I've never been skiing/snowboarding before and I was thinking about taking a trip (3-day weekend) to Aspen/Vail next month.

Which town is more happening?  It seems like I heard a lot about Aspen in the 80's and then I seemed to hear more about Vail in the 90's.

Which town has the best nightlife and which town draws the largest "money" crowd?

Both.

Vail is a huge mountain and base village that may be overwhelming for a first time weekender. I'd go with Aspen, since it is not a day trip for the front rangers, and still has the nightlife and "money" crowd you so want to experience.

" I'd go with Aspen, since it is not a day trip for the front rangers"

I'm not sure what you mean by this

Hello,

I have been to both resorts for non-skiing purposes, and out of the two I personally preferred Vail in terms of "stuff" to do.

However, regarding nightlife, I would probably say that Aspen indeed "swings" more than Vail.

PS I can't help noticing the remarkable resemblance between you and our resident Alpha-Dawg, Brian S. Are you related by any chance? ;-) (Yea, I know I know... sorry, I just had to put that in there).

PS I think the "day-trip" comment above is referring to the fact that Aspen doesn't get as, um, crowded with "hipsters" as Vail. The people who go to Vail usually tend to make an actual trip of it rather than just staying for a few hours at a time.

Oh crap. I of course meant that the people who go to ASPEN tend to make an actual trip of it.

Where does Breckenridge fall into the mix?  Also, what's the best airport access and will I need a rental car?

I did a hotel search on Hotwire.  I can get a 4-star hotel in Aspen for $225/night -vs- a 3-star hotel in Vail for the same price.

It seems like Aspen might be more affordable than Vail.  Are prices higher in general in Vail - food, transportation, ski lift, etc?

If so then I may need to run the numbers.  I may be able to get a higher quality trip in Aspen than Vail for $2K inclusive for a Fri afternoon checkin, Sun morning checkout.

Hello,

Here is some more information on a shuttle service between Denver International Airport and various ski resorts.

ridecme.com/ass.htm

The town of Breckenridge is smaller (some might say "quainter") than either Vail or Aspen but there is still quite a bit to do. Here is an introduction.

yourskivacation.com/Brec…

In terms of distance, Vail is physically closer than Aspen, and Breckenridge is not terribly far from Vail.

I would honestly say that prices in Aspen and Vail are comparable - both are pricey.

I mean Vail is physically closer to Denver than Aspen.

Hi Mark - I'm glad you brought up Breckenridge as being "quaint".

I try to avoid quaint.  I much prefer decked out/upscale.

So, does Aspen have more of a singles scene while Vail is more married people and families?

Or are they about the same in this regard?

Oh, well, I wasn't trying to scare you off of Breckenridge - I just meant it may not have quite as much of the "action" you're probably looking for as the other two places.

I would say that the singles scenes in Vail and Aspen are probably comparable - the one in Aspen probably has more "glitz" if you know what I mean.

Hi Mark - the more glitz the better :).

If the only way for out of towners to get to Vail/Aspen is via the Denver airport then I would think that far more out of towners would choose Vail over Aspen simply because Vail is a 2-Hr drive from the airport while Aspen is a 4-Hr drive.

Essentially this means that an out of towner would lose about 1/2 a day of vacation time by choosing Aspen over Vail.  So if the 2 places are comparable then why would an out of towner choose Aspen over Vail?

Well, with all due respect :-) a lot of the folks who go to Aspen are the sort who think nothing of flying between Denver and there, so time is not really a factor.

I mean via private planes and that sort of thing.

Hence the description of Aspen as glitzier.

Aspen! Because you have my hometown, Glenwood Springs, right down the road to soak your sore ski bum in the hot springs pool!

Plus..not as stingy as Vail

"Plus..not as stingy as Vail"

So you're agreeing with Mark's assessment that Aspen is glitzier?

I did some googling and I can get a flight from LAX to ASE for $365 round trip in mid-March.

Seems like a fair price.  Plus I won't have to spend the time or additional money on a shuttle from Denver.

It looks like Aspen may be my ski town of choice to try first in CO.

Yes, fly direct to ASE if you can, spend the weekend skiing & partying, check out Hunter S. Thompson's digs, then fly back. Stay at the Jerome or Little Nell, if you can afford it. Note that there are night clubs in Aspen B-list celebrities can't get into :-)

The "Front Range" is the first set of mountains west of Denver. The communities along the front range, Ft Collins to Colorado Springs are generically known as the Front Range cities. My reference was to day trippers from the Front Range will not go further than Vail or Beaver Creek. Aspen is more of a destination resort.

Aspen has three areas to ski: Aspen Mountain, in the town, Buttermilk, and Snowmass. All can be skied using the same lift ticket. Of the three, Snowmass is a self-contained resort.

Andrew--

Definitely go to Aspen: Much better restaurants, nightlife, bars and vibe than Vail. I love staying at the Nell, but I also like the Sky Hotel. Which hotel is available for $225 a night?

"Definitely go to Aspen: Much better restaurants, nightlife, bars and vibe than Vail."

Sounds like a great rec.

"I love staying at the Nell, but I also like the Sky Hotel. Which hotel is available for $225 a night?"

I have no idea.  I usually book 4-star hotels through hotwire (blind).  I get better deals and I'm happy with the hotel 90% of the time.  So I have no idea which hotel they're offering at $225/night.

"The "Front Range" is the first set of mountains west of Denver. The communities along the front range, Ft Collins to Colorado Springs are generically known as the Front Range cities. My reference was to day trippers from the Front Range will not go further than Vail or Beaver Creek. Aspen is more of a destination resort."

Thanks for the insight into CO ski town culture.  Sounds like another vote for Aspen.

Is this overview of the bar scene pretty accurate? - pubclub.com/skiresorts/a…

Based on my hotel bar experience and what I've seen online of Sky Hotel I've got to think that the bar scene there is pretty good.  Can anyone share their experience on this?