One of the most important decisions you make when planning a ski trip is where you will get stay when you aren't on the slopes. After all, there are many kinds of accommodations that possess unique attractions and price ranges. Of course, the first decision you make in an effort to figure that out needs to be what state you are going to visit for skiing because there are several that have resorts during the winter season.

States like Alaska, Wyoming, Colorado, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Michigan, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Montana are some of the choices you would have in the western side of the United States. If you plan on picking a resort on the eastern side of the United States you will be looking at the following states: Indiana, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia.

As you can tell, picking a state should be no problem. Once you decide on the location you will want to decide what resort, or resorts, you want to be around. For example, Colorado has a lot of resorts that are close to each other and you can stay in a lodge that is central to several of these resorts and go to different ski slopes every day.

What's really nice about going on a ski vacation is the fact that a lot of time people will have individual lodges that they rent out to vacationers so you can have a place all to yourself. Having a place of your own is particularly nice when more than one family is going on the vacation because it increases your privacy and ensures that you have your own space.

On the other hand, a lot of people prefer staying in larger lodges because they have the benefits of maid service, a pool, recreation rooms, restaurants and fitness centers. In a private house you have rented from someone you will have to do all your laundry yourself and make your beds up each day if you want to be neat.

For some people, location is even more important than size though. For example, do you have to take a bus to the slopes from your accommodations, or can you ski right in and out of your front door. If you want to get as much ski time as possible out of the trip, you may want to find a place right on the mountain.