 Poster: A snowHead
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Im flying in to Munich on Boxing day , then the plan was getting the train to westendorf in Austria for a weeks skiing. Current Covid rules would mean a 2 week quarantine on return which is impractical, so ive been looking at changing plans to stay in Germany. looking through a few threads Garmisch-Partenkirchen seems a good option. It will be me and my son, blues and reds are fine, enjoy nice scenery and wide cruising. followed by a few beers and some life ! So is Garmish the best option, if it is would we be better in Garmisch or Partenkirchen.
Does it mean a bus / train to the lifts every morning. Are there any ski to door resorts in Germany that are likely to have enough snow over New Year. Any advise most welcome. N.B. I realise Covid rules could change at anytime. Just trying to get some options.
Many 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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I'd say stay on the Garmisch side for easier access. You can walk to the Hausberg, the Zugspitze though requires either the rack railway to the top or the train to the gondola base. There are a fair few hotels between the town centre and the Hausberg.
Partenkirchen is more traditional but it is definitely a longer walk, or a bus. There's a great Greek restaurant on the main drag there.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It's a bloody nightmare ! I can travel in to Austria with no restrictions, but i have to quarantine on return. I would need to quarantine when travelling to Germany (or get a test as i understand it) but can return to the UK with no quarantine ! Can anyone make any sense of it ?
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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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Germany rules could change at any moment.. There is currently up tick in infection rates.
Its all about luck of timing between 2nd & 3rd wave... or just write the upcoming season off.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@APRESJIM2, unless the situation improves significantly then this trip is not going to be possible. It is possible things might change but the current intention is that from 08.11 arrivals in Bavaria (German rules are regional not national) will have to quarantine for a minimum of 5 days before a negative test would be acceptable. Also given the very large increase in cases here (most of upper Bavaria is now in the highest level of risk) over the past week I cant see how Germany can stay on the UK "safe" list but who knows.
Garmisch itself is nice enough, there is a very snow safe though small skiing area on the Zugspitze, the lower area has some nice runs but isnt huge, probably best for day / weekend trips from Munich. There are a couple of hotels around the lifts but both the valley stations are away from the centre, you will almost certainly end up using the buses.
Except in really good snow conditions, which are not so likely at New Year, there are no ski to door areas in Germany. There will be a few hotels etc situated next to lift stations but mostly it is villages with the lifts a little way away from the village. In general it would be better for visitors to head to the larger areas in Austria.
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@APRESJIM2, there is (at least was) a large American military base just down the road - I think supposedly for families but it does mean the bars are often full of US 'squaddies' with all that brings. The skiing is not particularly well linked and the best is probably on the Zugspitze Glacier. Common to all areas is insufficient lift capacity at peak times. GaPa's saving grace is that the town is pretty and there is a reasonable amount to do. It is just let down by the skiing - and this year the fact UK based skiers won't be able to ski for the reasons articulated by @munich_irish, Italy/ Sweden, currently only viable options without quarantining on return, but for how long? 
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@Snowsartre, Italy has been taken off the UK "safe" list and in any case announced yesterday the closure of ski lifts as part of the response to rising infections.
I believe the military base is now only a small scale recreational facility (the US military presence in Germany is very much reduced over what it was 20 years ago). There was a fuss a couple of months back as an american woman who works at the facility tested positive after being on holiday in Greece but then went out round the bars causing a big spike in infections. Needless to say she was very unpopular. Infection levels in Garmisch did reduce quickly afterwards but are now rising again like the rest of upper Bavaria.
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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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@Snowsartre, not sure when you last skied in GAP, but most of what you say is wrong. The lift capacity has been increased significantly over the last 15 years or so. It gets crowded at weekends, because half of Munich goes skiing there, but otherwise there are rarely problems with waiting times. As mentioned the military base is actually a recreational center (and always was), and while you do see Americans on the slopes I've never seen that as a major problem. As far as the skiing is concerned, the Garmisch Classic area has some great red and red/black pistes, notably the Olympia and Kandahar. Kandahar is the world cup downhill run and is one of my favourite runs for hooning in the whole of the Alps. There is plenty there to keep you happy for a few days. The glacier is relatively boring unless you get a big powder day, in which case it's absolutely fantastic ( be sure there is ~5m of snow or you will likely destroy your skis ).
New year is too early to be able to guarantee any decent skiing. It can happen, but usually doesn't these days.
As far as all this being realistic... Unfortunately I don't think it will be. The situation here is getting worse by the day so I have doubts about whether the ski season is going to happen at all. We will see.
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| munich_irish wrote: |
@APRESJIM2,
Except in really good snow conditions, which are not so likely at New Year, there are no ski to door areas in Germany. |
Just for the record, there are some on-piste hotels in the Feldberg/Black forest ski area. Situated at around 1200m (v. 700m in Garmisch) you can normally ski there in late december. 
Everythig else you wrote is true. Unfortunately.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Feldberg is a bit limited but the "world cup" black is a good run. Some lovely hotels in that area.
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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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PS when we were there, we got a guest card from the hotel that was actually useful !!
It gave free bus and rail travel and was also the lift pass.
...but getting there from Munich won't be easy.
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There is also als Option the Allgäu Area...howerver ski in ski out its really difficult to find
You could check out here
https://www.ok-bergbahnen.com/
pretty nice ski area but there is a problem : almost 65% is in Austria but there is a strange situation because the access is possible only from Germany. To be honest i have no idea if there are other covid restrictions comparin to the rest Germany / Austria
however the ski area is better als Garmisch (althogh there is nothing like Kadahar) and you could find some hotels almost near the slopes
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You know it makes sense.
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@turms1, access to the main Fellhorn/Kanzelwand ski area is not only from Germany. You can either go up from Faistenoy near Oberstdorf, Germany or from Riezlern in Kleinwalsertal, Austria. The area is definitely recommended, but I don't know of any hotels near the slopes. At least not in Oberstdorf. Getting from Munich to Oberstdorf is fairly simple by train.
No idea how they are going to deal with the corona situation in the Fellhorn/Kanzelwand area. Hopefully Kleinwalsertal will be considered separate from Austria, cos de facto it is!
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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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yeap you are right
Fellhorn/Kanzelwand ski area ist accessible from Germany or Austria
But if you want to go to Riezlern you have to go through Germany. There is no other way from the other side (Austria)
Some accommodation in Riezlern are near the lift. And more from the other side (Mittelberg Hirschegg)
I think tha for Germany the area is not risk area because the access in possible only from Germany
but not 100% sure
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Poster: A snowHead
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Both Jungholz and Kleinwalsertal have been given an exception by the RKI (German public health institute) as they are only accessible in practical terms from Bavaria see https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Risikogebiete_neu.html . Not sure that makes much odds in the current situation, if the situation continues as it currently is (hope very much not but who knows) then there probably wont be any lifts running in Bavaria  .
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