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Mid-March Resort for Beginner Couple?

 KAJSER
KAJSER
Guest
Hi guys,

Me and my girlfriend are looking to visit an Austrian ski resort for 4 nights between 16th-22nd March (departing from London). We really need some help choosing a resort, our requirements are as follows:

- Resort preferably near Salzburg airport as Innsbruck flight times are not great for us.
- We're not planning to hire a car, so would be good if the resort accommodates for this.
- Suitable for beginner skiers (we both have never skied before).
- Resort needs to be covered in snow and with beautiful alpine views as we are looking for a cosy winter feeling, not slushy/melting snow.
- We're unsure if we will ski the entire trip and would like if the resort had other things to do such as nice restaurants, things to see etc.

So far I have been looking at Obertauern (would this be suitable?). We are also open to visiting France or Scandinavia but would prefer to visit Austria.

Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks a lot Smile


Last edited by KAJSER on Thu 6-02-20 21:14; edited 1 time in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@KAJSER, Obertauern has restaurants but no shopping to speak of. It's probably not the best choice for beginners either and doesn't offer the traditional Austrian charm as it's a purpose-built tourist station largely above the tree-line.

Somewhere like Filzmoos ticks the box for charm, but not a great deal of shopping there either. In fact shopping in ski towns is really limited to sports clothing and small supermarkets, if you want more shopping than that, then a day trip to Salzburg is probably the answer.

Slushy melting snow is pretty normal in March, yes you might get colder temperatures and snowfall, but spring snow and soft valley runs are far more likely. You might just have to get over that.

Any of the Ski Amadé towns should work.
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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?
Welcome to Snowheads, @KAJSER snowHead A lot of resorts - and flights - are set up for one week trips, usually Sat/Sat but sometimes Sun/Sun. The resort tourist offices should help you to find accommodation for non-standard times, but your problem will be that group ski lessons won't fit in with your trip. You'll need to take private lessons, which are good, but more expensive. If you just have four days you'll need lessons every morning (if available, sometimes private lessons are only available at certain times when the instructors are not with groups).

As @queenie pretty please says, no resort is going to be able to guaranteed you good snow and a pretty, traditional, village - the best snow at that time of year is often rather higher than traditional, valley towns.

You'll need to prioritise your needs to get more focussed advice. Somewhere to give you the best chance of enjoying learning to ski (which means convenient skiing, near your accommodation, and suitable slopes where the snow will be good) or somewhere with a wider range of other things to do, if you end up not enjoying the skiing!

Have you identified flights to Salzburg which suit your timetable?
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It's easy to get from the airport to your resort - but it can be quite expensive - as much as flights, if you get cheap flights. Hiring a car might make sense as you're doing just a short trip.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@KAJSER, welcome to SHs
I'll leave others with more local knowledge to recommend a few resort options, wouldn't be surprised if Saalbach comes up.

What I will say though is don't worry too much about the weather. Mid March is almost universally fine for skiing, the way this year is going I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's colder on the 16th of March than it was on the 16th of January.
So focus on picking a resort ticks your other boxes and don't worry about the weather too much.
Salzburg airport has some regional bus services including to Zell am See, that could be an option for shops, scenery etc.
But for most ski resorts I suspect you'll need a private transfer if not hiring a car.
Good luck.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
Transfers are pretty good value, around €50-€75 return per person for most Salzburgland destinations, a little more if you go further afield, there's a page of links on the Salzburg airport website.
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 KAJSER
KAJSER
Guest
queenie pretty please wrote:
@KAJSER, Obertauern has restaurants but no shopping to speak of. It's probably not the best choice for beginners either and doesn't offer the traditional Austrian charm as it's a purpose-built tourist station largely above the tree-line.

Somewhere like Filzmoos ticks the box for charm, but not a great deal of shopping there either. In fact shopping in ski towns is really limited to sports clothing and small supermarkets, if you want more shopping than that, then a day trip to Salzburg is probably the answer.

Slushy melting snow is pretty normal in March, yes you might get colder temperatures and snowfall, but spring snow and soft valley runs are far more likely. You might just have to get over that.

Any of the Ski Amadé towns should work.


Thanks, to be honest shopping isn't a big deal for us, we'd just like the resort to have a bit of a 'buzz' so it doesn't feel completely lifeless.
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 KAJSER
KAJSER
Guest
pam w wrote:
Welcome to Snowheads, @KAJSER snowHead A lot of resorts - and flights - are set up for one week trips, usually Sat/Sat but sometimes Sun/Sun. The resort tourist offices should help you to find accommodation for non-standard times, but your problem will be that group ski lessons won't fit in with your trip. You'll need to take private lessons, which are good, but more expensive. If you just have four days you'll need lessons every morning (if available, sometimes private lessons are only available at certain times when the instructors are not with groups).

As @queenie pretty please says, no resort is going to be able to guaranteed you good snow and a pretty, traditional, village - the best snow at that time of year is often rather higher than traditional, valley towns.

You'll need to prioritise your needs to get more focussed advice. Somewhere to give you the best chance of enjoying learning to ski (which means convenient skiing, near your accommodation, and suitable slopes where the snow will be good) or somewhere with a wider range of other things to do, if you end up not enjoying the skiing!

Have you identified flights to Salzburg which suit your timetable?


Our primary requirement is good snow, our flights from Salzburg will likely be arrive 16th March (10am) and depart 21st March (8pm).
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 KAJSER
KAJSER
Guest
Bodeswell wrote:
@KAJSER, welcome to SHs
I'll leave others with more local knowledge to recommend a few resort options, wouldn't be surprised if Saalbach comes up.

What I will say though is don't worry too much about the weather. Mid March is almost universally fine for skiing, the way this year is going I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's colder on the 16th of March than it was on the 16th of January.
So focus on picking a resort ticks your other boxes and don't worry about the weather too much.
Salzburg airport has some regional bus services including to Zell am See, that could be an option for shops, scenery etc.
But for most ski resorts I suspect you'll need a private transfer if not hiring a car.
Good luck.


Thank you. In regards to the weather, our main worry is that the base resort we stay at will not have snow or it will be melting and slushy. We want to feel as if we're in a winter wonderland (we're sad ahah). Is there anywhere that can guarantee this?
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
KAJSER wrote:
Hi guys,

Me and my girlfriend are looking to visit an Austrian ski resort for 4 nights between 16th-22nd March:
- Resort needs to be covered in snow )


Maybe pick a more sensible date Puzzled


Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Thu 6-02-20 15:45; edited 1 time in total
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Short answer is no. But if you go for a high altitude resort (such as Obertauern) there is very likely to be plenty of snow around. But it's not a pretty, traditional village. You can't have both, especially towards the end of March.
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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.
KAJSER wrote:

Thank you. In regards to the weather, our main worry is that the base resort we stay at will not have snow or it will be melting and slushy. We want to feel as if we're in a winter wonderland (we're sad ahah). Is there anywhere that can guarantee this?


Sure, Antarctica maybe, haha. Like I said there's always a gamble, you could have gone to the highest resort in the Alps last week and was chucking it down with rain across the board. That's the weather for you!

Saalbach sounds a good bet to me. I haven't been but it's near the top of my list for the next trip and from what I read in here should be good for what you're looking for.
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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
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
Personally, I think that Obertauern ticks all of your boxes, except shopping. Good beginners’ slopes, reasonably high resort, spectacular scenery, plenty of bars and restaurants, etc. Skied there for the first time last week and was really impressed. Could be a little bleak if the weather is poor, but that’s the same as many resorts. Ski schools in larger resorts are generally flexible and don’t just cater for seven day stayers. Obertauern tends not to get that many UK visitors, which you may regard as being either a good or bad thing, but most people speak english.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
For proximity to Salzburg, Saalbach is probably your best bet. That being said, that late in March is risky anywhere that isnt a glacier resort or super high.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Not asking for much there....

I would probably say that your best bet may be Saalbach. But the snow could be getting slushy in the afternoon lower down.

You could aim for a resort that has a glacier, but then if you are both beginners then you may not make the best use of that.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Lech.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
You can't really guarantee being in a town that's white in mid-March. Obertauern certainly has a higher chance, but it's got a lot of downsides. A lower more traditional Austrian town will definitely give you a more authentic experience. You might get lucky and have snow in town, but that's less important than having a good ski school, uncrowded beginner slopes with a bit of tree cover if you get any bad weather. I think big ski areas like Saalbach are a little wasted on beginner skiers, so don't rule out smaller ski areas.
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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?
Absolutely love Saalbach, but wouldn’t gamble on its nursery slopes from mid-March onwards. Hinterglemm might be a better bet, because more learner slopes are north facing.
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@KAJSER, If you are keen on places near Salzburg, Zauchensee might suit. It is reasonably high (not as high as Obertauern but a good deal higher than Saalbach). It is a good spot for beginners as a lot of the accommodation is directly at the bottom of the slopes and there are a fair number of easier slopes. There is not a lot to do besides skiing though it is not far from other villages and I guess not too difficult to get to Salzburg etc.

If you are not so set on Salzburg I would suggest looking at Serfaus, it has a great reputation for its ski schools and is pretty high. It is not well placed for flights into Salzburg, Innsbruck is ideal though Zürich OK too.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
The one guarantee is that you can’t guarantee the weather! Find somewhere to tick all your other boxes and let the chips land where they fall.
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 KAJSER
KAJSER
Guest
Mr.Egg wrote:
KAJSER wrote:
Hi guys,

Me and my girlfriend are looking to visit an Austrian ski resort for 4 nights between 16th-22nd March:
- Resort needs to be covered in snow )


Maybe pick a more sensible date Puzzled


What would be considered a more sensible date? We are able to do between 24th and 3rd March if that is better but imagine its too short notice to find any decent accommodation?
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 KAJSER
KAJSER
Guest
Thanks for the help so far guys!

Are there any resorts in France or Scandinavia that might be more suitable for our weather requirements?
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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!
Hi @KAJSER, might be worth looking at Zell-am-See. Direct train from Salzburg station, good beginner slopes, pretty setting by the lake and a glacier nearby (which I've never been to) in case the snow is sparse. Unlikely to be snow-covered in the town though, unless there has been a recent snowy period.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
There are no pretty traditional villages, anywhere in Europe, guaranteed to be snow covered in late March. You need to decide what your priorities are.
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 KAJSER
KAJSER
Guest
pam w wrote:
There are no pretty traditional villages, anywhere in Europe, guaranteed to be snow covered in late March. You need to decide what your priorities are.


If we waiver the 'pretty' part, what is most likely to be snow covered??
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@pam w, never been but I’m sure Obergurgl is all of those. Unfortunately not near Salzburg. Obertauern then Zauchensee are the highest bases in the mountains south of Salzburg and it is a pretty area with easy access. My other thought was if there are any small but relatively high areas in the Eastern Tirol (Kitzbühel, St Johann?). I’m not sure, the next area over is Wilder Kaiser which I’m sure would be slushy.

All the high areas in France are either brutalist high rise or pastiche chalet (slight exaggeration I know) and a long way from an airport.

I’m not sure about the weather in Scandinavia. Getting direct flights over 4 days into a ski airport in Finland is unlikely, I think (maybe it’s different from London). For Norway/Sweden you would need the new airport I think (Scandinavian Mountains?). I think Salen (Sweden) and Trysil (Norway) are quite close. Mrgrolf and Themasterpiece are the Scandinavian experts. IME there is plenty to do outside of skiing in Finland, more winter sports venues than downhill skiing only. A lateral thought might be Turin and somewhere in the Aosta Valley? Everywhere accessible from Milan/Verona/Venice is probably a bit far for 4 days.
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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.
KAJSER wrote:
pam w wrote:
There are no pretty traditional villages, anywhere in Europe, guaranteed to be snow covered in late March. You need to decide what your priorities are.


If we waiver the 'pretty' part, what is most likely to be snow covered??


Sounds to me like you guys are not really all that bothered about the skiing...so if you are that worried about the weather on 16th March, which is likely to have perfect skiing and white villages everywhere ..
but want somewhere that is likely to be 120% white, you might need to change your flight plans.
Murren
Lech
Trysil
Levi
Tignes
Val Thorens
Lake Louise


and as advised
If you must go to Salzburg, Obertauern will be fine.

or Waidring, or Lofer. Maybe even Reit im Winkel or Fieberbrunn. You might not have a metre of snow in the villages but you'll learn to ski. And they're pretty.
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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
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
Murren. Plenty of snow then. Chocolate box pretty. Excellent skiing. 2hrs max from Basel. DONE!

You want shopping going shopping in the mall at Calais. Want ski holiday go with the above.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I think Obertauren is a good choice for you. Its a compact resort, snow sure for that time of year as its high and there are good pistes for beginners. It has a sunny aspect. There is plenty of choice for accommodation and its easy to get to from Salzberg. Best if you hire a car.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
The Brits seem to love Obertauern, I guess it's something to do with being a high featureless moonscape and having doorstep skiing. But it has drawbacks:

It's a 'resort', not a town, and exists purely for tourism. As a result, it tends to be busy, especially with Dutch tourists, and overpriced.

The ski runs are short and not especially varied. The views are great on a sunny day, but more often than not Obertauern sits in cloud, no view at all.

There's nothing else to do there other than skiing.

There are some good beginner runs, but beginners often benefit from being able to see where they are going. Tree-lined runs are better for that purpose, but of course Obertauern is too high for that.

Just offering a balanced opinion. Good luck with whatever you decide.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
KAJSER wrote:
Thanks for the help so far guys!

Are there any resorts in France or Scandinavia that might be more suitable for our weather requirements?


Somewhere like Trysil in Norway would be excellent if the primary concern is learning to ski. Its not a big resort in the scheme of things but has a good selection of beginner friendly runs, it's extremely quiet compared to the Alps (especially so outside of school holidays I'd imagine) and also has a decent quality ski school. They generally have decent snow well into April, the Radisson Blu hotels there are really nice (ski in/out) and there's now an airport within about 40 minutes transfer that only opened before Christmas or there's Oslo about 2.5 hours drive/bus transfer for more flight choice.
However the resort (like most in Scandanavia I believe) is only at ~400m altitude with the mountain peak only 1100m and its not part of a large mountain range, so you don't get the picture postcard mountain views like you do in the Alps. Also the town itself is fairly quiet, a couple of restarants/bars dotted around and you can do things like dog sledding etc if you fancy an afternoon off, but its not big on it's evening apres ski entertainment and if you like a drink alcohol is even more expensive there than in the Alps!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@KAJSER, it's really unclear what you are trying to achieve here.

Are you looking for a winter break staying in the mountains and doing some activities?

Or do you want to ski?

Skiing isn't something to go half arsed at. If you want to ski then you will need lessons and convenience as a priority.

Doing a 4-dayer complicates things.

Everything is doable - even a 4-day winter holiday somewhere pretty with a bit of skiing thrown in. But you need to be clear what they priorities are.

Note: there are other activities you can do apart from skiing - snow shoeing, x-country skiing for example.
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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?
Try skiing in a snow dome to see if you like it first.

As others have said, it's a gamble weather wise. Going high means it's gernerally more snow secure but could also mean fog.
Kaprun could be a good choice as the skiing is from around 750m up to 3000m (now linked up since Nov 2019).
Zell am See is also nearby.

http://youtube.com/v/70wipE1xVa0
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DB wrote:
As others have said, it's a gamble weather wise.

Well that depends...

By the OP's request "Resort needs to be covered in snow" it is but in terms of there being plenty of slopes to ski it isn't a gamble.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Layne wrote:
DB wrote:
As others have said, it's a gamble weather wise.

Well that depends...

By the OP's request "Resort needs to be covered in snow" it is but in terms of there being plenty of slopes to ski.


I'm not 100% sure what your point is. Puzzled

My point was high could be good for snow conditions but bad for fog. (restricted visibility for those alpine views). Wind can also be worse higher up the mountain.
KAJSER wrote:
- Resort needs to be covered in snow and with beautiful alpine views as we are looking for a cosy winter feeling, not slushy/melting snow.
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DB wrote:
Try skiing in a snow dome to see if you like it first.

As others have said, it's a gamble weather wise. Going high means it's gernerally more snow secure but could also mean fog.
Kaprun could be a good choice as the skiing is from around 750m up to 3000m (now linked up since Nov 2019).
Zell am See is also nearby.

http://youtube.com/v/70wipE1xVa0


Now that Kaprun has the K-onnection, I hope that they make an effort to keep the Maiskogel slopes open longer. In recent years they have typically closed between 8 and 18 March. I’ve noticed that most people coming down off the Kitzsteinhorn on the K-onnection are then skiing down Maiskogel, as opposed to downloading on the MK Maiskogelbahn gondola. The Maiskogel is a good mountain to ski down, with bars en route.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The OP also specified that the resort must be covered in non- slushy snow, which is a tall order in late March. wink
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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!
By “covered in snow”, does that mean all the pistes and surrounding mountains, or the village streets as well? If the latter, I agree that a high resort like Obergurgl or Obertauern is indicated. However the third week of March can sometimes be wintry and snowy in resorts like Saalbach (which I see has been mentioned a few times). Certainly the surrounding village-level pistes will all be snow covered, and, even in sunny Spring weather, they should be firm and nice to ski, at least in the mornings.
Mention has been made of the nursery slopes becoming soft and slushy, but (as usual) the excellent nursery area at the top of the Bernkogel mountain (which is essentially a fairly extensive plateau) has been overlooked. There is no reason why that nursery area should be unpleasant for beginners learning to ski at that time in March. There are a couple of good restaurants up there, and a gondola for the trip down.
It’s little more than an hour’s transfer from Salzburg, and the Holiday Shuttle costs only EUR 89 return. The public bus, which takes an hour longer, and leaves from outside the airport terminal, costs around EUR 15.
A pretty village with a “buzz”. Worthy of consideration.
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I think a key point overlooked so far in terms of ski conditions is that a complete beginner skier hasn’t got the faintest idea what is good or bad snow to ski on. I loved my first ever trip thought the skiing was amazing but now I look back I realise that boy oh boy the conditions were rubbish. That too was mid March fairly low spring conditions in St Johann in Tirol.
But I had the best time!
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
[quote="Bodeswell"]@KAJSER, Mid March is almost universally fine for skiing, the way this year is going I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's colder on the 16th of March than it was on the 16th of January.


Totally agree with the above!
I did my first ski trip to Mayrhofen (I thought it was great, but flights were into Innsbruck) end of March last year and Lech mid-Jan this year felt very similar!
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