 Poster: A snowHead
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I have started on the exciting task of planning my next ski trip, this time going with friends from back home. I want to exhaust every option I can think about, In order to achieve the difficult balance between cost, snow coverage around Xmas days, resort that accommodates a group of varied abilities, and no flights to Geneva.
One hurdle in coming up with options is that it seems pretty difficult outside of France to find accommodation that fits a group of 3-4 friends. France seems to be the absolute winner as far as having cheap cramped 25sqm rooms with bunk beds.
Are there any keywords/websites that can help me find similar accommodation in Austria?
Any other tips for planning my first ski vacation with friends?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@IhaveAchance, where are you and where is "back home"?
You mention xmas days - is that the week it will be then?
You are correct in that France is particularly geared up for budget "rabbit hutch" accommodation.
One option to look for accommodation is the resort tourist information websites, or more directly accommodation agencies.
Another is Snowtrex or Sunweb that have accommodation including liftpass.
Another is Heidi.
And there is vrbo and airbnb.
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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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Cheap and Austria aren't normally seen in the same sentence. Have a look at Austrian Adventures, haus Susanne, in Radstadt...run by snowhead flangesax.
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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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@IhaveAchance, I think you need to give a few more details of where you are looking for "Austria" (and indeed "France") cover big areas. Snow sure & cheap are not usually words that go together! That said apartments in Austria tend to be more well appointed and spacious than the cheap end of the market in some French places.
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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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Pension Schattbergstube On sunweb.
Good breakfast (& evening meal if you can actually book a table - its that popular!)
Good location (right by the lift!)
Good bar (again, busy like the evening restraunt)
Rooms of all sizes, depending on how much you want to cuddle up
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@IhaveAchance, I find one of the best places to look for apartments in Austria tends to be the local tourist board websites. So for example, you want to go to Schladming, go to their local website and go to accommodation and see what comes up. https://www.schladming-dachstein.at/en/accommodations/holiday-apartments. Most resorts/areas have a website for this.
Ski areas that seem to come up a bit cheaper with tour operators in Austria (IMO) tend to be Mayrhofen and those in the Skiwelt.
Alternatively, we managed to find two really cheap deals staying at a hotel in Hinterglemm - I think with Neilson both times. It's very basic but is half board - food of questionable standard but edible - it was cheap enough that we didn't mind eating out if we needed to. The staff were super friendly though. It might be worth having a look. It's called Hotel Reisinger. The skiing is excellent and more than made up for the hotel.
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@IhaveAchance, in addition to @Gored, excellent suggestion in Saalbach, nice bar , here are some more all in Saalbach
Pension Augsburg, B&B classic Austrian
Hotel Peter, good restaurant classic Austrian
Hotel Mitterer, great location good food
Pension Hotel Eder, B&B central in Saalbach
Happy Yellow, bus stop right outside, bar and restaurant , https://www.happyellow.com/de/
If you want and Apartment DM Tatamantours
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| Layne wrote: |
@IhaveAchance, where are you and where is "back home"?
You mention xmas days - is that the week it will be then?
Another is Snowtrex or Sunweb that have accommodation including liftpass.
Another is Heidi.
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Back home is Israel.
The limitation around Xmas dates is because we want to use up our vacation days before they zero out in January 1st, and going earlier than Xmas seems risky as far as snow coverage goes. That being said you made me to relook at the calendar and seems like doing 27.12 - 03.12 is only one day of work, so it is also a possibility, thanks for that!
Never heard of Sunweb and Snowtrex before, will definitely look into them in the weekend when I have a bit more time.
| munich_irish wrote: |
| I think you need to give a few more details of where you are looking for "Austria" (and indeed "France") cover big areas. |
I did not list resorts as I didn't want to get fixated, that being said the immidiate suspects in France are 3V and Espace Killy, in Austria I am less knowledgeable about where there are high altitude resorts with reasonable prices, definitely would have liked to revisit arlberg but I guess we are getting priced out apart from maybe pettneu. Maybe I should consider something like staying in Innsbruck, but it feels like less fun to me.
| Gored wrote: |
| Pension Schattbergstube On sunweb |
This seems like quite good of a deal, thanks!
@hammerite would you say skiwelt is high enough to have good snow on Xmas?
@radar thanks for the list! appreciate that, will look into it as well in the weekend.
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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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also, one of the reasons I wanted to check Austria out even though France has good prices is that as I cannot fly to Geneva I would need to drive from Milan to the resort instead of taking a transfer or public transport. How difficult and annoying is the drive from Milan to say Tignes?
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@IhaveAchance, so all your friends will be flying from Israel and can fly to Geneva and you will be flying from elsewhere and can only fly to Milan? Not sure about the drive - google maps says 4 hours. Doing that alone will be tiring and expensive but doable. You can't fly to Lyon either?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| IhaveAchance wrote: |
| The limitation around Xmas dates is because we want to use up our vacation days before they zero out in January 1st, and going earlier than Xmas seems risky as far as snow coverage goes. That being said you made me to relook at the calendar and seems like doing 27.12 - 03.12 is only one day of work, so it is also a possibility, thanks for that! |
Christmas week will be a bit cheaper and less busy. The week before even cheaper and less busy. And if you go high you will have no problem 13.12.
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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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| IhaveAchance wrote: |
| Never heard of Sunweb and Snowtrex before, will definitely look into them in the weekend when I have a bit more time. |
They are Dutch and German respectively. High volume low price operators but solid and reliable though personally I don't use them as I find agencies in France get me similar prices and I'd rather book direct.
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@IhaveAchance, high altitude, high mileage resorts like you mention in France don't really exist so much in Austria.
Ischgl is more on that scale, but you won't find it cheap.
Saalbach-Hinterglemm is one of the biggest ski areas, but it's not high altitude.
The altitudes in Austria are generally lower than the mega resorts in France, but don't let that put you off, the weather here is different too.
You could add Mayrhofen in there too as an option, and you've got ski areas along the Zillertal plus the glacier, so plenty to go at.
Your main issue with cost is you're planning on coming at pretty much the most expensive time of the season.
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You know it makes sense.
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@IhaveAchance, I've been to Skiwelt twice for Christmas week. Once the conditions were great (based in Ellmau), the other time we went they were pretty poor. The area is mostly low so it's very much a lottery for Christmas. I have to say, although we returned once, I probably wouldn't go back there as I didn't find the skiing particularly interesting.
We've also been to Saalbach and Hinterglemm a couple of times for Christmas week. Conditions have always been good even when there's not a huge amount of natural snow. They do wonders with man made there - better than other places I've been to.
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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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Pretty much all the recommendations above are for hotels/pensions; you will find flats on Airbnb or Vrbo, or often the local tourist board website. Beware Austrian Twins. Are you going just to ski, or do you want to party too?
You won't find the sort of studio apartment that the French love that is a squeeze for two, but that also has a pair of bunk beds in the corridor and maybe a couple of airbeds as well as the sofa bed. Sleeps six, entire place barely bigger than a double bed, €600 for New Year week, Tignes.
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