Getting to the mountain can be challenging.

Renting cars can be a pain (do they even have one available big enough for your stuff?) and what about those road conditions? There are a number of reasons why just getting to the mountain can be a major turn-off and a reason to not take your ski trip. Never fear, though, there are a few ski towns in the US that will take the pain right out of traveling to the slopes.

3. Jackson Hole, Wyoming

First on the list is a familiar face. Jackson Hole is a major destination for skiers and riders looking for beautiful scenery, an option for extreme terrain, and/or a high-end luxury experience.

[Read: An Introductory Guide to Skiing Jackson Hole]

So what about that transportation? The Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit (START) Bus runs frequent routes between the town of Jackson and Teton Village where Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is located. Within the town of Jackson, all bus rides are free. To go from Jackson to Teton Village, the fare is $3 one-way, or $6 round-trip. The ride takes around 30 minutes and drops you off just steps from the famous Jackson Hole Aerial Tram.

Jackson Hole – START Bus

• Route – Town of Jackson to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
• Fare – $3/One-Way or $6/Round-Trip
• Time – Approx. 30 minutes

2. Summit County, CO

Welcome to the land of proximity. Summit County, Colorado is home to four legendary ski areas–Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Breckenridge, and Copper Mountain–that are all accessible by public transportation for free. Yes, that’s zero dollars. Thanks to the Summit Stage system, all bus rides within Summit County are free, safe, and reliable. Are you staying in Frisco and need to get to A-Basin? Hop on the bus, Gus. They also have a pretty reliable app that shows you the exact location of each bus (Apple | Google). For more info, click here.

What about getting from Denver to Summit County? If you’re arriving at Denver International Airport, options like Summit Express, Peak 1 Express, and Epic Mountain Express will all deliver you directly to Summit County from the airport. If you’re coming from Denver, try the Bustang.

Summit County – Summit Stage

• Route – Any ski resort in Summit County
• Fare – Free!
• Time – Variable
• App – Apple | Google

1. Salt Lake City, UT

Finally, coming in at the number 1 slot is the land of endless ski resorts and “The Greatest Snow on Earth”.

[Read: What Makes Utah’s Snow the Greatest on Earth].

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) manages the Ski Bus with easy routes to regional ski resorts, including Utah’s four most famous ski areas: Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude. Bus routes run regularly and can be picked up from just about anywhere in the greater Salt Lake area. We’ve highlighted routes to the four ski areas mentioned above because they are the closest and easiest, but you can also take public transportation to other ski resorts in the area such as Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, Sundance, and Park City. For more information about the UTA ski bus routes, click here.

Note: To make things a little extra sweet–all bus rides to the slopes are free when you purchase the Salt Lake Ski Super Pass. 

Salt Lake City – UTA Ski Bus

• Route – Salt Lake to Big & Little Cottonwood Canyons
• Fare – $0 – $5 one-way | Free with IKON or Salt Lake Ski Super Pass.
• Time – Approx. 1 hour
• App – Ski Utah: Apple | Google  or  Transit App: Apple | Google