 Poster: A snowHead
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@northantsred, Thanks for the useful website link   
I'm not surprised to hear that you had a really good week - in our experience most people do, and, as we're there all season, we have a good overview. I'm surprised that you say "not cheap" compared with other Austrian resorts - people generally comment on how reasonable prices are, compared with not only France, but also popular Austrian resorts like St Anton, Lech and Ischgl.
I'm slightly perturbed by your mention of those late-night revellers - if I see them next season, I promise to have a word with them  Seriously though, I often say that being in Saalbach for the season is like being at a lively, good-humoured carnival that continues for nearly 4 months, and where most of the attendees leave every Saturday and are replaced by another infusion of excited, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed party-goers. I can see how it might contrast sharply with the quiet villages that tend to be the norm in France and Switzerland (I well remember repeated holidays in places like Champery with its one half-empty bar, "Le Pub"). Most of our guests are mature (like us), or families with young children, and the general feeling is of a good time being had by all. By the way, it often comes as a surprise to find that the apres-ski venues and bars (like Bobby's Pub) are very welcoming to children, some of whom really get into the party atmosphere - there seem to be no age-related taboos.
It sounds as though you may have been there at a busy time, but there are plenty of times - evenings and weeks of the season, when the atmosphere is more peaceful. Also the bars are generally subterranean and well sound-proofed, so the walk home at the end of an evening is usually peaceful and undisturbed, and everything you would want from an Alpine village - and in our case that can be any time from 11pm through to 04.00am.
Since you mention them, I had better say a few words about those dens of iniquity - "Kings" and the "Why Not" lap-dancing clubs. Actually it is only Kings that will tend to be noticed, as it's in the centre of the village, and even that one is fairly unobtrusive (many guests of ours have walked past it without noticing it). In the interests of research, we've only been in each of them once. On the first occasion, we met a group of Dutch people in Castellos, who invited us to join them at the Why Not. Essentially we found it to be like any other bar, except for an Amazonian woman with long, blonde hair, who spent half an hour gyrating round a pole, before eventually removing her bra - or so I understand - I was naturally looking the other way and engrossed in a conversation about tulips and windmills.
On the other occasion (actually I confess that it might have been twice), Mrs TT, in one of her playful moods, dragged me into Kings, where I remember we got into conversation with a very pleasant but under-dressed Polish girl, who was telling us all about her family in Poland, before an agitated-looking fellow sitting on the other side of her asked whether we were intending to pay for her to converse, rather than him. It was the first time it had dawned on me that some men actually pay pretty girls to talk to them. (The girl assured us that any touching whatsoever by customers was "verboten", and of course we believed her every word). We allowed the poor chap to surf his own wave for a while, before he ran out of time and credit, and we then kept her talking for him, whilst he nipped off to a cash point to get some more money in order to "feed the meter". Takes all kinds!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We stayed in Zell am See, lovely town, beautiful lake to walk around, nice restaurants and bars at night.
Less than 1 hr drive for Salzburg airport - we went Boxing day 2016 for 1 week.
Not ski in/out but our apartment (AlpenParks Residence Apartments) was great location next to lift and had great ski/boot room.
You can go up to the Glacier and have access to - I think a good selection of slopes.
Have a great trip!
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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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@famof4, Fully agree, but only in summer - otherwise a limited ski area, low down (often raining when it's snowing 1,000ft higher in Saalbach), and inconvenient for skiing. Now when it's connected to the Ski Circus in the next year or two......
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Tatman's Tours we're heading back to Hinterglemm for Christmas. We'll be heading to Saalbach for some of the famous evening revelry, I even have the bus times saved for the normal bus and the nightliner!
With a 15yo in tow I doubt we'll be heading to Why Not!
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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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@hammerite, Good for you! Get in touch if you'd like some ski/apres-ski guiding  . The Hinterhag Alm generally opens for serious apres-ski business on Boxing Day, or maybe the day after. We'll no doubt be doing the usual rounds - Bergeralm, Hinterhag, Bauers, Spitzbub, Bobby's, Underbar, Otzi Bar.....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We'll be out 20-27th so probably only one evening of the Hinterhagalm and I'm guessing it'll be even busier if it's the first proper session of the season.
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| Quote: |
I'm guessing it'll be even busier if it's the first proper session of the season.
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It's hard to predict, especially this year. Much depends on when the New Year week crowds arrive (Christmas week being much quieter). However we enjoy the Hinterhag when it's quieter - more of an intimate atmosphere, and the band still give 100%.
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Just to change the topic a little, but think it's still covered by the tread title,
I'm Thinking about transfers for January, from on here I get that it's best to pre book via OBB (Zurich > st Anton) to get a better advance fare than just showing up, does anyone know when they release advance fares? Is it the 90 day before usual thing? Can you set up an alert or anything like you can on the train line when a cheap fare becomes available?
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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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| mikeholmes25 wrote: |
Just to change the topic a little, but think it's still covered by the tread title,
I'm Thinking about transfers for January, from on here I get that it's best to pre book via OBB (Zurich > st Anton) to get a better advance fare than just showing up, does anyone know when they release advance fares? Is it the 90 day before usual thing? Can you set up an alert or anything like you can on the train line when a cheap fare becomes available? |
Everything you need is here: http://www.oebb.at/en/entdecken/sparschiene-europa
The cheap Sparscheine tickets are available 92 days before travel (to/from Switzerland, other countries vary), but there are limited tickets for each train rather than limited timeframe to get cheap tickets.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| famof4 wrote: |
We stayed in Zell am See, lovely town, beautiful lake to walk around, nice restaurants and bars at night.
Less than 1 hr drive for Salzburg airport - we went Boxing day 2016 for 1 week.
Not ski in/out but our apartment (AlpenParks Residence Apartments) was great location next to lift and had great ski/boot room.
You can go up to the Glacier and have access to - I think a good selection of slopes.
Have a great trip! |
Is this what's meant by "ahead of his time"?
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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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@robandliza, Unfortunately there's no mention of snow conditions on Boxing Day 2016 - guess we'll just have to keep reading forecasts and crossing fingers
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@clarky999, thats a very helpful part of the website! thanks!
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You know it makes sense.
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@mikeholmes25, there is a special ticket you can get for the train that includes the lift pass too, plus a taxi from St Anton station to your hotel and back. Can't remember what it is called but good value and cheaper than buying individually. Last used it a few years ago, so I'm not sure if they still offer it
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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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@boabski, I'll do some googling and search for that, but I'd expect it to be like the French lift pass 'offers' - only applicliable for passes of 1week+, seeing as we are just doing a short 5 day break, I assume we won't qualify!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@mikeholmes25, I can't remember. I think I was only there for 5 days??? It's in conjunction with the tourist office so maybe you could email 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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For last minute Mayrhofen is always a good shout as tons of TO rooms. Good mix of skiing and hotels are all great (well the 4 or 5 I've used). I usually DIY at New Year and Jan and TO at Easter but for a couple there's almost always a deal at any time (except NY).
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