Utah, Colorado and California to ski at bigger resorts. After a break, I switched to snowboarding for a number of years and then returned to skiing. I have been skiing at Telluride the last few years until this recent trip to Vail. The town of Vail itself is a cute, fun little town nestled in the mountains with lots of shopping and restaurants to eat at. Vail Village is designed like a Bavarian village with pedestrian streets. We even noticed most of the employees had accents. Vail caters more toward the wealthy crowd as nothing is cheap here. Vail Ski Resort was founded in 1962 and we got to ski during their 60th anniversary. We did two full days of skiing and I got to say it was some of the best skiing I have ever done in my 30+ years of skiing. Vail Ski Resort has varied terrain with over 50% of it geared toward advanced skiers and boarders. It has been rated as one of the top ski resorts in the country. Vail is separated into three section - the Front Side, the Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin. We were able to ski all three sections in two days. Day One we skied mostly the Front Side. Gondola One takes you from Vail Village to Mid-Vail where you can take a couple of express lifts to the top. Golden Peak and Lionsheads are the two other starting points. Some of my favorite runs from the Front Side were Cappuccino, Avanti, Simba, Hunky Dory, Born Free, Riva Ridge, Christmas, and Northstar. Day Two we concentrated on the Back Bowls and Blue Ski Basin. Vail Ski Resort is famous for its Back Bowls. There are seven of them - Sun Down Bowl, Sun Up Bowl, Tea Cup Bowl, China Bowl, Siberia Bowl, and Inner and Outer Mongolia Bowls. It snowed overnight and we had tons of powder to ski on. Lift lines were a little longer because it was a Saturday. We spent a part of our day skiing the China Bowl where the views were just stunning. But my favorite was the Blue Ski Basin area. It is an intermediate/expert back-country area with moguls, tree skiing, cliffs, glades, and ridges. There was so much powder and I had a blast shredding though it. There are food and drink options all around Vail. I usually stuff my coat with protein bars and don't eat much on the mountain. But we did grab drinks at Express Lift bar near the bottom of Gondola One. My favorite meal was at Dawg Haus at the bottom of Blue Ski Basin near Pete's Express Lift. It's a ski-up/ski-out hot dog shack with an order window. It seriously was one of the best chili dogs I have ever had. Overall my experience at Vail Ski Resort was absolutely amazing. Yes it did cost a bit, but it was worth it to finally ski at one of the best ski resorts in the country. Skiing here improved my ski skills and I hope to make a return trip in the future. read more

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The best mountain in Colorado, always a place to escape crowds and find snow. It is just vast and massive. The legendary back bowls are the best! read more

Vail - Legendary Back Bowls - Ski Resorts Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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We've been Epic pass users for years. We have always enjoyed the Vail Resort resort throughout the US. We were impressed that Vail provided "free" user insurance for the Epic pass. But, turns out the insurance is pretty much worthless. The company Vail uses to manage the insurance, Sedgwick, does not pay out. Sedgwick hems and haws at legitimate claims making outlandish requests for doctor's statements, treatment regimens, and impossible requests. My wife and I couldn't ski this entire season. After fighting Sedgwick for three months they relented on one refund. Refusing the other submitted at the same time with the same justifications and documentation. DON'T BUY EPIC!!! We're going with the IKON pass.... read more

In my opinion, Vail Ski Resort is the best overall resort in the United States. Once you visit Vail, it will ruin a lot of other ski resorts for you. This is not a review for Vail Village, nor is it a review for Vail Resorts or the Epic Pass. It is the best resort for: - Intermediate-Advanced Skiing - Scope of terrain - Lift lines relative to popularity of the resort - Consistency of snow conditions - Flow of the mountain and speed at which an experienced skier can tackle it, relative to scope of terrain - Ease of traveler access relative to stature of the resort - Iconic frontside groomers It gets knocked because: - It attracts a lot of rude rich people who can't ski well - Day passes are extremely expensive (~$275 at 2022/2023 peak) - It doesn't have much sustained outrageously difficult terrain compared to Jackson Hole, Big Sky, Alta/Bird, or Telluride (or Aspen Highlands, I guess) - It can be a difficult mountain for true beginners or east coast beginners, and beginner-intermediate areas get absolutely packed during peak times. - Entry level employees can be of questionable competence - The resort is so big that it demands stays longer than 3 days. - On-mountain dining can be disappointing compared to European standards I've skied pretty much everywhere on the two mega-passes, and while many resorts still have their own sense of identity and charm and some do a really good job at filling certain niches, Vail reminds me, on an annual basis, that it is superior. read more

Great sunny day at Vail! Went on Friday and we still managed to get a spot in the vail village garage after 9. The game creek bowl lift and the other next to it is still closed for construction which is a bummer, but was still a fun day and had great snow! Hope later in the season they'll open it again. read more

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The best place to ski along i70. There is so much terrain you can always escape the lines read more

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Final ski day of the season. Until the next Colo do What a time. Can't wait until the next one. read more

Vail - Vail- final ski day of the season - Ski Resorts Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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Vail is a small town set within the White River National Forest. I have only visited in the winter time when it's bustling with winter activities but have heard the summer is just as enjoyable. It takes about an hour and forty five minutes to drive to Vail from Denver. Vail Village is well known for its high end shopping and places to eat. The cobblestone streets are heated and there is a skating rink in the center of town. Lionshead Village is about an eight minute walk from Vail Village and offers more eating and dining options. If you do not want to walk a bus runs between them daily. read more

Although a very pretty ski village, especially over at Lionshead, don't be fooled by the green trails. I've skied Breck, Copper, Keystone, Park City, Deer Valley, Snowshoe, etc. and some of the greens in Vail were the steepest I've ever skied on. Especially the Swingsville trail which also says it's a "Family Learning Zone". It's steep from the beginning all the way to the end. That was the only thing I didn't like. Food on the mountain is pretty mediocre too and it can get quite crowded on a Friday. We went the last weekend in March and there were still tons of people. But, I still recommend going here. My husband and friends absolutely loved the back bowls and I still didn't ski all the green trails so we'll be back again. read more

It's expensive and a major destination of elites for a reason. In addition to great terrain, it has food, drink and nightclubs. If you're looking to demo equipment, there are several shops with large selections of the latest and greatest. If it snows 2" or more, go to the Back Bowls early. The Back Bowl area is wide open at the top and gladed in the middle and lower elevations. Beware that a few of the bowls and lifts look similar so, until you are truly oriented you may become disoriented. - Tea Cup has Emperor's Choice & Genghis Kahn (I like going off around tower 15-16) - Orient Express has Shangra-La & Gorky Park - Skyline has Lover's Leap & Iron Mask; also leads to Pete's - Pete's has Resolution Bowl & Cloud Nine - There's way more Back Side is a temptress for most but beware her beauty; if it hasn't snowed recently, the Front Side may have better skiing. Front Side faces north and has more groomed slopes. - Avanti lift is tons of fun on a groomer day - Prima Cornice is challenging and a local powder stash - Early on a powder day, hit Game Creek Bowl for some alone time while everyone else is racing for Blue Sky Basin. The western boundary of the Back Bowls is reached from the top of Game Creek. In the past they had ski-biking at night from Lion's Head gondola. SUPER FUN! Hope it returns post-Covid Personal note: my wife and I had our first date at the Red Lion read more

Vail - Looking up at Tea Cup chair - Ski Resorts Near Me - Vail, Colorado

Two stars for their pathetic virtue signaling and woke based vaccination requirement to eat food inside and for selling way too many EPIC FAIL passes. I never waste time in the chalet when skiing anyway, so it didn't effect me, but what a terrible all around company for both of the above reasons. We went on the weekday after hearing Vail oversold their EPIC FAIL passes, (which lead to ridiculously long lines on the weekends making for a miserable experience) but we went on the weekday and got lucky so it was actually short lines the whole day. What a mountain!! Definitely the best place I've skied it, it is just enormous and there is so much terrain to cover. It was a perfect day and it was a blast going everywhere. The only negative was the lack of groomed hills; despite how gigantic the mountain is apparently they decided to do the bare minimum and there was maybe two groomed hills on the whole mountain. Reading another review, it appears they used to groom way more hills, but like everything else under the Vail umbrella, they've fallen short of once respectable standards. read more

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Great resort for Alpine Ski Racing. Has big mountain terrain options, nice lifts and pleasant groomers

I feel like I cheated on Park City, but the heart wants what it wants! Planned two days at Vail, skied one. One very intense day of skiing. We spent a lot of time around AND in China Bowl. :D Chopstix was my fave, Poppyfields West was also nice. The other three decided to actually do China Bowl, and only two made it out alive. Would not advise intermediate skiers with the wrong skis to go down. We spent a good chunk of timing waiting for our friend to make it down and out of the bowl. Someone even called ski patrol to assist her, but by then, she had gotten herself out. Lodging @ Vail costs an arm and a leg, but the views of the Rockies and the massiveness of the mountain will keep me coming back for more. I still love PC, but I might love Vail more. read more

Kids had epic kids pass. Came up from Colorado Springs to find out they did not authorize them. Had to turn around and go back home. They said no one can help read more

Zero Stars for Vail, even though I love skiing there. DON'T BUY AN EPIC PASS without opting out of auto-renew. You'll never get rid of the recurring charge on your credit card. Refunds are handled by a third party insurance company, American Claims Management, that will automatically reject your claim even if you provide the required medical documentation. read more

I would have rated it 1 star if we were just talking about the company that runs it, but I'll add a couple extra because the mountain itself is awesome. When I moved here 10 years ago, Vail was the #1 ski resort in the country. It was awesome. They'd do daytime grooming too, so you always had fresh corduroy to bomb down. But every year it gets worse and worse. They don't pay to groom during the day anymore. The food on mountain gets more expensive and more mediocre every year. They lock everyone into their Epic pass product and get their money up front, so there is no incentive for them to actually deliver "The experience of a lifetime" like they promise. And worst of all, when COVID hit, they waited until borders were closed, and then they decided to kick all their employees out of employee housing with only a couple days notice, in the middle of a snowstorm, with nowhere to go, and no way to get back to their home countries. If there is a way for "Fail Resorts" to screw something up, they will find it. Hopefully their bankruptcy isn't too far off, and then this once awesome mountain can finally get back to the shining jewel that it once was. read more

Vail - Ski Resorts Near Me - Vail, Colorado

What can I say Vail? You are the creme de la creme. You are fancy. You are WAY over-priced, but you are worth it. No other place in the US is quite like you. You have elegant shops, over-the-top restaurants, and hotels that cost more than my rent for a night. You are located in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Surrounded by the Colorado rocky mountains. You have more terrain than most places. Chairs and runs galore. You are so big, that you can, in fact, be the only person on a run and feel as though you own the entire mountain. I wish you were more affordable because I would visit more often, but for now, you're amazing once every 2-4 years. Don't ever change. You're top notch. read more

Unsafe conditions! I was on the chairlift 12/6/21. My backpack was stuck to the chairlift and I could not unload. I alerted the operator who didn't know how to turn off the chair until I was drafted over rocks for several feet. His coworker had to run over to replace him. Fortunately I did not suffer significant injury. Vail ski patrol told me to be "patient" as the chair lift operators are new and unfamiliar with the equipment. Their sole job is to turn on and off a chair lift. Likewise the chair was missing the emergency off lever on other chairs at the resort. The ski patrol officer Billy Madison initially tried to laugh off the incidence. When I alerted him to insufficient safety measures, he told me that "vail does not have these on their lifts" but I attached a photo from their own little eagle chair. The same officer told me vail would compensate repairs to my damaged skis and vail sports but when I went their no one had heard of him and they told me they don't do repairs, tunes or waxes. read more

Vail - No emergency stop lever. - Ski Resorts Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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Eh, unlike Kari I would strongly argue that Vail is not so great. Here are my issues: *It's huge! But not in a good way. There are a million catwalks that just bore you to death--you have to take an annoying number of catwalks and lifts to get anywhere *The food on the mountain is both expensive and of poor quality; I expect expensive on-the-mountain lunch, but not when the quality is so low *The people are not that hot and kind of old. *Said old, not hot people also seem to be pretty racist. *Shopping isn't exciting. Woohoo! A full-priced North Face jacket that I could get on sale for 50% off at home? Pass. Let me help you all enjoy your vacation much more: if you're going to spend the dough, go to Deer Valley with their magical heated walkways and plentiful green people carrying your shit, free ski storage right as you get off the mountain, and also expensive but actually delicious food. Also, super hotties everywhere you turn and no snowboarders! What more could you ask for? Nothing. read more

Epic Pass service is absurdly bad. Trying to renew Epic Pass and redeem a credit from last year. Unable to renew online and phone redirects to call another time, been going on for days. AWFUL, I'm switching to IKON read more

Every year I go I stay disappointed. Ordered a pass for myself and my wife. 1 pass was shipped to me and my wife's pass was shipped to another address where I didn't live for 6 years. The order number clearly states my new address. What's interesting is the pass I received for myself had also my ex wife name. I call customer service and they tell me they can reissue the pass to the address I have but it will cost me $4. After asking them why they come up with an excuse about fraud protection. I ask them to void the $4 fee because the messed it up and they say no. This is my last trip to Vail ever read more

Vail is the best mountain I have ever been skiing at. Although there is a "vail tax" which makes everything more expensive than your typical ski vacation, the aura around Vail and the village really makes it special. I have been skiing at vail from a very young age and it continues to impress me with the everlasting terrain. Come to vail, bring some money, have a great time. You will not regret your experience. read more

I find after 30 years Vail continues to deteriorate. The quality of the workers gets lower and the prices of anything gets higher. Not a single worker in any store knew what OTG or VLT on the box meant when i tried new ski goggles. Duh ,?let me ask my manager. The grooming gets more pathetic including no more day time grooming based on legal baloney excuses . "More grooming " like on the ads couldn't be found by our group. Talked to many including wealthy south Americans that Vail courts will be moving on to other resorts. It wouldn't even surprise me if Vail Corp. drifts into financial problems. Will probably move to Tahoe or Utah. next year. Vail is no longer like "no place no place earth " Never the less its still wonderful to ski. read more