Traveling to ski and snowboard is really fun. It’s exciting to explore new places and discover different mountains.
But it is always worth it? Travel — especially with a family — can be a mighty undertaking. Travel takes time, and can be rife with expense and stress. And as we prepare to enter the 3rd year of this pandemic (what??), travel can sometimes seem like more trouble then it is worth.
Of course, there are rewards. As a ski mom who has spent years traveling with my family, first for ski racing and then for recreation, I will never argue that skiing and snowboarding families shouldn’t travel. I am all about the family ski vacation or holiday as a time for bonding and building lasting memories.
But as fun as the long-haul ski trip can be, I also sing the praises of staying close to home.
What Are Your Winter Ski Travel Goals?
Whether or not it makes sense to travel a long way to ski and snowboard, depends a lot upon your family goals and desires. If you’ve long had a desire to travel to a specific resort together, then staying close to home might feel like a disappointment.
But if your family’s goal is to spend time skiing and snowboarding, relaxing away from the distractions of school and work, and enjoying time on the chairlift and in the evenings laughing and chatting together, then it doesn’t so much matter where you are.
The Benefits of Staying Close to Home
Easier Travel
Travel, especially by air, can be expensive, stressful and time-consuming, especially with unexpected delays. Just the tension related to getting to the airport on time can put a family on edge.
Plus, air travel is a major component of climate change. In 2018, a National Geographic article on the climate change impacts of winter travel pointed to aviation as the fastest growing contributor to global warming. For families who love, and live for winter, avoiding air travel can be seen as an investment in the future.
Beyond the significant negative impact on the climate, long-distance travel takes time and the flight is often only the first step, with the need for ground transport via car, shuttle or rail, to actually arrive at the resort.
A family car trip to a nearby resort is less impactful and much easier than navigating the hassles of airport security and travel delays.
Pack your gear, load, the car and drive on your schedule at your leisure. Better yet? Take a train. Even in North America there are well-known destinations, such as Winter Park and Aspen (both in Colorado) and Whitefish, Montana that accessible by rail and a short shuttle.
Easier Packing
A family ski vacation requires a lot of gear. Even if you plan to rent ski or snowboard gear at your destination, you still have to pack clothing for every member of the family, which means a lot of baggage. And as we all know, airline baggage fees add up quickly.
While traveling by train still requires organization, traveling by car is much more simple: put the skis and boards in the rooftop rack and load everything else into the trunk. Buckle the family in and off you go!
Learning to Ski and Snowboard
Professional learn to ski and snowboard lessons are a “must,” in our opinion, and vital for building strong skills. But lessons at big-name, mega resorts can also break the bank.
If a nearby ski area has a learning center, take advantage of this proximity to enroll your children or yourself in lessons at a relatively lower cost. Rather than focusing on trying to learn to ski or snowboard during a family holiday, sign up for a series of weekly lessons spread throughout the winter.
If lessons during a family vacation make the most sense for you, choose a lesser-known ski area where class sizes will likely be smaller and the daily costs greatly reduced.
But don’t let lessons eat away at family time. The goal of the family ski vacation, even if it’s a staycation at home, is to spend time skiing and snowboarding together.
Skiing Near You!
One of my favorite “fun facts” about skiing in the United States is that 38 of the 50 states have ski areas. This means that unless you live in Hawaii, the flattest of the Great Plains states, or much of the South, lift-served skiing and snowboarding on real snow is within easy reach. The same is true for much of Europe.
The advantages to staying close to home for your snowsports holiday include saving money, saving the planet, avoiding stress, and supporting local businesses.
Whether you’re planning to vacation at your local mountain, or try a different ski area within just a few hours drive, skiing and snowboarding locally can make a lot of sense and alleviate a lot of stress.
But What If Nothing Is Local?
If you don’t live close to skiing, staying local is a lot more difficult. Our best tip for you is to plan ahead as much as you can.
Second, book your lodging and transport in advance. Be sure to ask about cancellation policies. You don’t want to lose your money if the resort closes for health reasons.
No matter where you plan to travel — or not travel — this winter, be sure to check out our tips for staying healthy. Nothing ruins a family vacation as quickly as the onset of a family cold.
Enjoy!
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