Have Kids, Will Travel

Getting to Whistler can feel like a trek in and of itself. There are certainly more accessible places to ski, like Park City or Steamboat, but once you arrive at Whistler, you’ll be happy you put in the extra effort.

Travel logistics

If you’re flying, Vancouver International Airport is the closest. Seattle is another option, though you’ll have to then drive twice as far to reach Whistler. I’ve done both and would recommend flying to Vancouver if your budget allows.

Vancouver to Whistler

If you fly into Vancouver, the easiest way to get to Whistler is with Whistler Connection. They have two options: A shared shuttle bus or a private van. We did the shuttle bus on our most recent trip, and it was comfortable and easy.

The ride is about 2.5 hours, and they have several departure times a day. They also dropped us off and picked us up at our hotel. You do need to book in advance. At the time of writing, it costs about $40/person each way.

If you have a lot of luggage, grab a free luggage cart at baggage claim. While the shuttle pickup is close to baggage claim, this will make it easier to grab snacks and make it to the shuttle with kids in tow.

Tip: To save time at security, download the ArriveCan app and complete the Advanced Declaration within 72 hours of your arrival.

Alternative options

You can also rent a car or arrange travel through another outfitter. Driving through the mountain pass can be a bit harry, so I’d only recommend renting a car if you feel comfortable driving in winter conditions and can secure a vehicle with good 4-wheel drive.

If you’re staying in the village, you won’t need a car once you get to Whistler. There are a couple of grocery stores within walking distance, and there’s no lack of restaurants.

Seattle to Whistler

On our first trip to Whistler, we flew to Seattle. The ticket prices and times were better, and we thought the drive would add a fun sightseeing element to the trip. I was also nervous about using the Whistler Connection with my then 4-year-old and preferred having our own car.

The drive takes about 4-5 hours, but can be longer depending on the weather and the border crossing. For us, the border crossing was pretty fast, but then we hit pouring rain through the pass, which slowed our drive.

We enjoyed our return drive and found many interesting places to stop, including Treetop Adventures, which was a huge hit. However, the extra driving time added a lot to our travel days, both time and stress.

Whistler for kids

Whistler is an excellent mountain for kids. There’s a variety of terrain, and most lifts have a groomed blue or green option in addition to more challenging terrain. You can also find long green runs, which are great for practicing with the kids and building skiing endurance.

We’ve also been fortunate to have great powder days on both of our trips, giving the kids a chance to ski powder. I didn’t ski powder until I was an adult, so I love that the kids have experienced this at a young age.

Some areas, like 7th Heaven on Blackcomb, have long traverses, so bear this in mind when skiing with kids who haven’t graduated to poles.

Whistler is connected to Blackcomb via a long gondola. The ride is a hit with kids, and if you’re willing to wait, there are also 2 glass-bottom cars you can take to enhance the views.

Alternatively, you can get to Blackcomb from the village using the Excalibur gondola. This gondola only takes you partway up the mountain. You then need to take a chair up the rest of the way. Depending on the skiing abilities of you and your kids, you may prefer taking the Whistler gondola up and then doing the Peak-2-Peak gondola to get to Blackcomb.

Timing: The Whistler gondola takes about 25 minutes when it’s running without delays. It can take considerably longer if there are heavy winds or mechanical issues. The ride to the mid-station, where the magic carpet and very beginner terrain are, takes about 10 minutes. The ride from Whistler to Blackcomb on Peak-2-Peak is about 11 minutes.

To ski school or not to ski school

We’re a ski school family. Here’s why.

Ski trips offer us (the parents) a great opportunity to get some time together without worrying about our kids. We are also more aggressive skiers than the kids and want to explore terrain that wouldn’t be suitable for them.

Additionally, we want to be able to ski with the kids while also reaching a point where we can give them the independence to ski without us once they’re older. Ski school supports all of these goals.

We don’t put them in ski school every day, but we do try to give them several days in a row on each trip.

A note on costs: Ski school is expensive, and I know many kids who have learned to ski well without it, myself included, though I have taken a couple of lessons as an adult. The decision to use ski school is a personal one, but if it’s within your budget, I do recommend it.

Adventure Camp

One of the things we love about Whistler is its week-long Adventure Camp program for the kids. The program runs Monday-Friday, and you pay a flat fee whether your kid attends all 5 days or only some.

Through the program, your child is assigned a group at the start of the week and stays with that group and instructor throughout the week. There may be occasional shifts if a child was initially placed in the wrong level or decides to drop out. But in general, the groups stay mostly consistent.

Drop off is really easy. You can skip the long daily ski school drop-off line and go straight to your child’s instructor at the pre-determined meet-up spot.

The instructor gets to know your kid and what they need to work on to reach the next level. We used the adventure camp both years, and also used it one year at Vail with our older son.

We’ve seen massive improvement in our kids’ skiing through the program. The kids are also excited to go to ski school. They know who their instructor will be, and they form friendships with the other kids in their group. This can be especially helpful if you have a child who gets nervous in new situations.

Apres ski (or no ski at all)

There are a lot of things to do at Whistler outside of skiing/snowboarding. We have yet to take advantage of the other activities because we try to ski as much as we can, but for those non-skiers or on your break days, you can choose from a variety of options, including:

• Ice skating in the village
• Escape room
• Art galleries and the local art museum
• Public library
• Shopping in the village
• Ziplining
• Snow shoeing
• Spas

I’m sure there are many more activities, but these are the ones I’ve personally researched or my family members have tried.

On our most recent trip, I only skied for 4 days due to an injury, but I still kept myself busy by walking around the village, visiting galleries, and marveling at the views.

Medical care at Whistler

Hopefully, you won’t need any medical care while at Whistler, but if you do, there’s a clinic in the village, and the care is excellent. The facility is clean, and the staff are knowledgeable and friendly.

At the time of writing, you have to pay 1,050 Canadian dollars to be seen, plus additional fees for whatever services they provide. If you have travel insurance (which I highly recommend), you will still need to pay out of pocket at the time of service and then submit your bills for reimbursement through your provider.

Dining in Whistler

Whistler has no shortage of restaurants. We rent a place with a kitchen so we can cook some meals in the hotel and dine out for others.

If you plan to have dinner out, I recommend making reservations well in advance of your trip. While there are many restaurants, they also book up quickly.

Some of our favorite places are:

• 21 Steps: A good option for a night out with the whole family, they have kid-friendly options as well as classic food that should appeal to a range of palates. The restaurant is up a flight of stairs (hence the name). If you need an accessible entrance, there’s an elevator around back. You will need to ask the host for assistance in accessing it.
• Alta Bistro: This is a good option for a night out without the kids, as the menu is a bit more out there than some of the other places. But the food is excellent, and the drinks are creative. They also offered the best mocktail selection out of the places we dined.
• Cinnamon Bear: A bit more loungey in atmosphere, this is a good option if you want something that feels more casual. The menu is relatively simple, but we enjoyed everything. They were also able to accommodate our whole party of 7.
• Teppan Village: Located right next to the base of the gondola, this habaci restaurant is an excellent option for larger parties and a favorite with our kids.
• Barefoot Bistro: This is an upscale option, but the food is delicious and the service excellent. We opted to come here for a date, but I did see some families with kids. If you eat here, I recommend the whole black cod. It’s excellent. And while we didn’t spring for the made-to-order ice cream, I saw a table get it, and it looked amazing.
• La Brasserie: This is my favorite spot for Apres. From 3-6, they offer fondue – I recommend adding the veggies. They also have poutine, a delicious spiked hot chocolate, and other warm, spiked beverages, as well as hot chocolate for the kids. They also have a good brunch.
• Il Camineto: If you’re looking for a good Italian place, this is a good option. I preferred the menu from our first year to this year’s, but in both cases the food was good, and I left feeling satisfied, especially after a day of hard skiing.
• Steeps: Located at Roundhouse Lodge at the top of the Whistler Gondola, Steeps offers sit-down dining. I recommend reservations, though you’ll need to plan your ski day to ensure you make it back to the lodge in time for your seating. You can also access from the gondola if you’re taking a rest day or have non-skiers in your group.
• Christine’s on Blackcomb: Located at the top of the Blackcomb and Peak2Peak gondolas, Christine’s is another top-of-the-mountain sit-down restaurant. Similar to Steeps, you’ll want to try to reserve a table in advance. Their menu is more Asian fusion, whereas Steeps feels more traditional Western food.

Until next time

Stay tuned for our next big adventure this spring, when we head to Sicily, Italy. Until then, we’ll be sticking to local outings as I rehab from my injury, though we may try to squeeze in one more ski trip for the kids to Okemo, one of my favorite family-friendly mountains on the East Coast.

Have you been to Whistler with kids? Are there other ski resorts you enjoy?