 Poster: A snowHead
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My wife is no longer able to ski due to a medical condition but is otherwise able to carry on as normal. We go annually to Wengen for me to ski in the Jungfrau region where due to the excellent transport (train, cabins etc.) connections, my wife is able to get around and meet up with me for lunch, go shopping and enjoy many other activities.
Does anyone know of any other resorts in Europe where this is also possible, that we could consider for a change?
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Zermatt also has a cog railway, but it is very expensive (although you are used to Swiss prices)
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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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Have you considered Saalbach-Hinterglemm? All the lifts from the valleys are bubbles, with restaurants at the top, so ideal for meeting at lunchtime. The free bus links them all. She could also get the bus to Zell Am See (good shopping and very pictureqsue) and perhaps even to Salzburg for a day.
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Serre Chevalier has many pedestrian accessible restaurants from all of the villages, transport runs along the valley from Le Monetier to Briancon and back again. You can ski down to meet her for lunch too, as all have places close to the pistes. Thermal spa in Monetier, walks, cable cars, old walled town in Briancon. Plenty of things for a non-skier to do.
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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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@DixieDean, nothing quite as good (in Europe) as the Jungfrau in that respect I'd say although FionaG's suggestion sounds good if your wife likes to be quite adventurous in terms of what she does.
I see you stipulate Europe... You wouldn't consider the United states? Tahoe might suit - you could ski and she could play the tables 
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Kitzbuhel?
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Thanks everyone for all those replies. FionaG we'll check Saalbach-Hinterglemm out a bit more on the internet. Serre Chevalier as well as it always looks good on Ski School videos. Cheers
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+1 for Saalbach-Hinterglemm + Zell am See suggestion from @FionaG, but I would suggest the other way round may suit better: ie stay in Zell am See - a lovely lake-side town with plenty to see and do + with it's own adjacent linked ski area. It's got train links with Salzburg & Kitzbuhel; whilst Kaprun (for fab spa complex + Kitzsteinhorn Glacier) and Saalbach-Hinterglemm are just a short bus ride away in opposite directions.
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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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Davos/Klosters is also pretty good for opportunities for pedestrians to meet up with skiers
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Chamonix is a really good mix with all areas accessible via transport links with some nice high altitude places to meet for lunch etc, along with a many interests in town.
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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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@quinton thanks for that link - should be a sticky in a resort report folder. Do we have such a thing?
Saalbach-Hinterglemm is looking very interesting, as is the suggestion from @Snow Beard to stay in Zell. How does that work lift pass and ski bus though? Does a Saalbach-Hinterglemm lift pass cover journeys to and from Zell? How would visits to Kaprun work? Do you need to get separate lift passes each day or is there an area wide version?
Thanks everyone for your continued interest 
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Limited knowledge of many ski areas but Morzine and Les Gets have an easy bus route. Nice towns but not sure what you are looking for really. In Les Gets there is a bubble lift both sides of the valley so your wife can meet you for lunch. Not sure what the deal is with lift pass for foot passengers.
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You know it makes sense.
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Hi @Mike-H - just places where there's plenty for my wife to do, say some walking on in the valley or in the mountains, maybe a day snow shoeing, shopping in pretty towns, hotel with good bathing, the ability to meet up with me for lunch or coffee sometimes on the mountain (so cabins rather than chairlifts to main restaurants) cheap walkers pass for slopes that sort of thing, including ski bus/train in the valleys, that sort of thing.
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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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@DixieDean, maybe take a look at the Val Gardena/Alpe d'Suisi area in the Dolomites as well? There are several towns/resorts for shopping and strolling around, valley walks, pedestrian uplift for lunchtime meet ups, a huge plateau area for easy walking/snow shoeing with great views, lots of good spa hotels, good transport links and decent coffee!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@DixieDean, The Saalbach and Zell areas are separated by about 15km and are on separate lift cards. The Postbus between the two runs every hour and costs about 8 EUR for a return ticket. Both places have much to commend them. If your main criterium is skiing, then I would choose Saalbach. Zell is prettier, but the skiing is less extensive and the mountain restaurants less accessible.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@DixieDean, Obergurgl/Hochgurgl is really good for non skiers who want to explore the resort. There are loads of great restos that you can meet up after your wife has had a good stroll. The lift system is really good about letting non skiers on and you can ride a combination of chairs and bubble to 3,000m. There's also the skiddo to the Nederhutte for rocking acres ski.
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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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@DixieDean,
Chateau d' oex ( train station in the centre, hotel facing ). I had a car so not sure how good the ski bus or train would be to other resorts within that ski pass such as Gstaad.
Davos as DCG, has said already. lots of hotel options there and in Klosters.
and probably lots more swiss resorts.
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Megeve is beautiful, chic and good for the non skier.
If you looking for towns then Briancon, Innsbruck, St Moritz, Aosta
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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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I think Zellamsee is a good choice , it is a pretty town/village ,it has a beautiful lake with picturesque walks . the railway station goes right through the town so everywhere is within walking distance .you can reach the mountain restaurants Panarama and Schmitten by gondola ..you can buy a ski lift pass which will give you access to lifts in Saalbach /Hinterglemm it is only 30 to 40mins bus ride .
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Clarification of ski passes for Saalbach and Zell am See:
A 6-day pass for Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang costs €233 in the main season.
A 6-day pass for Zell-Kaprun costs €232.
To ski both in the same week, a 6-day Kitzbuhler All-star card or a similar Salzburgerland Superski card costs €249 (and if you have a car, give access to a whole load of nearby resorts).
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Thanks everyone again for all your very informative replies. A number of suggestions to follow up with some research. I hope you all have a great week's skiing wherever you happen to go. 
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Great thread, thanks to all. I'm struggling with the same problem ( @DixieDean ), as my wife broke and dislocated her ankle two years ago and she's been shying away from skiing ever since. And I am in an even more difficult situation right now, and would love to learn what @DixieDean chose in the end and what other Snowheads would suggest - given the current lack of snow in the Alps.
Since then we did Megeve in 2013 and and Zermatt last year; both so that my wife would have a lot of options to entertain herself (shopping ) and so that we would also meet up for lunch on the slopes. Very similar motives. I would have seconded Megeve in a heartbeat; and we were set to go there in three weeks but the lack of snow there is forcing us to change our destination. Megeve set the bar so high with the Haute-Savoie charm that she didn't like Zermatt as much.
We had travelled through Gstaad one summer, and thought that could be an option. But unfortunately Gstaad has a similar snow problem this year.
And I have very limited options because the town needs to have, per my wife's instructions , a truly Alpine charm, have a proper traffic-free center, no need for high-end but at least some shopping, and direct access from town to the slopes. And, most important of all, needs to have snow Which seems to rule out the Saalbach - Hinterglemm options as well.
Crans and Klosters didn't look that attractive, and it might be wiser to avoid the Swiss prices anyway. Which seems to leave me with the Arlberg as the only option. I did Ischgl and St. Anton in the past, and past is past and I'm married now which seems to leave me with Lech to tick all the boxes.... Any tips/advice ?
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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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And, most important of all, needs to have snow Which seems to rule out the Saalbach - Hinterglemm options as well.
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@Odysseus, Welcome, but who told you that? S-H has plenty of snow at the moment, and very few guests, so the pistes are comparatively empty. There isn't knee-deep powder (that was Sunday morning) but the last 2 days and this morning have been gloriously sunny with blue skies and temperatures cold enough to stop the pistes getting slushy. The cloud came over at lunchtime and it is now snowing heavily, with more forecast for Friday/Saturday.
For a minute by minute weather report (at least until Joshua goes home) see >> http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=115827&highlight=
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I had the same aim this year to squeeze an extra ski trip out of the season by taking my wife. She has bad knees and cannot ski but likes walking, shopping Though she swears she doesn't), eating out etc. I choose Zell am See for the reasons above. Also there is fairly well priced apartments to let so I booked a bigger one and invited some friends along who would not have been able to afford it otherwise. Splurged my avios on them too. Problem solved - she has snow mates too! 
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