 Poster: A snowHead
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Me and the wife are flying into Innsbruck in January with about a weeks worth of ski experience each... Last year we stayed in Innsbruck itself and had a nice time skiing but got fed up of catching an hour long bus ride every day to the glacier. We want to stay in a resort with easy access to a nice skiing area which will 1: keep us entertained for a week and 2: with plenty of blues, easy reds. So far iv narrowed it down to either Solden or Mayrhofen?? or maybe seefeld?? But i dont know. Any advice would be amazing. We are not millionaires either....So we cant afford crazy expensive hotels... Many thanks!! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Plenty of choice and range at Mayrhofen and I believe you can get the train there - perhaps one change. I'm sure someone can advise.
There is one area (Ahorn) that is probably ideal for your level - some easy improver runs. Also some relatively straightforward pistes at the top of the Penken lift. Plenty of apres options.
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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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davey_g, If you go to Zillertal look at staying in Kaltenbach and moving up and down the valley according to what you want to do. The runs down to the valley in Kaltenbach end very close to the train station and there are also lots of good value b&Bs or Gasthofs.
Sölden opens up a really good variety of slopes. I like to stay at the Gaislachkoglbahn end, others prefer the vibe closer to the Giggijochbahn. Both open up loads of cruising slopes, plus the glaciers are a good ace in the hole if things are too dry!
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davey_g, definitely look at Serfaus, maybe just an hour transfer from Innsbruck. Three inter-connected resorts of Serfaus, Fiss and Ladis - very pleasant cruisy skiing and lots of it.
The home runs into Solden might be a nightmare if you only have a week under your belt. Narrow, steepish in places and well worn by drunks (not always the case but thought I'd mention it)
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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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Ischgl or Serfaus Fiss
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bertie bassett Where is the Albergo Frohsinn?? Looks inviting.
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Dolomiti Superski - ALTA BADIA, San Cassiano, Italy, if you hit the link.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Mayrhofen is a good choice. As pointed out above the Ahorn has some wide easy blues and there’s some nice easy runs at the top of the Penken too. Further up the valley (you can get the train which is covered by your lift pass) are Zell Am Ziller, Ramsau and Kaltenbach if you want a bit more variety. Plenty of good value b&b’s to choose from although I would personally recommend the Alpin Garni Eder – lovely place and only a few minutes walk from both the Ahorn and Penken lifts (you can book through Crystal).
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davey_g, with only one weeks skiing experience behind you I would look no further than 20 minutes from Innsbruck and stay in the lovely village of Axams which is just a 5 minute bus ride below the resort of Axamer Lizum, which will give you much skiing variety and plenty to progress onto. Lovely mountain huts and a couple of umbrella bars, cheap beer and food, beautiful scenery what more could you want?
Although it is pretty the photos Bertie provides take some beating.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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With only a week each I'd be looking for somewhere with a bit of tuition too.
In the Zillertal valley, I'd put either Kaltenbach or Zell am Ziller top, above Mayrhofen personally. Kaltenbach is certainly much more convenience (train station and parking right by the lifts, and lodging very close). Zell am Ziller is a short bus ride between station/hotels and the lifts, but might be slightly more interesting terrain. Both are no where near as busy as Mayrhofen (except for the Sunday with the crazy sled race thing in Zillertal Arena). I think I waited for the 2nd or 3rd gondola cabin once!
San Cassiano is a very good destination too. 100% cruising blue central. Bit further for transfers, so I'd suggest a later return flight from Innsbruck if you do that, or a Sunday flight and stay over in Innsbruck.
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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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St Anton, Austria's top resort, is only 1 hour away by train from Innsbruck (but perhaps not the resort for this year with only one week skiing experience. But later...).
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Solden has some nice blues up on the glacier but the home runs can really suck - I wouldn't recommend for 1 week skiers. On the other hand the Zillertal is probably perfect. Kaltenbach is where we did our second ever ski holiday. Actually we'd booked Niederau but there was no snow there so we got bussed along to Kaltenbach every day. Good selection of Blue runs and some easy reds. Nice huts.
Mayrhofen has more nightlife (and lots more British people) but the slopes are more crowded on the bigger (Penken) side. Zell Am Ziller is a lovely ski area but almost entirely red runs, some of which get very bumpy in the afternoon.
For real convenience skiing I'd recommend Obergurgl. Nice blues and enough of them to keep you happy all week.
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You know it makes sense.
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davey_g, If you do go to the Zillertal valley, then Samerberg Sue's and andy's suggestion of Kaltenbach is one I'd echo. It's a large ski area with plenty of blues and reds for you and is linked with Hochfugen as well, but not many Brits know about it. It has a large uplift capacity (there are two gondolas from the valley base station that operate in parallel, so you don't get long queues in the morning to get up the mountain - unlike the Penkenbahn in Mayrhofen). Organising a trip yourself is very easy - get a flight into Innsbruck Airport, catch the frequent bus (route F, takes 20 mins) from the airport to Innsbruck railway station and then by train to your Zillertal resort (you change at Jenbach onto the narrow gauge Zillertalbahn railway line that runs up the valley past Kaltenbach and Zell am Ziller as far as Mayrhofen). Incidentally travel on the Zillertalbahn (as well as ski busses) is included with your Zillertal Superskipass.
The website I linked will show accommodations in the area, but I can recommend the Hotel Alpina in the adjacent village of Ried - the ski bus stops outside the hotel to take you to the Kaltenbach gondola, and there are frequent return ski busses at the end of the day. It's just a couple of hundred yards from the Ried Zillertalbahn station, so arrival/departure is easy too.
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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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| snowball wrote: |
| St Anton, Austria's top resort, is only 1 hour away by train from Innsbruck (but perhaps not the resort for this year with only one week skiing experience. But later...). |
Definitely not St Anton. Very, very few easy blue runs. It jumps from absolute beginner runs to solid blue. The relatively easier blue runs, eg Osthang, get quite crowded and bumped-up.
Lech is an option, but possibly not within your budget.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
If your looking for convenience and a snowsure resort have a look at the Stubai Valley, the main town is Neustift which is pretty central. Along the valley there are like 4 or 5 resorts which the main valley pass covers and a regular bus service that connects them all. We stayed in Neustift a few years back now and found it to be a lovely town. The Stubai Glacier is the main resort which about a 15/20 minute bus ride from Neustift but you know your going to get good snow because of a altitude! The other lovely thing about Neustift is that you'll probably not find another Brit all week! Very traditional and Austrian!
There is a small resort above Neustift that is fed up a gondola, we used to use it to get some fresh morning runs while everyone was clambering on the bus up to the glacier, and found pretty much had it to ourselves! That's all
the elfer lift.
This place is idea for like a long weekend simply cos of the convenience of the location in comparison to Innsbruck, there is also a resort that has a lift that leaves from the centre of Innsbruck called Nordpark, it's not huge but offers breathtaking views over the city!
B.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Dolomites, especially Alta Badia and the Groednertal and, in Austria, Obergurgl - lots of lovely blues and reds there and more pleasant than Soelden: only a few kms up the valley - unless of course you are a fan of really raucous Ballermann type apres ski in which case Soelden is perfect!
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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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Stubai is a good option, instead of Neustift you could try Fulpmes which has the Schlick ski area which is good for less experienced skiers. Fulpmes (and the rest of the Valley) are really close to Innsbruck.
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We've been to Solden 2 years running and love it. We've been to various Austrian resorts in the past and decided this one ticks all the boxes. The runs are nice and long so you don't have to keep stopping to get on lifts, the area is linked well with a series of modern chair lifts and cable cars. We only ski blues and reds and there are enough to keep us busy, we still have lots to try yet. The runs are all above tree level, it's a high altitude resort which means good snow is assured but the lift pass is correspondingly expensive. The 2 Glaciers have some lovley wide open blue runs. Not many Brits go to this resort as only two TO go there, but that's a bonus (or not depending on how you feel). Usual quality accommodation from self-catering to 5 star. Good mountain food. The town is not the usual pretty Tyrolean affair, it has a busy main street but charming in it's own way and still very Austrian. It's not a concrete jungle that's for sure. We stayed the first time at the wrong end if town, wrong for us because it was too quiet and too far away from supermarket etc and the home run at that end of town is a rat run. We prefer the Giggijoch Lift end, bit of queue at peak time in the morning but still only 20 mins at worst. You can also catch a bus to Obergurgl and add that to your Solden lift pass. We are going again in late March - can't wait 
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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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wowsers, thanks for everyones comments.... `LOTS of food for thought... I like the idea of some of these. I think its now between, Solden, Mayrhofen and Obergurgl. Now comes the mission of finding somewere to stay. Are there any good websites apart from Trivago?
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for austria... tiscover.com
edit - must type faster
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I wouldn't recommend Mayrhofen for second week skiers. The Ahorn side is great for beginners but its a pretty limited area. The Penken side; its predominantly red runs with not many blues. Some of the reds are fairly sedate but I wouldn't say they'd be the best choice to find your confidence. Mayrhofen is a brilliant resort, no doubt. But I'd suggest you really need to be red run confident to make the most of it.
Soelden has got a good range of pistes; although getting over to the glaciers can be a bit of a faff.
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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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| Quote: |
Soelden has got a good range of pistes; although getting over to the glaciers can be a bit of a faff.
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Only if you come in from the Giggijoch lift end! Gaislachkogl gives you a relatively easy and quick link, or if the glacier links are closed, the buses run up to the base stations of both glaciers! Not that it should be a problem in January! 
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| Samerberg Sue wrote: |
| Quote: |
Soelden has got a good range of pistes; although getting over to the glaciers can be a bit of a faff.
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Only if you come in from the Giggijoch lift end! Gaislachkogl gives you a relatively easy and quick link, or if the glacier links are closed, the buses run up to the base stations of both glaciers! Not that it should be a problem in January! |
Even if you start at the Gaislachkogl end you have to swing over the valley to the right on lift C31 where you meet up with all the skiers from Giggijoch lift. The bottle neck is waiting to go up on D51 chair lift, the only way to the glaciers. It would be nice if this was a cable car or gondola (as they are from this lift onward) they speed things up considerably. There are no hold-ups after the chair lift though and it's only a minor inconvenience. We arrived at that chair lift one day about 10.30 am and there was no one waiting!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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For Mayrhofen accommodation you can submit a request through www.mayrhofen.at . Just put in what you want, they email it to all the hotels and they come back to you with offers.
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