 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello all!
This is my first post : D .... I am off to Innsbruck January 2014. I went there this year and hit stubai glacier for 5 days and loved it. So obviously, im completely addicted and obsessed now and im going back next year.
im thinking a change of scenery this time and need some help in choosing a good place to go....
The criteria is:
A good selection of runs (mainly blue as im still finding my feet with it all)
Nice scenery... I loved the high altitude glacier but loved skiing through the forests at patscherkofel as well..
Not too far from Innsbruck as i need to transfer as easy as poss,
Not too expensive (if thats even possible!! i know its not cheap after all, but we are about to get married)
And a resort that we can stay in near the slopes which is nice and picturesque to... (for the mrs!  ) Innsbruck city was amazing before...
Cheers guys... id appreciate any thoughts! Iv looked to hard now and it all looks the same now...
Dave
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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davey_g, have a look at hochfügen , great place for beginners , 40 min from Innsbruck , or stay in fugen
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davey_g, do you mean one of the 'Innsbruck resorts,' or somewhere with an easy transfer from Innsbruck after flying in?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hi Clarky999 i meant somewhere i can transfer to after flying in... i don't mind travelling up to about 2 hours...
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davey_g, welcome to snowHeads 
Just on the edge of your 2 hours (are you taking bus/hiring car/looking at the train/private transfer company?), depending on how you intend to get there, Saalbach-Hinterglemm may be an option - stay in Hinterglemm. A very charming town, with plenty going on and easy access to the type of blue runs you're looking for. Some great slope-side restaurants that won't break the bank.
Although quieter than Saalbach, in terms of Apres, it still has plenty to offer if you're looking for some evening fun. Oh, and there is the Goaßstall....an essential (nay legendary) on-mountain early apres stop.
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Twenty minutes by "free" bus from Innsbruck is Axamer Lizum. Hosted all the skiing in the 1976 Olympics except the downhill. A beautiful small resort with lots of variation, although the ski station is just that with 3 or 4 hotels all with umbrella bars so it is fun at the end of of skiing but guess it would be quiet later.
Axams just down the hill is a large village with lots of digs and looks nice.
You could stay in Innsbruck and take the "free" bus to a different resort everyday including 2 glaciers.
clarky999, is the local resident and I'm sure he'll be back with options for you.
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| Jäggeur wrote: |
davey_g, welcome to snowHeads
Just on the edge of your 2 hours (are you taking bus/hiring car/looking at the train/private transfer company?), depending on how you intend to get there, Saalbach-Hinterglemm may be an option - stay in Hinterglemm. A very charming town, with plenty going on and easy access to the type of blue runs you're looking for. Some great slope-side restaurants that won't break the bank.
Although quieter than Saalbach, in terms of Apres, it still has plenty to offer if you're looking for some evening fun. Oh, and there is the Goaßstall....an essential (nay legendary) on-mountain early apres stop. |
If the roads are quiet/free from snow a little over two hours isn't unrealistic, if you have a car. Train and bus combos are more around 3 hours, and the changes can be a bit of a faff (one bus change you walk from one road down a steep, slippery slope and round a corner to another with no obvious signage, can be confusing unless you already know where you're going). Other than that, Saalbach would be a good choice.
The Ski Welt is also worth checking out, lots of intermediate piste skiing. Personally I think Westendorf is the best base (and has the best skiing), transfer can easily be done in an hour, not too expensive.
I haven't skied any of the Zillertal resorts, I presume they'd also be a good option though.
Heading in the other direction from Innsbruck, you should check out Ischgl (maybe too pricey if you're keeping it cheap, but check out accommodation in Kappl and Galtuer, just up the road) and Serfaus/Fiss/Ladis. Again, I haven't skied Serfaus (though have been there a couple of times for various reasons) but several friends from here rate it very highly. Village(s) are nice and off the Brit radar.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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davey_g, Kappl http://www.kappl.com/en/holiday-themes/ski-area-kappl is around an hour from Innsbruck. Spent two great holidays with the family there. A cheap base for skiing Ischgl. Village quite small and not a great deal to do there if your other half is not skiing. The slopes are deserted and everything is good value.
Not sure how long the transfer is but could some of the resorts in the Dolomites be reached within 2 hours? May suit your budget and ski ability????
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Coach transfer from Innsbruck to Dolomites is a good 3 hours+ - similar to Brenta Dolomites IIRC.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Wow thanks for your replys guys.. excellent advice much apprieciated!Jäggeur, I would be using public transportation, so buses and trains, taxis also...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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You know it makes sense.
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I have been to Soelden twice and it was def. in easy reach of Innsbruck.
In terms of where to stay location should be chosen carefully as there are two main lifts going up at opposite ends of the town and it is probably advisable to decide which one to base yourself near to (I favoured the Giggijoch end of town both times).
Quite snowsure and two glaciers don't hurt either. The town is quite long strung out and Soelden and can be quite apres ski heavy.
It would also be possible to combine this with skiing a day or two in Obergurgl/Hochgurgl.
I liked http://www.prantl-soelden.at/ which is a two/three minute walk away from the Giggijochbahn.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Mayrhofen is one of (the main one) the Zillertal resorts mentioned above.
Kitz has a big reputation, and I think accommodation in the main village is quite expensive. It's a good size resort with decent skiing, but personally I didn't find it lived up to it's rep, and is certainly no better than other cheaper options (I only skied there for a week though, came away thinking it was fun enough but nothing special). Personally I prefer Westendorf - note the two are linked (with a 5 min free bus), so you can ski both.
Everytime I plan to go to Obergurgl, something seems to come up, really need to get round to it. It's high, very snowsure. Don't know much beyond that.
Again, I've only been to Soelden in the summer (passing through kayaking), but man is it a pig ugly village! Good scenery though, and the Aquadome Spa just down the road is well worth a visit.
Someone mentioned Kuhtai above, skied there several times last season, great little resort with lots of fun skiing (and some epic backcoutry). Holds snow very well. However, 'cos the village is so high, a lot of the runs don't have massive vertical, and the village is pretty quiet. More than worth a visit if you were basing another trip out of Innsbruck (and skiing several resorts), but not sure it's the best place to go for a week/ski solely for a week, unless you were touring too. No trees either, so not much fun when the weather closes in. With a bus ride you could ski Hoch Oetz too for a little variety if you wanted though.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Solden/Obergurgl is a lot closer than Kappl/Sees/Galtur/Ischgl, Arlberbg St Anton and Serfraus/Ladi/Fiss.
In the trip I did Solden/Obergurgl I went to Stbai first and can say Solden is a lot bigger and has more variety by its 3 peaks all about 3000m high. From Stubai to Solden the distance is about 70 miles.
Obergurgl is 11 miles further into the same Oetz valley as Solden. It is higher with the base level start at 2000m. Solden is visited by the younger skiers/boarders but Obergurgl is more upmarket, with less visitors and more relaxing skiing. When I chat up with the visitors there they all agreed it was a place for the oldies who can afford the more expensive accommodations and had much less chance being run into by inexperienced green skiers.
Solden has some nice areas with a lot of sunshine. The town is the one most skiers do not like as it is quite affordable to ski there. It is among the few resort where you can find a strip club or two around.
Zilllertal Valley is possibly the one with most skiing possibilities as it has about 6 to 7 unlinked areas including Hochfugen, Zillertal Arena, Mayrhofen, Hinterlux.....
The first valley, from the German border, is of course the one with Ski Welt and Kitzbuhel. Both offer massive amount of skiing.
Saabah/Hiterglemm/Leogang is a nice big fully linked resort like any of the above but it is too far from Innsbruck. It doesn't stand out against those I mentioned above. Think geographically it belongs to the Salzburg area whereas Tirol (Innsbruck) has really some very nice and big skiing resorts on offer. Distance wise from transferring from Munich there is not much to choose between Salzburg and Innsbruck though.
To judge the size Stubai Glacier is 130km piste, Solden 148km, Obergurgl 110km, Saalbach/Hiterglemm/Leogang 200km, SkiWelt 250km, Kitzbuhel 165km, Serfraus/Ladi/Fiss 185km, The The west Silvetta Valley has 380km in which the largest Ischgl (linked with Samnaun) has 235km. The Zillertal Valley has 560km piste and each of the first biggest three are all 160km each.
Thus if you find Stubai a good place to ski just any of the others will keep you happy too.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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does anybody recommend St Anton for two people with a weeks skiing under their belts??
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
does anybody recommend St Anton for two people with a weeks skiing under their belts??
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St Anton is a great place to ski for good intermediates and better - but with just one week under your belt, you probably won't get the most out of it and some of the blues on the way home are tricky, and that's before you sample the après at the Mooserwirt or KK. My choice would be to go for Mayrhofen/Zillertal, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Solden/Obergurgl or Westendorf/Ski Welt.
Is there any particular reason why you're flying into Innsbruck rather than Salzburg? Salzburg opens up the whole of Salzburgerland (Ski Amade, Saalbach, Zell am See and many more) and there are direct minibus shuttles from the airport to all of the main resorts. Once in resort, you won't need transport as most of these resorts have lifts and accommodation in the centre of the villages.
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ok thats fair enough. I had a feeling st anton was a bit like that. Iv had a good look into Solden and i think its a good option. Well the reason we are flying into innsbruck is a bit of a long story... I had some money invested in British Airways after cancelling a flight to Florida and after taxes and fares and refunds were sorted out, by flying into innsbruck we didn't loose that much money so we had the flight booked and we just needed to work around the fact we are going to be in innsbruck...I didn't realise it was that easy to get transfers from Salzburg... thats annoying! lol
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Zell am See is about 2 hours on the train from Innsbruck.
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davey_g, you mention that your partner really liked Innsbruck and wants something picturesque as well, does she not ski? If that is the case, she may be disappointed with Sölden as it is not that busy a town nor all that pretty (even covered in snow!). Depending on where you actually end up staying, it can be a long haul for someone just browsing the shops etc. As an alternative I would suggest the Zillertal as it has excellent links between all the various towns where the skiing takes place as well as a really wide choice of locations for you to ski. If you do not need "party central" then I would suggest looking at staying in Zell am Ziller or Kaltenbach rather than Mayrhofen as they have a more compact layout and you are never too far from the railway to get you to the other areas up to Mayrhofen. After Mayrhofen you switch to the regular bus links up to Finkenberg and Tux itself.
As Elizabeth B says, using the train you can also be in Zell am See within 2 hours and that is a very picturesque town in an extremely beautiful part of Austria. However if you have an early flight home, you may have to leave the night before in order to make sure you are back in Innsbruck in time for the flight.
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Samerberg Sue, good point about timing of flights if you are restricted to public transport. Then again a night in Innsbruck would not be a bad way to end a holiday. Is your partner skiing? That could make quite a difference to choice if she isn't. For example I'd put St Anton back on the list in that case because of the swimming pool/spa complex which is excellent and if not skiing a very pleasant way to spend the day.
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From memory the train from Innsbruck to Zell goes through Leogang. Leogang could be a cheaper base for skiing the Saalbach ski circus? St Anton is only an hour by train and a doddle to get to from Innsbruck and as nozawaonsen, says, there's loads to do for the non skier. Not cheap mind you.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Samerberg Sue, It's a fair point, my thinking was simply that if I had to spend a week in a resort and couldn't ski I'd be pretty happy to mix days in the pool/spa with après spa in the Moose. So it depends if both are skiing or not. St Anton still wouldn't be the best place for a one week skier, but might be a good place for a non skier. It's a balance ying yang thing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Sorry i should of explained earlier, both me and my partner ski so thats all ok...We both have about a week each under our belts (towards the end of the week we were both flying about Stubai Glacier quite nicely!) When i said about innsbruck being lovely before it was because it had this amazing alpine charm about it and being so close to the airport, add in the free ski bus in the morning and it was unbelievably easy to get about and ski and transfer from and to. It would be great if we could fine a nice base with the same charm, easy to get to and from and get on the slopes easy, not too expensive and plenty of blues...
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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nozawaonsen, +1 on Alpbach and with the new link across to Auffach it is a really good area for second weekers.
davey_g, Try and get accommodation in Inneralpbach if you can as it is almost ski in/ski out, but the charm of Alpbach (the main village) and Reith im Alpbachtal are not too far away. You can ski down to them via a couple of long blues and then get the bus back to Inneralpbach. The skiing over on the Schatzberg above Auffach is also excellent for second week skiers.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Onnem,
I don't think the piste length measurement matters that much as long as every resort use the same standard. I for one thinks the Austrian are fairly consistent in the numbers.
I got the piste length off my database for resorts I visited. Since then I checked the Stubai piste map which shows 110km. Bergfex.com also reports 110km for Stubai Glacier but for Hintertux it is 86km.
When I checked the piste maps of Zillertal Valley the Zillertal 3000 area that include from Mayrhofen to Hinterlux has 227km and without it 157km is reported.
It is difficult to support Hintertux is twice the size of Stubai just by the published piste maps.
I have been quite a few small Austrian resorts that has below 50km piste. My experience would suggest Stubai isn't one of them.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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davey_g, I'd stay in Innsbruck and travel out daily by train, on the Innsbruck to St Anton rail jet line there's plenty to access, Otz valley and Rendl area of St Anton etc etc.....some steady pistes too, don't be put off, all areas ok if you ok about going down on the lift. Clarky999's yer man, he's the expat expert for local stuff near Innsbruck. Also suggest Ischgl, great skiing for guys looking to quickly make progress.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Markymark29, that's an awful lot of travelling for a holiday. St Anton is 1.04 away on the fast train. Add 15 minutes to get to the station, 10 minutes at the other end and you've given yourself a minimum of 3 hours travelling plus lugging stuff back and forth. Not something I'd want to do on a daily basis on holiday. And getting to Ischgl from Innsbruck without a car is closer to 2 hours by public transport. Innsbruck is a fine base for getting to the local Innsbruck slopes, and if you are living there opens up loads, especially with wheels, but otherwise I'd really recommend actually basing yourself in a resort.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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nozawaonsen, yeah, I thought he wanted to do day trips, having re-read it I agree. Plenty of options within 2 hours of Innsbruck to choose from.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@ Saikee
The pointe of the article was precisely that: Stubai does NOT apply the same standards in measurement of ski area size.
Which gives them an unfair advantage over other Tyrol ski areas, who are (more) honest.
The claimed nr of piste km was measured with help of GPS. In about 20% of resorts the claimed nr of piste km was correct. In about 60% of resorts the actual nr of piste km was between 60-80% of claimed. There were a small number of extreme differences, and Stubai was by far the worst.
This is not my claim or opinion, it is what was measured. And Stubai have even confirmed how they measure, and thus inflate figures.
Lots of discussion and anger about this. And because of this scam, the authorities are now going to introduce new regulations. Which will force the offenders to be honest. If'you're interested, read the below articles. They are in german, but you can paste the url into google translate to have a laugh 
http://derstandard.at/1361240483336/Im-Zickzack-zu-mehr-Pistenkilometern
http://www.tt.com/Tirol/6167312-2/pistenl%C3%A4nge-neue-regeln-bis-april.csp
On Alpinforum the latest official measurements (from 2005) were posted. This is the piste surface the skilift companies need to inform the authorities about, in order to get permission to build and run lifts.
Stubai = 48.5 km
Hintertux = 94.5 km
These measurements are the maximum skiable piste km for the glacier areas. So this is what is available in winter, excluding Lanersbach-Mayrhofen etc (for Hintertux) and excluding the lower valley areas for Stubai (such as Schlick).
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sun 19-05-13 8:24; edited 2 times in total
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davey_g, Serfaus over both Iscghl and Solden, neither of which is particularly picturesque, though they are traditional style. Serfaus has more extensive skiing and a good many blue/red runs, as well as some serious black and ski routes if needed. It has some excellent mountain restaurants. It is only an hour by car from Innsbruck or two hours on train+bus. For skiing convenience find accommodation at the top the village (Serfaus) near the main lift station which houses the three gondolas serving three different points in the ski area. Vast majority of visitors are either German or Dutch, almost completely Brit-free! 
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I must admit I quite like the look of the Zillertal arena... A few people have suggested basing in Mayrhofen? Looks like a nice pretty place with plenty of skiing... And I assume its easy to get to from Innsbruck and has a free ski bus between the different slopes?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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If you go to Zillertal, my suggestion would be to base in Lanersbach, not Mayrhofen.
Except when apres-ski has priority over skiing itself; then go to Mayrhofen.
There's direct lift connection from Lanersbach to Penken (the area over Mayrhofen).
And in case of bad snow, Hintertux is much nearer by.
Plus Lanersbach is much more authentical and less run-over by tourists.
Lots of accomodation for reasonable prices.
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Your lift pass for the Zillertal covers free busses and also the train that runs along the valley to get you between the different areas. Although I've only been there in the summer, I found Mayrhofen a nice place and there are things to do if you decide to take a day off from skiing.
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FAQ
