 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi
I am trying to arrange a stag do for my brother. Both my brother and myself are teachers and have always run trips to Austria, but this will be the first time we will fly (a shame to miss the 18hour coach trip). What is the best/ easiest airport to fly into to ensure we don't have hours worth of traveling the other side?
I am open to suggestions on location of skiing, it doesn't have to be a party city, but I would like bars on the mountain and a few choices back at the village.
We like Austria as it is friendly and cheaper. If anyone can suggest accommodation for approx ten people that would also be a big help, not wanting to break the bank with crazy hotels. I am looking at dates of either 2-5 January or February 2014 half term.
If you can help or have ran a similar trip before please drop me a message.
Cheers
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Goldie84, welcome to snowheads.  Can't help with a suggestion of location, and as I read your title as "small shag do" I think it's probably time I went to bed.
However, I would suggest that January would be cheaper and probably quieter than half term. Mid January would be ideal, if that's possible for you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Fly to Innsbruck or Zurich. Go to St. Anton, Mayrhofen or Ischgl.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Or Solden.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Goldie84, Innsbruck is without a doubt the best for minimising transfer times, though Munich and Salzburg (and Zurich if heading to Arlberg/Vorarlberg) are also pretty close to lots of very good skiing.
If you're after good skiing and cheap beer, take a look at Saalbach. Sorry, I can't reccomment accomm. though.
What sort of skiing are you after though?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Go to Ibiza in the Alps aka Ischgl and stay here http://www.hotel-alpenrose-ischgl.at 40 euros pppn for half board in January.
You will need to stay for a whole week though. The Austrian hotels don't really do long weekends.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Goldie84, EasyJet - Gatwick-Innsbruck. Then why not stay in Innsbruck itself? Can grab the bus out to places like Igls or Axams and then return for city-style apres ski. Can book the whole shebang via Expedia and it cuts out the cost of transfers (also meaning some can stagger their trip if they don't fancy the full nightmare). Innsbruck has a few gentlemen-oriented clubs... apparently.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Innsbruck is very close to the slopes, but there are over 20 good resorts within 90 mins of Salzburg airport including Bad Gastein, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Zell am See, Leogang, and the entire Ski Amade region.
For either airport, look at the airport websites for taxi transfers - depending on the size of your group, minibus-taxi(s) booked in advance would be your best option. Your accommodation can often organise this for you.
Regarding dates - I can see that you're tied to school holidays. 2nd -5th Jan may be a struggle as it's the busiest week of the season in Austria, but you should try ringing hotels/pensions directly as they may well have guests who are only staying over the New Year, so may have availability at the end of that week. Alternatively, try the online booking services of the local tourist offices.
Half Term should be less of a problem, except if you only want a weekend rather than a full week. European half terms are spread throughout Feb and the major Austrian/Bayern holiday, Fasching, falls in March in 2014.
Some suggestions for Saalbach - Hotel Konig, Hotel Peter, Pensions Norika, Hagleitner, Grafleiten or Mulk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Goldie84, Welcome to Snowheads!
As you're looking for accommodation for less than a full week, you might find this site of use, as you can often find accommodation for such shorter intervals: http://www.tiscover.com/at/winterholidays
P.S If you're flying into Innsbruck, then the resorts in the Zillertal Valley (Mayrhofen, Zell am Ziller etc) are very easy to get to, either by train or if there's a group of you by private transfer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You could stay in Innsbruck itself and ski the local resorts. Getting accommodation for a long weekend would be far easier than in a resort and you could Apres ski in the town.
http://www.die-seite.at/guide/bar/bars_ibk.php
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Wed 31-07-13 14:08; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| hd wrote: |
Go to Ibiza in the Alps aka Ischgl and stay here http://www.hotel-alpenrose-ischgl.at 40 euros pppn for half board in January.
You will need to stay for a whole week though. The Austrian hotels don't really do long weekends. |
That is certainly not how it worked for us.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
+1 for tiscover (and similar sites), even if it's just to find individual hotels.
Almost every single one that I've looked at before lists a "per night" and a "per week" price. Given that half of Germany pops down to Austria, and not for a standard Sat-Sat week like UK holidaymakers, you'll find lots of small hotels willing to sell part weeks. And in lower season weeks, probably bundle in lift pass and everything else too. 2nd-5th Jan might be an issue, since that is one of the weeks where Germans might spend a week away.
I usually stay in Innsbruck in winter (elsewhere in summer), usually at a hotel I can cancel last minute if the weather is bad, and almost always for 2-3 nights. But then I have car and can drive somewhere half hour down the road, and not getting wasted in a bar each night.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2nd - 5th will be pretty tricky to get booked until quite late in the season.
But there will probably be vacancies as many folks check out on the 2nd.
As suggested start hunting about.
Feb half-term will be a good choice though. There are no major Austrian holidays around this point... I think only the UK may be on holiday but I expect someone will correct me on that one pretty soon!
try www.booking.com now and see what comes up.
The pther option is to think of staying in a city.
Eg... stay in Salzburg, drive 40min for Ski Amadé ... get home and then go out in the big city!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
2nd - 5th will be pretty tricky to get booked until quite late in the season.
But there will probably be vacancies as many folks check out on the 2nd.
As suggested start hunting about.
Feb half-term will be a good choice though. There are no major Austrian holidays around this point... I think only the UK may be on holiday but I expect someone will correct me on that one pretty soon!
try www.booking.com now and see what comes up.
The pther option is to think of staying in a city.
Eg... stay in Salzburg, drive 40min for Ski Amadé ... get home and then go out in the big city!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Goldie84, Did this a few years back
Flew to Munich Friday night
Self-Drove to Kitzbuhel (2x 5 in cars) - about 150 minutes although I could be wrong
stayed here http://www.snowbunnys.co.uk/about.php - pretty close to centre - 5-10 minuteish walk to main lift
arrive about 1am Sat, dropped kit went to bar - went to bed about 6am, stopping for 'midnight munchies' as the bakery was opening up
on the hill about 10am. nice lunch, down the hill come 4pm. time for 6 nations.
Cheap n cheerful pizzas. bar crawl round the pubs. bed betwee 1-4 depending on stamina
Ski on sunday in fresh poweder and sunshine...
Of the hill at 5, back to airport, fly home.
Die on monday
only bit we missed was 'traditional stag entertainment' - but if you're looking for then there's the odd place in Kirchberg (so I hear..)
Full marks alround...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Hotel Garni Sunshine in Soelden takes short bookings. I suspect half term is going to be easier than the tail end of NY week, most hotels look booked up.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 12-08-13 13:48; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I did a long weekend in Innsbruck a few years ago and worked really well. There was a deal where you could choose out of a number of hotels and they included the ski pass in the package. It was really good value, good choice of hotels in the city and then you just got the ski bus out in the morning. Its worth googling to see if they are still doing it as I think you would be hard pushed to beat it for value, ease of travel and also some decent skiing.
If you want to be in resort then I'd probably get a cheap flight into Munich and get a four seasons transfer or something like that. In Mayrhofen for example if you go onto the tourist board website you can do an accommodation request and get good quality basic accommodation for reasonable money. If you are not worried about being in the heart of it you can stay in one of the villages outside and make quite a good saving.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Quote: |
I did a long weekend in Innsbruck a few years ago and worked really well. There was a deal where you could choose out of a number of hotels and they included the ski pass in the package. It was really good value, good choice of hotels in the city and then you just got the ski bus out in the morning. Its worth googling to see if they are still doing it as I think you would be hard pushed to beat it for value, ease of travel and also some decent skiing.
|
They definitely still have hotels/lift pass packages through the tourist office, though I don't know if it's still the same/same choices of accomm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| hd wrote: |
Go to Ibiza in the Alps aka Ischgl and stay here http://www.hotel-alpenrose-ischgl.at 40 euros pppn for half board in January.
You will need to stay for a whole week though. The Austrian hotels don't really do long weekends. |
at that price you could pay for the week and just use long weekend flights.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Flights to Munich are really cheap with Lufthansa and include ski carriage. You can easily take a train transfer to lots of Austrian resorts and there are cheap 'Bayern' tickets for groups.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
pablito69, Bayern tickets only go as far as the border - although you can get to the centre of Salzburg on one as they designated one of the platforms to be "in" Freilassing (about 5kms away as the crow flies!)  I think ÖBB also do a partner type ticket as well, but not so sure about group ones like the 5 people ones on the Schone Wochenede /Bayern tickets.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sorry, I stand corrected! Although my german speaking friend assured me the Bayern ticket was good to get us all the way to the station for Soll (Kufstein?) 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
pablito69, not sure if it will get you to Kufstein (over the border) but you can get close by going as far as Kiefersfelden (right next to Kufstein) which is still in Bavaria.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You definently get as far as Kufstein on the Bayern ticket as we got diverted once from Innsbruck and my wife was waiting to pick us up. Rather than get coached back to Innsbruck just to turn round and drive back to Kitz, she picked us up in Kufstein. Definetly just the one ticket bought at the airport .From memory about 32Euro for the 4 of us.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
This link gives you the current T&Cs for the Schönes-Wochenende tickets which currently cost 42 euro for up to 5 people: http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/regional-offers-overview.shtml
For the same kind of deal during the week it is called a Bayern Ticket and currently it does go to Kufstein - you usually have to change from the S-Bahn at the Ostbahnhof for a Regional train (do not try and get a fast ICE one as it costs extra per person) and then maybe again at Rosenheim for the local train along the Inn valley.
I would continue to check the validity right up to the time you actually depart as DB are changing their T&Cs all the time - big changes usually occur around the second sunday in December - both schedules and fares change then.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
