 Poster: A snowHead
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Booked for 4th — 11th March last weekend and had a number of options.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No I think it was a seasonaires page. Will post on there.
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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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Aha, there seems to be a womens downhill competition week of 4th-11th which if announced this week would explain the sudden booking of hotels.. https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=AL&eventid=52308&seasoncode=2023
We've now booked the week after but out of interest we always tend to use Crystal and Inghams (novice I know!), do a lot of people here book direct via Saalbach.com or some other website? I'm always thinking about future trips! Thanks for any tips!
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@snorks, I am always DIY, never booked with a Crystal or Ingram’s, if it’s over 6 months in advance usually straight to hotels website as having been to Saalbach so many times know which hotels I prefer look at, once it gets to about 6 months out then its Saalbach.com for availability and then go directly to the hotel website, always the same price though.
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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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@snorks, likewise haven't done full packages for years. Resort website/booking.com and sometimes Sunweb which has quite good accommodation and ski pass bundles.
Tend to then get flights and hire car ourselves which gives more flexibility and is generally cheaper (if you book flights fairly early) though worth noting that hire car prices seem to have hiked post Covid.
This time our accomodation has been sorted chez Tatman!
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Just set up the snow alert, checked the 30 day forecast, looked at the live webcams, and will now torture myself daily checking them all again for the next three and a half months.
Have also started gathering bits and bobs (Buffs, beanies, gloves, ski socks, spare glasses, etc.), together in one bag so I know where they are and don't panic/buy stuff again before I go.
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| snorks wrote: |
Aha, there seems to be a womens downhill competition week of 4th-11th which if announced this week would explain the sudden booking of hotels.. https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=AL&eventid=52308&seasoncode=2023
We've now booked the week after but out of interest we always tend to use Crystal and Inghams (novice I know!), do a lot of people here book direct via Saalbach.com or some other website? I'm always thinking about future trips! Thanks for any tips! |
Sunweb/Snowtrex.
Can get good deals with a lift pass. We booked Saalbach a few months ago for January. Basic accommodation next to a lift + lift pass included.
Need to figure out how to get from Airport to resort. I think there is public transport bus option + a train
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@Gored, full transfer details either one or two pages back.
Public bus is the cheapest €15.00 each way from the airport with a chance at Maishofen, then the shuttle transfer 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| radar wrote: |
@Gored, full transfer details either one or two pages back.
Public bus is the cheapest €15.00 each way from the airport with a chance at Maishofen, then the shuttle transfer |
Bus 260 from the airport & bus 680 from Maishofen seems easy enough... just need to wait for timetables & hope there is one around 5pm!
Current timetables show one at 16:49
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@Gored, the bus timetable for the whole network gets published once a year, the next one due to start on 11 December, the times for the 260 and 680 are unlikely to change.
An option could be the shuttle bus one way and the 680/260 back, if the timings don’t work
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@ribblevalleyblue @Rowlski @gored thanks for the tips much obliged
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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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@snorks, I should have said we generally fly into Munich as it is so much cheaper as a family to do that and have a longer car hire journey. Definitely a longer journey all in but makes a significant price difference and also far more flexibility on flight timings.
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| radar wrote: |
@Gored, the bus timetable for the whole network gets published once a year, the next one due to start on 11 December, the times for the 260 and 680 are unlikely to change.
An option could be the shuttle bus one way and the 680/260 back, if the timings don’t work |
Shuttlebus?
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You know it makes sense.
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@Gored, pasted below from the previous page, if there’s three or more of you then a private transfer through the same company works out the same as a shared one
“ There will be a shared shuttle service run by Rudigier Reisen also know as Austrian Transfers and Gastein Taxi, we used them last March and they were fine, you pay the driver when you get on the transfer, they work differently to Holiday Shuttle and so is their pricing, if there is one of you its €100 each way if its two of you it's €120 each way (so €60 each person), if there are three or more of you then it makes sense to have a private transfer, the pricing was confirmed by email to me.
Use this link to book the shared shuttle or a private transfer https://www.gasteintaxi.com/en/services/airport-transfer/. “
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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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4 of us going 4-11 march too if anyone wants to share a transfer, can't see cars dropping below 350 a week minimum
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Poster: A snowHead
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What does the area tend to be like by mid December? Are all links usually open by then and any recognised draw backs about staying in Fieberbrunn at that time?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ster, someone on another thread asked a similar question, we have been skiing in mid December since 2016 , not had an issue , the link to Fieberbrunn is usually open, (Tatmanstours mentions it in my last repost) , personally I would opt for Saalbach as there is more choice on your doorstep, below is a repost from the other thread with more info
| ousekjarr wrote: |
@nickywicky, do you think we might have mentioned it if we thought that the chances of good snow in mid December were slim?  DON'T PANIC!
Go to https://www.saalbach.com/en/live-info/livecams and then choose the Wildenkarkogel camera. At the bottom, select Archive, and then go back to December in each of the last few years and take a look around the 15th. Here's an example:
https://saalbach.panomax.com/wildenkarkogel?t=2021-12-12+11-50-00&r=-72&z=100&tl=0
It shows the 12th December 2021. On the far left of the pano shot, you see the whole valley towards Bernkogel and Zwolferkogel covered in snow, then a bunch of skiers outside the Alm, and then the view towards Leogang.
There will be snow. There always is. Sometimes it is artificial snow on the lower slopes, usually not, but the continued existence of one of the premier resorts in Austria is not in doubt, and that's because it has a good snow record as well as excellent facilities. |
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 13-10-22 7:24; edited 2 times in total
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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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@ster, and one from me on the same thread
| radar wrote: |
@nickywicky, as @ousekjarr, mentions in his post there will be snow, we arrive 11 December and I have no doubt we will be skiing’s, @tatmanstours, has been skiing in Saalbach forever and can certainly give you his view on snow coverage better than I.
This was 11 December last year
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@ster, and one from the Sage of Saalbach
| tatmanstours wrote: |
@nickywicky, I used to travel to Saalbach during the week before Christmas, but I got so sick of being told that I’d missed a couple of weeks of great skiing on perfect, very quiet pistes, that I then began to aim to be there by around 10th December (which was easier after I retired).
That is not say that freak seasons don’t occasionally occur, when settled, anticyclonic weather blocks the snow clouds, so that it’s cold but sunny, with none of the expected snowfall, for weeks on end. And of course such weather affects all resorts in the area, or even the whole of the Alps. That last happened a few years ago. I arrived in Saalbach, expecting very limited skiing, only to be surprised how much of the area was open. It was possible to ski around the main valley, and over to Leogang and Fieberbrunn, and down to the village on the main pistes, all on artificial snow. In fact they were bussing people in from other resorts that had not invested so heavily in snowmaking infrastructure.
Naturally I’m touching wood as I write this.
Incidentally, I’m in Saalbach currently, and during the last week it’s been snowing, and the mountains have become snow-covered down to about 1,500m (about halfway up). The cows have been brought down from their high pastures, and everything seems to be proceeding as normal for the time of year. Later in the autumn you’ll be able to see on the resort webcams that the snow cannons have been switched on, as dotted white lines start to appear up and down all the main pistes (unless it snows early down to village level, as it sometimes does, in which case you will only see the cannons in action on the close-up video footage). |
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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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@radar, thanks. Good to know, thats as definitive as you can be. I did think it to be likely to be ok but wanted to check. I am looking at Fieberbrunn as a pre-Xmas option and whilst we don’t need a huge ski area it will be nice to have the links open.
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I feel that I should add that I’m an optimist but not a gambler. When I used to plan my arrival in Saalbach for around 10th December, it was always in the knowledge that there was a very good chance of a reasonable amount of skiing, and the links being open, but I was also aware that in a minority of seasons I might have to content myself with other forms of entertainment. It’s not a big deal when you have your own place and can afford to just wait (if necessary) for the conditions to match your expectations. But planning a one week skiing holiday for mid-December will always be a gamble, albeit one that may be worth taking, as the odds are favourable.
And the proximity of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier at Kaprun (25 minutes drive from Saalbach) provides some reassurance.
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| Gored wrote: |
| snorks wrote: |
Aha, there seems to be a womens downhill competition week of 4th-11th which if announced this week would explain the sudden booking of hotels.. https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=AL&eventid=52308&seasoncode=2023
We've now booked the week after but out of interest we always tend to use Crystal and Inghams (novice I know!), do a lot of people here book direct via Saalbach.com or some other website? I'm always thinking about future trips! Thanks for any tips! |
Sunweb/Snowtrex.
Can get good deals with a lift pass. We booked Saalbach a few months ago for January. Basic accommodation next to a lift + lift pass included.
Need to figure out how to get from Airport to resort. I think there is public transport bus option + a train |
Sunweb’s inclusion of free ski, passes, is pretty amazing. For instance, in Val Thorens, France, the free local area ski pass is worth €300 for six days.
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Question regarding the dotted orange ski routes at Saalbach. Are these avalanche protected? Wouldn't want to head down one without the appropriate gear, treating it as if it were a piste (albeit untouched by maintenance).
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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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Opinions on Fieberbrunn.
Looking to stay somewhere different this year and saw a good deal for Fieberbrunn. We have stayed in Zell am See the last few years . We are 4 fellas in our 50s so not looking for anything wild but don't want somewhere really quiet either.
Any info would be helpful.
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@Chick, Skied there, but not stayed. The lifts are a bus ride from town, something to be aware of.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@HutToHut, Thanks
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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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@Chick, I really enjoy skiing over to Fieberbrunn for an excursion from Saalbach. It has some nice skiing and scenery, and it has a different feel from the rest of the Ski Circus.
However the skiing there is limited, so, if it’s a week’s holiday, and you’re reasonable intermediate skiers or better, you would almost certainly be making the journey over to Saalbach and Hinterglemm, which feels like quite a trek to be undertaking more then once or twice in a week. And the TirolS gondola that gets you back to Fieberbrunn closes (going in that direction) at 3.30pm, so you’d have to get back from wherever you’d been skiing to the top of the Reiterkogel by around 3.00pm.
I would advise that you read up about it and study the piste map, and consider carefully whether you are happy to be “out on a limb”, or whether you may prefer to be at the hub of the Ski Circus in Saalbach, with the ability to ski in a different direction each day, without repeating any runs.
Depending on your chosen or preferred week, I may be able to help with accommodation - p.m. me if you need advice on that.
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@tatmanstours, Thanks for that .I think we will look elsewhere.
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You know it makes sense.
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Hey Chick,
There are two ski in ski out hotels in Fieberbrunn, Sporthotel Fontana and Tui Blue. They are fine hotels, I have stayed in both. There is a cracking bar / restaurant right next to the Tui Blue. The lift is about 100m from the doors of the boot rooms of the hotels which gives you access onto a huge amount of skiing depending on how fit you are and how many miles you want to cover. I would routinely head over to Hinterglemm from Fieberbrunn but tended to avoid Saalbach due to the crowds. Nightlife is quiet, hotel based mainly but again, depends on what you are looking for, Saalbach is too noisy for me so over that way have stayed many times in Hinterglemm.
I enjoy Fieberbrunn and would recommend it.
Happy trails
Andy.
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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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Thanks Andy. The hotel we were looking at with crystal is 2km from village so will probably pass on that one. Flights for a DIY holiday are very expensive this year from Ireland so looking for a package deal at a decent price which is a struggle this year.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I don’t think they fly from Ireland but Sunweb looks like it is worth a look. My brother in law happily uses them for our Austria trips. Hope you get something anyway, life is too short not to play in the snow 
All the best,
Andy.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Restless native, +1, Sunweb are great for this kind of thing. I've already booked an extra week of skiing I hadn't intended on thanks to their prices!
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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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We just booked a week to an all inclusive hotel in Maishofen near Saalbach with Sunweb for half term 2023. It was surprisingly affordable and lift passes are included. We booked flights to Salzburg separately with BA a couple of days ago for just £100 per person return. What really made a difference to the price was flying out a couple of days before the start of half term.
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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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Season dates
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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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Need some help on picnic areas in the Ski Circus its roof @Motherofthree,
"Another thing I would like to know if there are picnic places on the mountain in Saalbach and Zell am See? I mean warm places indoors where you can eat your own food."
I can only think of the Polten lift that has an indoor room.
@tatmanstours, your are the guru any ideas ? I've also suggested that Motherofthree ask for your guide
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Zell am see definitely has a few picnic rooms - ArietBhan has one in the middle station beside the toilets, and i'm sure the new build venue at the top of the transxpress has a picnic area.
Normally if you seek out the areas where the ski schools tend to operate you will find picnic rooms.
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@radar,there used to be one at the bottom of the Leogang bowl, once you drop over from the top of Polten and where the 2 lifts meet at the bottom. However the old lift back towards Saalbach is the one being upgraded this year and so with that work perhaps it’s a casualty
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While I'm catching up on this thread I'll ask a question I've got.
We are Hotel Die Sonne this year and we can ski down relatively close to the hotel via piste 86. The map also shows a ski route going off piste 86 that looks like it ends vaguely near the hotel.
Looking at Google Maps to try and work out where it goes it looks like you practically have to go over a tiny bridge and small road and could then ski down a field to get to the back of the hotel. Is that the ski route shown on the map or is it something else?
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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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@TomBH, it is, our apartment is in front of the Die Sonne and we use it when we can
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| radar wrote: |
| @TomBH, it is, our apartment is in front of the Die Sonne and we use it when we can |
Great, thank you!
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FAQ
