 Poster: A snowHead
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I’m now considering doing a traditional Saturday to Saturday as it may be easier to book and also offer a better choice of accomodation. I suppose it would be a little more relaxing not moving about too.
The question is what would offer the best variety and a typical taste of European skiing? Christmas week at one of the higher Austrian resorts like Ischgl or the Arlberg or New Year week in the Dolomites?
I get that both should be enjoyable but is there a reason one is a better option than the other? Is it too early (in a normal year) to hope for a ‘winter wonderland’ snow in the streets in the Dolomites?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@sbooker, early season I'd do the Arlberg. Lech or even better Oberlech can be magical at that time of year.
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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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Could someone give me a rough indication as far as crowds are concerned between New Year week and the following week please?
Are we talking significantly busier?
Thanks.
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@sbooker, the week of 29th December - 5th January (New Year Week) is about the busiest of the season in most resorts. The week 5-12th January is significantly quieter.
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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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Xmas week is probably only 1/2-2/3 as busy as new year, though my experience of both is in France and Italy. Christmas day itself is quiet on the slopes as the locals tend to celebrate Xmas on the evening of the 24th.
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@sbooker, new year week is the busiest of the season, the week after the quietest. All of January is quiet, then all of Feb is busier but not as bad as new year. Christmas week is also quite here in Austria - crowds start gathering from the 26th. This year has been a true winter wonderland from mid November. Ange 
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@sbooker, just to clarify - Im referring to the area Im living in - Ski Amade near Salzburg, Ive no idea about other parts of Austria. Ange
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Thanks all.
We’ll plan to do the main Saturday to Saturday skiing the week after New Years. We’ll do touring of cities the new year week.
I’m thinking Dolomites might be best for us for that week. Which village would be most suitable if we are wanting to do the Great War tour, the Sella Ronda, the Marmolada, the la longia run etc?
And which major airport is easiest to access from said village? Milan or Venice?
It seems getting to and from some of these villages can be a challenge? Considering the cost of transfers would it be more convenient to hire a car for that week even though we would not use it during the week?
Thanks again.
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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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Thank you!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Corvara looks good too. Is it more difficult to access from Venice? Or could we use the transfer service to Arabba and catch a taxi from there? Is it a long drive between the two?
Google shows only 16 minutes but I don’t know if that Road is open in winter.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Sun 28-01-18 1:18; edited 1 time in total
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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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Definitely don’t discount France. I’m Australian and have skied a few times in France and would happily go back. Three Valleys is absolutely amazing and has something for everyone. Seven days won’t be enough! Yes there will be the occasional rude person but they are usually such an over the top French stereotype it’s amusing more than anything else. The worst customer service I’ve come across in Europe was in a mountain restaurant in Zurich, Austria.
If you can find a half board place with good food it can be great. If you’ve had a long day on the slopes it’s really relaxing knowing you can just head to the dining room and not have to go out again unless you want to. Also great if the weather is inclement 
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@Raven, What are you on? Zurich is in Switzerland. It is not in Austria.
France is more expensive for food etc than Italy/Austria.
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You know it makes sense.
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Another option might be to look at flying on Munich (as suggested earlier in the thread) for visiting a concentration camp and absorbing some of the Bavarian culture (and beer 😉).
For skiing, and generally experiencing a decent sized area that has masses to offer, not just in terms of slope-related activities, it might be worth considering a Salzburger Super Ski pass.
The opportunities for building a really memorable itinerary for your holiday are limitless....superb resorts, spa towns, ice skating, Christmas markets, charming and genuinely pretty Austrian towns, amazing scenery, fun seasonal events etc, etc.
Of course, a car would be ideal and a commitment to planning an itinerary. But I’m pretty sure it would be worth 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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Whoops. That should be Zurs, not Zurich. To be fair Zurs isn’t exactly a ‘typical’ Austrian resort and most service in Austria was fine. Austrians did seem a bit baffled by my Australian sense of humour though
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Poster: A snowHead
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The road between Arabba and Corvara is usually open. In fact it better be open this weekend. And next weekend.
Definitely need winter tyres on the car, and carry snow chains.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Corvara looks good too.
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We are happy to be on skis and if we're cruising blues taking in nice scenery we'll be delighted. |
Corvara could be a good choice for you. It's great for cruising blues in nice scenery and provides good access to the dolomite's sights you mention such as the Great War tour, the Sella Ronda, the Marmolada, the la longia run, Santa Croce, etc and of course you can ski down the Gran Risa WC piste.
The pass between Arabba and Corvara is mostly kept open and only closed for few days at most if there's been a mega dump of snow.
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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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1. We can be in Europe between about December 19, 2018 and January 14, 2019.
2. We can and expect to fly into one city and fly out of another. eg Munich and Milan.
3. We see this as a holiday with skiing rather than a dedicated ski holiday. I would like to get in 8 or 10 days on skis I guess.
4. We definitely want to visit a city with a Christmas market, visit a city close to one of the concentration camps so we can do a tour (a little perverse I understand) and definitely want to visit Venice. We are less likely to visit big cities (eg Milan) than we are visit mountain towns with mountain scenery (eg Aosta).
5. This site has helped me understand we would be less comfortable in France than we would be in Austria or Italy due to the reported French 'attitude'.
6. We have no budget restrictions but I'm a tight back bottom deep down and I dislike the feeling of being fleeced. I expect we'll avoid Switzerland due to the reported high prices and exchange rate.
7. We have not experienced the raucous euro apres ski so that is not needed but I suppose we'd be open to checking it out. A few beers before dinner and a wine or two at dinner before a fairly early night is normally our routine.
8. I have a strong preference for proper ale type beer. I do not do generic 'easy drinking' lager.
9. We are open to travel on trains but are equally comfortable hiring a vehicle if that is needed.
10. I have never done the 'half board' style lodging and admit that doesn't sound very appealing. We like the idea of breakfast at the hotel, lunch on the mountain and dinner at a local (walk to) restaurant in the evening. I guess we'd be prepared to try it for a few nights if needed.
11. I love the sound of the Dolomites but I don't know how I would feel skiing down a white ribbon with green on the side. Maybe I would find it acceptable?
12. We have never been in the one ski resort for 7 days in a row. We normally ski a couple of days, do a tourist thing for a day and have another couple of days skiing. If we were in a resort for a full week we would want some other activities to break up the week.
13. We would need to rent skis (and boots in the kids case).
14. The only language we speak is Strayan.
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1. This season in Europe has been fantastic, but given the altitude of most resorts, the snowfall totals are the exception rather than the rule. I'm a US based skier, who has skied in Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland over the past few seasons(~30 days total). Altitude makes a huge difference. I suspect we've been unlucky but have had very marginal conditions even in February and mid March. Don't expect Colorado snow or you'll be very disappointed. Two seasons ago we visited friends in Vienna the week before Christmas and then drove to Zell am See/Kaprun. Being used to skiing in the western US, we hoped conditions in Austria would be decent by the 3rd week in December. We were wrong, there was very little snow in Austria apart from the glaciers there was very little snow and it was too warm for effective snow making. After skiing in Zell am See we spent a couple days in Salzburg right before Christmas. The atmosphere was magical and in some ways the best part of the trip. I'd much prefer to be in Austria vs France or Italy around Christmas.
2. I'd look into flying into Munich or Innsbruck
3. This is how we have viewed it. Even the skiing itself is so different it feels like a cultural experience.
4. As I said, Salzburg was stunning, I'm sure Innsbruck does a great job as well. Again, strong preference for the German speaking world here vs Italy or France.
5. Have only skied Chamonix in France and can say lift lines were a mess, no one was particularly friendly, even those I was paying (guides/ski hire). I've experienced a friendlier vibe in other countries.
6. We were in Switzerland last year and felt it wasn't outrageously expensive. If you're used to skiing in the US, Switzerland is still a lot cheaper. The Euro has rallied quite a bit against both the USD & AUD in the past year. In fact, I've found that France looks very expensive this year vs comparable places in Switzerland.
8. Most creative beer making seems to be in Italy, although haven't experienced it in resort. I was told IPAs are "so over" a couple years ago in a bar in Milan. Decent beer to be had in France.
10.We had never done the half-board either and were highly skeptical. But, had a fantastic experience with it in Austria. As others have said, it takes some of the stress out of planning. You don't need to worry about figuring out where to eat dinner, making reservations etc. That said, when you travel half way around the world, you want to experience the culture and I'm not sure eating in the same place every night is a great way to do that.
11. If you're committed to Venice you'll have to risk it.
12. Lots to do in and around Innsbruck. In the dolomite you can check out Bolzano in addition to Venice.
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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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Thanks for all the advice so far.
We’re now sure we want to do a full Saturday to Saturday the week after New Year (commencing 5/1/19).
Not being familiar with European snow patterns we are now throwing out our preconceived ideas and are now open to anywhere in the alps.
We like the idea of doing plenty of miles and want to have the ability to check out little towns and villages. It’s not imperative but we would welcome the chance of doing a day or two off piste with a guide if conditions allow.
Also now happy to do the half board or catered chalet type accomodation.
Just to recap we’re probably advanced intermediate skiers.
We will base the rest of our itinerary around this last week of our holiday so we can be near any major airport at all - Geneva, Milan, Munich, Venice etc.
Any ideas of an ideal resort for this time frame?
There seems to be so many great options it’s difficult to decide.
Thanks.
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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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I've posted on similar threads before, so apologies to those who've seen this already:
How about basing yourself in the middle of a ski area, in the valley, and then make excursions each day to somewhere interesting? For example, at a Swiss thermal resort like the Bains de Saillon (https://www.bainsdesaillon.ch/en/) in the Valais Rhône Valley, between Martigny and Sion? This would place you near to Verbier and the 4 Vallées, Crans-Montana, Les Diablerets and even (just about a day trip) Chamonix and Zermatt.
It would also mean that you had some choice if the conditions at any one resort were below par. Plus, if the weather was hopelessly foggy/snowy, and there really wasn't any point to going out in a whiteout, you could just stay in the resort and do the 'wellness' spa thing, or visit some local attractions (like a day on the Lake Geneva steamboats, the Fondation Giannada in Martigny, or pootle 'round an old town like Sion.
Take a look at the Swiss Tourist Board website at www.myswitzerland.com - which should give you an idea of what's available, and which also often has special offers combining accomodation and skiing etc.
I can't help thinking that you're trying to pack too much into an unrealistically short time. For example, a week in Verbier wouldn't exhaust its 400Kms of pistes. My suggestion is something in-between a frantic dash from one place to another and being in the same place all the time. Just a thought.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@sbooker, I think you're back to the earlier proposal of Dolomites, village on Sella Ronda circuit, from Venice airport. That would be my choice.
They have such excellent snowmaking facilities and piste management that even in a poor natural snow season you should be fine.
Arabba, Corvara and Selva would be my recommendations for a base. Arabba closest for specific places you wanted to visit, highlighted in your earlier thread.
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| PeakyB wrote: |
@sbooker, I think you're back to the earlier proposal of Dolomites, village on Sella Ronda circuit, from Venice airport. That would be my choice.
They have such excellent snowmaking facilities and piste management that even in a poor natural snow season you should be fine.
Arabba, Corvara and Selva would be my recommendations for a base. Arabba closest for specific places you wanted to visit, highlighted in your earlier thread. |
Reign it in fella. One of the best aspects of the area is that it's not over run by Brits. You're sounding like you've swallowed a Sudtirol tourism brochure after your last trip.
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Thanks. The Switzerland suggestion is worth looking into.
We intend on doing a little less moving around than we had originally planned.
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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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It's only the ski resorts that are really limited to booking hotels by the week. In the cities you'll find plenty of availability for whatever you want on sites like Trivago or Booking.com.
In Munich I'd recommend the Schiller5 hotel, really nice rooms, great breakfast and less than 10 minutes walk to the Christmas ice rink etc.
I'd also add Salzburg to your itinerary - it's a beautiful little city and a great place to spend a day or two. Hotel Elefant is right in the centre of the pedestrian area which is where you want to be.
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Hi, I've just been reading your thread. I'm very like you on non ski holidays and like to get out to eat different places each night. However on a ski holiday it becomes a bit different, many of the UK operators offer "chalet" board, which is breakfast and evening meal with wine included with dinner. There is very little meal choice with this, you are told that nights menu in the morning, many will make an alternative if given notice. But the food we've had has always been really good, and service is usually fab.
Many of us brits just go to ski all day, then a few beers at apres, then dinner in the chalet/Hotel. I suppose as Europe is so close and flights so cheap, sightseeing is for other times!
I really love Austria, its well priced mountain food is also really good. I've skied France twice, its a bit pricier all round!
For altitude and a great ski area, I recommend Obergurgl, we've been twice, with the option of away day in Solden where they filmed some of the last James Bond.
Obergurgl has some lovely larger luxury hotels, or we stayed at the Piste side Chrustorphus Haus. It has great skiing at altitude and seems to get good snowfall, and the slightly barmy "Nedderhutte" for live music 3 days a week, dance on the tables silliness apres for all the family. You ski back on the floodlit slope, or hitch a lift on their skidoo taxi. Great fun! There's not huge amounts of other rowdiness, and quite a quiet resort otherwise, but also really lovely.
Then there's Lech, another beautiful Austrian resort, again high, huge ski area, which has just linked with St Anton. Very subtle apres ski with champagne bars!
Both use Insbruk as their base. But probably accessible from many other airports. Don't rule out flying between places, look at Ryanair maybe for connections. Lots of resorts may look close together, but getting up and down to them takes time. We did a summer road trip through the dolomites once, and stayed in Livingio, nearish to Venice, and the Italian lake Garda.
I've only skied Italy once, Cervinia last year. We lost a morning due to high winds, which I think it's prone to. We tried Club Med there, which might be good for the kids? But was huge! Our adult group of 15 all decided we prefer a small hotel or chalet.
Good luck choosing a resort, so many to choose from. I only speak English but always try to be polite and Learn some phrases, and have got by with no problems at all.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@LaForet, @goweje,
Hi there,
I am looking for advice for a family of 5,(older kids) for an Austrian Ski Vacation from Dec 22-29. Our dates are flexible. We are seeking an pretty village, decent skiing, and perhaps an opportunity to visit other areas. What do you suggest? I prefer a half board or catered chalet. Can you recommend a travel agent or tour company? I am getting so confused!
Thank You!
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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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@Gmcweston, welcome to Snowheads.
You should start a new thread.
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@Gmcweston, Indeed start a new thread you will get more replies. If you have the budget look at Lech, pretty and snow sure, Warth next door is a bit cheaper but not so easy to get to and not so much accommodation. Less snow sure spots would include Kitzbühel and Saalbach Hinterglemm. It is easy to organise all this yourself no need for a tour company.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Gmcweston, An advantage of Saalbach Hinterglemm is that, if it hasn’t received much snow by then, you’ve got the fallback of skiing on the nearby snowsure Kitzsteinhorn glacier. Indeed, for that reason, you might want to consider staying in Zell am See, situated between Saalbach and the Kitzsteinhorn. The local lift pass covers Zell, Saalbach Hinterglemm and the Kitzsteinhorn. Nearest airport is Salzburg.
There are other Austrian resorts close to glaciers too.
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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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@Gmcweston,
Obertauern, Obergurgl/hochgurgl, Ischgl, are all resorts I've skied early December without any snow problems, They tend to be pretty snow sure. Ischgl and obertauern have easy access to other ski areas (make sure you buy the correct ski pass). Obergurgl/Hochgurgl pass does allow you to ski in Solden.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Another option might be to look at flying on Munich (as suggested earlier in the thread) for visiting a concentration camp and absorbing some of the Bavarian culture (and beer
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@Cacciatore, As a matter of interest, which concentration camp offers the best Bavarian culture and beer? 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Gmcweston,
Yep. Start another thread.
But while we’re here have a look at the Zillertal just outside of Innsbruck. Reasonably priced, heaps of skiing at different areas that are easy to get to, and just a tad higher that some of the surrounding ski domains. And just to underline the snow surety there is the Hintertux glacier close by that offers extensive skiing should the snow gods not be delivering.
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FAQ
