Have three days to play in early March, driving from Munich and trying to work out which of these three would be best location. We are two guys, intermediates, who like Zell am See but wondering if Zell am Ziller or Soelden offer better skiing? Snow was not great in Zell last year. Any thoughts welcome.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
If you go to Zell am Ziller you also gave the option to ski Kaltenbacj, maurhofen or even Hintertux. I like Zell am Ziller, plenty to go at, including linking across to gerlos.
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?
Snowsartre, Welcome to snowHeads!
If you're driving from Munich then the Zillertal is quite convenient. Although you could stay in Zell am Ziller there are plenty of other towns/villages to stay in the valley, and there are at least 3 good ski areas in the valley which you can visit on different days - Hochzillertal(Kaltenbach/Hochfugen), Arena (Zell am Ziller) and Mayrhofen. You can either use the car (or if you fancy having apres ski drinks at the end of the day the excellent Zillertalbahn narrow gauge railway provides a service along the valley that runs every 30mins -free with your liftpass).
Thanks x2 for the speedy replies. Does the Zillertalbahn go to Mayrhofen from Zell am Ziller - looking at staying next to the Achterbahn1 - would prefer not to drive and like to hit first lift.....snow issues at Zell am Ziller? (Only 580m?)
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Yep, you can get to Mayrhofen, kaltenbach on the train. You can also pick up a bus from Mayrhofen to get to hintertux.
All of the towns are in the valley and then you get the gondola up. Early March will be fine for snow etc
While you can get to Mayrhofen on the train from Zell am Ziller, you would probably be better off getting out at Hippach, as that gondola tends to have much less queueing than the Penken one, and you need a ski bus from the train station in Mayrhofen (or at Hippach, but they time the bus to meet the train).
Heading down to Kaltenbach from Zell am Ziller, the lift is about 200 yards from the train stop - just across the coach park.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Zell Am Ziller's low height isn't an issue - there isn't a run back down to the town. Lowest runs go to half way station on the gondola. Been great snow both times I've been there (at Christmas). Lower down the valley at Kaltenback there is a run down to the valley which is usually open but heavily reliant on snow cannons and prone to slushiness. Not really worth the effort.
If you do go to Zell Am Ziller you've got to visit Rosie's Schnitzelalm - on the right most red on the piste map (I think red 1. Schnitzel that hangs off both ends of a large plate for very little cash!
After all it is free
After all it is free
All really helpful replies, thank you.
Are we in agreement then that the Zillertal is more than adequate for 3 days and we don't need to trek to Soelden?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Addendum...
Do we also agree that zell am zillar is better than zell am see?
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Snowsartre, yes , the Zillertal is more than adequate for 3 days (or even a week)!
Also you'll find the Zillertal is a bit shorter drive from Munich than going to Zell am See.
If you do stay in Zell am Ziller and are on B&B there are plenty of places to have an evening meal in town, but one I'd particularly recommend trying (if you like Austrian food) is the restaurant Zellerhof. There is a tourism school (the Zillertaler Tourismusschulen) based in Zell am Ziller which trains people from all over Austria in the hotel and catering trade, and as part of their activities they operate the Zellerhof restaurant which is situated on the first floor of the building above the Pizzeria Ristorante Quattro on Bahnhofstrasse which is also run by the tourist school. I've found the quality of the food (and the service!) at the Zellerhof restaurant to be excellent, and because a lot of the staff are course students the wages bill must be lower than would otherwise be the case , so the prices are also reasonable. Sample menu here
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Snowsartre, Zell am See is a prettier village, you can ski back down to the village, but the skiing overall is fairly easy and quite limited. Zell am Ziller ain't so pretty but the ski area offers much more variety. Zell am See probably wins for the most easy Blues but otherwise Zell am Ziller has much the better range of pistes. And if you want easy Blues go 5 minutes down the valley to Kaltenbach - it's got lots of everything and is my favourite ski area in the Zillertal.
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.
Snowsartre, The current Zillertalbahn timetable (up to 13th Dec 2014) is here, the winter timetable will be very similar.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Alternatively, stay in Mayrhofen, apres might be a little better?
Haus Monika B & B is 50 yards from uplift. It will do short stays.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ignore the 580m nonsense. Mayrhofen is 600m. Hate to think how many people use that figure to say "Mayrhofen is low". SKiing is all up at 2000m or so (and IIRC Zell am Ziller or Kaltenbach might even be higher?).
Zillertal is exactly where I go for 2-3 day weekends. I'll be there in Jan and early March doing exactly that. Since I drive in, I choose either Kaltenbach, Zell am Ziller or Mayrhofen-Horbergbahn carparks and decide based on weather (Kaltenbach when it's snowing, cos it has a free multistorey carpark, which means no changing boots in the snow, and no clearing the car off before driving ).
Sölden is a bit of a trek. Never been to Zell am See.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Again, thank you for the excellent replies.
What is après schi like in zell am Ziller? It is pretty good in zell am see and Soelden appears to be nuts!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Snowsartre wrote:
Again, thank you for the excellent replies.
What is après schi like in zell am Ziller? It is pretty good in zell am see and Soelden appears to be nuts!
At the base of the Zell am Ziller lifts (Achterbahn1) there are several apres-ski bars playing the usual Austrian Apres-Ski music and are quite busy at the end of the skiing day. In Zell am Ziller town centre there are also (quieter) places where you can get a drink.
If you spend a day at Kaltenbach (recommended) then at the bottom of the Stephan Eberharter Goldpiste (by the gondola basestation) the Postalm has epic apres ski! :
In Mayrhofen if you download on the Penkenbahn to the centre of town at the end of the day then the Ice Bar right by the Penkenbahn basestation is probably the most popular:
Does anyone know of any bars near the achterbahn lift in zell am Ziller or the town itself?
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?
Snowsartre, As I said at the start of my previous reply, there are several apres ski bars by the achterbahn lift - it's just that I can't remember their names!
For information, there is another lift a bit further away from town called the Karspitzbahn (which is also an 8 seater!)
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Encyclopaedic knowledge, Mr Pink, most impressive and thank you. Do you know how far the centre of Zell am Ziller is from the foot of this lift? Walkable?
After all it is free
After all it is free
Encyclopedic...
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.
Snowsartre, It's about a mile away. Some time back I stayed in a B&B near the (Rosenalmbahn) lift and I walked into town for dinner each evening. It's about 20 mins walk each way, which I didn't mind that much, just viewed it as part of my (sadly lacking) fitness regime!
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
In ski boots, the centre of Zell am Ziller is really too far to walk from the lifts, but the buses are pretty frequent (and free with the lift pass of course).
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Ok. So the die is cast. We are going to Zell am Ziller and staying next to the Rosenalmbahn lift in a hotel due for completion by Christmas......hopefully it will be and snag free by March - think it has tux in the name??
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
. Schnitzel that hangs off both ends of a large plate for very little cash!
, so the prices are also reasonable. Sample menu 
).
