[elysesyle]

Hi! Am planning a ski trip to Vermont in Dec but am clueless where I should go to. Any recommendations for a 1st timer in skiing? Will be going with my boyfriend for 3 to 4 days and will be travelling from Stamford.

[vter]

Okemo is a good place for beginners. The terrain there is tame and they do a good job making snow-December is in iffy month for natural snow. Some years we have alot, some years none! Okemo is an easy drive up I-91 from Connecticut.
I would also suggest STowe. They have a top notch ski school-one of the best in the country IMO (you'll want lessons). Good snowmaking, good beginner terrain (as well as advanced). There is also lots of other stuff to do in town besides skiing. The downside is that it is a farther drive for you.
Check out SkiVermont.com: Ski Vacations, Ski Resorts, Snowboarding, Skiing in Vermont which lists all the ski areas in the state-you can read up on them there and see which area would be a good fit for you.
Have fun!

[elysesyle]

Thanks for the information! Are the places that you have recommended accessible by rail?

[vter]

There is an Amtrak line that runs along I-91 and I-89. I'm not sure what stop you would get off for Okemo (Windsor?), but for Stowe, the stop would be Waterbury. It would be MUCH easier for you if you would have a car.

[GrnMtnFire]

Smugglers Notch....

most of the southern Vermont ski areas (Okemo/Killington) are very expensive, and very busy.

[68vette]

I second Smuggs. and it's usually voted number one for family skiing.

[elysesyle]

We may not be driving and thus seems like ferry would be the cheapest and fastest mode of transport getting to Vermont. But it seems like the ferry only goes to Burlington. Is Burlington a nice place to visit comparing to Stowe?

[vter]

Burlington is a great place to visit, but if you want to ski, you'll have to drive from there.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by elysesyle

We may not be driving and thus seems like ferry would be the cheapest and fastest mode of transport getting to Vermont. But it seems like the ferry only goes to Burlington. Is Burlington a nice place to visit comparing to Stowe?

??? How would you get to the ferry without driving?

If you are coming from Stamford, and not driving, the simplest way up would be the Amtrak Vermonter to Waterbury, and catch the bus to Stowe, or continue up to St Albans and go from there to Jay Peak. However, some people have horror stories of riding the Vermonter. Oddly, Greyhound on longer has a stop in Waterbury, and only stops in Burlington or Montpelier.

That said, IMO Stowe is not a good place for beginners, and Jay Peak impressed me as a cold windswept mountain. Smugglers is good, Bolton Valley is excellent for newbies (We used to have a regular bus that would take us from high school to the slopes there, which was one of the real plusses of living in the area). If you were driving, I'd suggest Mt. Snow as much closer and having really friendly slopes.

[vter]

Good point about the ferry-I was thinking in my mind that the OP would take Amtrack up the NY side to Port Kent and then ferry over....but that thinking wasnt very logic because the Port Kent-Burlington ferry does not run during the winter!!