 Poster: A snowHead
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Trying to think of a different way to approach a ski trip.
For several years we have stayed in Les Allues and driven the short drive to Meribel or La Praz. This is hardly inconvenient and Les Allues has a couple of restaurants and a good bar so is a cost effective and enjoyable solution.
Which gets me thinking, what other places in Austria, Italy or France could we stay, that gives us access to a couple (or more) smaller resorts within 15 or so minutes drive?
The idea would be to explore a couple of areas for two or three days each.
We are mainly piste skiing intermediates and like a decent mountain lunch.
Any thoughts?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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DavidYacht, Radstadt/Altenmarkt Pleasant but quiet towns that have their own small but very nice hill, access to lots of places all, on the same lift pass - Flachau (linked to Wagrain and Alpendorf 5-10 mins), Zauchensee 10 mins by free bus, linked to Flachauwinkle and Kleinarl, Schaldming/Reiteralm 25 mins. Great for top value lunches 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Briancon
Embrun
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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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If you're happy with Meribel and La Praz being separate resorts (as you can ski from one to the other) then there will be hundreds of places that meet your requirements.
In the same area for example Bozel would provide very easy access to La Praz and Champagny which in turn is linked to La Plagne and Les Arcs. You can ski a day in Paradiski using your 3V pass.
Another option would be something like the Maurienne valley which has a number of separate but nearby resorts. They used to offer a safari ski pass where you could ski a day or two in each but I think someone said that had been discontinued.
Somewhere like Chamonix also fits the bill with a number of separate ski areas all covered by the same pass.
Or Bourg St Maurice, which would give you easy access to Les Arcs, St Foy, and (although more than 15 minutes) Tignes.
These are just a few I'm familiar with and I'd wager that there are relatively few ski resorts in the Alps that are more than 30 minutes from the next one, meaning you could pick just about anywhere and base yourself half way between them.
For an idea of how densely populated the Alps are with resorts, someone made a google map overlay of a lot of them a year or so ago and posted links on here.
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Interesting tread.
Could stay somewhere in Zillertal valley and easy drive to Mayrhofen, Zell Am Ziller, Kaltenbach - Hochzillertal, plus Hintertux Glacier a bit further away. Same ski pass, around 800km.
http://www.skiadaptable.co.uk/media/Zillertal%20Piste%20Map%281%29.jpg
There are more valleys where you can do it (not always necessary on the same ski pass).
Frosty the Snowman, also Obertauern will be doable from there.
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DavidYacht, I've always thought that basing yourself in Landeck would be good to explore the western Austrian resorts. Very close to Solden/Obergurgl, the Arlberg resorts, Serfaus/Fiss/Ladis and the Panznaun valley for Kappl/Ischgl/Galtur. Have never stayed there but it's a town rather than ski resort.
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Aosta.
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Eben or Bischofshofen in Salzburgerland would have you in several really good resorts in that time limit. Extend it to 30 minutes and the choice is pretty well limitless and you would need a lot more than a week to do it justice.
I think Imst would be abetter choice boabski than Landeck and Feldkirch in Vorarlberg would give you a pretty good selction as well.
Kufstein and Wörgl are other proper towns that come to mind offering a good network of resorts nearby.
In France I think there are also many places to choose from. I used Briancon a couple of times as well as Embrun. Grenoble is quite a good base as well.
Brunneck in Südtirol also springs to mind and perhaps Bozen although the choice within 15 minutes is more limited.
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Pyrenees
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You know it makes sense.
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Innsbruck, Imst, Landeck would give access to Arlberg, Serfaus, and Silvretta (Ischgl etc), though more like 30 mins drive, Oetz (maybe a bit more than 15 mins too) for Kuhtai, Soelden, Obergurgl and Hoch Oetz.
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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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kieranm; my point ref. driving to Meribel or Le Praz was that when a short drive is added to the equation, several resorts close together, but not joined might offer a similar mileage to the French mega resorts, in a more interesting manner.
I have never skied in Austria, partly because on the face of it, most Austrian resorts do not offer the high mileage that we Brits seem to like, but I wondered if this would offer an interesting experience. I would also be interested if any Italian resorts would come into the frame by driving to a couple from a common base.
I am not sure that a common ski pass is an essential requirement.
I can see an interesting ski trip forming from these suggestions.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| DavidYacht wrote: |
| I am not sure that a common ski pass is an essential requirement. |
However, if they are very close then there is likely some cooperation between them and some sort of shared pass.
I think a limit of 15 minutes' drive is overly optomistic. You can easily use that just zigzagging up to the resort without any travel along the valley.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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OK, lets extend the 15 minute drive, if the benefits are worthwhile, the point is that it needs to be an easy drive up and down, and if I was extending the criterea a bit, it would be nice that where we stay has a mountain vibe, rather than be in a big town.
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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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DavidYacht, Ski Amade (as Frosty the Snowman and Samerberg Sue suggest) has 860km of piste in 25 resorts on 1 lift pass, plenty of mileage to be had, easily acessible (mostly valley roads so 15-30 mins gets you a long way), free parking at the lift stations, http://www.skiamade.com/en/winter. Some of the resorts are real towns, but small and picturesque, others are bigger but no need to stay there if you don't want to, then there are the resorts with a mountain vibe - you can have what you want really.
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I would Second Radstadt, Ski Amade ski area, town itself is big enough for a few bars and restaurant, its own ski area is small but good and can ski down to Altenmarkt and get ski bus to Zauchensee (10 mins), if you had your own car then Flachau is 15 mins, Schladming 20mins, Obertauern 25mins, Filzmooz 20 mins, and probably another 3 or 4 decent ski areas within 30 to 35 minutes. Ski Amade pass covers the entire area and for further afield the Salzburger Sportwelt pass.
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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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DavidYacht, can I be a 3rd or 4th to recommend the Ski Amade area? We stayed in Radstadt for Easter week. Never driven while on a ski holiday before, found it a complete doddle and a complete pleasure for convenience (if not for not being able to partake of wild Apres due to driving). We managed the journey from Salzburg airport and back, a drive each day to a different ski area in each of the 6 ski days, a drive round all the local resorts on arrival day to get our bearings and a drive up to Obertauern to be nosey - all on about half a tank of diesel.
As for high mileage, we found that a lot of the areas were perfect for a days skiing without the feeling of doing the same run over and over again. We managed - Day 1 Radstadt/Altnemarkt AM - Zauchensee PM. Day 2 Flachauwinkl/Kleinarl/Zauchensee. Day 3 Flachau. Day 4 Schladming. Day 5 Reiteralm/Hochwurzen. Day 6 Wagrain/Alpendorf.
From next year the link between for Flachau side to Wagrain will be open too.
There's some Snowheads who we can recommend too stay with too.
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DavidYacht, From Maishofen or Saalfelden, you've 20-30 minutes to: Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Zell am See, Kaprun, Maria Alm, Leogang and at a pinch Lofer. More than enough variation and mileage for a 7-14 day trip. Most (all?) these resorts have free parking at the main lift stations and all are on the Salzburger Superski lift-pass. The one-hour drive from Salzburg Airport is very easy - costs would be similar to those quoted for the Ski Amade trip above.
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We stayed in Alpe d'Huez and drove to Les Deux Alpes and Serre Chevalier, which are covered bu the lift pass. I think you can also get to the Italian Milky Way plus one other resort (sorry don't remember the name)
LDA is 30 mins, the others are slightly longer but there is plenty of choice
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Having dipped my toe into the Ski Amade experience this season, I would also endorse Radstadt. It's a nice little place in a fantastic area, not far from an airport and with distances between resorts being highly manageable.
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