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Austria Help

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Another help me choose a holiday post!

I'm trying to work out where we can get away too this year?
It's a family holiday with my Brother and Sister in law coming (driving) from the south of France, and us (my wife, our 3 year old and me) coming from Scotland. We've decided we'd like to try Austria. We've been in France most previous years and we're attracted by the better value we hear about in Austria (and this is coming from the French contingent fed up with French lift pass prices).

So where should we look at? I've been in Soll before, really enjoyed it, apart from the walk to the bottom lift.
Two of us are decent black/light off piste skiers, the ladies enjoy the more flowing runs but can easily handle reds.
We'll have my daughter with us, 3 years old, previously we've alternated one day on one day off to look after her, so something to do in the town would be ideal. Hopefully we'll also introduce her to ski school too!

So thats about it, we're planning the start of February but can be flexible.

Look forwards to reading any suggestions, thanks in advance.

Chris.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
What time of year cinglis?
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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?
Hey, we're aiming for the first week of February, but not constrained by school holidays, (yet) so we can move it.
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My suggestion would be Saalbach, which, together with St Anton and Ischgl, is generally reckoned to be one of Austria’s top three resorts. 270km of genuinely, fully interlinked skiing. Plenty of slopeside, ski-in ski-out accommodation. A nice village with plenty going on and typically exuberant, Austrian apres-ski.
Feels a little like the French 3Vs, with long-distance cruising and daily itineraries being the order of the day. Lovely mountain restaurants - around 60 in total - and reasonable prices.
Plenty of good, reasonably priced places to eat in the village - so you can dine out every night and really get to know the place and the people.
If you would like a copy of my comprehensive guide (running into 20 or so pages), PM me your email address.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I don't think you will find much difference in lift pass prices. The difference seems to come in the piece of food & drink, and in the quality and size of accommodation. I also really like the short transfer, on great roads, to many resorts.
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Thankyou, excellent advise just what I wanted. I'll drop you an PM.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@cinglis, first week of February is 'Vienna week', i.e. almost a third of the population of Austria has holidays that week together with some areas of Germany. It's pretty much the busiest week of the season other than New Year week.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Thanks, Frosty

I seem to remember that from Soll, 4 beers for the price of one in Val'
We were in Chamonix last season, and it was the French side of our family that found the lift pass prices there high.

Cheaper (or bigger) accommodation will help though.
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Thanks @queenie_pretty_please

I had no idea about that holiday, I think we may look to change some dates.
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Kitzbühel might work well, there is the town to do things in if not skiing, there are a number of black runs, some off piste plus plenty of reds & blues, it is not the cheapest place and not much of the accommodation is besides the pistes.

I have a soft spot for the Ski Amade area as it where I first went skiing, not so much black / off piste stuff, lots of skiing spread over a wide area, easy to get to Salzburg both for flights and day trip. Wagrain or Flachau might be good bases, Zauchensee has less skiing on the doorstep but most accommodation is piste side.

Saalbach Hinterglemm is popular here, not so convinced personally, it does have a couple of reasonably challenging blacks and some off piste, especially towards Fieberbrunn, plenty of other skiing, a good deal of the accommodation is near the pistes, the village centres might be a bit "lively" for families though there are quieter spots.

Less well known in the UK is Serfaus / Fiss which promotes itself as very family friendly, has a large area with a good variety of skiing, the villages are pretty much car free, would be a bit less of a drive from France.

Lech is great but not cheap

Obviously lots of other places too, given early February conditions are likely to be at their best you should have a good time in practically all of them.
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We are going to Austria for Feb half term and staying in flangesax place in Radstadt.

https://www.austrian-adventures.com/accommodationandprices.html

The local ski school takes children from 3.

Obviously haven’t been yet so not a recommendation as such but worth looking at, as they have 1 room which takes 3 people and another which is a family room.
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Another vote for Serfaus/Fiss/Ladis. Great resort for all levels, and Serfaus is the only town outside Vienna in Austria with an underground railway! No cars in Serfaus.
Other than that you will not be making any mistakes with any of Kitzbühel, Saalbach/Hinterglemm/Fieberbrunn, any of the towns on the Arlberg, though for intermediates probably Lech would suit better.
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Ive become a fan of skiing Austria after many years of France. Kitzbuhel is my go to resort, plenty of great skiing, lovely historical town. Plenty to see and do if not skiing, a great swimming pool. . Most town centered hotels are 5-10mins walk to the Hahnenkahm gondola, ski lockers available to rent there, along with a ski hire shop.

While the skiing isnt as extensive as France, the cleanliness, efficiency and beauty of the country out weighs that. Also transfer times are fat shorter.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:

not so much black / off piste stuff

@munich_irish.... you gotta start looking a bit harder wink
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKuLdsKtc5JPuiw41ijresg/playlists?view_as=subscriber
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
1. Lech.
2. Saalbach.
3. Ischgl.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Second for Kitzbuhel given the non skiing requirement, and the time of year
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Another recommendation for Kitzbuhl. It was the first ski school we used for my daughter when she was just 3 and it was ideal she just went for mornings (our choice) and we would pay each morning with the price going down each day. Because the lifts are free for them we'd have a gondala ride in the afternoon or a trip to the pool.

Zell am See is also good with the kids. Slopes especially for them with dragons to hunt for. Walks near the lake, swimming pool. Again lifts are free for them so you can go on the mountain.
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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?
@cinglis, beware of @Whitegold, when it pops out from under the fiercely guarded bridge it'll make openly bold claims about places it's never been... I'm not convinced it's ever even seen snow!
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@cinglis, you can't go far wrong with Ski Amadé, very varied and family-friendly. Check if flangesax has availability, it's the best chalet in town. Other suggestions such as Saalbach, Kitzbühel, SkiWelt also all good. I don't personally know Serfaus, but I have heard good things. Outside of the peak February weeks you should have no trouble finding something suitable.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
[quote="cinglis"]
I seem to remember that from Soll, 4 beers for the price of one in Val'
/quote]

Thorens? Gardena? tournenche? D'Isere? Where? Puzzled
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Thanks all for the help, lots of research for me to do!
Big help with the holiday weeks!

@Bergmaster, Val' D'Isere, folie Douce was where I was thinking of. We were there the year prior to Soll, so it made the contrast more stark.
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@cinglis, just for your info, here are the Austrian Holiday dates :
Spring holiday 2019 Vienna and Lower-Austria 04-02-2019 09-02-2019 06 (Mainly eastern Austria)
Spring holiday 2019 Burgenland, Carinthia, Salzburgerland, Tyrol, Vorarlberg 11-02-2019 16-02-2019 ( West/SW)
Spring holiday 2019 Upper Austria, Steiermark 18-02-2019 23-02-2019 (South)
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@queenie pretty please, there are only 3 regions on Germany out of the 15 that have holidays in the 1st week of February, and most of those regions are the East, so wouldn't have thought it would be that busy compared to say the UK half term holiday..
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@cinglis, Kitzbuhel would be my suggestion, flying into Salzburg (or Munich).
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@Simon94, I think Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Czech Rep. are all on school holiday too.
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@Simon94, UK half term is not so relevant here, the British contingent are a small proportion of overall visitors. Vienna week was busier than New Year week last season, but pretty much all of February is busy with the various German, Dutch and Scandi holidays. Fasching is late this season (first week of March) so it doesn't coincide with the semester holidays but it will also be a busy week.
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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.
flangesax wrote:
@Simon94, I think Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Czech Rep. are all on school holiday too.


http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=3107903&highlight=european+school+holidays#3107903
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
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@Hyst, it's almost as if I knew what I was talking about wink
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
flangesax wrote:
@Simon94, I think Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Czech Rep. are all on school holiday too.


Denmark is week 7 wink
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@DanishRider, Right you are.... But I love guests from Denmark.... week 6 will be nothing without those Great Danes!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
flangesax wrote:
@DanishRider, Right you are.... But I love guests from Denmark.... week 6 will be nothing without those Great Danes!

... and beer we love Happy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I also rate Salbaach and Kitz, be aware that Kitz town is quite expensive for Austria, try Kirchberg for access to the same skiing at less cost. If apres is less of an issue for a family trip, and for some of the best value for money, consider Westendorf. You get access to Skiwelt one way and Kitz the other and I think the local hill is the best in Skiwelt. The skischool and nursery slope is right in town so sheltered and easy for a 3yo. Less apres than Saalbach and not quite as amazing a ski area with not much offpiste, but still huge with excellent lifts. Unlike Soll the village is directly at the slopes so minimal walking required. The village is very popular with Dutch families so avoid NL holidays and it should not be too busy.
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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?
DanishRider wrote:
flangesax wrote:
@Simon94, I think Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Czech Rep. are all on school holiday too.


Denmark is week 7 wink


Last season we had a very early Saturday morning flight back home after a week in Schladming for U.K. half term. The only other cars on the motorway heading towards Salzburg had Danish or Dutch plates! It was Fasching week too and we didn’t feel it was too busy anywhere apart from the scrum for the Rohrmoos 2 man chair.
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Not many plugs for the Gastein valley. Plenty to get stuck into up there. Less well known to us Brits is the Hoch Konig area. An Austrian gem tucked away.
The west side of Austria would be Montafon valley with several lovely resorts up there.
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@Rogerdodger, Yup, the Hoch Konig Tour is a pretty long day, you get to ski a lot of linked mountains.
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+1 for Westendorf; lovely village with everything central and access to the slopes is literally on your doorstep. The local kitzbuheler alpen website is great for finding accomodation as it has much more availability than booking.com. If you ski over to Kitzbuhel its easy and convenient to get a bus or train back at the end of the day so you can maximise your time on the Hahnenkamm Very Happy
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In fairness, if you're comparing prices to Val d'Isere and Chamonix, most places are going to seem more reasonably priced.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
If you are wanting shot of a three year old you need an all day ski school. Only one in Austria I have used was in St Anton, took the little ankle biters all day and weren't fussed when you missed the 4 o'clock collection by a good half an hour as you were in Lech for the day Smile Bonus was the younger Ghost Pup learned to ski a bit.

Alternatively, and not actually in Austria (but it does do a good impersonation) Selva in the Dolomites. Another all day ski school, cheaper, food wise than France. And one of the most beautiful places to ski.
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Saalbach.

Huge area, no queues, lots of red run skiing.

And for your daughter the nursery slope has a chair lift!

Kitzbuhel also not too bad, bit more expensive, a bit less skiing and a bit more queuing than Saalbach.
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@buchanan101, ... and it does all day ski school for the “little ankle-biters”.
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