On my best ski day last winter I felt like I had the entire resort of Vail to myself. There were 12 inches of fresh when the bull wheels fired up and it was still snowing. While the crowds fled to the back bowls, I lapped up the untracked on Roger's. When Blue Sky Basin was being overrun, I yo-yoed the deep lines under the gondola. And when everyone quit for lunch I snuck to my favorite backside stashes and giggled my way down every run. By the time I slid my exhausted body behind the steering wheel and headed east out of Vail, I was sure nothing could pierce my ebullient mood.
Then I hit I-70 traffic. I don't need to tell you about the automobile hell. You've been there. You know the drill. Creeping along. Sudden stops. A jackass trying to pass everyone via the right shoulder lane. My blood pressure's rising just thinking about it. And I'm told the ski traffic is just as bad (worse?) en route from San Francisco to Tahoe.
One obvious solution to the quagmire is to travel during non-peak hours, which usually entails renting a hotel room or a ski house. But when you can't customize your travel schedule (most of us work all week and have the weekends free), at least you can outsource the driving and spare yourself the road rage.
Which is why I'm becoming an advocate of letting someone else drive me to the mountains. And I'm not the only one.
Vail Resorts are known for their accessibility and free public transportation once you're in the village. Vacationers shouldn't waste money renting a car when they fly in for a week or two of skiing. Read on to learn your options for letting someone else navigate mountain transport to Vail Resorts destinations:
ColoradoThree words: Colorado Mountain Express. CME offers door-to-door service, point-to-point, charter vans, and "CME Premier," which is a private chauffer. This comprehensive service offers transportation to and from downtown Denver or Denver International Airport and the mountains:
Rates vary depending on destination and time of travel. To find rates for your trip click here.
TahoeTwo popular airports act as gateways to the Tahoe area: Reno, NV., and San Francisco, CA. Northstar-at-Tahoe is located about 30 minutes from Reno, and the North Lake Tahoe Express offers daily transportation service. To make a reservation call 866-216-5222 or click here. On the other side of the lake the South Tahoe Express, offering regular round-trip service from South Lake Tahoe resorts like Heavenly Mountain to the Reno airport in Nevada and to California's Sacramento airport, which is about 100 miles east of Tahoe.
Arriving from the California side? Tahoe Snow and Sun Tours offers regular trips to south and north Lake Tahoe from San Francisco, 190 miles from Tahoe, along with deals on lift tickets. Call 530-318-8821 for rates and to make reservations.
-- Rachel Walker