Shipping Your Skis to Vail
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Fast and reasonably priced! I shipped skis and ski gear and it was delivered in just a few days. I highly recommend LugLess!
Shipping skis to Vail means your ski bag leaves home a week early and is waiting at the front desk when you get there. The DEN to Vail leg becomes you and a carry-on, with no 190 cm bag on a shuttle roof, no Vail Pass closure with your gear in the back, and no hauling it past the hotel bellman. LugLess books the FedEx or UPS shipment and you track it the whole way.
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Where Your Skis Go in Vail (Not the Lift)
You can't ship skis to Gondola One or the Eagle Bahn lift, but you can ship them to your Vail hotel, your rental address, or a FedEx or UPS hold-for-pickup counter in Vail, Avon or Eagle, then carry them the last few hundred feet to the lift.
Vail Village and Lionshead are pedestrian villages. Cars stop at the parking structures and hotel loading zones, and hotels are used to bags arriving by bellman cart. The two garages are Vail Village at 241 E Meadow Dr and Lionshead at 395 S Frontage Rd W.
Hotels. Grand Hyatt Vail publishes its inbound package fees by weight: $10 for 1 to 10 lb, $15 for 11 to 25 lb, $20 for 25 to 50 lb and $30 over 50 lb. Its FAQ says guests "can ship personal items to Grand Hyatt Vail including ski equipment." The hotel is just over a mile from the villages, with a free shuttle. At other hotels, ask for the package fee and the address format when you book. The Sebastian and the Sonnenalp both run ski valets that store gear overnight; neither publishes a package fee.
Hold-for-pickup counters.
- The UPS Store, 2121 N Frontage Rd W, Vail, in West Vail on the free bus route.
- FedEx Office inside the Avon Walmart, 171 Yoder Ave, Avon, which confirms "you may have your packages held for pickup."
- FedEx Ship Center, 240 Marmot Lane, Eagle, five minutes from EGE.
Vacation rentals. Many Vail Valley addresses have no USPS door delivery, and rental managers often have nowhere to store a ski bag, according to Vail Butler. Ship to a hold-for-pickup counter unless the owner confirms otherwise.
Label and timing. Put the guest name exactly as it appears on the booking, your arrival date, and "Hold for guest" above the hotel address. Ship to arrive two to three days before you do, and track it.
If you want your skis delivered to the slope-side ski valet by a courier who hands them over in person, that's our sister service, Luggage Forward. LugLess ships by FedEx and UPS, so your ski bag goes to your hotel, your rental or a hold-for-pickup counter, and you carry it to the gondola.
- Home
- FedEx or UPS (booked through LugLess)
- Hotel package desk or hold-for-pickup counter
- Hotel ski valet
- Gondola
Why Vail Is the Resort to Ship To
The shuttle. Epic Mountain Express runs the main shared shuttle from DEN to Vail. Its FAQ says: "Your ski/snowboard bags will travel outside of the vehicle and are subject to varying weather conditions... your bag will be wet and dirty after the trip." Winter fares run $99 to $169 per person each way, and the ride takes 3 to 3.5 hours from DEN.
The rental car. CDOT's Traction Law applies September 1 to May 31 on I-70 between Dotsero and Morrison. A rental with worn all-season tires does not qualify.
Vail Pass closures. CDOT figures reported by the Vail Daily show 29 closures of two hours or more in 2017, 26 in 2019, and 9 in 2020 averaging 4.3 hours. One January 2017 closure lasted nearly 14 hours. Your skis don't care which day they cross the pass. You do.
Source: Vail Daily/CDOT.
The mountain. Vail calls itself the largest ski resort in Colorado, at 5,317 acres with 354 inches of average snowfall. The seven Back Bowls cover 2,785 acres. A week here is a week you want your own skis for.
EGE or DEN, and What the Ski Bag Does at Each
Eagle County Airport (EGE) is about 30 to 38 miles from Vail, a 35 to 50 minute drive, with winter nonstops from 14 markets. DEN is 100 to 125 road miles away and takes two to three and a half hours in good conditions. The resort's getting-here page and Epic Mountain Express publish different mileages, so plan on the range. Flying into EGE? Our Aspen/Snowmass ski shipping guide covers the other resort that uses it.
Weekend traffic. On peak Sunday afternoons, CDOT counts around 2,900 to 3,000 vehicles an hour through the Eisenhower Tunnel and advises drivers to "double your travel time." The worst windows are Friday 2 to 7 p.m. westbound and Sunday 3 to 6 p.m. eastbound.
Airline ski bags. Delta, American and Southwest each count one ski bag plus one boot bag as a single checked item. Over 50 lb, the overweight fee applies. American and Southwest waive oversize fees; Delta won't accept an item over 115 linear inches. For United, see its sports equipment page and check the current rule.
Once you're in Vail. The town bus is free and one of the largest free systems in the country. The villages are on foot.
Parking at the Vail Village and Lionshead structures, 2025-26 season (Town of Vail). Check the current season's rates.
| Rate | Price |
|---|---|
| Hourly | $10 an hour, first hour free |
| Daily maximum, non-peak days | $30 |
| Daily maximum, peak days | $50 |
| After 3 p.m. | Free |
| Overnight | $60 |
Storing Skis in Vail Once They Arrive
A shipped ski bag arrives boxed or in its travel bag. The hotel ski valet, not your room, is where it should live for the week. Most Vail Village and Lionshead hotels run a ski valet or a heated ski room, so confirm overnight ski storage when you book.
If your hotel doesn't have one, Vail Sports at Mountain Plaza and at the Arrabelle offers basket storage for $22 a day. On-mountain lockers at Eagle's Nest run $4 to $8.
When to Ship Skis to Vail
Vail Mountain opens November 13, 2026.
In winter peaks, LugLess advises shipping skis 5 to 10 business days before you need them. Christmas week and Presidents' Day weekend are the two peaks to add a buffer for. Aim for the bag to land two to three days before you do.
Some hotel package desks keep weekday hours only. If you're arriving on a weekend, ask when the desk is staffed and time the delivery for a weekday.
Shipping Skis to Vail with LugLess: How It Works
- Pack. Use a padded ski bag or hard case. Secure the bindings, pad the tips and tails, and strap the poles together. Boots and outerwear can go in the same bag or in a separate boot bag. The ski shipping page has more packing tips, and the snowboard page covers boards.
- Pick a size. Skis go up to 45 lb and 76 x 9 x 8 inches; Large Skis go up to 90 lb and 76 x 15 x 9 inches. A boot bag usually ships as a carry-on.
- Get a quote. Enter your hotel, rental or hold-for-pickup counter in the LugLess calculator, add your bag count, and set delivery for two to three days before you arrive.
- Drop it off. LugLess compares FedEx and UPS rates and sends digital labels. Drop the bag at any FedEx or UPS location or book a home pickup, then track it from drop-off to delivery. Optional value protection is available for premium gear. See how it works.
A ski bag plus a suitcase is two checked items each way at the airline, plus the shuttle roof. Compare airline baggage fees with your shipping quote. Heading to Breckenridge instead? Read our Breckenridge ski shipping guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ship skis directly to Vail Mountain or the gondola?
No. You can't ship skis to Gondola One, the Eagle Bahn lift or any lift base. Ship them to your Vail hotel, your rental address, or a FedEx or UPS hold-for-pickup counter in Vail, Avon or Eagle, such as The UPS Store at 2121 N Frontage Rd W. From there, you carry the bag the last few hundred feet. Vail Village and Lionshead are pedestrian villages, so hotels are set up to take bags in by bellman cart and store skis in a ski valet or ski room.
How far is Vail from Denver airport, and from Eagle airport?
DEN is 100 to 125 road miles from Vail, two to three and a half hours in good conditions. Eagle County Airport (EGE) is about 30 to 38 miles away, a 35 to 50 minute drive. The ranges come from Vail and Epic Mountain Express, which publish different mileages. Weekend traffic on I-70 can add time. EGE has winter nonstops from 14 markets.
Do ski bags ride inside the Denver-to-Vail shuttle?
Not on Epic Mountain Express, the main shared shuttle from DEN. Its FAQ says ski and snowboard bags "will travel outside of the vehicle and are subject to varying weather conditions" and that "your bag will be wet and dirty after the trip." If you'd rather your skis skip the roof rack, ship them ahead to your hotel or a hold-for-pickup counter.
How early should I ship my skis to Vail?
Plan for the bag to arrive two to three days before you do. In winter peaks, LugLess advises shipping skis 5 to 10 business days before you need them. Add extra buffer for Christmas week and Presidents' Day weekend. If your hotel's package desk keeps weekday hours, time the delivery for a weekday. Vail Mountain opens November 13, 2026, so opening-week trips should ship in early November.
Does the Grand Hyatt Vail accept shipped ski bags?
Yes. The hotel's FAQ says guests "can ship personal items to Grand Hyatt Vail including ski equipment." It charges inbound package fees by weight: $10 for 1 to 10 lb, $15 for 11 to 25 lb, $20 for 25 to 50 lb and $30 over 50 lb, per its policies page. The hotel is just over a mile from the villages and runs a free shuttle. Label the bag with your name as booked, your arrival date and "Hold for guest."
Is there overnight ski storage in Vail Village?
Yes. Most Vail Village and Lionshead hotels run a ski valet or heated ski room, so confirm overnight ski storage when you book. The Sebastian and the Sonnenalp both run ski valets. If your lodging doesn't offer storage, Vail Sports at Mountain Plaza and the Arrabelle has basket storage for $22 a day, and Eagle's Nest has on-mountain lockers for $4 to $8.
How much does it cost to ship skis to Vail?
It depends on the bag size, weight, where it starts and how fast you need it. Enter your origin, your Vail hotel or hold-for-pickup counter, and your delivery date in the LugLess calculator for a quote. LugLess compares FedEx and UPS rates for you. To weigh it against flying with the bag, compare airline baggage fees, and remember your hotel may charge a package fee on arrival.
Ship your skis to Vail
Enter your ski bag, your Vail address and your delivery date to compare FedEx and UPS rates.