Vail to Snowmass - best way?

https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Vail-CO-USA/Snowmass-Village?source=adwords&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsqSK7-Le-wIV0QitBh3OVwH4EAAYAyAAEgIbEvD_BwE

 

During the Winter, the southern route via Leadville and over Independence Pass is closed. So, really, there's only one way, which is to go West on I-70 to Glenwood Springs and then catch 82 South. It's ~1.5hrs, assuming dry road and good weather conditions.

There are plenty of transport options at EGE: chauffeured SUVs, shared vans and rental SUVs and cars. As you'll be in high season, SUV and car rentals won't be inexpensive, if you go that route. We have all the big rental carriers, but I tend to go to airportrentalcars.com for price comparing and then book directly. Parking in Snowmass, depending on where you're staying, may be pricey, too. It's nice to have a vehicle, though, as Snowmass is a bit away from the town of Aspen (shopping & restaurants), but if you're staying at a hotel, they probably have a shuttle service. You can also try uber (but, during high season, there may be waits, so I would schedule them in advance...I understand there's a new uber service available for that). Finally, I think the local bus service may be suitable for you, if you're not going at off hours. But, perhaps call in advance to your lodging accommodation. If they have a concierge, they may be able to give better advice on all of this.

Shared van rental works fine, but you might not be able to find a shuttle that suits your schedule with seating for 5. Inquire, however. There are two mountain van services: CME and PeakOne. PeakOne is the cheaper of the two. I don't know if PeakOne goes to Aspen, but it's worth 5min on their site to check. CME DEFINITELY goes but is more expensive. Generally, both are fine, but CME is marginally better. More shuttles leaving (so if you miss yours, you can grab a later one). Newer vehicles. Etc. Both use Sprinter vans, but they also offer dedicated shuttles available for large groups. During the season, I'd expect each way would be about $100-120 (or more) per person. But, the website pricing will be current on their site. Keep in mind, though, that you'll need a round trip for each. So, based on that, you might hit a breakeven somewhere that makes more sense to get a rental or a chauffeured service.

There are several chauffeured SUV services that operate. CME also offers one right on their site, even. I can see if anyone has any particular feedback about better/worse ones for you, if you'd like, though.

Anyway, plentiful options, but one big caveat is weather and road conditions. Be prepared that I-70 is subject to weather shut downs and rock slides (more common in the Spring during thaw/freeze cycling). Just make sure you have a few snacks on hand, in case, as delays can be long, and, unfortunately, there are really no short detours, in the event of a serious closure. CDOT is pretty good at keeping the roads open (or re-opening), but several hour delays are not uncommon.

Hope this helps. If you want me to get you a few names of chauffeur services, LMK.

CW

 

CME is now known as Epic Mountain Express. Just about any business (from lift passes, to clubs, to hotels, etc) operating with an "Epic" name in this region is owned by Vail, and Epic Mountain Express was acquired by CME a few years ago.

 

Correct. As an old-time local I still call it CME.

FYI, I just checked both their sites for kicks, and it now appears that neither Epic (CME) nor Peak1 have shared shuttle service to Aspen. So, probably rental SUV or chauffeured SUV will be your best bet. Sorry if I sent you on a goose chase.

CW

 

You're traveling with your family, from Australia to Aspen, to ski? God speed! The snow should be very nice.

Aspen's not easy to fly into. Mostly Gulfstreams lol.

 

If not private, puddle jumpers from DEN. It's a dangerous place to fly into, though.

My ex-GF's pilots (all ex-military) simply refused outright to fly her family's plane into a boxed canyon. Plenty of pilots have gotten it wrong in the past. It's unforgiving when you don't get it right.

CW

 

Glad you made it safely. True, it's not inexpensive to ski. but it's Aspen. So, take the normal prices and add 30-40%! That said, it's Aspen.

Hope you're having a great time. A good shop to check out for a hat would be Kemo Sabe: https://www.kemosabe.com

We have one in Vail, and it's always a fun place to stop by and peruse.

CW