 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
Heading to Saalbach in 2014 with a group of 8. Looking to rent a S/C apartment for a week and would be great to get any recommendations?
Thanks!
DJB
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Finding it really difficult to find anything, looks like we have left it too late! 
Have tried the tourist office but I haven't found them particularly helpful, seem to be just passing on places miles outside of the town. Anyone got any suggestions?
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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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djb85, can't help, but for those more likely to be able to, I'd suggest adding your dates.
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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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Hi Pam - thanks for the advice
We are really flexible with dates arriving any Saturday in February (1.02.14 or 8.02.14 or 15.02.14 or 22.02.14) and staying for 1 week, hopefully ! 
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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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Why do you specifically want self-catering? Perhaps looking under all types of accommodation you may come up with a better deal - B&B (Frühstuckspension) is often just as cheap as self-catering.
To be honest there is not so much choice &/or competition for holiday flats (Ferienwohnungen) in Austria as perhaps you see in places like France. The quantity is increasing but very slowly, as family-run smaller hotels and Gasthofs seem to predominate. If you are only able to go in February, maybe looking at other types of accommodation or another resort would be your best bet.
I'm getting no returns from the Saalbach site itself, but Booking.com is giving quite a lot for the 1st-8th February - it is a start!
You have left it rather late to try and book a group (even if it is small) into one of the most popular resorts in Austria!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi Sue,
Thanks for the reply! Yes we've left it very late, we've been going now for 5-6 years but I just got lazy this year on the booking! I'll explore the B&B options, I guess we just didn't look into it as we usually try do it on a tight budget!
Hopefully something will come up while the flights are still relatively well priced..
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djb85, just a thought - do you want the area or do you HAVE to be in party central? If you only want to be in the area and all singing /dancing/drinking après is not so important, take a look at the Leogang side maybe. I seem to remember seeing more apartment type places around the lifts at the base station there. It is a lot quieter than Saalbach though evenings although that is not to say there is nothing there!
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djb85, did you try google - 'Apartment Saalbach' or similar - to see if it throws up any private apartments?
Chalet Michaela is showing as available on Booking.com for 1st Feb. - run by Dave and Michele from UK. It's on the edge of the village with a ski-bus stop outside, or 8 of you could share a taxi for little money. Otherwise you're into high season in Saalbach and what's still available is either very expensive (e.g. Saalbacherhof or Alpinresort Hotels) or miles out of town in Vorderglemm or Hochalm.
Self catering sells out very quickly. I'm guessing that most February weeks are booked as early as the end of August. Tatman's Tours will know more.
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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: |
B&B (Frühstuckspension) is often just as cheap as self-catering.
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Maybe things have changed, but one of the reasons I'd be looking for traditional self-catering rather than B & B is needing somewhere to just hang around, make a cup of coffee or a snack, generally feel "at home". It was a very long time ago when I last stayed in a B & B and it was in summer. We really weren't expected to "hang around" and in summer it wasn't a problem being out all day, taking drives, walking, swimming in the lake (Wolfgansee). We essentially only had our bedrooms as "ours" and felt that we were invading the privacy of the proprietors if we were in their kitchen or living room.
Given the difference between the two I'd expect B & B to be cheaper than self-catering, where you expect enough "sitting area" for the group, along with a reasonably equipped kitchen, your own fridge, dishes, etc.
It's nice to go out for an evening meal but will generally be a lot more expensive than self-catering - for groups on a budget being able to fix a simple meal, accompanied by beers and wines from a supermarket, makes a big difference. And being able to loll around in your thermals with a cold beer is good, too.
Could you change your dates to avoid high season?
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After hours and hours of digging through pages of Google we did find some places! Exactly as Pam said, we would just like a place to hang out in the evenings we're not on Apres Ski.
Looking to book this weekend, thanks for all your help!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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djb85, Glad you found somewhere, and if it's well located, you can consider yourselves very lucky at this late stage. For future reference, and for the benefit of others who may be following this, it pays to start looking up to a year ahead, particularly for high season. New Year week is the most popular week, and I've had hundreds of enquiries for that week all through the summer. Since mid-August it will have been difficult to find well-located accommodation between 21st December and 29th March.
Regarding the self-catering v B&B issue, each will have his or her preference, but much will depend on the location, comfort, spaciousness and facilities provided by the accommodation on offer, so research and recommendations are all-important. Whichever you choose, location will be an important factor, in order to avoid long walks and reliance on buses and taxis.
It is probably worth mentioning that Saalbach provides lots of options for good value evening meals, ranging from pub grub (Bobby's Pub) to pizzerias (Wallners) to reasonably-priced restaurants (Peters, Schattbergstub'n, Kohlmaisstub'n, Baeckstattstall, Del Rossi to name but a few) to take-aways (Stamperl). There are also several good supermarkets. Bear in mind that the early evening après-ski parties (or tea-dancing for the traditionalists) finish between 7 and 7.15pm, so a good time to be heading out to eat will be between 8 and 9pm, although you can eat until 10pm in Wallners and virtually any time of night in Bobby's - which may seem a small point, but can be very useful, e.g. when you've been partying at the Goassstall until 7pm and then night skiing or tobogganing until late. For what it's worth, we've always found that, whether you're self-catering or B&Bing, eating tends to be one of those things that you flexibly fit in around the après-ski, when and where you feel inclined, whereas the evening meal in a hotel is the focal point of the evening, around which the après-ski must somehow be arranged! Each to his own!
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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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Very true, we left it a bit late to book for end of Feb for 11 of us, and had to stay in a more expensive hotel because of that - the Konig was full.
Can't wait to go back, the Hinterhag Alm is calling!! I may even be brave enough to do Mr Tatman's itinerary that includes the scary black..
Maybe.
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HoneyBunny,
I did it again last season, and it actually wasn't as challenging as I recalled - very steep first and last sections (mitigated by easier alternatives for those who feel daunted), but the long, middle section is fairly benign. I noticed that they were working on it during the summer, with a lot of bare earth exposed on one of the trickier bits. However I'm not aware of any plans to make the Hinterhag Alm less extreme. 
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You know it makes sense.
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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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HoneyBunny,
I'm working on it!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Woo hoo!! Fingers crossed! 
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