Telluride or Vail?

You can't swim in the sea from either town, and a swim of any kind takes some planning. From Telluride, the nearest proper swimming spot is the reservoir near Ridgway, about an hour's drive away. Vail has small lakes closer to town where people paddle and sunbathe, though most swimming happens in hotel pools. In both places the cold mountain water means summer time on the water is mostly rafting, paddling and fishing.

The two eat at much the same level, and both serve the same Colorado lamb, elk, trout and state craft beer. Telluride's best kitchens line Colorado Avenue and Mountain Village and cook modern American food with Western Slope produce. Taquerias, bakeries and burger places cover the casual end.

Vail's menus lean more towards the resort: steak and game rooms, Alpine fondue, sushi counters and mountain lodges for lunch between runs. Neither town has a cheap end. In Vail many kitchens close in the off-season, while in Telluride the challenge is getting a table on festival weekends.

Telluride has the real history. Its grid of clapboard houses and false-fronted stores is a National Historic Landmark district. There is a museum on the mines and labour wars in the old miners' hospital, the 1913 Sheridan Opera House, and mill ruins on the canyon walls above town.

Vail was built for skiing in the 1960s, and its chalets and covered bridges imitate a Tyrolean village rather than preserve anything. The Colorado Snowsports Museum, with its story of the Tenth Mountain Division, and the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens fill a short afternoon. Neither town is a reason to travel for sights alone.

Vail has more of an evening. As the lifts close, the terraces and slopeside bars of Vail Village and Lionshead fill up, and on winter weekends a few bars and a small club stay open past midnight. Telluride's nights centre on a handful of Victorian saloons on Colorado Avenue, which can run late in peak weeks but have no club behind them. Both towns go quiet early in spring and late autumn.

Both are outstanding mountain bases, but the landscapes feel different. Telluride is a dramatic box canyon: Bridal Veil Falls, a via ferrata on the canyon wall and jeep roads over Imogene and Ophir passes all start within minutes of the main street, and the skiing has steep hike-to terrain with famous views.

Vail's strength is scale. It has the huge Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin, plus the Gore Range and Holy Cross wilderness for serious hiking among lakes. Fly fishing on Gore Creek and rafting rivers are within reach. Telluride sits a little higher, at about 2,670m, so allow a little more time to adjust to the altitude there.

Vail sits on the main mountain corridor, so far more is within easy reach. Beaver Creek is a short drive, Breckenridge's Victorian main street is under an hour away, and Leadville makes a good half day. Glenwood Springs, the best day out, is an hour down the canyon, and Aspen and Denver are about two hours each.

Telluride is remote. Ridgway and Ouray are about an hour away, Silverton about two hours over Red Mountain Pass, and Mesa Verde's cliff dwellings sit at the very edge of a day trip. That makes Telluride the better choice for staying put than for exploring the region.

Vail is better set up for children. Its ski schools are large, with dedicated children's terrain, and the car-free village is easy with a pushchair. In summer the top of the gondola turns into an activity area with ropes courses, a mountain coaster and tubing.

Telluride suits active families who make their own fun. The free gondola is a treat in itself, and the ski school, river path and short waterfall walks are good, but there is very little to do indoors on a wet day. Neither has a zoo or museum aimed at children, and the altitude can disturb young children's sleep in both.

Once you've arrived, both are easy without a car, and the difference is mostly in getting there. Telluride's compact grid can be crossed on foot, and the free gondola links it to Mountain Village. Vail's pedestrian core is served by a free bus that runs the length of the valley.

Telluride's small airport is often affected by weather, and the larger ones are one to two hours away by road. Vail is a shuttle ride from its airports along the interstate, although snow can close the road over Vail Pass.

Vail has more shops to browse. Its pedestrian lanes in Vail Village and Lionshead are lined with upmarket ski clothing, fur and leather, Western boots and hats, and galleries, which makes it a good place to buy ski gear or a luxury souvenir. Telluride's shops fill a few blocks of Colorado Avenue: galleries, jewellery, good bookshops and outdoor gear. Both are expensive and narrow in range, and serious shoppers head to Denver.

Both towns are among the most expensive places to vacation in North America, and neither can be done cheaply. In Telluride the problem is scarcity: rooms are few and priced for second-home owners, and festival weekends push them higher. Staying in Ridgway costs less but means a daily drive.

Vail has more lodging along the valley floor, and off-season rates help a little. In both towns the free buses and gondolas are the main savings.

Vail has the stronger summer programme. Bravo! Vail brings orchestras in residence to the open-air Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, the Vail Dance Festival draws leading ballet and contemporary dancers, and jazz fills late summer. Outside July and August there is little more than après-ski bands.

Telluride's summer has a different style: the Bluegrass Festival in Town Park, jazz, blues and chamber music, and the film festival on the Labor Day weekend. The Sheridan Opera House keeps a few concerts, plays and comedy nights going through the year. For either town, book festival weekends early.

The two are about equal for relaxation, and both offer polished hotel spas after a day on the slopes. The differences lie in the hot springs nearby. From Telluride, the large public pool in Ouray and the springs near Ridgway are about an hour away. From Vail, Glenwood Springs, also an hour away, has mineral pools and vapour caves in use since the 1800s.

Telluride's quiet shoulder seasons make it the more secluded retreat. Vail's outdoor hot tubs under the peaks make for an easier soak at the end of the day.