 Poster: A snowHead
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Struggling to find information on the Zillertal ski area and where is best to stay. Heard about big queues in Mayrhofen to get up/down the mountain so not keen on that. After somewhere with easy access to the ski areas and with a bit of decent apres ski?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Stay in Kaltenbach for easy access to the Hochzillertal ski area, PostAlm for apres ski. https://www.postalm.info/en/
The Horberg lift gives access to Mayrhofen ski area without going into the centre of Mayrhofen, stay in Hippach or Schwendau - though you would probably need to get a bus from the villages to the gondola station.
Finkenberg also gives access to Mayrhofen from the other side.
Gerlos has easy access to the Zillertal Arena.
Hope that helps!
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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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Mayrhofen queues were a thing for the old lift and the one before that. One of those legacies that it'll never shake off.
I tend to go either to Kaltenbach, Zell am Ziller (both of which have double gondola uplift on to the mountain) or the Horberg lift if I'm skiing the Mayrhofen sector, but that's because I'm driving there and stay elsewhere. I had to wait for 2 gondolas once - thought it would be rude to barge in when there were no queues. There certainly were queues years ago before they built the new lift (in the 90's?) and the new new lift (couple of years ago).
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@richardarthur, Mayrhofen has improved significantly since the old Penkenbahn gondola was replaced in 2015, and while there are still some queues to download because there's no home run, the answer to that is to relax on the terrace and start some apres rather than queueing with the sheep. The other areas typically don't have queues, or no more so than anywhere else at peak times.
The Zillertal has four main areas though all are on the same valley pass. At the beginning of the valley is the Hochzillertal, which SaraJ has described and which has good reviews including for off-piste opportunities on the higher slopes despite being relatively small. Further in is the Zillertal Arena from Zell to Gerlos/Konigsleiten which is a relatively quiet area with limited off piste but which gives a real sense of travel as you can do a run out to the end of the valley and back again as long as the key lifts stay open. Zell is a large village with the lifts on the edges a bus ride away, while the villages in the valley are small.
In the centre is Mayrhofen with its satellites of Hippach, Schwendau and Finkenberg - Mayrhofen is a reasonable sized town with a swimming pool, while the others are small. Finkenberg clings to the side of the valley on a steep road with hairpins, so walking around is unlikely unless you are keen. There are ski buses to the lifts from most of the village areas. The Eggalm area is tacked onto the edge of this, but is limited and the villages are quiet.
At the end of the valley is Hintertux, with a large glacier area open 11 months of the year. There is off-piste, but with a glacier a guide is a good idea. It can be bleak at times, but in good conditions it is excellent and the apres is legendary at the main bar when it is busy. There's very little else there.
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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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@richardarthur, also very much depends when you go. We were there the last week of the season in April, the week after snow bombing and there was never any queues any where. In fact ski school were struggling at some lifts to get there kids up as they had to keep waiting for more adults!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks all. I'm travelling with 4 adults, looking to take a guide for a couple of days for some off piste and looking for a village with some bars and decent restaurants. Don't want the place to be too quiet but would like to be conveniently located near to a lift to get up the mountain (ie no car drive). Will probably go to Mayrhofen. Anyone got accommodation going or know of good local hotels (30 Jan to 2 Feb)?
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@richardarthur, we booked ours via Sunweb (prices include lift pass)
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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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Stayed in Mayrhofen plenty of times and we've now started to explore the rest of the valley, staying in Zell and Fugen and will be in Kaltenbach in January.
Mayrhofen is obviously the most well-known town in the valley, but I prefer the skiing in HochZillertal and the Zillertal Arena - the link over to Gerlos is absolutely spectacular on a blue sky day. That's not to discredit Mayrhofen, just personal preference.
Apres-ski is excellent in Mayrhofen, Kaltenbach and Zell. Fugen is a lot quieter, but is a beautiful town and whilst the skiing is limited, it is excellent and easy to get over to HochZillertal once you've done a morning stint. Kaltenbach apres revolves around the Post-Alm, plenty of lively bars at the base of Zell and Mayrhofen has lots of options before the final lift down and then you have the Ice Bar and Bruck Stadl.
It's an absolute doddle to travel between the towns too, either on the train or the buses so make sure you take advantage of the ski pass.
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Hi guys - read this with interest as considering booking a cheeky week before Christmas to Mayrhofen - biggest question I have (for non-skiing wife) is: is it sunny in the valley bottom? We went to St Anton a fews years back and there was hardly ever any sun there. Also does the Zillertal do a walkers pass so she could come up the mountain and pick the children up from ski school? thanks for all advice.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@trolleyed, we went mid April - so not sure how December will be...
But here are our girls stood by main (Penkenbahn).
The way you travel up and across it didn’t feel like it would shadow the town in the winter, but I can’t be sure.
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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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| trolleyed wrote: |
| Hi guys - read this with interest as considering booking a cheeky week before Christmas to Mayrhofen - biggest question I have (for non-skiing wife) is: is it sunny in the valley bottom? We went to St Anton a fews years back and there was hardly ever any sun there. Also does the Zillertal do a walkers pass so she could come up the mountain and pick the children up from ski school? thanks for all advice. |
Went to Mayrhofen mid January this year and last year and found the valley floor quite bright during the day and not in the shadow of the mountains.
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@trolleyed, the Stanzertal runs east west and is fairly narrow and steep sided so many parts tend to stay in the shade in mid winter. The Zillertal is wider and runs north south so should be less in the shade. Do take into account that the week or so before christmas has the shortest days and the lowest sun so any sunshine is going to be short lived and fairly weak anyway.
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You know it makes sense.
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Still desperately looking for hotel accommodation in Mayrhofen at the end of Jan for a long week for 4 adults. Any ideas anyone?
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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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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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your best best for non sat-sat full weeks is too look at one of the bigger hotels which might have spare space, strass or neue post for example.
you will need to use their webpages and put an enquiry in, but you will get something.
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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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| baronofthecourt wrote: |
| Still desperately looking for hotel accommodation in Mayrhofen at the end of Jan for a long week for 4 adults. Any ideas anyone? |
Try self-catering is the way to go.
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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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| trolleyed wrote: |
| Hi guys - read this with interest as considering booking a cheeky week before Christmas to Mayrhofen - biggest question I have (for non-skiing wife) is: is it sunny in the valley bottom? We went to St Anton a fews years back and there was hardly ever any sun there. Also does the Zillertal do a walkers pass so she could come up the mountain and pick the children up from ski school? thanks for all advice. |
It's quite a deep valley but it runs north/south and it is also quite wide (classical glacial U valley with a flat bottom) so there will be some sun at the middle of the day any time of year. My partner and I went in March and it was plenty sunny enough for her walking up and down the valley (she really enjoyed it); December of course will mean less and lower sun.
No walkers pass though, have to buy individual return tickets (around 15 euros or so I believe but check on their web site). After the main Penkenbahn you can go up the combo chair/gondola to the top of the Penken on that ticket. There isn't really any walking to be done up the mountains, though the route to Finkenberg has a fair but of elevation in it and you can walk part way up the Ahorn.
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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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| baronofthecourt wrote: |
| Still desperately looking for hotel accommodation in Mayrhofen at the end of Jan for a long week for 4 adults. Any ideas anyone? |
Have you tried the Laendenhof?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Accommodation found! Now wanting to know the best restaurants in Mayrhofen village to eat out at? Decent food and wine please, no pizzas or fast food type experiences. Thanks all!
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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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Good atmospheres the “Lounge“ at the Edelweiss. Make sure you are actually sat in the lounge and not the main area.
Good local food including some very good fresh water fish. Krammerwirt Hotel. We like to sit in the Stuberl but the bar area is also ok. keyboard player in bar every night (a bit repetitive!)
Steak place as above is great.
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On the mountain there is a lot of choice but our family favourite is the Gschoesswandhaus for excellent local food.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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On the mountain seek out the schneekarhutte and the panoramia.
In town id suggest brasserie q (used to be coup) and the hotel preuer (esp the pork knuckle)... I've also heard good stuff about pane vino but i haven't been in.
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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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They all look great, I've booked them. Thanks
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Best ski hire shops in Mayrhofen?
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You know it makes sense.
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Either green room... For your more free ride type end of the market or iain kilgour (rent for fun)... For your more traditional piste or racing skis
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FAQ
