 Poster: A snowHead
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Dear Snowheads - you were all incredibly helpful in assisting me in choosing our ski trip for march this year (we went to madonna and had an amazing time). Am now considering trying to book a late deal for christmas 2015 - probably around 19th december for a week. Wanted your advice as to where to go with three main criteria
1. As good a chance of decent snow as possible (or at least really good snowmaking)
2. Somewhere pretty to enhance the christmassy feel
3. Husband is a third weeker - so need some good blues and reds
Any ideas welcome! Thanks in advance, Clare
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Best advise leave it as late as possible to see where the snow is, if there's just the 2 of you get a last minute deal.
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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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Thanks Francium - considering that but the barriers at the moment might be cost (where the snow goes the people may follow?) and arranging leave days from work. I'm keen to be primed for action to look for the best deals. There are so many websites to look at it would be easier if I had a couple of ski areas in mind as possible contenders 
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I'm with what he said: unless you have a reason to gamble with the weather, or a lot of money, then I would wait and see. Almost anywhere is great when there's snow.
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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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Nah christmas and new year are usually booked up in advance by poor bu**ers like me who have to go in school holidays, why not book the time off and as I said just book somewhere last minute. There's always deals to be had.
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Ischgl
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Saalbach-Hinterglemm
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Book the time off and wait. You won't get a last minute bargain for ages yet.
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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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@clarelaing, doesn't help narrowing anything down but most well known places I'm aware of have good snowmaking.
I think I'd be looking to Austria or Germany for a Christmas feel (whatever that is, in my mis-spent youth I'd be looking to the stationery cupboard for something similarly described) by what I hear.
Christmas is not so booked up that it's a ridiculous risk (unlike New Year, which you really would need to be getting your skates on about).
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 13-10-15 7:39; edited 1 time in total
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If you want pretty that usually means an older town which means low. If you want low and snow then Austria is your best bet. Early season ,however, means you need high slopes to ensure snow.
Essentially you want a low Austrian resort with a huge vertical.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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I think you can hang on for Christmas. Book the time off, then wait. Last season, when there was no snow, my sister and family changed their Christmas booking with days to go from somewhere with no snow, to Tignes. Christmas week is never as busy as New year.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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I agree with cameronphillips2000's suggestion of looking at Zell am See. Beautiful lakeside setting and in the old town square in the days before Xmas Day there is a Xmas market. On Xmas Eve the local choir and brass band play Austrian traditional Xmas music from a balcony overlooking the town square. Plenty of nice blues and reds, and the nearby glacier at Kaprun provides insurance if the snow conditions should be very poor (which is unlikely).
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Poster: A snowHead
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Agree with those that say leave it late. Christmas is nowhere near as busy as New Year and deals can be had right up to the day before. Especially if you only need a room for two. We have to be a little more careful as we need a room for 3, but we can still usually find something fairly late.
If you like DIY you could just book flights now while they're a bit cheaper still (or they were last time we looked) to somewhere with lots of options - like Salzburg or Geneva (we prefer Austria ourselves).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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1+2+3=Lech
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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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I think a catered Chalet or hotel would be great in Austria at Christmas. They know how to do romance over there.
If booking now, I'd hedge my bets on going somewhere with really high skiing, just in case the snow conditions are really poor.
Solden, Zell am Zee, Mayorhofen all have very high skiing and are lovely, low, traditional type places. Stubai is also very high with good glacier skiing but, maybe not as charming.
Switzerland is also delightful. Sas Fee, Zermatt along with many others tick the chocolate box with high altitude skiing but you'll pay for it....
Lech is gorgeous but a little low for Guaranteed good snow at Christmas. I''ve skied there before when the snow wasn't great. They have amazing snow making but it really was like skiing through a sorbet
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Morzine is absolutely stunning at Christmas. The village is very pretty, lots to do and the atmosphere is always great. Although Morzine itself it is a little low at 1000, it has good snowmaking and importantly it's connected to Avoriaz which tends to have loads of snow due to the village being at 1800.
Last year was a terrible year for snow yet we managed a full week skiing between xmas and new year. Let's hope we see much more snow this year everywhere..!
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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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@Cameronphilips2000: Please check your facts, there's a lot of nonsense in your post
Zell am See is at 700m and goes up to 2000m
Mayrhofen is at 600 m  , and the skiing goes up to 2590m.
Lech is at 1450m, in a "Schneeloch", and goes up to 2450 m. And Lech does NOT have particularly "amazing" snowmaking.
And catered chalets in Austria are not that common.
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Hmm - Interesting point @Langerrzug however am not so sure @cameronphillips2000 is talking nonsense about Mayhofen (don't know the other resorts). Mayhofen village is at 600 as you say but you don't ski down to that level (except from the Ahorn side which is small and not linked). The Penken lift out of the village goes to around 1800 and the skiing is mostly that level and above so don't let the village at 600 fool you into thinking the skiing is too low. Also - there is some 'very high' skiing if you take the short bus ride to Hintertux as the glacier is >3000.
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@p20pjd: Topicstarter is asking for "Somewhere pretty to enhance the christmassy feel "
To me that sounds like snow in the village.....
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@Langerzug, The advantage of Zell am See is that the Kitzsteinhorn glacier is a short bus-ride away. So while Zell village is relatively low, the skiing on the glacier (should you need it as a back up) starts at 1900m with the peak at 3200m.
Zell am See, Saalbach-hinterglemm and Mayrhofen are also considerably less pricey than Lech.
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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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To be fair. He did explain his reasoning in the 10th post on the thread.
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@quinton, Do you really think that 700 meter is high enough in december to be considered as "somewhere pretty to enhance the christmassy feel"? Or the Kitzsteinhorn has that christmassy feel?
And, topicstarter has been to Madonna di. C. last year. Not exactly cheap either.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@langerzug - I guess you just never know at 700m. Personally I like the lower resorts (provided they have a decent ski altitude) as you can head for the trees if there's 'too much snow', a nice problem to have.!
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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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@Langerzug, Zell is pretty any time of the year - beautiful lake surrounded by snowcapped mountains, medieval village square, traditional Austrian buildings etc. Add in a large Christmas tree and garlands of twinkling lights and even without any snow underfoot, the atmosphere is pretty and very 'Christmassy'.
Kitzsteinhorn is there for the skiing element of the holiday, as a backup if the snow is less than perfect in Zell.
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| Langerzug wrote: |
@Cameronphilips2000: Please check your facts, there's a lot of nonsense in your post
Zell am See is at 700m and goes up to 2000m
Mayrhofen is at 600 m , and the skiing goes up to 2590m.
Lech is at 1450m, in a "Schneeloch", and goes up to 2450 m. And Lech does NOT have particularly "amazing" snowmaking.
And catered chalets in Austria are not that common. |
Gosh. Rather a blunt response to someone trying to give friendly advice.
I can only respond with this:
Zell has a lovely atmosphere, with fairly low skiing but Kaprun is next door with high altitude glacier skiing in case snow is scarse. Read through the whole thread and I think you'll find I suggested a low, traditional resort with access to very high skiing which is what Zell is. (shared pass with Kaprun)
Lech had amazing snow making when I was there. We were knee deep in it, literally as it was so soft.
Mayrhofen is part of Zillertal which has the hintertux area giving vast, high altitude skiing.
Therefore, if it were me, I'd bet on Mayrhofen and Zell for snowsure Christmas skiing over Lech.
The fact that lots have agreed with my recommendations suggest my post was not as nonsensical as you suggest.
Peace and goodwill to all.
Cameron
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You know it makes sense.
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Solden is also a good bet, with glacier skiing.
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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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If you look at the links I posted too, Langerzug, you'll see some catered chalets - in the resorts recommended, with places still available, inclusive of flights from UK airports, complete with transfers.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Posted on 15th September this year.
| Langerzug wrote: |
Lech is better for families. Similar snowsecurity, similar prices, prettier village, closer to Zürich.
But snow in december is always tricky |
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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I think snow on the bits where you're going to be skiing is the most important bit but snow around resort at Christmas would be lovely.
Madonna is pricey for Italy but not compared to Lech, which along with Zurs is the most expensive ski resort in Austria.
Obergurgl is old, with a church and high, but not chocolate box. St Cristoph is quaint in it's own way too.
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| Langerzug wrote: |
And Lech, "though" at 1400 meters high, is also more than 600 years old: lots of atmosphere. Similar goes for Zermatt e.g.
Altitude does not have to exclude atmosphere.
And Lech-village for sure has better chances of a white Christmas than Zell and Mayrhofen. You won't disagree on that I think.
And as the topicstarter has been to pricy Madonna di C. last year: 1+2+3=Lech!  |
+1, fully agree
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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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| Quote: |
Madonna is pricey for Italy but not compared to Lech, which along with Zurs is the most expensive ski resort in Austria.
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True -Zürs is part of Lech by the way-, but Lech has a wide range of accomodation. You can also find reasonable apartments and frühstückspensionen. Although admittedly availability especially during Christmas/New Years is very thin. (Why would that be?  )
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Langerzug wrote: |
| Quote: |
Madonna is pricey for Italy but not compared to Lech, which along with Zurs is the most expensive ski resort in Austria.
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True -Zürs is part of Lech by the way-, but Lech has a wide range of accomodation. You can also find reasonable apartments and frühstückspensionen. Although admittedly availability especially during Christmas/New Years is very thin. (Why would that be? ) |
Zurs is 5km south and few hundred metres higher than Lech. It's on the same lift pass, of course. It's also, if anything, slightly more exclusive than Lech. Wish I'd seen the faces of the old school property owners when the link to St. Anton was finally approved. I believe they felt that they'd had those drunken Brits and Swedish at arms length and didn't want things to change. I can see their point, to be fair.
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The main property owners in Zürs are also owning SkiZürs AG. (that's the lift-company)
Zürs, part of the Lech-municipality, is NOT more exclusive than Lech. It used to be so, but not anymore.
The Lecher 5-star hotels are more expensive, and more modern than those in Zürs.
In fact Zürs is suffering from dropping roomoccupation since some years. Guests prefer staying in Lech over Zürs, because it has more to offer, whilst the skiing is the same.
Zürs (and Stuben) will become more central and thus more attractive with the new lift. Hence the decision.
The new lift is foremost a Vorarlberg-"thing", not so much Tyrolean/St.Anton. Although of course the big news is that Arlberg, ic. Lech and St.Anton, are finally going to be connected
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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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A pity about last year - the latest snow in decades and pretty awful everywhere until around Christmas Day, when the heavens opened and a week later we had the best powder conditions imaginable. Much confidence has been shaken, but, for what it's worth, we're anticipating our 10th consecutive Christmas in Saalbach, which at 1000m has always been sufficiently snow-sure, until last season, to give us superb piste conditions from early/mid-December onwards. This year it seems likely that many people will be delaying their decision as long as possible, and that there may well be an avalanche of bookings when the snow arrives. I agree that the w/c 19/12/15 is likely to be a relatively quiet week, with plenty of late availability (so flights could be booked at this stage), and that the world and his wife will arrive on 26/12/15.
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We lovel Meribel but Saas Fee Switzerland is fantastic around Xmas week.
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FAQ
I'm sorry. But the English can be perfectly polite while saying very nasty things (I'm not referring to this thread on this 
