Breckenridge or Copper Mountain?

Neither resort has anywhere to swim outdoors. Both sit near 3,000m, and the nearby lakes and Lake Dillon are snowmelt-fed and used for boating, not bathing.

The only difference is indoors. Breckenridge has a town recreation centre with pools, while at Copper Mountain swimming means a lodge pool or the athletic club.

Breckenridge gives you much more choice at dinner. Main Street and its side lanes run from sushi counters and wood-fired pizza to chef-led kitchens using Colorado lamb, bison and trout, and the town brews its own beer and distils whiskey. It is still resort food, but there is enough to vary a week of evenings.

At Copper Mountain, eating means burgers and chilli in mid-mountain lodges and a handful of pizza and Mexican places in the village. Many guests cook in their condos, and those wanting variety drive to Breckenridge or Frisco.

Breckenridge has the past that Copper Mountain lacks. Its historic district, one of Colorado's largest, is a grid of painted 1859 gold-rush storefronts and miners' cabins, with restored houses and a gold-panning mine tour. It fills a pleasant afternoon rather than a programme.

Copper Mountain is a purpose-built village of condos and lodges with no historic buildings or museums. Its guests come to Breckenridge or Leadville for heritage.

Both towns start the evening with après-ski in boots at the base of the lifts. Only Breckenridge carries on. Its brewpubs, saloons in Victorian buildings and a couple of dance bars keep going past midnight on winter Saturdays.

At Copper Mountain there may be music on the village plaza on busy weekends, but most people are back in their condos by late evening. Anyone wanting a later night takes the half-hour trip to Breckenridge. Both go very quiet in spring and autumn.

This is where the two are equals, and it is why most people come to either. Breckenridge's ski area spreads over five peaks directly above the town, with Quandary Peak just south and trails through aspen and wildflower meadows starting at the edge of town.

Copper's mountain is known for terrain that separates naturally by ability, with treeless bowls above 3,600m. The Colorado Trail crosses the resort and the paved path over Vail Pass begins at the door, so it suits cyclists and long-distance walkers especially well.

Copper Mountain is the better base for exploring. It sits at the junction of the routes, so Breckenridge's Victorian main street, Leadville's silver-boom district and Vail's Alpine village are each around half an hour away, and Denver is closer too.

From Breckenridge, Leadville means crossing Hoosier Pass, Vail takes nearly an hour, and Denver is around two hours. Georgetown's narrow-gauge railway and the Idaho Springs hot springs are good outings from either resort. Snow on I-70 can stretch every journey.

Both work well for skiing families, and both come with the same altitude warning for young children in the first days. Breckenridge offers more variety: a town with a rink, playgrounds and pools, plus a free gondola up to the slopes and a summer activity park on the mountain.

Copper's strength is convenience. Its car-free village core keeps children close, and the indoor action-sports centre with trampolines and foam pits, together with snow tubing, gives tired legs a break from skiing.

Breckenridge is the easier place to be without a car. The compact historic centre is walkable, a free gondola runs from Main Street to the slopes, and free town buses loop through the lodging areas and trailheads.

Copper Mountain is simple inside the resort, with walkways, lifts and a shuttle, but there is no town to walk to, so restaurants and shops further afield mean a bus via Frisco or a drive. Both lie about two hours from Denver airport with no train.

Breckenridge at least gives you a pleasant browse. Main Street's courtyards hold Western art galleries, boutiques, sweet shops and good technical gear, though no department stores.

Copper's shops are limited to rental, sunglasses and resort-branded clothing. Shoppers from both resorts end up at the Silverthorne outlets.

Both are expensive ski resorts, but Copper Mountain hurts the wallet a little less. Its condos with kitchens keep meal costs down, and it is cheaper than the grander resorts nearby.

Breckenridge is among the costliest places to ski, especially over Christmas, New Year and spring break. In both, staying in Frisco or Silverthorne and coming in summer or the shoulder seasons eases the bill, and Breckenridge's free buses and gondola cut transport costs.

Breckenridge has a genuine summer music season. The open-sided Riverwalk Center by the Blue River hosts a festival orchestra and a national academy of young professionals through July and August, and a local company stages plays in the arts district.

Copper Mountain offers plaza bands on summer weekends and acoustic après sets, with no theatre or concert hall, so its guests drive to Breckenridge for a programme.

In both resorts, relaxation means an outdoor hot tub in the snow, and in both the thin air can disturb sleep for the first nights. Breckenridge has more resort hotels with full spas, and its calm summer evenings by the Blue River are its most restful time.

Copper's quieter evenings and its athletic club with pools and massage suit guests who simply want an early, peaceful night. Neither has natural hot springs of its own, so a soak in the hot springs at Idaho Springs means a drive out along I-70 from either resort.