East coast ski resorts accessible by Amtrak and local bus

[fhussain44]

Trying to plan a vacation using Amtrak and local bus only ( prefer not to rent a car or take uber for last mile ).. To make things more complicated, there also needs to be decent Airbnb selection at the towns, or alternative accommodation under $75/night.

Did a lot of analysis and only found a few:

1. Pico/Killington/Okemo all are served by a local bus that stops at downtown Rutland, where Amtrak stops.
2. Burlington , VT-> Smuggler's notch with connecting shuttle described here:

Burlington GMT Shuttle ( although this might only be for employees of smuggler's notch )..

3. Montreal -> Although Amtrak service seems to have been suspended since Covid. Supposed to resume in early April. Seems there are a few private buses from Montreal downtown to the ski resorts.

Curious to hear any tips about this plan. How cumbersome is it to get skis on Amtrak and on these local buses? For Amtrak would they go as checked bags?

 

[MARC Rider]

If you are willing to have an Uber/Lyft take you from the Waterbury, VT Amtrak station to somewhere in the Stowe village, GMT has a free Mountain Road Shuttle (route 108) that will take you from anywhere in Stowe village along the road to the Stowe resort.

Route 108-Mountain Road Shuttle

ridegmt.com

When riding Amtrak, there's plenty of room in the overhead racks of an Amfleet 1 car to hold your skis.

 

[fhussain44]

If you are willing to have an Uber/Lyft take you from the Waterbury, VT Amtrak station to somewhere in the Stowe village, GMT has a free Mountain Road Shuttle (route 108) that will take you from anywhere in Stowe village along the road to the Stowe resort.

Route 108-Mountain Road Shuttle

ridegmt.com

When riding Amtrak, there's plenty of room in the overhead racks of an Amfleet 1 car to hold your skis.

Yes, I saw that option. But I think the distance is ~10 miles? So Uber might get pricey. And not sure availability of Uber in that remote town.. Then finding accommodation in my price range might be another challenge..

 

[Bob Dylan]

Yes, I saw that option. But I think the distance is ~10 miles? So Uber might get pricey. And not sure availability of Uber in that remote town.. Then finding accommodation in my price range might be another challenge..

Some Ski resorts cut their prices for what is called " Late Season Skiing" but I'm not familiar with the New England Ski Resorts.( only been to Western Ski Areas)

As for Canada, remember that the Loonie( Canadian Dollar) is @ a Record Low against the Greenback, but there is a Goods and Service Tax that subtracts some from your savings.

 

[zephyr17]

I am an avid skier, but in the West, so am unfamiliar with the east. I will say that $75/night at any destination resort during ski season strikes me as a ridiculously low budget for any private room. That might get a bunk in a hostel dorm.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I am an avid skier, but in the West, so am unfamiliar with the east. I will say that $75/night at any destination resort during ski season strikes me as a ridiculously low budget for any private room. That might get a bunk in a hostel dorm.

Agreed! Skiing is not for the Timid or the Poor!

 

[fhussain44]

When riding Amtrak, there's plenty of room in the overhead racks of an Amfleet 1 car to hold your skis.

I am thinking that might be a bit cumbersome to lug the skis inside and look for space. Particularly as the train may be full. I will be taking the train from Croton in NY which is a staffed station. If I check the ski bags, do I give it to the conductor or the station staff?

 

[fhussain44]

I am an avid skier, but in the West, so am unfamiliar with the east. I will say that $75/night at any destination resort during ski season strikes me as a ridiculously low budget for any private room. That might get a bunk in a hostel dorm.

At the resort, you are right. But Airbnb's can be found in this range, i.e private room in some ones house.

 

[zephyr17]

At the resort, you are right. But Airbnb's can be found in this range, i.e private room in some ones house.

I mean in resort adjacent towns, too, like the Park Cities and Ketchums (Sun Valley) of the world.

But as I said, I am only familiar with the west. I can say a $75/night AirBNB room in someone's house is highly unlikely at major western ski areas.

You might be able to get such a thing in Salt Lake City, but would be in for an hour or longer bus ride to ski, though.

 

[DCAKen]

The Roundtop Mountain Resort might be an option

While driving is the most direct method of travel to Roundtop Mountain Resort, you can opt to ride Amtrak to nearby Harrisburg, PA station, roughly 20 minutes from Roundtop. Click below for Amtrak schedules and information. From there, it is recommended to use a ride-share service, readily available in Harrisburg, PA.

 

[zephyr17]

I am thinking that might be a bit cumbersome to lug the skis inside and look for space. Particularly as the train may be full. I will be taking the train from Croton in NY which is a staffed station. If I check the ski bags, do I give it to the conductor or the station staff?

Neither the Adirondack nor the Ethan Allen Express, the trains to Montreal and Rutland/Burlington respectively, offer checked baggage. Croton-Harmon (CRT) is unstaffed and does not offer checked baggage service on the one train that serves it that carries checked baggage (the Lake Shore Limited).

You will be carrying your ski gear on. There are no other options.

 

[zephyr17]

You might consider just bringing your boots, the one essential item ("you may like your skis, but you marry your boots") and renting skis at your destination. You should be able to get a close equivalent to whatever ski you have as a demo if a regular rental ski won't do.

 

[oregon pioneer]

I thought immediately of the Mad River Valley (Waitsfield/Warren/Fayston VT). They have the "MadBus" free around the valley and up to the resorts, and they appear to have cheap Air BnB accommodations, but it seems there is no public transit from the Waterbury Station 18 miles to the Mad River Valley.

 

[keelhauled]

You can probably get $75/night lodging, *or* proximity to a ski area, *or* local public transportation, *or* Amtrak service. You should count yourself lucky if you can even get two of those, let alone all four.

 

[fhussain44]

Burlington GMT Shuttle ( although this might only be for employees of smuggler's notch )..

3. Montreal -> Although Amtrak service seems to have been suspended since Covid. Supposed to resume in early April. Seems there are a few private buses from Montreal downtown to the ski resorts.

Adding some info. in case anyone searches this topic in the future:

Seems Burlington, Vermont is out as I emailed Smuggler's Notch and they said:

Unfortunately, Smugglers' does not provide transportation to or from Jeffersonville. The messaging you have included is a bit outdated, and at the time was meant for employees.

For Montreal there seems to be some local bus companies but many have closed down permanently. The one that still seems to operate has a rather long bus ride to Mount Tremblant ( several hours + )

I found one bus company in Vermont but seems they too have shut down. See this:

Vermont Ski Bus

Vermont Ski Bus, Burlington, Vermont. 393 likes · 1 talking about this · 6 were here. Awesome transportation and lift ticket details from the Burlington area to Vermont ski resorts!

www.facebook.com

 

[Asher]

You might consider just bringing your boots, the one essential item ("you may like your skis, but you marry your boots") and renting skis at your destination. You should be able to get a close equivalent to whatever ski you have as a demo if a regular rental ski won't do.

I agree. regardless what skis you have you can probably rent better at a decent price.