 Poster: A snowHead
|
I have been given the dubious honour of organising the 2013/14 lads ski trip and have been tasked with trying to find cheap accommodation in either St Anton or Ischgl. We are looking to go away for a long weekend (thur- mon) but so far I have really struggled to find anywhere within our budget. We are looking for accommodation as close to the town centre/lifts as possible but apart from that don't really care about the standards. Any help with this would be much appreciated.
We intend to fly into Innsbruck so suggestions of other lively resorts with decent skiing where we might have a better chance of getting budget long weekend accomodation would also be much appreciated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Solden is cheaper and easier for 4 nights.
www.hainbacherhof.at seem to offer short breaks.
Compose a short email in English and German and go on the resort tourist boards website and blanket email as many as you can.
I have sent over 50 emails and only got one or two firm offer for 4 nights Ischgl in March.
Sun to Thurs is usually better as you are not straddling two weeks.
Good luck.
Ischgl is notoriously hard to find short breaks but you will get offers for 4 nights if you stick to January or very early feb you should be ok.
Try here
http://www.ischgl.com/en//ischglaccommodation-ischgl-tyrol/alpenperle_dad-33312_accommodation
You say cheap?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Thanks Heldey I will have a look into Solden, my German is not the best but I will have a go and see what happens. We were hoping to get away towards the end of February which could be a challenge!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
pmercer, if you are contacting the Tourist Office, don't even bother to use any of the on-line translation tools to translate the email into German. All those working in tourism in Austria read and speak (albeit hesitantly at first) better English than many so-called native speakers! Their written English will also be very correct as well if somewhat strange at times to those of us more used to the casual tone of emails!
Just write to the Tourist Office stating what it is you are looking for. I believe that both St Anton and Ischgl among others officially have a minimum stay of 7 nights in the season, but this obviously goes out the window as the season progresses. There are also any number of B&Bs and private rooms (Gäste- or Fremdzimmer) which locals offer as well. These are as they say, guest rooms in private houses. The Tourist Offices usually have a list of those as well, so you could specify that you would be OK with such. Depending on how many there are in your group of course, you may even end up in the same B&B. I doubt if the hotels will be offering part weeks yet to be honest, although at a later date it is not hard to find these offers.
As hedley, points out, you are rather shooting yourself in the foot by thinking along the lines of a typical British "long weekend" as that cuts off your rooms for 2 whole weeks as far as the owner is concerned while they only actually earn 3 or a maximum 4 nights worth of accommodation. You will get much better results if you look at maybe leaving on a Wednesday night with the intention of getting to the resort for skiing on Thursday. Then leave the resort on Sunday evening to fly out of wherever on Monday. Anytime after the early red-eyes is usually cheap as the business trade is gone and the holiday trade works Sat-Sat. I have a friend who regularly flies into Munich very late on a Friday night (but it could be late on any evening as that flight is 7 days a week) and then flies home on the return leg of the same flight on a non-changeover day. That could be a Sunday or any other day except a Saturday. German and Austrian long weekends usually start and end in the same calendar week to be honest. if you can rethink your days off, you may have more chance of getting something good well in advance rather than having to wait until the last minute and maybe having to compromise on the location in the end.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
I am not sure you will get cheap accommodation in St Anton. Probably going to have to pay 100 euros for a twin room B&B per night. Fantastic resort though with great train links from Innsbruck. Try this http://www.haus-genewein.at/ and use google to translate. Its close to slopes and nightlife and very close to underground bar on the piste.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I stayed in this cheap B&B in St Anton a few years ago for a long weekend, it's also close to the lifts.
Haus Kandahar
Alte Arlbergstraße 6, 6580 Sankt Anton am Arlberg, Austria
+43 5446 2418
And also did a long weekend in this hotel http://www.hotelarnika.at in Ischgl, but it was not exactly cheap
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks to you all for your advice. I might just pick up the phone and call a few of these places, often the quickest way even if it is a little more expensive. I will let you know how I get on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well so much for my pick up the phone idea, so far everyone I have called is only interested in full week bookings. We are hoping to get away the last weekend in February which I don't think is helping. Has anyone had any luck recently in booking somewhere for a long weekend at this time of year? We are keen to go to Austria for some lively après and don't want to be a long way form the slopes but that is it really, and suggestions welcome!! I realise that Chamonix is an option but we are keen to get out of France this time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
pmercer, most places in Chamonix won't be taking bookings now for "long weekends" at the end of February (peak school holidays) either. If you want to book NOW you might need to change your plans - maybe book self-catering accommodation for a week but just use the number of nights you want, then go out to eat. Or leave it till late, just book flights now, and be prepared to be extremely flexible about where you go within reach of that airport, and possibly to bus to slopes. There may not be too many empty beds at that time of year.
No chance of changing your dates? I'd be much more comfortable about a last-minute booking in mid-January than end February, especially if you're a sizeable group.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I know this sounds ridiculous but we did 4 years in a row at Ischgl and ended up choosing a cheap place and booking a week but only using 4nights of the booking. they key thing is to book and then tell them nearer the time that you are arriving late so they don't give away the room. we did this because the only availability the tourist office came up with was outside Ischgl and, for nightlife etc, you need to be there.
re St Antonio I have a hotel which took bookings of less than a week. it it was down at the bottom end of the high street. I can check on Monday if you want the name but I/we prefer Ischgl for a lads trip unless you are serious skiers
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
pam w's right this isn't about any particular location rather simple economics. With the vast majority of the market looking for week long bookings it makes little or no sense for anywhere to rent out part of the week six months in advance. It means they are running the risk of not filling the other part of the week. And there is no reason for them to take that risk at this stage. Your dates cross into two weeks so you've doubled a risk they don't want to take in the first place. Places that might be more likely to take the risk are those less likely to be full. Cheap places, mid season near the centre of town, six months in advance probably don't have any reason to take that sort of risk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
pmercer, I've previously done ski weekends where we skied Ischgl but stayed in Kappl. Even booking last minute in December/January we found it impossible to get accomodation in Ischgl itself. Kappl was fine for us, but it's very quiet and a bus ride to the slopes so I don't think it would be good for your trip.
I just Googled 'ski weekends in Austria' and got this site:
http://www.snowscape.co.uk/ski_weekends.asp
You might find something useful for your trip on there but I think they sum up your key problem pretty well:
As a general rule, the bigger and more well-known the resort, the less flexible hotels are likely to be. St Anton and Ischgl, for example, book out on a weekly basis for most of the season and quite simply have no need for weekend guests.
As said by others above, your dates are peak season - if you go low season you are much more likely to find flexible accomodation.
I'd also recommend looking into Sölden.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We do two long weekends pretty much every year, towards the start of Jan and the end of Jan and book the accommodation last minute, most places will hold out for a full week booking but will give in if they are not full but if you can arrive/depart on Saturday it will help.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
