 Poster: A snowHead
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| JohnS4 wrote: |
| Like @munich irish said, I wouldn't ski anywhere but the Arlberg now. But the set of requirements by the OP sound better suited to the big French resorts. I've skied 3v in France and been disappointed compared to St Anton bur everyone has there own requirements and some places fit those better than others. I'm in St Anton now, had a fantastic day skiing, now in A lively bar in town. For me it doesn't get better than here. |
Possibly you’re right and the French alps are more my taste; however, I’ve never been anywhere else so I’d like to find out  . Part of the reason for travelling anywhere abroad is to try new things and if I’m honest, a ski holiday is about more than just skiing - especially for my girlfriend who has only been once apart from a couple of trips to Hemel. She wants to sit in nice alpine cafes and drink hot chocolate, eat food we can’t pronounce, go coo over at sled dogs etc as much as she wants to ski.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll decide Austria isn’t for me and head back to France for my next trip but hey ho, you only get so many winters in your life and I’m sure Val Thorens, Tignes etc will survive without me for a year.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| ousekjarr wrote: |
Don't get me wrong - I'm a regular and enthusiastic visitor to most of these places, but when someone asks for recommendations for ski-in/ski-out and says they've mostly visited the 3V, I don't think most of these cut it unless/until the OP says that they don't mind downloading or taking a bus back from the lift. Hence my recommendations of Saalbach-Hinterglemm, and the Arlberg (where I've never been, but it comes up regularly when people ask for ski-in/ski-out). By definition, ski out requires runs below the accommodation, and that's a rarity as a whole in my experience. I've stayed in some which are close - walk over the road, clip in and go - but nothing to match the very few where you can open the door, drop your skis, step into them, and ski off. |
Fair enough, and don't get me wrong either: 1. no arguments about lack of ski out accom (think I mentioned that but may have been another thread) 2. yep Arlberg and Saalbach would both work well for OP and 3. everyone is entitled to their opinion...
...But I still disagree with some of yours haha 
Westendorf for example. I've done 6 weeks of holidays there before I moved to AT, and last skied there for a day around 3 weeks ago. There's a red and a blue piste right to the village, with a ski depot right at the bottom, and pretty much all hotels within a few minutes walk (we used to stay at the Glockenstuhl which even at the other end of the village is a 5 minute walk tops). I really don't understand why you'd ever download from the mid-station (even my very nervous snowploughing Mum skis/skied down happily at the end of the day, even late season), no need for a bus 'cos the piste goes all the way, and personally I find those runs fun enough to ski multiple times a day, not just at the end (again, excepting the last 100m where you cut skiers right to the village/away from the Alpenrosenbahn bottom station).
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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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@PrinceJohn, as you'll have seen, even though we don't always agree about which bits of Austria are best, we're all pretty keen on the country. Hopefully you'll find out why when you visit!
It's not France and hopefully never will be anything like it, it's different - but also the same, as it's full of people looking for fun on snow
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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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@PrinceJohn, I would guess once you have been to Lech you will not want to go anywhere else again  There are good reasons that it has been a hideaway for the rich & famous for nearly a hundred years.
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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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first time visit this year (late January) to Zurs, Alberg Region - loved it (usually ski 3V, Paradiski)
Zurs is great if you are not too fussed about lively bars - although Lech is a very short easy bus ride away.
Our hotel was 1 minute at most from chair, you could ski back to hotel - or 5 mins walk to gondola to take you St. Anton direction.
None of the accommodation looked very far from any lifts.
Once we got the gist of the piste map (theres another story there) we soon were easily clocking up the miles.
Lifts were very fast and pistes were excellent.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| ousekjarr wrote: |
| @PrinceJohn, as you'll have seen, even though we don't always agree about which bits of Austria are best, we're all pretty keen on the country. |
I’d noticed 
It’s not looking like I’ll be able to get away from work again this season so roll on next winter when, if I can convince who I’ll be going with to try it out, hopefully I’ll break my Austrian duck.
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@PrinceJohn, have you decided yet where you're ski tripping?
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| Dippy wrote: |
first time visit this year (late January) to Zurs, Alberg Region - loved it (usually ski 3V, Paradiski)
Zurs is great if you are not too fussed about lively bars - although Lech is a very short easy bus ride away.
Our hotel was 1 minute at most from chair, you could ski back to hotel - or 5 mins walk to gondola to take you St. Anton direction.
None of the accommodation looked very far from any lifts.
Once we got the gist of the piste map (theres another story there) we soon were easily clocking up the miles.
Lifts were very fast and pistes were excellent. |
if someone can afford the prices of Zürs, and he is not interested for Apres, i dont see why somebody has to go somewhere else..
except if he wants to see other places
Maybe an excemption for Dolomiten, because is also something extraordinary (for me), but otherwise....
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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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In reviewing the OP's criteria I'd suggest Serfaus. Ticks all the boxes except ski-in/out, but its subway saves a lot of walking in its own unique way. Not much English spoken there, which is fun and makes it more of a trip for me.
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All these pictures of Germ Knodels are making me feel quite full.
Dont forget the Kaiser Schmarme however its spelt.
Schwein Haxen would be nice too.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Kaiserschmarrn
Germknödel
Schweinshaxe
though the spelling of all of them can be variable eg on touristy menus
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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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| PrinceJohn wrote: |
Thank you to everyone for their very helpful replies. After doing a bit of Googling I think I’ve decided that one of the Arlberg villages, probably Lech, would be the best fit for what I’m looking for.
One question I would have for those who have done the drive from Calais; which route would be best? Apple Maps seems to spit out three different options, each within 15 minutes or so of the other in terms of total time. All passing Reims then some options:
1. Nancy - Basel - Zurich
2. Metz - Strasbourg - Villingen-Schwenningen
3. Metz - Stuttgart - Ulm
Out of those three, does anyone who’s done the drive before know which would be the best? |
The A26 across Northern France is usually quiet so higher speeds can be maintained without hold ups. Then A4 Metz, across to Saarbrucken and Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Ulm. After that depends which Austrian destination.
I would say traffic is an issue, particularly at a weekend on roads into and out of Austria. In my experience travel out (into Austria) on a Sunday, avoid Saturdays. Also time of year is a factor traffic wise, i.e. avoid school holidays and March.
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My recommendation for travel would be head to Lille, go past Charleroi on the E42 in Belgium, past Namur and head to Luxembourg....all toll free. Once in Luxembourg, head to Saarbrucken and onto Karlsruhe, there are some variations on which way to go, as the A8 road going past Pirmasens is a nice route but goes into single lanes so can get busy, it all depends on what time you drive through. Once past Karlsruhe, then whichever Austrian resort you are heading to, it is easy autobahn access, but depends on what day you are travelling, try to avoid Saturday if at all possible as it gets busy. I have done this route a few times and find it really easy with no tolls.
We travel early from Nottingham, get a 8am crossing and then hope to hit around Karlsruhe/Stuttgart for an overnight stop.
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You know it makes sense.
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With an early crossing, about 7a.m, it is reasonably easy to do Calais to Austria in one day, about 10 hours including short stops and no prolonged traffic hold ups. But you have to move on and two drivers. You can be in the resort in time for apres-ski!
East Tyrol, Kitbuehel are good examples.
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