Vail Colorado has plenty to offer vacationing families year round
An alpine village located in the heart of the Rockies, Vail is a great family vacation destination no matter what time of year. Getting there is a breeze when you fly into Eagle Airport, where you're only a few minutes from your final destination; and you'll save even more time if you take advantage of the shuttle service instead of renting a car. Since Vail is a pedestrian village, there's no need for a car anyway. The snowy season starts early in the mountains, with enough powder some years tdo hit the slopes as early as October.
If you need to brush up on your skills on the slopes, take advantage of the ski school; and be sure to purchase multi-day lift tickets at least 10 days in advance.
In addition to skiing, snowboarding, sledding and snow tubing, kids of all ages will enjoy the gondola lift rides, snowmobile tours, dog sled rides, snowshoeing, sledding and ice skating in the crisp, clean mountain air.
An insider's tip for families who are renting skiing or snowboarding equipment is to take care of renting your equipment the night before because the lines are shorter in the evening than they will be in the morning.
When the family is ready to head inside, there are also a number of indoor activities geared toward family fun including indoor swimming, a spirited game of laser tag, or a visit to the local nature discovery center. At the end of a long day, the whole family will enjoy the chance to relive the day's adventures while relaxing together in front of the fire with a mug of hot cocoa.
Even when the snow is gone and the mountain sides turn green, families with kids of all ages will have a blast exploring this beautiful mountain paradise whether hiking on foot or rolling through on a bike. Some of the highlights of the warm-season activities include a dinosaur dig, disc golf, whitewater rafting, natural science school, laser tag, a trip to the rodeo and much more. To make the best of your Vail vacation, locals suggest visiting the area's ranch where there's horseback riding, cattle round-ups and a cowboy supper with a “Wild West” show to enjoy.
