Planning Guide - Pressure Test the Logistics
Most destination ski trips are going to require long distance travel from some or all of the group members. In Europe, extensive rail networks make arriving by train a possibility for many of the best resorts. But in the United States and Canada, these journeys typically involve air travel.
Winter weather makes air travel unpredictable and risky. The same attributes that need to be there to turn your vacation into a success (cold temperatures and precipitation) can ruin the whole trip if you can't actually get there due to cancelled flights.
Nothing is guaranteed. Any flight could be canceled, at any time, for any number of reasons. But there are ways to reduce your risk.
Fly Nonstop
Fly nonstop if possible -- each stop on a multi-leg itinerary increases your risk significantly. You could miss your connection, the plane could have mechanical difficulties, or you may encounter weather delays. Flying nonstop is always the fastest option, of course, and it could even earn you some extra time on the slopes.
Get to know the flight map at your local airport. See where you can fly nonstop. Be aware that often times, less popular routes may only fly on a couple of days per week. And some routes are seasonal.
Some resources that are helpful:
Google Flights (flights.google.com)
Direct Flights (www.directflights.com)
If you're lucky enough to live in a major metropolitan area (like NYC, Chicago or LA) or a hub city for a major airline (Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, many others) you are going to have a variety of great options. For those of us in smaller markets, our choices will be much more limited.
Morning Flights
Book your flights for as early in the day as possible. Early flights are more likely to depart on time or still take off even if they encounter delays. In the event of a flight cancellation, there might be a later flight that same day that can still get you there in time to hit the slopes the next morning. A late flight is more likely to be canceled, and late-night cancellations can turn your anticipated mountain day into another day spent waiting in an airport.
Consider Small Airports
Some resorts are notably close to major airports — Salt Lake City being the poster child for this kind of access, with six world class resorts reachable by a relatively short drive (or even public transportation!). But that’s a bit of a unicorn. The closest ski area to Denver International Airport is Winter Park, which is still close to 2 hours away under perfect conditions and requires navigating mountain passes in a rental car or shuttle. The remaining I-70 resorts in Colorado are increasingly farther away, so factor that in to your thinking regarding air travel. Aspen, Telluride, Crested Butte? Far enough and risky enough (with winter weather) that you really need to consider the journey from Denver as potentially a whole additional travel day.
The answer is to look at smaller, regional airports. Aspen (ASE) and Telluride (TEX) both have their own airports, and for those traveling to the I-70 resorts you really have to consider if it makes sense to fly to Eagle (EGE) instead. Beaver Creek and Vail in particular are quite close to EGE.
If you can get a nonstop flight to Denver, for example, it may be worth the headache and risk of traveling the 1.5-2.5 hours to access one (or more) of the I-70 resorts. But if you already have to take a connecting flight to get to Denver, look into traveling to one of those smaller airports instead, it may open up some possibilities that you hadn’t thought of.
Ground Travel
If you are able to drive or — even better — take a train, the same rules still apply. Map out your route and make sure your plan works logistically. Think about contingencies in case things go south unexpectedly. Winter travel in the mountains can be difficult so be prepared and think through your options carefully. If you are evaluating travel times using a tool such as Google Maps, be realistic. Mountain roads can get crowded and slow even in beautiful weather, and if it snows or gets icy while you are traveling, it can take all day to travel just a few miles. Mountain roads are also frequently closed due to snow, ice or wind.
Train travel is reliable, comfortable and less susceptible to weather issues. But unfortunately in North America, there are limited options for resorts that are truly accessible via rail. For more detailed info see our forthcoming article: Riding the Rails to Ski.
Crossing the Pond(s)
In recent years, many skiers have discovered that skiing in Europe or even Japan can be comparable or even more affordable than most North American resorts, even after factoring in flights.
Europe
For the millions who live on the east coasts of Canada or the United States, it can be a direct flight to a gateway city such as Vienna, Paris, Zurich or Milan. From there you can travel via shuttle or train to some of the best resorts in the world.
As mentioned in the intro, traveling to or between ski resorts via train is often far more feasible in Europe than in North America. In fact, Zermatt in Switzerland is completely free of gasoline-powered vehicles, leaving almost no choice but to get to the village of Zermatt by train. What's more, one of the three methods of accessing the skiable terrain from the village is via a very unique high-altitude train which is a rather unusual experience by itself.
Japan
For skiers in North America, the idea of skiing in Japan used to be an unreachable pipe dream for all but the independently wealthy. But that sweet Ja-pow has never been as close as it is now, particularly if you are lucky enough to live on the West Coast.
In 2026, United Airlines announced a new, seasonal nonstop from San Francisco to Sapporo, Japan (United Adds Nonstop Service to Sapporo), essentially cutting an extra day of travel off a trip to Hokkaido, home of Japanese powerhouse resort villages or Niseko and Furano, among others.
Even travelers from other regions of the US or Canada will benefit from this option, as San Francisco is often very accessible from most major airports.
How Travel Logistics Affect Your Trip Planning
After doing all this research into flight or other travel arrangements, it's tempting to think you may have answered all your questions. But this is just one piece of the puzzle. A big piece, no doubt, but ultimately we do not recommend choosing your mountain based solely on the logistics. Knowledge and awareness of your best travel options will be a factor when you rank your potential resorts in the next step, but it should never be the only factor.
Perhaps most importantly, it can help you eliminate some resorts from consideration entirely if there is simply no real way to reasonably travel there.
So when you've done your research, it's a good time to put it all together and move on to Guide Four, Choose the Mountain.