 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Snowheads gave me some fantastic and spot on advice for the States last year so I'm dipping back into the well of knowledge again this year and hoping to get some tips on Austria.
We are a family of four with two adult (good skiers) and two kids who will be 8 and 5 by the time we are hoping to go to Austria next March.
The kids have a couple of years skiing under their belts and will be skiing on dry slopes throughout the winter.
The 8 year old was skiing double black diamonds and off piste with his instructors in the states this year and the 5 year old was skiing easy black diamonds (easy reds in Europe).
Other than the States we've skied mostly in France and Switzerland but I'd love to give Austria a go as we've only been there once ( without the kids)and we didn't have the best experience. We have heard that it is a great place to go with kids so we'd like to give it another go.
Ideally we would like to have the 8 year old in morning lessons and then to ski with us in the afternoon. For the 5 year old we would like him to be able to do something like the ESF club piou piou in France where he would have a full day with morning and afternoon lessons. We will pull him out some afternoons to ski with us. We will probably do lessons ourselves some of the mornings.
So we're looking for recommendations on resorts that would have sufficiently challenging skiing to keep us entertained as well as having enough to keep the kids happy and with enough easy runs to allow them to progress within their abilities and not be pushed too far too fast - especially the 5 year old.
With such young kids the apres ski scene isn't really a factor for us, we'd like some family friendly resorts that won't break the bank.
We're open to all options whether its self catering apartments or full board.
Travelling in the first week of March we would like somewhere that is snow sure.
Any advice you can give would be very much appreciated.
Regards
Elaine
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Family friendly with challenges and links in Austria and not too expensive - sounds like Ellmau or St Christoph im Arlberg.
First week in March should be no problem even in lower resorts.
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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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| beequin wrote: |
| First week in March should be no problem even in lower resorts. |
Agreed. However if the OP wants some insurance against there being a lack of snow they can always stay in a resort with a nearby glacier e.g Zell am See with the Kaprun glacier or the Zillertal resorts with the glacier at Hintertux....
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Alastair Pink, Don't rule out Soll/Ski-Welt. Especially if you have transport!
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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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Alpbach for me very family friendly. not masses of slopes but plenty now with the new link. Lovely atmosphere.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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No need to be near a glacier at the beginning of March.... if there was then the whole industry in Austria would be a wee bit dead!
Most ski schools will offer an all day course (4 hours) with or without lunch; this will end early afternoon so you can have a couple of hours at the end of the day to ski with them.
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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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I think the problem may be narrowing the range of resorts people suggest. I'd say have a look at Schladming and Saalbach.
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I'll put in a vote for Fieberbrunn (I live there, so I'm biased  ). The area isn't very large but does offer near-piste off-piste skiing (e.g. the Hochhörndl) and even more serious off-piste, if you want it (e.g. on the Wildseeloder), probably best with a guide.
If you look for more variety, it is also easy to have days out, e.g. to St. Johann in Tirol (with the Schneewinkel lift pass) or even to Kitzbühel (using the Kitzbühel Alpen or Salzburg Super Ski passes) - though that may not be so practical if you have kids around in classes.
All the other resorts mentioned are great too (though I wouldn't expect St. Christoph am Arlberg to be cheap, super though the skiing is).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| nozawaonsen wrote: |
| I think the problem may be narrowing the range of resorts people suggest. I'd say have a look at Schladming and Saalbach. |
I was thinking Saalbach too.
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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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A chalet in St Anton first week in March probably wouldn't break the bank. My experience of the ski school there with kids was the best I've experienced. And the kids sound like they would enjoy the challenge.
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I would go for a lesser known resort, especially with kids, one that will be quieter.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
| With such young kids the apres ski scene isn't really a factor for us, we'd like some family friendly resorts that won't break the bank |
I'd second Frosty's suggestion. Wagrain for example is a really good location for families, as are many other resorts off the British TO radar. Very pretty little village with excellent ski schools and loads of skiing. When the new G-Link lift opens this season a lot of the traffic problems experienced in the past will disappear 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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Dear All
Many thanks for all of the fantastic tips.
I have some researching, followed by some booking to do!!!
Regards
Elaine
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Poster: A snowHead
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No idea about sprogenations but I can recommend the off-piste guided tours and nightlife etc in St Anton.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, great resort for families.
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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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Tirol, it is one of the best family resorts but sadly it rarely if ever features along with the word budget! Even my German friends sometimes baulk at the prices to take their families there. The OP did specify "that won't break the bank" 
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Samerberg Sue, fair point but I did see someone mention St Anton higher up....
There's not a massive amount of reasonable self-catering places but they do exist plus if you happy with a 15min drive you can stay down in Ried/Prutz which is cheaper.
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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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Kappl/Ischgl should do the trick. Possibly even Stuben for off piste heaven and great wee ski school for the kids.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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No need for a glacier in Austria in first week of March?.....Hmmm, in 25 years of skiing in 15 or 16 countries, the worst March conditions I've ever encountered in Europe (Scotland excepted!) were in Zell am See, Austria....in the first week of March. 1991 if I recall correctly. Snow cover on the local hill (Schmittenhohe) was virtually non-existent and looked more like summer. Every morning we queued for about 2 hours to ride the (sadly infamous) funicular up to the Kaprun glacier....
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mountainaddict, prolly similar in the rest of Europe at the time too though? Freak terrible seasons can happen anywhere, restricting yourself to only glacier resorts for the rest of your life just in case would be a bit... over-dramatic, don't you think?
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mountainaddict, Since 1991 there have been a fair few advances in artificial snow making to ensure the base last atleast until the Easter weekends. As I remember Zell am See had problems installing snow cannons at first because it was in the Hohen Tauern National Park, now they have a superb network of the latest form of high tech lances that work non-stop at the beginning of the season to make a really secure base. I was in Axams the Easter of 1991 and the snow cover was fine after a very dodgy March. You win some, you lose some! March 1989 we were begging the company I worked for to switch the groups to the Steinplatte because the snow was so bad in St Johann and Kitzbühel. They finally agreed but it was too late for as I had had my knee smashed to smithereens in a collision due to too many people in too small an area.
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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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mountainaddict, yes. By and large no need for a glacier in the first week of March anywhere in the Alps. Could I find exceptions in the last 25 years. Sure. They'd be pretty rare though.
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If it is that bad at the start of March then any glacier would be so rammed that it would be a hideous experience.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Frosty the Snowman, yep and the Kaprun one is a nightmare on those occasions - 2 hours or more to get up and half an hour minimum in each lift. It would be the same everywhere else as well - Tux, Mölltal, Stubai, etc!
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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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We're a family with 3 kids under 10. Have tried a few resorts and keep going back to Zell am see. Just a great mix of slopes, accommodation, ski school, local public pool, restaurants, etc.
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You know it makes sense.
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Samerberg Sue, I was in St Johann late one year when the only skiing was at Steinplatte.
You did'nt work for Ski Partners or Ski Bound did you? 
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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| Samerberg Sue wrote: |
Shall we say that the company I was with had cut quite a few corners, including failing to insure the instructors,... |
Got to be Worst Choice then............ Alledgedly m'lud. (Joking)
There were several group-ski companies that fell foul of fickle finances around that time. My wife worked for one, based in Great Missenden, Bucks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We don't have kids so can't comment on the ski school arrangements but I'd recommend Obertauern. It's high, snow sure and easy to get around. Most of the accommodation is virtually ski in/ ski out so minimum hassle getting the kids out in the morning. Austrian hotels are very good and very good value too. Good range of pistes, from big wide blues to very steep black mogul fields.
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FAQ
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As I was lying in hospital with my leg being carefully pieced together by the chief surgeon I did not get to ski there that particular season! Shall we say that the company I was with had cut quite a few corners, including failing to insure the instructors, so I was claiming on my own 