Try something new in Austria

A snowHead

Dear Snow heads

with home improvements etc this year we did not get away on our annual ski trip much to my disappointment. We have had great recommendations from posting on this site the last few years and Schladming and Saalbach were 2 great choices for my wife and 10yr old. We are looking to book early to pick up a discount but we are also flexible on organising our own trip and it does not have to be in half term. Just would like to know if there is another great recommendation for Austria, We may also consider Italy having cycled in the dolomites in the summer a few times as well!

Thanks again for your thoughts

A snowHead

@madmac1, In Austria I would suggest looking at the Zillertal valley. Although Mayrhofen is the best known resort in the valley there is also great skiing at Zell am Ziller (Arena ski area) and Kaltenbach/Hochfugen (Hochzillertal ski area). These resorts along the valley are linked by the narrowgauge Zillertalbahn railway (and skibusses) which is included in the Zillertal skipass.

UK Tour Operators tend to either only go to Mayrhofen (or sometimes Zell am Ziller). You say you are also flexible on organising your own trip - that would allow you to stay anywhere in the valley. The nearest airports are either Innsbruck or Munich (incidentally Lufthansa do very reasonably priced flights into Munich which also includes free ski carriage). You can either rent a car at the airport, or travel by train from these airports is very easy - you just change from the mainline at Jenbach onto the Zillertalbahn which goes all the way up the valley as far as Mayrhofen. Incidentally at the top of the valley is the Hintertux glacier which provides an insurance if (unlikely) the snow conditions lower down in the valley should be poor.

If you should opt for DIY I can recommend the Hotel Alpina in the small village of Ried (the skibus to the nearby Kaltenbach gondola base station stops right outside).

In the Dolomites I would recommend the Val Gardena valley with its resorts of Selva/Wolkenstein, St Christina, and Ortisei/St Ulrich.

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@madmac1, If Schladming and Saalbach were the right thing for you then I would think Kitzbühel would also tick the right boxes. It's an increasingly enormous ski area, especially if you take in the Ski Welt as well, which I think can be done these days. Definitely recommended. Other than that, the usual candidates such as St.Anton ( but only if you like steeps and off piste ) and Ischgl.

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Brill thanks for your replies and information and I will look into these options. Much appreciated.

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Try something new in Austria

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