 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, I'm considering trying to nip out to Austria for a cheeky weekend break next weekend (so around the 15th). I've had a look around and was thinking of just staying in Innsbruck itself, renting a car and commuting out to resorts dependant on the snow / what takes my fancy.
Do we think this is a good plan or is it just a recipe to be stuck in traffic / huge weekend lift queues for the weekend? Also can anyone who is out there give me a heads up on conditions?
Cheers!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Zillertal Valley is only a hour or so from Inns and the ski pass includes the whole valley from Fugen right up to the glacier at Hintertux at the top of the valley. Mayrfofen is probably the best stay. Although Kaltenbach is also a nice place. Car not needed, train is a good option.
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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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Chamonix used to be a good weekend break.. Only an hour from Geneva airport with easyjet, within an hour youre in the guinness bar, i usedcto stay at the Excelsior hotel ..
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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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London Treviso then the Eastern Dollies. Cheapest way to do a weekend and magnificent skiing with the best scenery, snow making and piste skiing on Earth.
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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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Soll or Ellmau are great for weekends, only 1 hour form the airport (munich) geat ski area lovely places. Done a few weekends at both in the last few years.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Schnee42, Innsbruck is an excellent base. Of course you do have to travel to the resorts each day, but traffic is really not a problem. And public transport works very well too.
I skied Axamer Lizum on Saturday, and the pistes were actually quite good! I was expecting it to be god-awful, so was very nicely surprised! Offpiste is a no go though. Skied Ischgl on Sunday, and there's a lot more snow, offpiste is possible but dangerous (in terms of avlanches), and pistes are generally very good except for the maybe the bottom 500m.
It has been snowing at all the Innsbruck resorts today, and likely to be more over the week. However the further west you go (Arlberg, Ischgl), the more snow you get (also Stubai to the south is doing quite ok atm).
From IBK I'd rather go west than east to Soll/SkiWelt atm, though I gather conditions are ok in SkiAmade/Schladming too.
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Just head straight to St Anton / Lech.
Best skiing. Best snow.
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Traffic can be a bit slow into Solden. Not awful (maybe 10 to 15 minutes queuing into town/car park), but every minute sat in a car instead of skiing feels like a long time... Other than that, traffic should be OK, or you could just take the direct train to St Anton.
Current forecast indicates there could be a heavy dump of snow this weekend, which would slow down driving. In general the roads to resorts around western Austria are more accessible than e.g. to some French resorts, and the roads are unlikely to be blocked
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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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personally I'd go to St Anton, Solden or Obergurgl and minimise the driving
/ maximise the skiing - all are high enough to be snow sure
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Staying in Innsbruck, and driving out to Zillertal is my usual choice. Have been meaning to try other places.
If it's snowing in the valley I pick Kaltenbach, park in the multistorey by the lifts, knowing there's no faff cleaning snow off car at the end of the day. If it's not snowing, I pick Zell am Ziller or Mayrhofen (horbergbahn carpark). Kaltenbach is the easiest by train in the Zillertal, although local public transport from Innsbruck to one of the local resorts is even easier.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@cameronphillips2000, "best scenery, snow making and piste skiing on Earth."
Yeah, cos', like, Chamonix, Courmayeur, Verbier, et al. all suck at all of these things.
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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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Thanks for the replies! Those who know the area how is the drive up from Venice to the Stella Ronda Dolomites? I can get a cheap flight to there but I've not driven the Italian mountain roads before. No huge snow fall is forecast between now and then so I'm guessing just winter tyres (do they come as standard in Italy) and no chains in a small hatchback would be fine?
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@Schnee42, no Italian hire cars do not come with snow tyres and generally there isn't an option to add them.
Friends rented from Turin at the weekend and were most impressed with the woman in front of them who argued until blue in the face that the agent should show her a. That the chains were the correct size and b. How they worked. Under protest he accompanied them to her car and the chains were not only the wrong size, but broken...  much shouting ensued...
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You know it makes sense.
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If it's only for a weekend just stay somewhere convenient to ski. Maximise the time on the slope and minimise the faff.
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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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@Schnee42, Flight times into Innsbruck were rubbish last time I looked and not well suited to weekend skiing. Better flying to Salzburg, Munich, Geneva, Milan or Turin. All of which have better flight times at weekend. I like Munich for Austria, but Geneva closer to skiing as lots of resorts an hour or under
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Schnee42, reference winter tyres, I think it depends who you rent with. Hired from sixt at Milan Malpensa recently and had both winter tyres and chains at no extra cost. Indeed all sixt cars had winter tyres as they are mandatory in that region according to the signs.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Snowsartre, they are nominally mandatory on the Aoste autoroutes, but hey, Italy!
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