 Poster: A snowHead
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We will be a group of 5 to 6 men with good intermediate skiing abilities all around 40 years of age. Travelling on 28 Feb 2015.
We quite like catered chalet or catered hotel option but we also enjoy a bit of après ski too. Looking for-
In a lively resort. It does not need to be party central but we do not want a very small resort with very few drinking holes.
Ski in and out or very short walk to ski lift
Reasonable size ski area. We are not crazy kilometre crunchers but we do like to move around the mountain a bit.
Flights from any Midlands airport or Luton preferred.
I know I can read about St Anton, Meribel etc. What I am looking for is your knowledge and experience. Where have you stayed and why was it great.
Also which ski companies should I look at? Beside Crystal, Total Ski etc. which smaller operators are worth contacting.
Thanks as always for your help. Mike.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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28th Feb will involve French school hols, so you may want to avoid France entirely! Am not really qualified to suggest Austrian or Italian alternatives, but that may be your better option at that time of year. Over to the other snowheads .... 
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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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Perty, a good point. Maybe Austria or Italy would be better options.
Part of me is tempted to DIY it but it does become a pain in the backside.
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Take a look at Saalbach-Hinterglemm (Ski Circus) or anywhere in Ski amadé. Not so many British tour operators go to these areas, especially the Ski amadé region but you will find good quality hotels at reasonable prices. Huge amounts of piste skiing and extremely modern lift systems with few drag lifts. Après can be as manic as you want or somewhat quieter and more restrained. Fly into Salzburg and most resorts are less than an hour away. Those dates are outside the main holiday periods in our neck of the woods next season.
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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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| Perty wrote: |
| 28th Feb will involve French school hols, so you may want to avoid France entirely! |
French school holidays run for 4 weeks from the 7th of February this year. I think the 7th of February (the 'local' zone A) will be just like any other non-school holiday week, and there's also only one zone on holiday on the 28th, Zone B, i.e not Paris, so I wouldn't worry about that week either. The UK half term week is going to be very busy in France, and the week after busy but less so, but I would be surprised if the first and last weeks of the school holidays have much impact at all. Of course, I can only go on what I see here (which is not a 'party' resort, so not suggesting it to the OP… but just thought I'd mention that the French school holidays are by no means necessarily busy, and it depends which zone gets their holiday when).
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I agree with Samerburg Sue that Saalbach would be good for you. I stayed in the neighbouring village of Hinterglemm last season at the Chalet Hotel Pinzgauerhof with Inghams. It was v good VFM, with food and wine included. One of the main area lifts is right out of the ski store door.
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Saalbach is great! I recommend the Hotel Konig with Crystal. Good location and excellent food. I also stayed at Berger's Sporthotel this year, which is in an even better location in the village centre. Small rooms though and food not as good as the Konig. Apres is great fun, and the ski area and lift system are excellent.
Also consider St Anton, Mayrhofen and Schladming.
Our group of 11 has just booked for Ischgl for end of Jan 2015. Massive area, very high and legendary apres. However, it's very expensive for some reason. The 'cheaper' accommodation gets booked up very quickly, so book now if you want to go.
We've booked the Chalethotel Abendrot with Ski Total, and they also run the catered Chalet Zita.
http://www.skitotal.com/chalets/chalet-hotel-abendrot/
http://www.skitotal.com/chalets/chalet-zita/
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Mayrhofen would be another option for you. Good range of après ski and will be fairly lively around that time. The ski pass covers the whole of the Zillertal valley and so you can also ski at a number of other resorts including Hintertux glacier. Definitely worth a day out at Zell am Ziller and Kaltenbach as well, which you can access for free on the valley train. Hotel wise if you want to be close to the lift then the Sport Hotel Strass is next door to the gondola station.
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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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St Anton is great but was our most expensive boys trip ever. Solden was good this year, Hotel Garni Sunshine is comfortable, directly opposite uplift and does a good breakfast. You can take dinner in their other hotel across the road if you want and use their spa and pool. And was reasonably cheap.
But, we have done 8 out of 10 boys' trips top Mayrhofen, great skiing, great après. Plenty of hotels near the Penkenbahn, our favourite is the Perauer, which is a 3 minute walk to uplift. Also Haus Monika B n B which is a stone's throw fro Penkenbahn. The Hotel Viktoria is also good value.
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IME, the French school holidays aren't a deal breaker on their own, it depends more which region of France is on holiday. It's noticeably busier when Paris and the local areas are on holiday, but less so with the other regions.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Stayed in the Mark Warner chalet Hotel Rosanna in St Anton, great location, just off the main strip, 5 minutes walk to Galzig lift, 2 minutes form centre of town and bars / clubs. Actually has a club underneath it if you really are lazy (Scottys). Generally decent service and food, decent clean rooms. THe location couldnt be better, 5 mins to hire shops and Galzigbahn and about 6 or 7 minutes to Rendlbahn. We were 40 somethings on a Stag Do, great apres if you want it and bars and clubs in town were excellent, enjoyed the piccadilly for live music every night and Kandahar for more hard core clubbing. Plenty of queter places too. Its a gret ski area with a good variety and easy links to Zurs and Lech. You cant go far wrong by going to St Anton.
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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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Excellent replies - thank you. I am now researching the recommendations. My friend is keen on Meribel or Ischgl but they seem a lot more expensive than Mayrhofen. I will let you know what we find.
Any more advice and recommendations greatly appreciated.
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If you fancy Ischgl, look at the links I posted. I did a lot of research into it before we booked!
Mayrhofen is definitely worth a go. Good apres and good ski area, I'd go back there.
Stayed at the Kristall last time, it was fine - and relatively cheap.
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You know it makes sense.
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One out our group has been to mayrhofen and said he queued for ages to get on the lift up the mountain every day. He's not keen on it.
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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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Ski total don't do midlands flights which seems daft as esprit do.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I'd say the Hof or Nasserein end of St Anton. Stayed in a Skiworld chalet just below Tom Dooley's. Easy stroll to gondola, ski in get the West to Ost bus back for dinner if you've been in teh Mooser or Underground. Stroll into town later in the evening.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Mike-H, In the busy weeks then the Penkenbahn lift can get pretty busy at ski school times etc. The solution if you are going in a busy week is to use the Horbergbahn, which is 5 mins on the ski bus. If you come to Mayrhofen, you will want to explore the other resorts in the valley and so I doubt you would use the Penkenbahn much anyway.
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