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Advice needed, choice of resort in Austria incl non skiers

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I had scrapped the idea of going skiing this year due to a new baby (will be about 10 months during ski time), but the in laws have said that they would like to come with us (and do some babysitting so we can ski Laughing ). We fancy trying Austria, I've only ever skied in France before.

People going
Me - intermediate skier, happy on reds, happy to try blacks, but certainly not expert
Other half - expert skier
Grandad (late 60's) - used to be a good skier, but not been in 10 years, still very fit though
Grandma - used to ski, doesn't want to again. Happy to do some babysitting though!

Dates wise, looking like being Jan 26th week

However...
- Need somewhere that there is stuff to do for the non skier, baby and likely me as well in afternoons (can't leave them all day to ski! Razz )
- My other half is going to Saalbach in Feb on a boys holiday in Feb, so best to avoid that
- Don't want places with difficult runs back into the village
- Preferably ski in and out or a short walk (not buses etc)
- Not too expensive (rather poor currently with maternity leave!)

Also, with having the baby there, half board would be good (can take pram to dinner and she would hopefully sleep), or chalet type accommodation so she can be in bed and I can watch on the monitor whilst eating etc.

I have no idea where to start really! Never been to Austria, so this is all from google...
Looked at:
- Kitzbuhel - looked lovely but the downhill race is the week we're planning on so would be very busy
- Bad Kleinkircheim - looks nice, but is 2-3 hours further away (we'll be driving, grandparents flying)
- Ischgl - looks quite expensive
- Ski Jewel (Alpbach, Auffach) - looks good
- St Anton - seems to be more for expert skiers
- Mayrhofen - looks quite good
- Soll - ski bus to slopes
- Zell am See - looks good, lots to do for non skiers
Probably others I've not found...


But then I thought lots of you will have been to many of these and can give me some actual advice! So where do you think we should go and why? Thanks in advance Very Happy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:

My other half is going to Saalbach in Feb on a boys holiday in Feb, so best to avoid that

@Becki, Welcome to Snowheads. From your description of what you're looking for, Saalbach would actually be very suitable, so perhaps your o/h could treat it as as a "scouting for boys" trip - he could then guide his mates to all his favourite runs, restaurants, bars, etc. when he returns in February, and the area is so big that he could easily spend a couple of weeks here without becoming bored.

Otherwise you might consider somewhere like Badgastein (where Ski Miquel has a nice chalet).

Alpbach (pretty resort) and Zell am See (scenic and a proper town) also seem strong contenders.
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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?
Mayrhofen or Zell would be good choices. Zell has a decent public pool and the Tauern (???) spa near Kaprun.
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Thank you both, I'll look at those options!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Another vote for Zell - as a largeish town, it has a lot more to do than most places, but your request for easy home runs rules out the black into the valley to the bottom of the CityXpress lift, so you've have to come down to the Schmittenhohebahn and then either get the bus or take the blue Abfahrt 16 if it has enough cover to be open. Your other half will love the black runs into the central valley, and the whole area is pretty scenic. Alternatively, if you are happy to be out of town and take the bus to go anywhere (or walk about 1km along the flat and partially down the side of the lake), then the area around the bottom of the Areitbahn is generally cheaper than the centre of town and has a lot more options. However, catered chalets are virtually unknown in Austria, so if you don't want to self-cater in an apartment then a hotel in town is likely to be a better choice. The town is fairly flat and with easy access, and the small central part is pedestrianised.

From Zell, the train runs east/north to Salzburg which is a nice day trip and has lots of places of interest, and west to Kitzbuhel for some top-end shopping and people watching, if either of those appeal. The town has a reasonable swimming pool with a small kids area, and the Tauern Spa at Kaprun is excellent although maybe not really worth it with a baby in tow. In years where the lake is frozen over for most of the season (about 1 in 3-4 in the decade or so), you can walk across the lake to Thumersbach, which is a bit of an adventure. We took our kids at 5 & 3 on a sledge, and 7 years later they still talk about it, but an under 1 is unlikely to do anything other than sleep through it. There are also broad footpaths around the lake, particularly on the south side, and they are lit in the evening so it can be a lovely (if cold) stroll if your daughter needs some persuasion to sleep.

Zell also has a fairly compact centre, and while there is an apres scene, it tends to be virtually invisible in the centre of town after 5pm unless you go to one of the louder evening venues like Crazy Daisy, and even then the action moves inside as it gets dark and the noise is very limited even 50 feet from the building. For a quieter experience, the cafe/konditorei Mosshamer next to the old church will give you an excellent introduction to the art of the Austrian coffee experience - with mandatory and most excellent cakes of all types.

Alternatively, somewhere like Ellmau or Scheffau might be an option - there's less to do as they are small villages, but Ellmau has a nice pool and as the lifts are on the edge of the villages the centres are again fairly quiet. That does mean a bus to the lifts though.
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@Becki,
Quote:

- Don't want places with difficult runs back into the village

My own general experience is that the most innocuous and straightforward of return runs can in January get pretty polished and difficult to do at the end of the day when return runs get a lot of traffic, if this is a real concern I would check out the ability to download rather than assume that a run that is nominally easy will be straightforward to return on at the end of the day.
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Rather than St Anton, how about Lech? Probably better area for intermediate skiiers than St Anton but access to there if you want it.

Not the cheapest place but there are a few smaller hotels etc which are more reasonable especially as that is a fairly low season week.

Bad Gastein also seems good value and may fit but I have no personal experience
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Also, most gondolas in Austria will permit foot passengers, so for example grandma can meet up with you on the mountain for lunch and then head back down ahead of the crowds. We did this on the Areitbahn with a 9-month old in a backpack, but buggies are also taken up and there is a restaurant at the top of Areitbahn III which is easily reached by foot passengers. Kids under ~1 are generally OK with altitudes under 3000m, and the restaurant is at 1900m so there shouldn't be a problem unless she has asthma or other breathing difficulties, and even then the flight is probably equivalent or higher than this (1800-2400m is frequently quoted as the same as airplane cabin air pressure)
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I would not rule out Kitzbühel simply because of the race. Assuming you plan to arrive on the 26th which is the main race day then you are unlikely to have any issues. The town will be crowded that day but the crowds disappear pretty quickly. There is also a slalom on Sunday morning but that attracts less crowds than the downhill. By Monday morning everything is back to normal.

I skied in Kitzbühel on race day last season, the slopes were quiet a nice sunny days skiing.

In many ways it would be ideal, there is a proper town it is not just a ski village. Plenty to do for non skiers. There is also the train with a direct connection to Salzburg which makes for a nice day out. There is a good variety of skiing, plenty of blues and reds and while the "expert" skiing is not as extensive as in St Anton etc there are a good number of black runs, ski routes and reasonable off piste. Personally I would choose it over the other resorts in the eastern Tirol and Salzburgerland.

Austria is very kiddie friendly, I doubt you will have any issues. There is little chalet type accommodation either hotels (mainly half board) or apartments.
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I'd point you in the direction of a ski resort near a thermal baths. (some have already been mentioned)

e.g.
Aqua Dome Tirol - Sölden
Alpentherme Gastein & Felsen Therme - Bad Gastein
Erlebnis Therme Amade - Ski Amade
Grimming Therme / Tauplitz
Tauern Spa - Kaprun
Erlebnis Therme Zillertal - Zillertal, Hochfügen, Mayrhofen etc
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@Becki, a few (random) thoughts:

What does grandma like to do and moreover what can she did with a 10 month old baby?
The weather can be a bit bleak late January so whatever happens she might have to spend a fair amount of time indoors.
I would have though an apartment would work better than a Hotel or Chalet. Nappy changes, naps, baby tantrums, messing about with building blocks will be the order of the day. And that may be easier in your own apartment.
Go to a smaller ski area. More bang for your bucks and grandad isn't going to want the world.
Your hubby understands he will be well down the pecking order on this trip right? I know it was difficult for me to adjust!
We went to Warth Schröcken when our first was around 8 months. You can't do much with them at that age. It wasn't the most convenient, we had to bus to the slopes. Now I would be looking for a small car free village, perhaps with a pool. The skiing would be secondary.
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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.
@Layne,
Quote:

I would have though an apartment would work better than a Hotel or Chalet. Nappy changes, naps, baby tantrums, messing about with building blocks will be the order of the day. And that may be easier in your own apartment.

Certain of our family members' experience has been that a Smart TV showing unlimited, end to end Peppa Pig stories has been invaluable in preserving sanity - but a 10 month old may be too young for that.
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@Becki, another vote for Zell. As @ousekjarr says the only tick it misses is the village/valley runs so you would need to download by Gondola. There are various bits to Zell some of which would mean a bus at the bottom but they all have a specific gondola down so it would just be a matter of making sure you take the right one. Only the City Express gondola downloads into Zell am See 'proper' and you would be a few minutes walk at most to just about anywhere. Rather then go over them all have a look at accommodation and then tell us where you're thinking. There are a few of us on here that know it very well and will keep you right. Kitzbühel apart it is the best option for the non skiers as it's the 'county town' with all that entails and is as busy in summer as in winter thus loads of things for the non skiers to do. Saalbach is not far away if your OH fancies a recce. Loads of accommodation of varying prices and half board is very much the Austrian default if you're going for a hotel.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Thanks for all the responses, hadn't realised there were more! Will go through all the suggestions in the next couple of days, more than likely I'll be back with more questions... Very Happy
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Becki, I'd suggest taking a look at Serfaus as well. Lots of skiing for all abilities including some proper blacks.

We had a very similar group with grand parental baby sitting there (quite) a few years back and have been back again since. Lots of gondolas which are family and even buggy friendly so you can meet up as a whole group up the mountain. Also lots of walking trails for non skiers which grandparents and my wife went around and really enjoyed when not skiing.

Only issue might be price, it's not the cheapest place but going in Jan I suspect you might pick up a bargain. Sunweb has some good value places there though think you'd pay a bit more for the few ski in ski out locations.

Mayrhofen could also work and is a pleasant place though a bit more schlepping about! Good luck with your search Very Happy
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 Poster: A snowHead
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With Sunweb the prices you are given include ski passes for each person so for those that aren’t skiing you can deselect the lift pass when you proceed through the booking steps to find out the actual price for your party
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Good point @NickyJ, I should have said that Very Happy They're worth a look for anywhere not just Serfaus, as you say the lift pass included deals are often very good value.
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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?
Rowlski wrote:
Good point @NickyJ, I should have said that Very Happy They're worth a look for anywhere not just Serfaus, as you say the lift pass included deals are often very good value.


+1 we have booked a place in Mayrhofen with them for April.
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@Becki, for £11.99 + p&p, ‘Where to Ski in Austria’ by Watts and Gill gives a good overview of the characteristics, pros, cons and relative costs.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Lech Very Happy
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Maybe look for somewhere with good train/transport links.
So even if the resort does not have enough to do for a week, there is still the opportunity of a day trip to Salzburg or Vienna or Innsbruck, etc.
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Mr.Egg wrote:
Maybe look for somewhere with good train/transport links.
So even if the resort does not have enough to do for a week, there is still the opportunity of a day trip to Salzburg or Vienna or Innsbruck, etc.


Agreed. That's why both Zell am See and Kitzbuhel would be good choices as they are directly on main railway lines linking to those cities.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Have a look into Innsbruck itself.
Lots going on for the skier and non skier. I'm going there with my partner next season as she's a non skier. You can take a baby of that age anywhere.
But in resort, it's all about skiing so if your not taking part it's in your face with no escape.
Have a look on YouTube for resort guides. Lots on Innsbruck
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Lech fits the bill perfectly wrt the skiing, the atmosphere and the non-skier friendliness. Esp since they can get up to Oberlech to meet you for lunch/apres. It's all very civilised and postcard perfect but... it ain't cheap!
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tatmanstours wrote:

............ perhaps your o/h could treat it as as a "scouting for boys" trip ............................


He's clearly already in a relationship ??? wink wink
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Given the requirements, I suggest that St Anton would NOT be a good choice. Lech maybe, but it fails the "cheap" requirement.
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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.
@Layne, to answer your points...


What does grandma like to do and moreover what can she did with a 10 month old baby?
- Probably walking around really, I'll join her in the afternoons and probably more walking, or she may go to a spa type place then on her own. Maybe swimming pool for all of us


I would have though an apartment would work better than a Hotel or Chalet. Nappy changes, naps, baby tantrums, messing about with building blocks will be the order of the day. And that may be easier in your own apartment.
- I agree, but struggling to find catered as they aren't common it seems! And I do not want self catered (that would end up not much of a holiday as I'd end up cooking if we found it too hard to go out for dinner with the baby!


Go to a smaller ski area. More bang for your bucks and grandad isn't going to want the world.
Your hubby understands he will be well down the pecking order on this trip right? I know it was difficult for me to adjust!
- I'm hoping he understands this Laughing it's one of the reasons I have agreed to him going on the boys trip and leaving me with the baby at home a month later! Laughing

We went to Warth Schröcken when our first was around 8 months. You can't do much with them at that age. It wasn't the most convenient, we had to bus to the slopes. Now I would be looking for a small car free village, perhaps with a pool. The skiing would be secondary.
- to be honest, I missed skiing last year due to pregnancy, and I just want to do a bit, hopefully mornings whilst grandma looks after the baby and I'll probably come back in the afternoon, or if needed (which is why I preferred to be near a lift/slope, along with a dislike of buses to the slopes - I'm too lazy for that!)
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
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@Becki, Just a bit of an afterthought. My niece and her husband brought their 5 month old baby on his first "skiing" holiday in early February this year - similar set-up to yours, with grandparents and non-skiing baby-sitter. I'm sure that she would be more than happy to give you feedback. PM me if you would like her phone number.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Becki we went to Mayrhofen twice with an under-2 and a non-skiing Grandma - the first time the baby was about the age yours will be. My mum loved it as she could either just amble about the town or use the Zillertalbahn to go further afield. The swimming pool in the town is pretty nice, but if you fancy something larger (with a bigger paddling pool as well) there is the Erlebnistherme in Fuegen which somebody mentioned upthread. Everybody is also insanely welcoming of babies (this is true of anywhere in the Tirol, not just the Zillertal) and we found going out in the evenings to be fine.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:

Don't want places with difficult runs back into the village
- Preferably ski in and out or a short walk (not buses etc)

Mayrhofen doesn't seem to tick these boxes.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
If the "short walk" means a short walk to the lifts rather than a short walk to the slopes, then Mayrhofen could do it as long as the right accommodation was found. As an example, a quick search pulled up the Hotel Viktoria, 250m from the Penkenbahn and 150m from the Ahornbahn, which has a family room at €1150 and a double room at €1010, both half board and available for that week. The family room has a separate living area as well as the bedroom, which would be pretty much essential with a <1 year old. The hotel has a rating of 4.9 out of 5, and has the usual facilities for small kids - high chairs, cots, etc plus a children's menu, so they're set up for having kids of all ages.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Or book with Esprit and baby can be looked after all day!

All Esprit resorts will run BAT (Baby & Toddler) Weeks on the following departure dates:

13th January
20th January
27th January
3rd February
17th February
24th March
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@Becki, Did you get booked?
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