Elyse Saugstad and Cody Townsend, skiers

Reno is one of the easiest airports to fly in and out of. There are rarely lines at check-in or going through security. You really don't need to be there more than an hour before your flight, no matter what time of day you are departing.

I've never bothered to print out my boarding pass prior to arriving at the airport because it's never crowded.

Flights are rarely cancelled, but with that being said, sometimes wind and fog in the wintertime can cause delays and even cancellations.

Fast Taxi is the best and cheapest shuttle to and from Tahoe. It’s door-to-door service, plus you're supporting real ski bums.

Sometimes the highway closes if it’s snowing super hard.

Reno flies direct to SLC and Denver.

Downsides? The food and it takes forever to get your luggage.

Bonus: From Reno, tickets to Europe seem to be as cheap as they get from anywhere on the west coast (even San Francisco, though you'll usually connect through there).

The number one thing to remember on a ski trip is to ALWAYS, NO MATTER WHAT, NEVER, EVER CHECK YOUR SKI BOOTS. The more you travel, the more you realize how easy it is for an airline to lose your luggage, and if they do it can take several days to get it back. It's easy to rent skis and borrow ski clothing, but nothing replaces your ski boots. Once, in France, I arrived with nothing but my boots. I skied in jeans, borrowed a hat, a pair of goggles and gloves, and rented some skis.