Is Austria worth the extra money?

A snowHead

@turms2, when I go to ski amade in one week I will ski Flachau, wagrain, alpendorf, flachauwinkl/kleinarl, zauchensee, altenmarkt, radstadt, schladming, hauser kaibling, reiteralm. I will only need to drive 25mins for the last 3, and then to only one of the three. The rest I can get to lift served from Flachau apart from a 30 second shuttle between flachauwinkl and zauch. I might decide to go to mulbach to do the Hoch Konig tour, or the gasteins. Mulbach is about 30 min, gasteins about 50mins I think. Also taking in forstau for half a day, perhaps Eben ...both great for a quick detour. The lift pass is excellent value IMHO. I've been to Filzmoos and was bored to tears after about 4 hours. If someone only wants to ski filzmoos then I agree a local pass would be useful, but so much of amade is lift linked now or a short drive then why wouldn't you take advantage?

A snowHead

@turms2, the majority of week-long (or more) visitors to Ski Amadé bring cars and have the ability to use many different ski areas. The shorter term visitors (day or weekend) buy individual day passes for wherever they want to ski. The cost of the lift pass is comparable to other larger Austrian ski areas, and several areas are interlinked such as Flachau/Flachauwinkl/Wagrain/Alpendorf, Schladming/Haus/Reiteralm, Hochkönig, Gasteins. So yes maybe someone spending the whole week in a small area with no transport is getting less value for money, but they are not the majority of guests.

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Lift passes which include a wider area typically do so without adding to the overall cost, or with a minimal uplift to reflect the flexibility. Multi-day passes already have an element of discount built in, and the more committed you are to the area then the more discount you get.

Here's a comparison using the 21/22 prices for peak season:

Area	1 Day	2 days	3 days	4 days	5 days	6 days
Saalbach	60.50	119	175	222.50	266	302
Ski Amade	N/A	121	181	237	284	299
Zillertal	57.50	114	159.50	199	238.50	277
Salzburg Superski	66	129	187	243	292	320

Zillertal prices are for Mayrhofen only for 1 or 2 days, then for the whole valley.

Single day tickets are available in each of the Ski Amade regions which cover the local slopes only - in 2020/21 for Snowspace Salzburg (Flachau/Wagrain/etc) this was €58, while for Filzmoos it was €49 - the difference is quite literally small beer, and lost entirely for 3+ days, plus who would want to ski the 20Km of slopes in Filzmoos for more than a day or two?

Edited to correct Superski prices - posted the preseason prices by mistake

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until one point i agree with you.
But except Salzburger Sportwelt und 4Berge, the other areas are not from alone complete connected not each other
e.g. Bad Gastein is not connected with Dorfgastein

In generall i find the price-politik of ski amade (and from some other areas in AUT) simply a reason to keep families away.
And from a long perspective view, is completely wrong. According to statistics children when they grow up, usually go for skiing where they used to go with their parents. Ski resorts have to thing a little bit more in the futuer. If you are not attractive for families, you will lose customeres in the future. Of course SkiAmade has not such a concern because they are next to Salzburg and Münich

But I have to accept that the saison pass is relativ cheap comparing with other saison tickets (even if there is not a big glacier inclusive)

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@tatmanstours, yup, already spotted and corrected that - see above. I had my doubts, which is why I went back and checked

After all it is free

It’s perhaps worth mentioning that buying a pass at pre-season prices (up to the first week of December) gives a significant saving, as does buying a full season pass for an area that is to be visited for three weeks or more in the same season. I remember having three separate weeks in Saalbach in the 2006/7 season - at Christmas, mid-February, and mid-March, and I also remember kicking myself when I realised that we could have saved ourselves quite a bit by buying full season passes, and even more at the pre-season prices.

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@tatmanstours, exactly - at €795 with the early bird discount, the Superski season card works out at about 15 days based on trips where a 6 day pass would normally be purchased. If you ski for 3 weeks at 6 days per week, the last 3 days are effectively free Cool

For someone who visits 3 times per year or more, it really should be a no-brainer, especially as they've now offered a prorata refund of unused days if you don't manage to exceed that threshold due to travel restrictions.

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@turms2, Ski Amadé has free lift passes for children from mid-March including Easter school holidays. It is a great destination for families and bringing children does not confine people to one unlinked area.

This seems crazy to me -- are we saying that a beginner in Zell am See would have to buy the area pass covering Kaprun/Saalbach !!!

Added to having to equip themselves with Ski gear/clothing, the extras costs are just going to put people off....

You know it makes sense.

@albob, a beginner in Zell am See still has to get the lift up the mountain, as the only slopes which finish low down are not ones you'd take a beginner on to. Plus the additional cost on an adult 6-day peak season pass to include access to the Glemmtal was effectively zero - they added the extra area, but the annual lift pass price increase was essentially the same as previously, at about 6%. Yes, that's higher than inflation, but they have a significant capital investment programme in lift upgrades, snow making, parks, etc and that money has to come from somewhere. There wasn't a doubling of the pass price to reflect the massively larger area now available, and frankly, very few people actually make use of it in either direction other than as a one-off day out. Coming from the Saalbach side, Zell just isn't that attractive in the main. From the Zell side, the access is into the edge of the Glemmtal area, and it's not that easy to get back, so for example it's only really possible to leave from Zell, do the Ski Circus circuit, and get back to Zell if you're a pretty quick skier who doesn't mess about with things like coffee or lunch.

In Saalbach or Hinterglemm, the beginner areas are at low level, and served by short lifts - making those free wouldn't cost the lift company much, but for anyone who makes it onto those slopes, graduating to the top half of the mountain is typically 1-2 days later.

A few places have free lifts for beginners, or a points-based system where each lift deducts an appropriate amount from your balance. I've always found it more cost-effective just to buy the pass, which no doubt is what they'd prefer - the points system really only works for someone who takes the lift up each day to have lunch on the mountain, and then skis back down.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

seems I am just out of touch ( long time since I was a beginner with a paper card that had to be 'punched' !!)

Just checked prices in Selva -- Local pass = 252 euro for 6 days :: dolomitisuperski = 272 euro for 6 days

No other options available..

A snowHead

@turms2, You can buy a family day pass for the Filzmoos area only. Last year for 2 Adults and 2 Children, the cost was €126 per day Mon-Fri and €116 Sat/Sun. So assuming you ski 6 days and one is a weekend, the total cost would only be €746. Hope that helps. Link Here: https://www.filzmoos.ski/en/tickets-prices/tickets-prices/

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@turms2, I've always found the ticket office very helpfull and they will find you the cheapest deal. I'm sure they can do it in advance.

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There might be a self service machine. I've seen them popping up

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one of the reasons we stopped skiing as a family in the French Alps were the exorbitant 'family' prices - which penalise larger families - many Austrian resorts have free child places aged 10 and under and half-price reductions all the way to age 18

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@Snowsartre, same for us. Child tickets in some areas in France were finishing at 14, or the child price wasn’t too different compared to the adult price.

In Austria most areas a child is up to 16 with a decent discount. A youth ticket 16-19 and then there is often a student ticket I think to 21. Our late season trips were often based around areas the offered a free children’s pass with an adult’s. Although in fairness, we took advantage of these in Les Arcs and Serre Chevalier as well as Ski Amade and Saalbach.

After all it is free

Around here, parents with younger children/babies, where sharing childcare may exclude couples skiing together, it’s possible for them to share one ski pass. A good idea, I think.

@hammerite, That's right, our favourite Austrian resort is free for the under tens, half price for under 15 and around a third off for 15-18 yr olds. Given the profile of our family 15, 13 and 9 this season we would have saved 600 euros compared to the resort we used to ski in France. And that is before the rip off French on mountain prices, but that is a whole different thread!

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Whilst I agree that, particularly in the purpose-built resorts, it's possible to be ripped off on the mountain in France, those who constantly generalise about this being an overall, insoluble problem simply don't know how to follow their noses and local recommendations.

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@Hurtle, I am sure that’s true up to a point, but is there an on-mountain restaurant in France that sells a half-litre of beer for 4 euros or less? Puzzled

@Snowsartre, to be perfectly honest I don't know, since I don't drink beer. I don't usually have a problem finding decent wine at a reasonable price, though.

You know it makes sense.

@Snowsartre, I know of several bars and restaurants in Serre Chevalier that do. It also offers family lift tickets up to age 18, and cheaper passes for groups of 3 people under 25.
We started skiing there because it was cheaper than the large Tarentaise resorts.
I'm with @Hurtle that it is quite possible to ski in France without being ripped off.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Hells Bells, @Hurtle, I am not saying skiing in France per se is a rip off, but rather the resorts I used to ski offered less value for money than the Austrian I now frequent.

Serre Chevalier sounds good value and I will certainly look in to it as am always on the look out for good value, snow sure and extensive resorts! (Just not many of these in the French Alps Eh oh!

)

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I have been to Obertauern. It is very pleasant, with nice hotels (I stayed in the Marietta)....but for skiing, is not comparable to the Trois Valley or Espace Killy.

My stay was over 20 years ago and back then, little English was spoken, either in the Ski School or Hotel....though that has probably changed now.

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a comparison between Obertauern and Val Thorens is possible only if under the aspect of purpose built resorts...then someonce can see that Austria is not so cheaper as Fracen
A Comparison between Trois Valley and Ski Amade i think it is not possible....maybe Wagrain - Flachau - Zauchensee- St.Johann with e.g. a part from Trois Valley but not complete Ski Amade with Trois Valley

definitely ski amade is cheaper than Trois Valley ..especially if you stay 15 km away from the lifts...
But Obertauenr or Kühtai are not so cheap....even if they are not so big

I think the onlye Purpose Built resorts in AUT are Obertauern, Kühtai, Zurs and maybe Turracher Höhe...the prices in these places are almost the same with the most purpose built resorts in France. Even if Kühtai is 1/10 from VAl Thorens.

However i am talking only about accommodation prices...

On the other hand, the best (i can imagine) about France is ski in ski out.

Unfortunalte the ski in ski out in Austria is very expensive. Of course the cheap option (ca 5 - 15 km away) has the mins : you have to take the bus, and sometimes they are a not so nice experience, or you have to take a car, and then you have to search for parking place.

And if you choose the high season, (Christmas, carneval Week etc) then sometimes is not so pleasant

After all it is free

@johnE, depends on your view of "architectural merit" Very Happy

. I admit it was around 30 years ago that I was last in Les Arcs but I didnt see many buildings that might qualify for such praise, even if you are a fan of Le Corbusier. Perhaps I am biased but my memory seems to suggest endless Pierre & Vaccances blocks dotted around the Tarentaise. No complaints about the skiing though.

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@munich_irish, A couple points about the older architecture of Les Arcs (1600 in particular). I am biased since I have an apartment there

It is almost invisible from the valley. It houses 10,000s of people but until recently you wouldn't know it. The recent craze for wood cladding buildings means that the newer developments such as the wooden clad chalet type buildings of Vallandry are garish from a distance. The strange steeply roofed chalets of 1600 are buried in the woods. You would only find them from one piste.

There are many interesting nooks and crannies within the buildings, with large ariums, entrance halls, ramps, and subteranium corridors. A few years ago my niece was shocked when I led her up a set of stairs she'd never noticed before straight to a lift. Even after 17 years I still find new and interesting places with in the 1600. And still get lost in the corridors and alleyways of Arc 1800. Finding the way to the bus station is, for some reason, tricky.

Because it is high on a hill side the views across the Isere valley are staggering.

It is ideal for families being car free and not needing busses etc to get to the lifts (for some reason my son was forever leaving gloves and ski poles on busses when he was young)

It was built for a single purpose that is to provide skiing to the people. It does it very well and surely that should be the main criteria of architectural merit.

IMHO skiing has changed a lot over the last 30 years. In fact things have moved on a lot over the last 10 years. As have the ski resorts. Les Arcs, while still very much a holiday destination now has a 2 month summer season and there are people there almost all year. I wish I could be there now.

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Is Austria worth the extra money?

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