Ski amade

A snowHead

Reading SH has kind of wetted my appetite to try the ski Amade area. If I went I wouldn't have any transport, so how doable is it without own transport? What would be the best base to offer easiest access to a big local ski area? Which is the prettiest base?

(I really like the French mega-resorts for ease of access. I like to get off the transfer coach and not need any other form of transport apart from skis or feet until I get back on the transfer coach)

Looking forward to hearing from you ski Amade experts

A snowHead

Most towns have good access to their own local and a bunch of linked slopes. Schladming is one good example, but for a full week we preferred staying in radstadt and getting a bus to a different area each day (it's a bus hub), and we too normally go ski in/out! It just worked as a totally different kind of holiday - mostly as the buses actually run when they say they will!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I have stayed in both Flachau and Wagrain, very well linked lift systems and even better this year I am led to believe with a new cable car linking the valleys. Austrian lifts are great - heated seats, wind guards etc. Lots to do as well - try the Therme Amade swimming pool (the red water slide if you dare!) Cheap on the mountains for food, and good apres ski. Done both with and without my own transport, not a problem at all. In Flachau you can ski right back into the center.

This year I am following the example of a.j. and trying Radstadt - going to do days at Schladming, also Forstau and Flachauwinkl/Zauchensee.

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I've stayed in Radstadt, and am doing so again this winter. I drive out but have also used the ski buses, they run frequently and give you a lot of choice of resorts.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

No-one has convinced me yet rolling eyes

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NE1, Give one good reason why any of us who ski regularly in the Sportwelt amadé region should even bother to try and convince you? You seem to have enough prejudices already. If you like "French mega-resorts", find one to stay in! rolling eyes

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

NE1, you are right.
Stick to France, Austria is pants

After all it is free

Samerberg Sue, well, because he/she asked politely, for starters, so deserves a polite reply. It seems reasonable to me to say that you don't like faffing around with buses, which is why the following questions were also put:

The Flying Gooseberry, and his use of the dreaded rolling eyes

is considered polite after some people responded with their views?

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kooky, that blooming smiley is more trouble than it's worth. I tend to ignore it when used by others. And when I use it, it's more often than not against myself, which easily could have been the case here.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

The Flying Gooseberry, the rolling eyes made it impolite as far as I'm concerned! There are more than enough reports and photos available if people can be bothered to search then they can form their own opinions.

Wagrain is extremely pretty, Kleinarl is pretty and quiet, Radstadt is fun, St Johann and Schladming are living towns not purpose-built ski resorts à la Walt Disney, etc. If you go in measuring unlike against each other of course you are on a hiding to nothing and your original benchmark will always win. Hence the advice to stick with what they know and obviously like.

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You know it makes sense.

NE1 as you may be able to tell, one major advantage of ski amade is that due to the excellent friendliness and pr skills of the locals Cool

the slopes are always really quiet Twisted Evil

Seriously it's not the same sort of holiday, like you I do usually prefer ski in/out in high purpose built resorts, but for long weekends and other flexible breaks I find Ski Amade has the edge, also with non skiers. Slopes are quieter, skiers seem to be more competent and food is cheaper. The linked areas mean plenty to explore so you never get bored. Take a look through https://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com for reviews of individual resorts and see what catches your eye.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

NE1,
All the towns are pretty. The majority of them are 'proper' towns so are not quite as centralised as a 'resprt'.
If you have a phobia to busses and want to cover the most piste area then I would go for Schladming (which you may pay for the priveledge).
Flachay allows easy access to iteself along with the links to Wagrain.
If you aren't too scared of a bus then you can shoot up to Flachau Winkl and Zauchensee too.

A snowHead

flangesax,I am curious, where is this Flachay resort of which you speak? Twisted Evil

and BTW, shooting up Flachau Winkl sounds a dangerous pastime wink

A snowHead

I forgot to add the other major advantage of Austria ime. Accomodation is WAAY better. BIG Rooms with wardrobes and room to put your suitcase down at the same time. Even rooms where people can visit without someone needing to stand in the wardrobe/bathroom. Furniture that feels like it is hewn from solid wood, and even in the towns a lot of cute wood carved houses.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I love it but to hijack the thread how do you pronounce it?

Am ard ay
Am ar deh
Am ard
Am a day

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hobbiteater, as in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I think.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Am a dé

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

NE1, I think Wagrain, Schladming, etc etc etc suits you fine. Loads of skiing and dead easy to get an airport transfer. We have done Ski Amade (am ad ay) 4 times now and am desperate to go back. We have never had a car.

Lets take Wagrain for example; from the Flying Mozart lift station you can ski one side of Wagrain and Flachau and from the Grafenburg Lift Station you can ski more of Wagrain and Alpendorf. A 10 minute bus ride from the Grafenbur will Take you to Kleinarl from where you can ski to Flachauwinkle and Zauchenzee. Some fabuluos skiing, dirt cheep food and drin and the best lift sysytem and skiing you could hope for.

Radstadt is similar; ski the home hill over to Altenmarkt and get the 10 min ski bus up to Zauchensee and from there you can do the reverse of the above.

Schladming is 4 self-contained hills and a great spot but in my opinion the spots above have more variety of skiing.... and then there are the other 400 km of resort on the lift pass!!!

After all it is free

A couple of other queries on the pronunciation. Are there other Austrian places/areas/words with acute accents?

Where is the stress? From

pam w, don't know the answer to your first question, but I think the three syllables are fairly equal.

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That's it, I don't know which syllable to stress - I'm off back France.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Well I for 1 am certainly looking forward to my first trip to the Amade region in a few weeks. I've not been to Austria since Kitz some 20 years ago. Done a couple of French resorts now so just wanted to try something new.

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Samburg Sue, there was no need to be so rude. It was a civil question, put politely and I gave you a bit of background about my likes. I had a truly open mind at the time. This place gets very tetchy at times and unless you are one of the stalwarts it puts people of posting. Your answer continues this perception. Thank you for your help.

Unlike some on here, I don't earn a lot of money and therefore have to spend it wisely. As I look forward to my two weeks per year skiing I like to think I will enjoy it when I go. I know the French mega resorts and feel comfortable there, so as you say I should just stick with them.

NE1, it was a bit of a bizarre sideswipe. Tell us what you like in a resort.

You know it makes sense.

NE1, The use of the rolling eye smiley in your post was rude and dismissive of the answers you had already received. Perhaps you should have used a winky instead wink