 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello,
I am very new to all this skiing stuff and am looking at doing a trip next year in January with my partner. I have come across the Skiwelt as it looks very affordable and the website has been easy to navigate. I can see there are several possible villages to stay in and wasnt sure which one would be the best. I was hoping someone from the forum could give me some advice about which village to stay in? Or if you would recommend a different area all together in Austria or Switzerland that is cheap?
Here is a list of villages
http://www.skiwelt.at/en/overview-of-all-skiwelt-villages.html
Also another thing I am confused about is how to navigate to the different areas of the ski slopes. Do the different villages gondolas all take you to the top of the SkiWelt area and then you can navigate your way down from the top? Sorry if this is a dumb question.
Many thanks in advance for any help 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to 
The skiwelt is integrated on the mountain so you don't notice which village owns which lift and you can use any. Navigation can be a little tricky in places but mostly (there are exceptions, particularly Westendorf) run No 80 goes to the bottom of lift No 80 which is why you see 80 a,b etc. The central area is a collection of rounded mountains so there is no single "top", you make your way from top to top via a series of lifts which gives a nice sense of moving around the area.
Kelchsau is an outlier from the main area so not ideal, Itter and Hopfgarten have gondola access to the Soll area but I don't know the villages. The gondolas arrive at areas with mostly red runs, so not easy access for beginners. I think these are more access points for locals arriving by car than places to stay.
Villages on the N side (Ellmau, Scheffau and Soll) are good to access the main central area but it is harder to get to Westendorf and the link to Kitzbuhel. Soll is the busiest for Apres, Sheffau probably has the best access to the main area. Soll has some very good skiing but a couple of tricky links for the nervous. Most accom is a short distance from the lifts so a Skibus is needed. Further up the valley Ellmau and Going have lifts in the village but are further from the main area
Westendorf is our personal favourite. The lifts are in the village so no bus from central hotels and it is central between its own area with links to Kitzbuhel, and the main skiwelt area. The Westendorf area is a separate mountain but part of the Skiwelt pass with one link at Brixen and has some of the best skiing in the area, there are less easy blues than around Sheffau though. Brixen is very well situated but it is a bit of a ribbon along the road so not the nicest village, and its own slopes face South and can get poor below midstation.
I would say Soll for a lively apres, Westendorf for intermediates looking for lots of mileage, Sheffau or Ellmau perhaps for beginners. All would be good though, there are probably smaller resorts which are slightly cheaper, but Skiwelt seems to be one of the best value resorts.
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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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To be honest, I think the best place is actually Brixen. Then you have access to Westendorf one side, the Skiwelte the other and near enough if you want to ski KItz to get to there in no time.
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Have only stayed in Soll, it was very nice, went last season, you drive through St Johann, Ellmau and Scheffau on the way there from Salzburg and they all have a similar feel about them. Soll has direct access to Hohe Salve by 2 gondolas which is the highest point in the Ski Welt area and from there you can easily head in 4 directions with a lot of options. You can walk 10 minutes to the bottom station from Soll or get on the free bus. You will need to map read a bit if you're going round the whole SkiWelt area but there's more than enough options close to each centre to keep you going.
Food in mountain restaurants is good value (unlike France). Pubs in town were good too.
Sign of a good place is would you go back and yes I would go back.
Stayed in 4* Hotel Feldweber in Soll and would recommend it, great location, good food, toasty warm, showers hot/strong and bus stop at front.
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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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We stayed in Hopfgarten when we were in Skiwelt 3 years ago, boys "bread & beer" trip, one tiny apartment, 6 beds for €50 total! 5 min walk to gondola to top of Hohe Salve. Home run faces west so mashed potatoes on the run down. Nice traditional little village but sooo quiet. We ended up canning it and driving to St Anton, much more expensive but much better Apres 
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Glad to hear the Feldwebel has improved. We stayed there about 10 years ago and it was a dump. It was like being at school camp in the long dining hall. Not a nice experience. Hoping our hotel in Scheffau (Alpin) is better. Happy skiing.
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Stayed in Going about 10 years ago. Several restaurants and bars and you can walk to Ellmau. Easy access into the ski area. Nothing difficult ski wise from memory (and have skied about 30 times since then). Snowed almost every day! All good except if you are after mad après/off-piste/steeps.
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Love the skiwelt, stayed in Ellmau twice and it is a beautiful town with everything you need food and drink wise and easy access to the slopes
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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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Thread piggyback; I just wondered if I could stretch my wings a bit and change from Andorra as booked, to SkiWelt, this half term; flights to Munich are reasonable. But looked on booking.com and accommodation for 24-2 - 5-3 is full, a family of 4 needs close to €3k. Is this normal as I left it so late, or am I looking in the wrong place? Simple hotel would be nice but we are used to s/c, so apartment 200m from a lift would be fine. Thanks for suggestions!
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@Orange200,
Half term is quite expensive.We are paying about €2.5k for a nice 4* HB hotel in Ellmau booked well in advance.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ah well... I was prepared to push the boat out on buying plane tickets this year rather than a few tanks of diesel, but adding 2k on the accommodation as well sounds less attractive as a whole... thanks
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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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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Hello
Just a thread bump;
Off to Soll, staying at Hotel Tyrol from the 24/2. Looking for lessons and the Soll-based schools are an obvious option but wondering how easy it is to get to the other villages for say a 10am morning lesson? Never been to Soll or the Skiwelt area before so not sure if accessibility and keen to give myself as many options as possible around ski schools.
Any views would be appreciated. Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Reezo, Necrothread! If you are staying in Söll then best go with a Söll based ski school. Scheffau is probably OK but still a bit of a faff for 10:00 (you might find they start earlier) anywhere else is definitely too far.
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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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Hi, suggest check the bus timetables and that might tell you. Note meeting points vary. In Ellmau, ski lessons often start at the top of the Gondola station so you need to either ski over from Soll fast or get the bus and up the gondola fast.
Or if you have a car, drive across early then upload.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@tim432, That depends what you want. If it is only about the skiing I would stay in Brixen im Thale, as you have best accsess to both Skiwelt, Westendorf and Kizthühl area.
If it is nightlife as well, Brixen im Thale is NOT the place you should stay. 
Edit: Somebody else (@jafa) already said that it seems.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 19-11-23 22:09; edited 3 times in total
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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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@Reezo, don't do it. It would be a lot of hassle to get from the Hotel Tyrol to the bus stop (500m away) for the Postbus to Scheffau, and they're not regular - could be 90 minutes apart, so unless you are driving or taking taxis it's a high risk approach and a lot of time at each end of the day wasted in travelling.
The other villages are even less convenient.
Go with one of the ski schools in Söll. Mountainmind is frequently recommended, not sure about the others. I've not used any of them.
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Appreciate those that have replied and I’ll take the advice and look for lessons in Soll itself.
Only two apparent Ski Schools though? I’ll take a look at the reviews.
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