Poster: A snowHead
|
Just back from Ischgl. Arrived Thursday night to find a good base in the resort and snow beginning to fall. Then it snowed continually and mostly heavily right the way through to Sunday morning. We had limited skiing on the first two days because of high winds and visibility but it was a powder bonanza on Sunday and yesterday. It was clear both days but as we were flying out of Zurich last night the snow came in again at the airport, causing a one hour delay as the runway was kept clear and planes were de-iced.
It was our first visit to Ischgl and I have to say I came away immensely impressed. Big ski area, good variety of pistes, plenty of off-piste possibilities and pretty, tasteful resport with good apres ski. I can highly recommend it and it took us a shade under 3 hours to drive from Geneve. Friedrichshaven would be even quicker.
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
How did you go about arranging accomodation for your trip? - I'm thinking of going for a weekend at the end of March next year.
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
stephen bleakley, I checked out www.ischgl.at which has a search engine for hotels. Our group size was a bit complicated with the need for single rooms so, rather than use the search system on there, I just used it to find hotels that seemed to fit the bill and then I checked out their web-sites and e-mailed them. Our first choices were the Monte Bianco and the Piz Buin but they did not have availability. They are both in great locations and we will try for them next time. Instead we stayed at the Hotel Pradella. B&B was just €50 per night. It was a very good 3 star standard. Only down side is that it was up a hill a little, resulting in about 6 minutes walk to and from the lifts. However, if you don't mind the walk, I can recommend it.
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
StanBowles,
Quote: |
it took us a shade under 3 hours to drive from Geneve
|
You clearly hired the Starship Enterprise. Impressed. I was in St Anton at exactly the same time and had identical conditions (not surprising given how relatively close they are) - I guess you got powder on the brain like I did.
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Quote: |
it took us a shade under 3 hours to drive from Geneve
|
Really? , I'd thought of doing that trip but the AA route finder reckons on 5 hours and 18 Mins journey time. 492 km (306 Miles) in 3 hours Surely that's an AVERAGE speed of around 102 Mph!!
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Are you lot getting confused with Geneva. StanBowles, does mention Zurich in the first para. Just a typo me thinks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
StanBowles wrote: |
It was our first visit to Ischgl and I have to say I came away immensely impressed. Big ski area, good variety of pistes, plenty of off-piste possibilities and pretty, tasteful resport with good apres ski. |
StanBowles Snow in Ischgl did not good last week on the SCGB site 5cm on lower slopes. Now it is 50cm on the lower slopes according to SCGB.
I was thinking of going to either Ischgl or Bad Hofgastein from Innsbruck.
Ischgl is closer. However, Bad Hofgastein has a rail link all the way into the resort.
The hotel packages also seem cheaper in Bad Hofgastein, which is a reflection of what you can see in tour operators brochures. I am looking for a reasonable half board hotel.
Was Ischgl very German-orientated ? A lot of the hotels do not have an English version on the website, which suggests they are not looking outside a German speaking market.
Anyone know much about the public transport links (bus) from Landeck rail station ? Are they frequent ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Meister Jäger, JohnHill, I did of course mean Zurich. Sorry, I am so used to going via Geneve that I typed it wrong. Thanks Frosty the Snowman, for getting it exactly right - a typo it was. Latchigo, it is German oriented but that was not a barrier for us. None of us have German but many resort staff were comfortable with English (except the manager of the hotel who did not speak English and I suspect that may be the case with many of the smaller ones like we stayed in).
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
StanBowles, thanks for the info.
I hope Ischgl is German orientated (or certainly not Brit orientated).
It's good to get away from the Tarquin/Pippa brigade once in a while.
Last year we went to Solden - it was so refreshing to feel like you are actaully somewhere 'foreign'.
Only spoilt when we spent the day in Obergurgl.
|
|
|
|
|
|
stephen bleakley, Yes that was very much part of the appeal. I only heard one other British skier when I was there and the whole apres ski scene was very Austrian. I think it is a gem of a resort. For our early season December weekend there is a group of us and we have either gone to Zermatt or Val d'Isere/Tignes in previous years. I am a big fan of Zermatt but not, particulalry, of Val d'Isere. I wish I could swop the Espace Killy ski area with Zermatt's town and apres ski scene. Ischgl, though, because it combines both a superb ski area, a characterful compact village and good apres ski is possibly ahead of them both. The only thing Ischgl can't compare in is the number and choice of mountain restaurants although few places can rival Zermatt on that score.
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
I always had Ischgl on my list but the hoteliers aren't that interested in the Brit market as they get all the germans they need.
No problem with this but it keeps the hotel prices high as far as we were concerned....
I'll get there one day..
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
stephen bleakley wrote: |
StanBowles, thanks for the info.
I hope Ischgl is German orientated (or certainly not Brit orientated).
|
stephen bleakley Maybe you should check out the SchneeKopf site. I am sure they will have a warm welcome for all you self-hating types.
|
|
|
|
|
|
JT, I don't know where you get the 'high prices' idea from. We paid just €50 b&b for a very comfortable hotel and they offered that price for sole occupancy of larger rooms as well. We also received some good half board deals as well. Of course, these prices are higher in peak season but I didn't get the impression that they are significantly higher than any comparable resorts.
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
StanBowles,
When I was looking to book this a few years back the hotels were charging nigh on £600 when Sallbach was about £100 cheaper all things considered. It may be that the resort was worth the difference but I couldn't sell it to the group.
But I haven't forgotten the resort and it still on my list...along with so many others.. ..!
|
|
|
|
|
|