 Poster: A snowHead
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+1 and a great family resort as well.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| JimboS wrote: |
| Mayrhofen is an hour from Innsbruck and is an easy transfer, and on a good day two hours from Munich. |
This sounds ideal
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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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post easter skiing is great.. get up early get the first left and get your day done by 1 pm for facial tanning and beer..
slush is fine as well ...if you board 
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Given this years snow conditions, don't know I'd do Mayrhofen...
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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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| HeidiAmsterdam wrote: |
| Given this years snow conditions, don't know I'd do Mayrhofen... |
+1 the snow is in Southern Austria.
e.g. Sölden also has a circa 1 hour transfer from Innsbruck but is much higher and has much more snow. (280cm v 90cm)
http://www.bergfex.com/tirol/schneewerte/?sort=Berg,DESC
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HeidiAmsterdam, DB, I'd wait and see - last winter was an odd one too - it just kept on giving and there was a lot of snow lying around until quite late, I was walking in the Ahorn area and we were held back by snow in June (I think). Considering that this winter has hardly got going on the north side of the Alps, perhaps we will have an amazingly frustrating Easter with masses of snow (but few resorts open later than Easter Monday).
If you have to book, I agree with DB, Sölden is a really good bet!
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| Quote: |
If you have to book, I agree with DB, Sölden is a really good bet!
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Am I right in thinking that Sölden sits at 1380m which might be a bit low for April. As the slopes go up to 3250 do you have to get up the mountains to take advantage of the snow or is there enough lower down as we'll be spending quite a lot of the time on beginners slopes with the kids?
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karlos247, the main beginner areas are at the top of Giggijoch and Gaiskogel cable cars anyway. Sölden itself sits at 1380m yes, but being a few hundred+ kms further into the continent you can easily "add" 300m to that height in terms of snow levels to make comparisons with the usual suspects in France. A village lying at 1680m in France is not considered too low is it?
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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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If you have to book soon you should plan to go high, I plan to go to Mayrhofen but wont book or confirm my destination until the end of March.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I can leave it a bit later really JimboS depending a bit on accommodation availability
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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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You can't assume much about April. Conditions are so variable. If you are booking in advance then yes you need to assume the worst. If you can book late then any assumptions are not necessary. Assuming the worst clearly means booking somewhere high and and snowsure. Anywhere above 1400/1500 that has snow cannons would be snowsure IME. Bear in mind it depends when you are going in April aswell. It can detiorate really badly over a couple of weeks at that time of the year.
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You know it makes sense.
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Hopefully around the 11/12th Layne depending on flights/accommodation
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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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Would la plagne or les arcs work?
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Poster: A snowHead
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I don't see a problem with Flaine going on 11th/12th. I've never been but Telegraph resort guide says:
Snow reliability
Usually keeps its whiteness
Most of the main bowl faces north-west, and keeps snow well. There is snowmaking on many of the lower runs. The slopes outside the bowl are lower. Grooming is excellent.
I believe Flaine itself is 1600m.
So personally if I was a big fan of Flaine I'd be happy to book in for April 11th/12th. Worse cased scenarion you can't get down to some of the villages but that's all.
Disclaimer: I've skied at the time in a really bad year (2011 iirc) staying at 1450m (Les Coches in Paradiski) and still skied all week.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I wouldn't book Flaine at this point. In fact I wouldn't book anything at this point, I'd wait and see. It's a strange season and might go on being strange. I've skied terrible slush in Flaine in January. And nice snow much later, in lower places.
Somewhere with good beginner slopes at the top of a cable car is a much better bet in late season than somewhere with the nursery slopes right down in the village. You could be reasonably sure of good snow by booking somewhere really high, like Val Thorens, but if the conditions are good there are far nicer (and cheaper) 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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karlos247, any reason for booking now or are you happy to wait until 10 days before, or less?
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Agree with Pam's post. I think you can afford to wait and see where is the best snow. I think you will have options so unless you get some amazing deal for say Cervinia, I would hold fire. Many companies will be looking to fill their chalets at the end of the season even though it is Easter and I suspect the french resorts, Mayrhofen etc will all have availability
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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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Layne Every time I've been to Flaine I've never ventured lower than Flaine itself so not being able to go lower would not bother me.
pam w I do like the sound of Val Thorens but my youngest get travel sick and the thought of putting her on road trip for 3 hours after few hours on a flight might be asking a bit too much of her. As it's the kids first time it's not essential that I find a resort with miles of varied runs just something that's going to keep us busy for the week of progressing from beginner to ? that we don't have to travel a great distance to.
I can wait a bit longer. I was just concerned about missing flights/accommodation as that's what happened to us with the February half term when we appeared to be getting very little for £3.5 k! I looked at (Liverpool - Geneva ) flights which went from about £400 return wc 08/02/14 to £2,200 wc £15/02/14 for exactly the same time flights so thought I'd consider getting better choice going in April but obviously that comes with it's own considerations itself.
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| Quote: |
I was just concerned about missing flights/accommodation as that's what happened to us with the February half term
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February half term is as busy as it gets, and April is low season for accommodation in France (don't know about Austria, but probably the same there). But flights from the UK in the school holidays are not cheap.
If you want to go for a TO package deal I'd wait till the last minute. If you want to do a DIY trip, maybe make a basic decision on where you want to go then book flights, and leave it till later to decide where to go. Though it's far too late now for low cost flights. my daughter and family booked flights on easyjet months ago, but still quite expensive even though they didn't have to travel on weekends.
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Flights and packages still appear good for April pam w. I can get so much more for my budget than in the Feb so I'm just concentrating on getting the right resort at the min that's going to meet travel requirements while offering a good certainly of snow.
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I have done Obergurgl (2010, 2012), Ischgl (2013) and Stuben (2011) in April. All were fine. All had fresh show sometime in the four days. Ischgl wetaher was "January-like" last year.
Of these, with beginner kids, I'd pick Obergurgl. Better bet with kids than Solden I would have thought.
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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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We skied in Isola 2000 late last year and had snow storms. Its high up. only 1 hour 30 minutes from Nice airport on a Neige Bus that costs €5. Lots of great beginner slopes for our two kids and excellent ski school... couldn't recommend highly enough.. we will definitely be going back
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Haven't skied there that late in the season but how would Stubai be? Short transfer from Innsbruck as well.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Well I didn't follow my own advice, I tried to book a package deal today with Ingams to Verbier on 5th April but there were not enough seats left on the plane, I took that as a sign and have booked up old faithful for the last week of the season. Out on Monday 14th April and back on Tuesday 22nd April, so heres hoping for the snow to move a bit north.
Easyjet edi to mun, alamo hire car and an apartment has worked out at ~£400pp which is a bit expensive for self catering but its now done and out of the way.
See you there Karlos if you make it!
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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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Can you give me any tips accommodation wise JimboS?
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I used booking.com, more and more of the village accommodation is on there, what type are you looking for?
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You know it makes sense.
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Hotels or nice apartments JimboS as we'll probably eat out a lot of the time
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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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I have stayed in many hotels, apartments and B&Bs over the years in Mayrhofen, probably in excess of 20 different places. Some were super cheap B&Bs for 30Euro per night up to the Strass penthouse suite, depending upon whether it was a boys trip, romantic trip for two or family trip. All have been good, however when choosing I always go for somewhere within 5 mins walk of the Penken station as getting on busses is a hassle and Kim can't take any more than a 5min walk in her ski boots.
Sport Hotel Strass, great facilities and is right next to the lift(they have different grades of accommodation all round the village).
Sport hotel Mani, good facilities and great roof top pool at the limit of the 5 min walk rule.
Hotel Perauer, nice hotel closer to the Ahorn lift but still within the 5 min rule.
As for apartments the Landhaus Gasser is great as is the Blumenhaus Sandhofer large apartment (not the top floor one) is great as it has a huge west facing balcony. Or for something quirky we once rented this little place called the Rabner Hausel, it is fantatic inside and out but has tiny proportions.
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FAQ
