Tips & Advice

Getting there:

• The best way to get to the Lake Tahoe resorts is to fly direct into San Francisco. There are a lot of large aircraft operating this route which means cheaper flights and plenty of availability. It is then an easy 4 hour drive to the resorts mainly along Interstate roads, so with a flight arriving at 2pm into San Francisco you should be able to get to resort by 8pm. If you want to, you can easily spend the first night in San Francisco to break up the journey, which does not really have to affect your ski time as with the jet-lag you will be up very early and can be on the slopes for 10am. 

• The alternative option is to fly into Reno Airport, normally via San Francisco and take a 1 ½ hr transfer. However this can often mean it costs more and you don’t necessarily arrive any earlier.

• Hiring a 4x4 is the best way to access all the 7 resorts on the lift pass. Some tour operators will offer you package prices with other vehicles, however from experience car hire companies may not allow you to take anything but a 4x4 if they know you are going to Lake Tahoe because of the  snowchain or 4x4 restrictions that are sometimes in place in the area.  You can take the risk but it will cost a lot more if you have to up-grade locally.
  

Where to stay:

• South Lake Tahoe at the base of Heavenly Ski Resort. This area's high season is over the Summer which is partly why in Winter it is one of the cheapest ski destinations in North America. It also means that much of the accommodation is found on the edge of the lake – the Lakeshore Lodge and Spa and Lakeland Village for example, which tend to be the best value places to stay in the resort. They are only 1 mile from the Heavenly ski base area and whilst there is an excellent shuttle service to the ski area and around the town, most customers have a 4x4, keep their skis in the car and drive to whichever resort they fancy skiing each day. This may be a different concept to a regular European holiday but it does allow you to ski a lot more terrain and actually often means you walk less with all your gear.

• The resort centre is focused around the Heavenly Gondola base and the Casinos, which is right on the California/Nevada state line. The hotels here are still reasonably priced, but slightly more expensive.

• Best value options tend to depend on how many people in your party and how many beds you require. There are some cheap motel options, but it is worth bearing in mind that there are some very good value condo options ( even for 2 people) and though they may seem a little more expensive than the motels on the initial quotes, you will find you save a fortune when in resort by having your own kitchen to cook in and space to keep drinks, snacks or eat take-aways. On a 10 night stay you would save £150pp compared to having to eat and drink out every night if you stayed in a hotel.

• Heavenly itself is one of the largest resorts in the USA. It is an intermediate's heaven with loads of great groomed runs on both the California and Nevada sides of the resort. The lift system is very modern and lift queues tend to be minimal, except at weekends when you may wait 5 minutes. They do have a great beginner area at the top of the Gondola which means everyone can enjoy the fantastic views from day one. Some skiers have said that the advanced terrain is limited, but having been shown the area by a local I would disagree – there are huge areas through the trees along-side the groomed slopes that may not be as visible from the lift as other resorts, but there are loads of lines in Mott Canyon, Milky Way Bowl and Galaxy Bowl. On a powder day, hire a guide and you will discover a side to the resort you would not know existed. 
   
• The sheer diversity of terrain over the 7 resorts is the main attraction for many skiers to the area! Each one is completely different and gives you a new adventure everyday. The furthest drive to these is one hour, but the scenery along these drives is breathtaking. Kirkwood and Squaw Valley are a must for anyone staying in South Lake as they offer the most diverse terrain in the area and awesome snow records (also quieter at weekends). Sierra at Tahoe is a little gem, particularly on weekends or stormy days – it is a small resort area, but I have had some of my best days here and only 20 minutes away. Alpine Meadows is where the locals go on a powder day, but has great groomed runs as well. Northstar is a great family resort and Mount Snow can often catch more snow on some days than the surrounding areas – so keep an eye on RSN TV channel in the mornings.
  

Weather:

• Lake Tahoe’s temperature is tempered by the Pacific, so this area is not prone to the Baltic temperatures that you can get in Alberta or Colorado in January. In fact the beginning of January can actually be the best time to go. March is also one of the best times to go and has one of the biggest snowfalls. Tahoe gets 300 days of sunshine a year, so when it snows, it snows in feet (400+ inches a year) and the rest of the time it is sunny….not many cloudy windy white out days!! It has one the latest seasons in North America (generally until May) and has a good snow record into April. Spring skiing is awesome as well, as the locals holidays have finished so the slopes are uncrowded…meaning the slopes stay in good shape all day.

Eating and drinking:

• Heavenly South Lake Tahoe has a huge Safeway Supermarket to stock up on and lots of 'All you can eat' buffets in the Casinos.

• The majority of the eateries are in the Casinos with a range of restaurants from Hard Rock Café to fine dining. More small and local restaurants are scattered through the town and are really good value and not really ski resort prices. The best bet is to talk to the locals on the hill and on reception to get a few recommendations, but below are a few I have tried: 

• Hard Rock Café in Harvey Casino – steaks, ribs and burgers. Huge portions, great value and atmosphere.
  
• Del Soul in Mont Blue – fantastic Mexican menu.
  
• Blue Orchid, Thai restaurant - very popular with the locals as such good value so make reservations!
  
• Harrah’s Buffet - located in the casino and a superb feast for around $30.
  
• Blue Water Bistro - relaxed local restaurant with a really interesting and varied menu.
  
• Blue Wave Restaurant - on the pier near the Lakeshore Lodge & Spa - lovely ambience and great food - can recommend the clam chowder!
  
• Fire & Ice - near the bottom of the gondola - lively aprés ski and good food.  Very popular and you're not able to book so get there early, especially if you're a big group.
  
• Lakeside Inn Casino - the local's casino with a less glitzy, more relaxed feel.  The food is fantastic and cheap and drinks are only $2 (free if you're gambling).
  
• The Brewery - a great pub with locally brewed beers and enormous pizzas.  Great value.

• Most of the bars will have an Aprés Ski happy hour, but on sunny days you will find the bar at the base of the Gondola to have the best atmosphere.

• Night life is really focused around the Casinos which have a range of bars, night clubs and shows. It is definitely worth looking at the Casinos websites a few weeks before you go as there can be some great live acts http://www.montbleuresort.com/entertainment.php. There are also regular comedy store nights, which you can normally book on the night. You don’t have to gamble to enjoy yourself in the casino, but if you have never been to a casino before, have a go! They do make it a lot more accessible in the US, the croupiers are very friendly and will offer some advice on how to play. Roulette is one of the easiest games to learn and the minimum bet is only $5 which allows you 5 x $1 chips to place.

• Harrah's - Club Vex on thursday nights - $20 to get in and then $1 drinks all night for anything!

• If you look under 40 - take your passport.  Bouncers for entry into the casino nightclubs are strict.

General:

• Keep an eye out for leaflets in your hotel lobby for restaurants, apres ski and activities - they often have discounts.

• Pick up a local paper (eg. Lake Tahoe Action) when you arrive for a list of events going on over the week so you can plan ahead.

• Everyone on the lifts are really friendly - often you find that by chatting to locals you'll get some great recommendations of places to see and eat.

• We can't recommend enough including a couple of nights in San Francisco on your holiday - it really is an amazing city with loads to do and see and would be an opportunity missed otherwise.  Our personal preference would be to spend time there at the end of your skiing as it is then something to look forward to rather than heading straight to the airport and home...and also you're then fully adjusted to the time difference and can make the most of San Francisco's legendary dining and nightlife. Particularly if travelling around Easter, you're likely to get warm and sunny weather which is a great way to end your ski holiday! Click here for details on staying in San Francisco.
  
  On your drive from Heavenly to San Francisco you might like the idea of taking a slight detour and visiting one of California's vineyards - there are so many to choose from but the Black Stallion Winery in Napa Valley is recommended as well as the lesser known Lodi wine region with the fabulous Wine & Roses hotel, restaurant and spa where the Lodi Wine visitors centre is based offering tastings and tours.  For more ideas on things to do and see in California, take a look at our See & Ski California Guide.

James, Caroline, Andy and Lucy have all had great holidays in Heavenly over the last 2 years so give us a call for a chat.