Where to GO in North America

Hi all,

Some advice needed if poss ?

Last year booked a very successfull catered chalet holiday for 16 in Mozine (Used Ride and slide chalets AMAZING).

This year we really want to go to either USA or Canada. Was wondering if anyone could recommend a company/place/country anythink to be honest (we did get spoilt in Morzine so peoples expectations are high which doesnt help). OH the joy of the group organising

Cheers

Jason

A good idea if the exchange rates continue to be so favourable, But my uneducated guess is that the dollar may improve after the election, maybe Jan 09. Flight cost may continue to rise with the price of fuel, so book those early.

I think you'll find that chalets for 16 are unusual in North America. You may get a couple of places that will sleep eight each.

My prefrence is for Utah as there are so many resorts close together. It would be possible to stay around Salt Lake City. Hotels and car or van rental would be cheap. Several resorts less than an hours drive (petrol is still less than half of what you are paying). Much cheaper restaurants for the evening and good shopping all around. For those people making a one time trip to the States, it would be more of a cultural experience.

Trencher

If you book a package be careful as terms and conditions often specify you will have to cover any increase in cost of flights from when you book till you go!

Have you considered Texas?

Where you go largely depends uopn your criteria, and I guess that sine you have a group of 16, the wish list may be quite diverse. It may not be of course, you might be a group of good running free skiers, no beginners, no out and out powder hounds. So your start point is to make a criteria list, then look for the places that will meet that criteria.

When I organised agroup visit to the US, I failed to meet my ski in-ski out wish, but met the maximum day descent, and good resort variation. I researched the US resorts and Breckenridge got the vote.

You get to ski at half a dozen resorts on the same lift pass, including Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek, and my favourite, Arapahoe Basin.

On the practical side, you can rent some very large houses that might fit the bill. You might also manage to secure two or three dwellings in on area, where one of the dwellings has a large living area.

This type of arrangement does mean hiring a few vehicles, but that allows some flexibility on your away ski days.

Sound advice Dave, I reckon. My mate is in the RAF and they used to go to Breckenridge - he said it was awesome.

I note that a lot of US packages include vehicle hire as part of the deal anyway, so that should help here.

I went to Breckenridge years ago, and was very disappointed. Some of the slopes were just flat fields. Get off the lift, get into a tuck and stay there until you reach the lift bottom. Most of the resorts in the surrounding area have much more varied skiing. The most enjoyable was Arapahoe Basin, with Copper Mountain (bowls) a close 2nd.

I thought the town was really tacky too. Not somewhere I would want to revisit, but I guess that it appeals to a lot of folks, hence the ongoing development on and off the slopes.

Interestingly enough, thats what a lot of people I know who have been to America said about American skiing generally.
There is no real appeal about America for me, especially when you can be off a flight in just over an hour (Geneva from London).
I hope Cleggy has a great time though.

Any reason why America, when there is some much in Europe to ski?