Best Mountain Town Vacations: 8 Trips Where the Setting Is the Draw
North American ski-town classics
Aspen and Whistler are the two signature mountain-town destinations in North America. Both work in summer (hiking, biking, lakes) and winter (skiing). Aspen summer week: $2,500 to $5,000 per person; winter week: $2,800 to $9,000. Whistler summer week: $1,800 to $4,000 per person; winter week: $2,200 to $6,000. Banff is the Canadian Rockies alternative at $2,200 to $4,500 per person year-round.
European alpine towns
Zermatt is the single most-photographed European mountain town because of the Matterhorn views. A Zermatt week in summer or winter runs $3,500 to $9,000 per person. Lucerne and the Swiss Alps deliver broader mountain-area access at $3,000 to $7,500 per person for a week.
Southern Hemisphere and under-visited mountain towns
Queenstown, New Zealand is the single best mountain town for adventure travelers. A week-long Queenstown trip runs $3,200 to $7,500 per person. Lake Bled in Slovenia is one of the single most-under-visited beautiful alpine towns in Europe at $2,000 to $4,800 per person for a week; the setting (lake with an island church, mountain backdrop) is one of the most photographed in Europe.
The US Southwest mountain-town pick
Sedona is the US Southwest mountain-town alternative. The red-rock setting is distinct from alpine or Rockies destinations. A Sedona week runs $1,500 to $3,500 per person; four to five night trips are more common at $1,000 to $2,500.
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