granny wants to come too! ellmau, westendorf, somewhere else?

A snowHead

Hi,
Please can I ask for some more advice from lovely snowheads.
I am just back from Sauze and already looking at half term 2016. My mum would like to come next time which is great but she doesnt ski and I am worried about her being bored. She is quite active and would like to do some walking. I have researched on here and wengen came up on a recent thread but i dont really fancy switzerland. The trouble is we are not really prepared to compromise on our holiday as its just too much money. I have 3 teens and a big ski area and ski school with other english speaking teens is a priority. I have heard ellmau is good as pedestrians can go up the mountain but it looks tiny and apartments are very expensive. There is more choice of apartments in westendorf but I think there may not be other english speaking teens there and its also tiny.
Has anyone got any great ideas? we always Diy. We could go back to France as we loved Vaujany but we are quite fussy about having enough space in the apartment.
Thank you

A snowHead

If you like the idea of the Skiwelt look at Brixen as I think there is a train station that runs through. Will open up more of Austria to a pedestrian.

Personally I'd look at Kitzbuhel. Nice sized town so stuff to do, pedestrians can get the lift up. Train station to links of other parts of Austria. The ski area is relatively small, but we found enough to do during our week there. If you want to get the All star card then you can ski Westendorf and the Skiwelt too.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@nem, there's not a lot for a non skier to do in Vaujany either - which you probably already know.

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@nem, why does your Mum want to go too? Maybe to see beautiful snowy mountains, see what this "skiing business" is all about, watch the kids showing off a bit, do some walks, maybe go up a lift and meet you all for lunch, sit with her feet up and read a book? Have lovely cakes.

My mum did all that in a much tinier Austrian resort than any you've mentioned and loved it to bits. She also did a bit of child care and cooked lunches. I cooked dinners.

If your Mum enjoys cooking preparing food for lunch, or after skiing, or the evening, would probably be enjoyable, if the apartment/chalet has decent facilities, not a microwave and two slow hobs.

This business about "activities for non skiers" always bemuses me a bit. People don't ask about "acitivities for non-swimmers" on a beach holiday. Just nice to be in a beautiful place.

If your mother is an active person who likes walking she'd enjoy snowshoeing - and there are guided walks on snowshoes in just about any half-worthwhile ski area.

Have you asked her what "activities" she might want?

And maybe she'd want to ski?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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@pam w, You paint a lovely picture! I know she'd want to do all of those things. I just need to make sure we go somewhere where it is possible to come up the mountain and meet us for lunch and do some snowshoeing etc. You make a good point about the apartment, it will be more important than usual that its nice with half decent cooking facilities.

@hammerite, I will look at kizbuhel, I have heard its very pretty- is it as pricey as its reputation suggests?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Alastair Pink, I guess when I said I didnt fancy switzerland I wasnt really connecting it with the next statement about the big ski area. I am put off by the reputation it has for being very expensive. With 3 teens it makes a huge difference. The piste map looks amazing, I might have to get over my prejudice! have you been to the area? Would you say it would suit a non skier and keen teens and is Wengen the best base?

After all it is free

@nem, Zell am see might be good - joint area with Kaprun - lots of english voices about and a train direct to Salzburg is 1-2hrs.

Switzerland would be expensive with hungry teens, I'd have thought. The Jungfrau area is incredible for non skiers though, because of the trains and the stupendous scenery.

Never skied there; only been in summer.

Is it going to be half term again?

One possibility could be Italy. Maybe Madonna, or somewhere in the Sella Ronda area. The SR is huge - you couldn't ski it all in a week. Selva is a big and sophisticated town. Personally I'd prefer somewhere like Corvara or Colfosco, smaller and more manageable. My mother would have preferred a smaller place - and she'd not have been interested in expensive shopping for works of art or horrendously expensive wooden carvings.

Stupendous scenery - probably the most scenic mountains in the world. Loads of gondolas, loads of excellent mountain restaurants.

No idea about self-catering possibilities but you've plenty of time to find out. The Italians tend to be pretty good at kitchens.

Only been to Kitzbuhel in summer and yonks ago. Very attractive town but quite big - spread out and rather disjointed ski area according to my sister who visited several times with part-Austrian friends who had a place there, one of whom was a local ski instructor.

One of the things my mother loved about our holiday (and a later one in Les Gets when she was much less mobile) was having pretty snowy mountain views through the window and in Austria she could walk up to the "front de neige", have a coffee, watch the skiers, and walk back when she got chilly. It was all so small and compact that was easy. Wouldn't be so easy somewhere like Kitzbuhel.

In many ways Megeve would be good but I couldn't recommend it at half term, because it'll also be French holidays and busy.

Depends a lot on what your Mum wants, really - what does she think?

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@nem, @hammerite, suggestion of Kitzbuhel is a good one IMO. Lovely town and I didn't find it pricey, if the £ stays at similar levels or better it will make a difference. Switzerland however will crucify you, although the resorts seem to making efforts to attract visitors. Kitzbuhel is a decent area offer that sense of 'travel' that a lot of piste skiers who like to clock up mileage seem to like, travelling over the 3S gondola. I've been lucky each time I've been that the snow has been really good with plenty about to get you back down to resort.

@pam w, You've a good way with words and makes the point very well. I've been laid up with an injury for a couple of days in a quiet resort and that wasn't too much fun although it is nice just to be in the mountains. I guess it depends what you class as a 'big area'? A base in Ski Amade is another suggestion, as you've already mentioned Ellmau being linked into the SkiWelt is the biggest connected area in Austria I believe.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@nem, Yes I have been to the area many times, in fact I'm a member of the DHO (Down Hill Only Club) which is a British ski club based in Wengen. In my view it's ideal for a group of skiers and non-skiers as the non-skiers can use the mountain railway system to get up the mountain and meet up with the skiers for lunch, e.g at Kleine Scheidegg with its great views of the North Face of the Eiger and to use the walks and toboggan runs (if they fancy that!). I think Wengen is the best base as apart from it's own ski area you can ski down to Grindelwald and then get a bus to the Grindelwald First ski area (which also has the First Flyer - a free zipwire line which I'm sure the teens would like!), or take the train down to Lauterbrunnen and then go up to Murren (with a visit to the Schilthorn with the 007 Piz Gloria restaurant and the black run from the top. It's best to make it a whole day trip though if you intend travelling to Grindelwald or Murren.

If you should decide to go to the area note that you can get a 20% discount of the Jungfrau region skipass if you order it more than 21 days in advance from http://www.jungfrau.ch/en/tourism/ (6 day adult pass reduced from 339CHF to 271CHF, which at current exchange rate of 1.4CHF to the £ is about £194).

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@pam w, yes exactly that. you have it perfectly. My mum isnt into stuff shopping either but she likes food shopping. Unfortunatley 'nice view' is now added to the list of apartment requirements.
I am dying to go to the sella ronda but saving it for the moment as its hard to get to and we have long transfers this end.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

My mother in law always comes with us, apart from St. Foy... She loved Pila, being able to get the gondola down to Aosta. Bansko in Bulgaria kept her occupied trawling round the old town...Whistler was her favourite... Hemsedal was a right off but only because she was ill.

A snowHead

@nem, we were there a couple of years ago when the £/€ rate wasn't as favourable. It wasn't expensive at all. Although it's certainly easy to turn up in a Ferarri and buy your ski kit in the Bogner shop if you want to! All that is easy to avoid. If your value barometer is a beer I think I was paying around €4.

We travelled and stayed with Crystal, it was all very reasonable, not sure if they still have that same accommodation available though.

A snowHead

Help!!

granny wants to come too! ellmau, westendorf, somewhere else?

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