 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I am looking for advice. A group of us are looking for a short break skiing...... we have done Grand Massif, Chamonix and Portes du Soleil and wanted somewhere different but I have no idea about transfer times and airports other then the above... we do quite like the sound of Austria/Switzerland but unsure which have the least amount of travelling time as not a good traveller in the group!!!
Not a huge budget but medium budget to have a good time!
Thanks for your help
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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 had a good short trip to Courmayeur in April. An easy drive from Geneva through the Mont Blanc tunnel (perhaps another 30 mins max beyond Chamonix), but once you get there it feels very Italian. We stays in the Hotel Bouton D'Or which was really good value, friendly, nice rooms, and a shuttle to the gondola on demand. There are 2 routes up the the slopes- cable car and the gondola. Personally, I think the gondola is the better option.
Now that Courmayeur has fessed up to the true amount of pisted runs, there are under 40km pistes, but ample off piste opportunities, including the Vallee Blanche The skiing is VERY pretty and the on mountain restaurants are beyond fab (Heston Blumenthal loves is there so much he is holding a food festival there this season coming). Serious lunching is definitely a feature of a trip, and it is sooooo much less expensive than France, both for food and accommodation. It's a good place for a short break-the sort of resort that you would get bored of if you were there for a week, but great for 3 days or so. The town is lovely, with more great grub opportunities in the evening. It's very pretty ambling through the main streets. Italian chic!
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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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kennels9, welcome to snowheads.  Can't help with austria/Switzerland breaks but in France, Le Grand Bornand is great for a weekend and an easy reach from Geneva. Or La Clusaz if you want something a bit bigger as a base.
BUT just make sure you avoid French school holidays or you will find short-term accommodation difficult.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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There are a good few resorts very close to Innsbruck if your local airport flies there
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Or close to Salzburg if you have right flights there. We did Obertauern, Schladming, Flachau all within 1h or a bit more for Saalbach or Gastein. Fairly cheap shared transfers as well.
I would also look at Turin and Milky Way resorts.
If you prefer to rent a car then there is more opions.
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If I was looking at a short break I would definitely consider doing the Innsbruck city and ski. You can stay in the city and then get the bus out to a number of resorts. Its easy and also pretty good value. Alternatively you can get the train into the Ziller Valley and stay somewhere like Kaltenbach. From there you can access all of the Zillertal resorts using the train for free.
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Every year I go on a lads holiday for a long weekend. We have also done Chamonix and Morzine. I would vote for Austria as the best destination though. Loads of resorts can be reached by rail, but if the groups big enough if maybe just as cheap and more convenient to hire a minibus.
We have done St Anton, Soll and Kitzbuhel (all less than 2 hours from Innsbruck). I won't argue on the merits of the skiing each one, but there's more than enough in each for a long weekend, but the atmosphere in the resorts also suit a group holiday and they are cheaper than France. I have also stayed in Mayrhofen, which I think would make a great venue for such a trip as well. It can also be reached by rail within 2 hours from Innsbruck.
We went to Courmayeur one year and, although I agree with Perty, that it is pretty and generally cheap, we didn't find a lot to do in the evenings and had skied all the pistes after a day and a half. If the conditions are good for off piste, that's not such a problem, but they weren't when we were there and so didn't have such a great time.
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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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Hard to beat Innsbruck if you're worried about transfer times. Can be at several resorts within 15-20 mins of leaving the airport.
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Innsbruck is my choice mainly cos being a city the hotels etc. are geared up for short breaks of 1-2 nights (and obviously with the bias that I can just bunk off there after work on a Friday without needing flights). Then it's just a case of how far you don't mind travelling.
I'd do the same in Geneva/Annemasse kind of area too and jump in a car up to Les Gets/Morzine probably, but that needs more planning for me.
And for weekend breaks, I tend to choose what I know. Innsbruck in Jan is my next trip.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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kennels9, flights to Salzburg, hire a car and go and stay at Flangesax's place http://www.austrian-adventures.com/. Less than an hour from the airport, pretty much all motorway. You can then travel about 10 mins each day to a different area, each with enough skiing to keep you happy for at least a day without covering the same tracks twice and all covered on the same pass. Ridiculously easy to get about and a huge amount of skiing available.
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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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If you can get flights to Innsbruck you have a large choice of big famous and small Austrian resorts within 1 to 1.5 hour drive. If you fly to Munich, Memmingen, Friedrichshafen, Zürich or Salzburg, those same resorts are about 3 to 3.5 hours drive away, but flight prices can be a lot cheaper.
Visit www.whitedescents.com for a way of experiencing different Tyrolean resorts each day, giving you the chance to make the best of weather and snow conditions 
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