 Poster: A snowHead
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Evening all,
We are looking at a week in Zell am See at the start of February, and wondered if anyone has been recently and can recommend it for 2 beginner/intermediates? Also, I can't seem to see anywhere if there are any buses between Zell and Kaprun in the evenings, or if a taxi is the only option- can anyone shed any light? Also- apres ski, much around for those who are more into the typical Austrian side of things, or is all for the kids?
Ta
Chris
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Evening @papeman,
We went early March last year, it was our first skiing holiday so no benchmark to compare to and I can't comment on the intermediate skiing. Provision for beginners seemed good - we certainly enjoyed it, if I remember correctly the nursery slopes with the magic carpet are in Schuttdorf - at the bottom of the mountain and at the first station off the Arietbahn 1 gondola, which might be slightly more convenient if you're staying in Kaprun than having to head all the way into the centre of Zell.
I remember looking at busses between Schuttdorf - where we were staying - and the main town and don't think they ran into the evenings, as that's also the route to Kaprun my guess would be that you're out of luck.
Unfortunately due to a sick child and wife we didn't get to see much Apres, but did feel that we missed out by being in Schuttdorf rather than in the town. Going back this year and staying in Zell proper.
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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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@papeman, first week of February is Fasching (Carnival/Mardi Gras) week next year so it may well be quite busy.
Kaprun has its own night life and a good range of bars and restaurants plus a brilliant Thermal Baths complex (Tauern Spa http://www.tauernspakaprun.com/en/spa-water-world). For what you describe are your needs I think you may well be better off in Kaprun rather than Zell itself using the shuttle buses to access the slopes at the Arietbahn or perhaps using the quieter Maiskogel beginner area. The Kaprun ski schools will be able to give you more advice as to where they take their beginners in high season.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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@papeman, Where are you planning on staying, have you picked a hotel? Moving between the two is not far, maybe about 8km, but doing every day on a crowded ski bus would be a pain. I'd pick one and by all means visit the other, but not daily. Schuttdorf is, geographically between the two, but immediately adjacent to Zell. It is fine as it goes but is the more residential part of the conurbation, more locals less tourists. The Areitbahn lift is the access to the Schmittenhöhe from there and can be very busy as that is also where the main car parks are for day visitors to the resort. As Sue says that week is Fasching so it will be packed on the Areitbahn lift, which is creaking a bit and as the mountain company are busy spending their cash on the other side of the mountain joining up with Saalbach/Hinterglemm they are not spending it replacing the Areitbahn, which they need to do soon IMHO
If you stay in Zell proper you have a four uplift options, so less queuing in the morning albeit your beginners will have specific locations to report to if using the ski schools. Kaprun is nice but quieter but the little local maintain there, the Maiskogel, is a nice beginner/early intermediate area. As for travelling to Zell in the evenings, if you're not a kid, can you really be bothered with a 20-30 min bus journey each way after a long day on the slopes?
There are hotels for most budgets in Zell but it will be pro-rata dearer than the others as its the main show. As for skiing its not the best beginner or intermediate resort but perfectly adequate for that and in particular for a variety of everything that makes folks want to have a winter holiday with skiing, especially if the winters hard and there's plenty snow and a frozen lake then for sheer 'chocolate box' prettiness its hard to beat.
There are quite a few threads on here on the subject, so have a search, and if you need to know anymore just post and I'll reply. There are a few of us on here that know the area very well.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I had a holiday in Kaprun a few years back and really enjoyed it. We skied alternate days at the Glacier and at Zell. I also sneaked in a couple of runs at Maiskogel, which is a pretty good area for beginners and early intermediates. It's worth bearing in mind that if you stay in Kaprun then unless you're using Maiskogel you'll be on a bus every day. It's about 10 minutes up to the Gondola for the Glacier and closer to 20 minutes for the bus to Zell. The buses can be very busy and I had to persuade my wife to get up early and get the first bus each morning as some of the later buses were too full to take on more passengers. As Robboj says the Areitbahn lift has big queues and it was late in the week before I realised that it was best to say on the skibus going into Zell and go for one of the central lifts instead.
We enjoyed Zell because of the variety we got from skiing in the three different areas. On clear days the high mountain feel you get at the top of the glacier is hard to beat. On cloudier days the pistes down below the treeline at Zell are much more fun. If you're planning on doing group lessons then you'll probably be based in only one area so it might not be so good for you.
PS - the Kaprun après is properly Austrian. When we arrived at our hotel to check in we had to get past a group of a dozen or so men and women dancing in the bar. They were all dressed as nuns.
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Crikey, much info from all of you, thanks!
Will have a read through tonight and shout if I have any other questions, or I might stick up a generic "where should I go on holiday in Austria" thread
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I've not been to Kaprun village but have skied both, having stayed in Zell. I would stay in Zell as the nightlife, whilst not riotous was fairly decent. Zell is a beautiful town and if you stayed in Kaprun, it's just too far to go in the evening. Kaprun is a lot higher so better in poor snow years, but gets very crowded in those bad snow years and would be a crazy time for beginners then, due to the sheer volume of people. Zell has trees and the lifts pretty much go into the town, so it's more convenient than Kaprun.
I suspect the hotels of Zell are preparing to go kerching when it joins the ski circus. It will become one of the best resorts in the Austrian Alps.
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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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I just booked a week in Kaprun (the first week in January). Really looking forward to it!
Does anyone know a decent ski school they can recommend? Even better, an instructor, actually, as I will most likely be getting some private tuition?
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@snowglider, Hi, I have sent you a private message (see top RHS of page) with a recommendation. Hope you find it useful and enjoy the skiing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The bar just before you get on the final gondola down in Kaprun had decent après when I was there.
Zell has some good cafes too with nice cakes.
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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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@Samerberg Sue, Hi Sue, just wondered where you found out about it being Fasching? I can't spot anything online
@Athers T Just wondering about getting to/from Kaprun in the evening from Zell if we wanted a bit of variety, but the Postbus seems to do the trick. I am used the the French resorts where the SkiBus runs into the evening I think
Ok then, so aside from the usual AirBnb, does anyone have any recommendations for where I can try to hunt down an aprtment for the 2 o us in Zell for the week?
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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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@ratherbewindsurfing, That one is nice, but probably just a touch over our budget
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Poster: A snowHead
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@hilary t, yes I'm a skier. Thanks for your recommendation!
I've PM'd you back.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Whilst I think about it, anyone got any good alternatives to Zell at the front of their mind that are easily accessible from Salzburg airport?
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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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Kitzbuhel. Saalbach Hinterglemm is a bus ride from Zell and is good.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@papeman, I live just over the border and am also a catholic, Mardi Gras is carved in stone in our calendars 
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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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@Samerberg Sue, Thats a pretty good source of information!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There's no real reason to ski The Kaprun glacier unless snow is bad elsewhere and then it's rammed. It's not that it's bad, and there is a huge renovation this year that stops the reliance on t bars, it's just that it's not as big as other ski areas and doesn't have as good variation.
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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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Does anyone know if a 6 six day Kitzbüheler Alpen AllStarCard or a Ski Alpin card allows you to ski on the day before at 3pm in Zell am see or Kaprun, i.e if your lift pass starts on a Sunday can you ski from 3pm on Saturday as you can in Saalbach?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@devilabit, not absolutely certain but if you buy a lift pass in the Ski Welt area I know you can start skiing at 15:00 on the day before its validity actually states. I've seen it used on several occasions, including the AllStar passes. I believe Alex_Heney uses this options quite frequently, so perhaps a quick PM to him would give you a definite answer to your question.
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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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@devilabit, The Saalbach piste map has all the information - it specifically says that lift tickets are valid from 3pm the previous day, except for flexi-tickets, the Salzburg Super Ski Card, the Kitzbuheler Alpen All Star Card, and daily specials. It doesn't mention the Ski Alpin Card, but that would be because it's valid between 7.11.15 and 1.5.16, i.e. you buy it as a whole season card, and not for a specific number of days - the other two are available as flexible tickets and for a specific number of days, as well as for a whole season.
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@Tatman's Tours and @Samerberg Sue Thanks, it seems then that if I want to be able to ski on the day of arrival I will need a half day pass or add another full day to the Salzburg Super Ski Card or the Kitzbuheler Alpen All Star Card
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FAQ
