 Poster: A snowHead
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I’ve skied in France exclusively since being a child, mostly in the three valleys. Next year I’m keen to try out Austria for a change but know very little about resorts or ski areas.
I would much prefer to drive out so ideally be looking at something in the western end of the country to reduce the journey time (although what’s another hour in the car in a 12+ hour drive?).
The things I value most are snow surety, KM of pistes, accessibility of areas (how interlinked are they), availability of ski in ski out accommodation is always ideal of course. I’m not too worried about a great night life to be honest as I’m not much of a drinker and will most likely be with family.
With all of that rambling in mind, do any Austrian skiing aficionados have any thoughts on resorts to put on a short list? Any help would be greatly appreciated 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Flachau/Wagrain. But then I would say that as I live here! 
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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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| RedandWhiteFlachau wrote: |
| Flachau/Wagrain. But then I would say that as I live here! |
As good a reason as any!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Coz it is a lovely ski area
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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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@PrinceJohn, maybe we can start with when you plan to visit. 
By definition almost all Austrian resorts are snow sure, otherwise they'd cease to exist, but early and late in the season there are areas which are more risky.
High totals of km are not so common in Austria. The biggest connected areas are Saalbach-Hinterglemm (mid price) the Arlberg area around St Anton (expensive unless you stay in a satellite), and the Skiwelt (relatively cheap). Close behind this is the Ski Amadé region, but this is a collection of discrete resorts rather than being interconnected, though the Flachau area is fairly big in itself.
Also, ski in/ski out is much rarer in Austria, so you will have to choose carefully if that's a prime consideration. It can be done, but you'll have to research it carefully. In many places the accommodation is in the valley at 600-800m, and the skiing is from 1500m upwards, so you need a gondola up to the skiing base. For those places which have skiing to the village, that means the village is typically above 800m (e.g. Saalbach at 1000m), rather than the 1600+ in many of the major French places.
Snow cover in Austria is entirely unlike France. In Austria, you typically ski on meadows between trees, so 20cm of snow is a good base where many places in France need 90cm or more just to cover the rocks. Peaks may have 1-2m of cover.
In terms of travel, we drive out every year. We leave Calais around 0800 after an early tunnel crossing, and stop overnight in Bavaria near Rosenheim where we usually arrive between 1800 and 2000. Breakfast at 7 allows us to be on the slopes in Saalbach by 1300, or in the Skiwelt around 1000. On the way back, we leave by 0600 and travel all the way home, arriving around 2100. For us, Saalbach is 900 miles, while the Skiwelt is about 800. For travel through southern Germany and Austria you will need winter tyres and a set of chains is advised though you are unlikely to need them unless you choose accommodation up a hill.
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@ousekjarr, thanks for that, super helpful. Next year I was thinking about going in mid-late Jan but that was really to get around French school holidays - less of a consideration in Austria of course!
Is there a time you would recommend?
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This is an interesting question......You've started your search for an Austrian resort by listing a pile of celebrated advantages of the high, purpose-built, French resorts, @PrinceJohn (big linked areas, ski in/out, kms of piste, snow reliability etc). What do you think your French experiences have lacked, and that you'd like to gain from skiing in Austria? For example, I've mostly skied in France too, not least because of having an apartment there for 15 years. I like some of the things the Dolomites area of Italy offer - brilliant snowmaking and piste grooming, loads of stylish mountain restaurants offering great food and drink at reasonable prices, the bouncy Italian style (si deve fare bella figura....) and unbeatably magnificent mountain scenery. I like ski in/out but that's not a big feature of the Italian resorts, as it isn't in Austria.
Some Austrian (and Swiss) villages offer a traditionally attractive ambiance which is probably impossible to find in France and Italy - or at any rate is rare. (And some people even like those noodle things scattered with what looks like fag ash ). They are places where people have spent the winter for hundreds of years - may have cows in byres (Alpbach did, when we went there some years ago). People didn't spend their winters up in the snowfields, in the Alps.
Alpbach was very pretty and our non-skier, in particular, loved it and enjoyed a bus trip to Innsbruck one day. People were very friendly (my son, a fluent German speaker and girl friend stayed on, intending to work the season and found an inexpensive room with a lovely woman who took the girl friend to the hospital when my stupid son broke his ankle toboganning).
But the skiers had to go on a bus, and then up a lift, to get to the snow - where our Austrian ski instructor spoke brilliant English, having worked as a PE teacher in England, and gave us a super week, find us good snow at a time when snow wasn't good, generally. It's a trade off. What are you trading? Where do the Three Valleys fall short for you? (I'm not terribly keen, either, actually).
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@pam w, for me what T3V lacks, particularly Val Thorens, where I prefer to stay to get away from the crowds in Meribel, is the picturesque village. It’s all very concrete tower blocks and not too many trees. It’s also very warm quite a lot of the time - how much of this is just me naturally “skiing hot” and how much is a characteristic of the French alps is another matter - I have nothing to compare it to.
I understand that swapping purpose-built resorts for more “traditional” villages will have a trade off with some of the conveniences - ski in ski out is a nice to have rather than a must have.
Other than that, I don’t know what I don’t know - as you’ve pointed out in my misguided opening 
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@PrinceJohn, I try to get a trip in before Christmas, one in mid January, a family trip in February half term, and in previous years have occasionally managed a March trip as well. This year I'm going back in the first week of April.
December can be sketchy but I've had great conditions then as well. January for me is ideal - cold, crisp conditions, quiet, and cheaper for accommodation. February is high season, good conditions virtually guaranteed and with longer days and more chance of sun is better for families. March can be really good and quieter up to Easter, but lower slopes can be sugary and south-facing slopes can get bumpy unless the weather is ideal - or it could be a powder fest. April is a lottery unless you have a glacier nearby as a backup.
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@PrinceJohn, Best weeks to avoid the crowds and get best conditions in Austria for 2023. 21-28 Jan 23, 4-11 Mar 23, 1-8 Apr 23.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I've not done a lot in Austria but will be doing as of next season.
My take, its at least 20% cheaper than France. The food is better on the mountain and in the restaurants. There's a buzz and energy in the town that just ain't there in France. It get a better quality of snow(colder-i maybe wrong on that though). Doesn't need as much due to mostly skiing alpine meadows. Plenty of tree skiing in low viz.
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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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More modern lifts in Austria too. If it's not a high speed heated leather seat chair with bubble it will be soon.
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@PrinceJohn, For the western end of Austria four areas would stand out (plenty of smaller ones too), Arlberg, Montafon, Ischgl & Serfaus/Fiss.
Personally, given the choice, i would not ski anywhere else than the Arlberg, it is the best & currently biggest area in Austria, same level as Verbier & Val d'Isere. However it is not for everyone, it is expensive (especially Lech & Zürs), can be crowded and much of it is rather different to the dense lift networks found in 3V etc. It is just about the snowiest part of the alps.
Montafon is a collection of typical Austrian villages, snow conditions are generally similar to the Arlberg (next valley) with similar sort of skiing but it is not a single area, very typical "Austrian" skiing.
Ischgl is not dissimilar to many French setups though the "village" is in the valley rather than above the treeline. The piste skiing is excellent, off piste not bad either (though not as good as Arlberg). It is known for its night life, neither the village nor night life are to my taste but lots like it. Very good for early & late skiing (open from late November to first weekend in May).
Serfaus has a similar ski area to Ischgl but much more family orientated. Not well known in the UK but is one of the most visited ski areas in Austria. Good choice for family skiing though does not get as much snow as the Arlberg (which is not far away).
If you dont mind driving a bit further and avoid early & late season the both Saalbach Hinterglemm and Ski Amade are worth considering.
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You know it makes sense.
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| ousekjarr wrote: |
Also, ski in/ski out is much rarer in Austria, so you will have to choose carefully if that's a prime consideration. It can be done, but you'll have to research it carefully. In many places the accommodation is in the valley at 600-800m, and the skiing is from 1500m upwards, so you need a gondola up to the skiing base. For those places which have skiing to the village, that means the village is typically above 800m (e.g. Saalbach at 1000m), rather than the 1600+ in many of the major French places.
Snow cover in Austria is entirely unlike France. In Austria, you typically ski on meadows between trees, so 20cm of snow is a good base where many places in France need 90cm or more just to cover the rocks. Peaks may have 1-2m of cover.
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Sorry, but a lot of this is not really correct...
1. The vast vast majority of Austrian ski resorts have skiing to/from the village from early Dec to at least end of March. The only major resort I can think of which doesn't have (piste) skiing to the village is Mayrhofen
2. Plenty of skiing over meadows and tree skiing in France, and plenty of rocky high alpine skiing in Austria
3. 20cms is never a good base, even if it is 'enough' in many places
4. Snow cover on peaks is impossible to generalise, as wind is a more significant factor there than snowfall, so the variation is huge; if you mean snow depth around the level of top of lifts then 2-4m is probably a reasonable ballpark but again variation is still huge
| PrinceJohn wrote: |
..ideally be looking at something in the western end of the country...
The things I value most are snow surety, KM of pistes, accessibility of areas (how interlinked are they), availability of ski in ski out accommodation is always ideal of course. I’m not too worried about a great night life to be honest as I’m not much of a drinker and will most likely be with family.
With all of that rambling in mind, do any Austrian skiing aficionados have any thoughts on resorts to put on a short list? Any help would be greatly appreciated |
Arlberg (St Anton or Lech are the main villages) ticks all your boxes:
1. In the west
2. Averages ~12m snow a year (roughly double 3 Valleys)
3. One of Austria's largest linked ski areas (in terms of how linked, basically - other than maybe Warth - you can ski from one end to the other and back in a day, though in 1 or 2 spots a quick bus can be easier/quicker than the ski)
4. There's a fair bit of ski-in accommodation, less real ski out though it is there. Much of the accommodation is a 2-5 minute walk from the lifts though
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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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@clarky999, it's a sweeping generalisation, yes - I was trying to avoid writing a book to detail the exceptions. While I agree that there are valley runs in many places, my point was a dual one - that in many places those are really only for the run down at the end of the day rather than being a major run in themselves, and in many cases they're to a lift on the edge of town rather than to the door to your apartment. Ski buses are the rule rather than the exception, at least in my experience.
Even where there are major runs to the village/town, they're not always advised, eg the Streif down to Kitzbuhel is really only for the box tickers unless it is in perfect condition, which in my experience is pretty rare.
Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Skiwelt and Ski Amadé were on my list because they have that access if you choose well, but conversely in each of those you can easily find yourself with a bus ride to the lift, or a walk through town, if you aren't prepared to pay a bit extra for the prime locations.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| PrinceJohn wrote: |
| @ousekjarr, thanks for that, super helpful. Next year I was thinking about going in mid-late Jan but that was really to get around French school holidays - less of a consideration in Austria of course! |
Mid-late Jan is definitely my favourite time to ski here. Often our local hills feel like a private ski resort and, in 6 Winters of living in Austria, the cover has been superb - in spite of the skiing being from 720m in the valley to 1650m at the highest point (1400m is more typical).
Someone above suggested Flachau - decent, well-linked area with some good variety, and easy to ski back to town. A bit of Apres but nothing too ‘mental’.
Saalbach Hinterglemm has some excellent accommodation offerings within 200/300m of the uplift offerings. The skiing is truly extensive and, if there was a poor snow earlyish season, they have significant snow-making infrastructure. Lots to do, if skiing takes a back seat for a day!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thank you to everyone for their very helpful replies. After doing a bit of Googling I think I’ve decided that one of the Arlberg villages, probably Lech, would be the best fit for what I’m looking for.
One question I would have for those who have done the drive from Calais; which route would be best? Apple Maps seems to spit out three different options, each within 15 minutes or so of the other in terms of total time. All passing Reims then some options:
1. Nancy - Basel - Zurich
2. Metz - Strasbourg - Villingen-Schwenningen
3. Metz - Stuttgart - Ulm
Out of those three, does anyone who’s done the drive before know which would be the best?
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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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| PrinceJohn wrote: |
@ousekjarr, thanks for that, super helpful. Next year I was thinking about going in mid-late Jan but that was really to get around French school holidays - less of a consideration in Austria of course!
Is there a time you would recommend? |
In Austria if going in Feb look up when Dutch half term is - more of an effect than U.K. half term. Also avoid Fasching week.
Mid Jan would be great for being less busy and good snow conditions. Can get very cold obviously… have been in -25C at the top of Ischgl in January
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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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If you want a true ski-in/ski-out hotel in a snow-sure area I would suggest the Steffisalp in Warth. It’s 50 metres from the ski room to the lift and you can ski back to the ski room at the end of the day.
Lech/Zurs is the linked area so you have a good set of options and you’re not paying Lech prices for the hotel.
We’ve driven to Austria for the last 10/12 years and it’s straightforward - we’ve always used the Stuttgart/Ulm route and even though we always go in January we’ve found that a 4x4 fitted with good winter tyres has coped with all conditions.
One other suggestion - don’t travel on a Saturday!
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@PrinceJohn, start off heading through Belgium and onto Luxembourg (Lille, Namur, Luxembourg) toll free motorways and cheap fuel in Luxembourg. Various options from there but head to Stuttgart then to Bregenz, turn off just before the Arlberg tunnel to Lech (its the only way in winter as the road to Warth is closed)
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It's a dessert of beauty, and unlike say a Christmas, treacle or sticky toffee pud, not hugely sweet either. Last enjoyed 10 days ago at the rather isolated Pulvermacherscherm restaurant, at the bottom of the fabulous 125 piste in Fieberbrunn's spectacular domain.
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+1 for Lech. Absolutely fantastic. Zug (3km up the alley) is also almost ski-in/ski-out and the regular buses are no big issue if you need to use them.
I too skied France ski-in/ski-out for (I now realise) too many years. Austria is less expensive, as good skiing as 3V or Val, service seriously good and friendly, food brilliant, atmosphere superb. Ski in/ski out isn't all it's cracked up to be if the infrastructure is good (and in Austria it is). For example, leave your skis and boots at the ski shop's lockers for a small fee. Warm boots in the morning and use you normal shoes to walk the few hundred metres to/from your accommodation (and also diving into the nearest Stube for a spectacular beer).
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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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| moffatross wrote: |
It's a dessert of beauty, and unlike say a Christmas, treacle or sticky toffee pud, not hugely sweet either. Last enjoyed 10 days ago at the rather isolated Pulvermacherscherm restaurant, at the bottom of the fabulous 125 piste in Fieberbrunn's spectacular domain. |
But the poppy seeds. Geez, what are the Austrian's thinking. Especially when they just put a bowl of them there, tricking innocent Brits into assuming they are graited chocolate... Only made THAT mistake the once!
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| ousekjarr wrote: |
@clarky999, it's a sweeping generalisation, yes - I was trying to avoid writing a book to detail the exceptions. While I agree that there are valley runs in many places, my point was a dual one - that in many places those are really only for the run down at the end of the day rather than being a major run in themselves, and in many cases they're to a lift on the edge of town rather than to the door to your apartment. Ski buses are the rule rather than the exception, at least in my experience.
Even where there are major runs to the village/town, they're not always advised, eg the Streif down to Kitzbuhel is really only for the box tickers unless it is in perfect condition, which in my experience is pretty rare.
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However in my experience it’s a sweeping generalisation that is generally incorrect, the exceptions to which are the norm.
For example, the following resorts all have enjoyable valley runs that I at least ski/have skied for their own sake, and which go to within a few minutes walk of many accommodations: St Anton (plus Lech etc), Ischgl (the home runs are actually great during the day), Saalbach (plus Hinterglemm), Schruns, Westendorf (ok the last 100m you’d only ski if going home), Kitzbühel (and Kirchberg), pretty much all of Wildschonau area apart from Alpbach, Kühtai, Obergurgl, Schladming.
There’s a bunch of others I haven’t skied that as far as I can see also do: Sölden, Zauchensee, Flachau, Fiss and Serfaus…
And the only resorts I can think of where you’d generally skip the home runs and/or usually need a bus or car to the accommodation are the small places for locals or that you’d generally day trip rather than holiday at (Axamer Lizum, Wurzeralm), the glaciers (like Stubai), satellite villages to the main resort village (like Pettneu for St Anton) or the exceptions like Mayrhofen.
Where are you skiing where the home runs aren’t real runs and you mostly need a bus?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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In Austria I usually only took a bus because otherwise the kids would have whinged too much. Seldom more than a 5 minute walk to a lift. Anyway, @PrinceJohn is going to have a car so no need for bussing at all. There are several threads on here with good route suggestions. use the forum search. The fuel stop in Luxembourg is probably the favourite in the current climate.
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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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| clarky999 wrote: |
| Where are you skiing where the home runs aren’t real runs and you mostly need a bus? |
Zillertal: Mayrhofen as you've pointed out (the Ahorn is out of town, and most people take the bus), plus Finkenberg and Zell am Ziller in the same region (there are valley runs in Zell, but to the outskirts of town and typically in really bad condition as the base is at 570m - slushfest), and of course Hintertux although that does have a single long run down to the base if it is open.
Kitzbuhel and Kirchberg - Kitz is a lovely (expensive) town, and Kirchberg provides a cheaper way to access the same area, but the lower slopes on both sides are typically mush, and the Streif runs are pretty much carnage all the time because of the low altitude, aspect, and traffic. And then most people still take the bus, because it is a half mile walk to just about all of the accommodation and restaurants. Kirchberg's lifts are outside the village, and require a bus.
Ski Amade: Flachau - 3 valley runs, of which Starjet (highest at 924m) is close to 10-15 places to stay, Achterjet (898m) is close to 5-10, Spacejet serves a car park, and the other 100+ are a bus trip away through a very strung-out town, with all of them suffering from low altitude and poor conditions at the base. Wagrain - three valley runs, one into the middle of nowhere, one to the outskirts of town in one direction, and one to the outskirts of town in the other direction. Bus between them, and to reach main accommodation areas. Zauchensee is the exception. Gasteinertal was similar from memory, but that was for a day trip so may not be representative.
Kaprun - the glacier area is very much out on a limb, though now they've added a lift to connect to the Maiskogel less so, but even that is on the edge of town. Zell has the CityXpress lift in the centre of town, which is pretty unusual, but I'd say more than half of the visitors download on it rather than skiing down it or taking the black runs to the Schmittenhohebahn and then trying the blue into town, and in any case all of the runs off the CityXpress are currently closed due to lack of snow - in the first week of March.
Skiwelt: Brixen - ski (or walk  ) the red home run at your peril, and when you get to the bottom the village centre (such as it is) is over a mile away, though the whole place is strung out. Take the black run, and even in perfect conditions you have a 400m shuffle across the flat just to get back to the lift station. Worth doing on maybe 4-5 days per year. Scheffau: the home run is lovely and north facing, but the village is a mile and a half away on the other side of the valley. Ellmau - we've just come back from there, and yes, you can take the Hausberg lift to be able to ski down into town, and there's a drag lift to get you back out to the Hartkaiserbahn, but I wouldn't recommend the Hausberg runs to anyone due to the slush and moguls we experienced in mid February at the end of each day. It wasn't terrible, but not great either. Soll - lovely village, but a shame the lift is a mile away from the centre, uphill. You can ski to the roundabout if you are lucky, but that still leaves a half mile walk to most of the accommodation. Westendorf - use the lift to get out in the morning, and to download from middle station at the end of the day, but even then you need a bus into town.
Don't get me wrong - I'm a regular and enthusiastic visitor to most of these places, but when someone asks for recommendations for ski-in/ski-out and says they've mostly visited the 3V, I don't think most of these cut it unless/until the OP says that they don't mind downloading or taking a bus back from the lift. Hence my recommendations of Saalbach-Hinterglemm, and the Arlberg (where I've never been, but it comes up regularly when people ask for ski-in/ski-out). By definition, ski out requires runs below the accommodation, and that's a rarity as a whole in my experience. I've stayed in some which are close - walk over the road, clip in and go - but nothing to match the very few where you can open the door, drop your skis, step into them, and ski off.
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| ousekjarr wrote: |
| clarky999 wrote: |
| Where are you skiing where the home runs aren’t real runs and you mostly need a bus? |
Kaprun - the glacier area is very much out on a limb, though now they've added a lift to connect to the Maiskogel less so, but even that is on the edge of town. Zell has the CityXpress lift in the centre of town, which is pretty unusual, but I'd say more than half of the visitors download on it rather than skiing down it or taking the black runs to the Schmittenhohebahn and then trying the blue into town, and in any case all of the runs off the CityXpress are currently closed due to lack of snow - in the first week of March. |
Was in Zell week before last - plenty of snow all over - though the last 50m of Blue 5 to the City Express wasn't great (but I could access the hotel directly from the slope, so I skied it every day). The problem is that the "blue in to town" (7) from the Schmittenhohebahn joins blue 5, 50m above the bottom just as Blue 5 narrows
"and in any case all of the runs off the CityXpress are currently closed due to lack of snow"
Are you sure? Red 6 is not really open (they use it and the clunky old chair for slalom races only), but Blue 5 closed? The Thummersbach webcam still shows the piste with snow all the way down. Its altitude is an issue (Zell is 730m), but its aspect (NE-ish facing is good)
https://sts051.feratel.co.at/streams/stsstore053/1/05297_62263c01-8cd0Vid.mp4?dcsdesign=feratel4
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You know it makes sense.
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@ousekjarr, for SkiWelt, it struck me that Hopfgarten was a great access and exit resort, and kind of surprised you didn't give it a mention. It has its railway station and bus stops immediately next to its ski lifts, and is sort of midway across the whole area so only two or three uplifts from anywhere in SkiWelt. The run down to Hopfgarten at end of day is lovely, long and surfy fun.
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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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@moffatross, I've never stayed there - done the valley run several times, but never left the area around the lift. From the hill, it struck me as being very small
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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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@ousekjarr, showed all pistes closed when I looked but it was 6pm local!! Blue 5 was fine when I left and the last week has been relatively cold. There aren’t that many lower pistes… red 20(?) off Sonnkogel more likely to close as faces due south. I guess 5 can get dangerous …
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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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Ski in/out Hotels in Austria tend to be "up" the mountain and not in the valley/villages/towns. So a walk or bus is generally needed to get to the lifts.
Having avoid Austria for those reason and sticking to France (Tignes/La Plagne/3 Valleys), I ended up in Kitzbuhel (a hotel in the burbs) on a last minute deal one March. A bus every 30 minutes for a 20 minute journey to the Hahnenkahm Gondola soon became a non issue. The reasons being. the hotel and food was superb, great skiing on tree lined pistes and above, great mountain resteraunts, and to keep my Dearly Beloved happy every where was spotlessley clean (including all public toilets). Having skiied Kitzbuhel for many years we have moved on to Galtur/Ischgl. Stay in Galtur, bus to Ischgl to ski well above the tree line (ala France), and in to Switzerland.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@buchanan101, 5, 5a, 5b, 6 and 7. I saw they were closed when I checked the map to confirm my memory of where the black runs into the bowl ended, when all of the others were shown as open. The Areitbahn valley run was open, but as per the conversation that ends in a car park which is (semi-)convenient only for Schuttdorf, so it's a bus ride back into Zell from 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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@ousekjarr, weird as the Areitbahn run dodgier than the others (faces more south). Was pretty horrid 10 days ago when I skied it. There were warnings about poor conditions- enough snow but just lumpy and horrid.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@buchanan101, the Areitbahn is the only place in Austria I've ever skied through toe deep water to get to a lift
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@ousekjarr, all open this morning except 6 (which is reserved for slalom races). Cover should still be pretty good given how much snow they’ve had and how cold it was last week
The WIND though when I was there….
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@ousekjarr, even the Areitbahn run is still open. And due south facing red 20.
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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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It's nice to be having arguments about skiing instead of vaccinations and infections! Most Brit experience of France is of purpose built, high mileage areas with a selling point of skiing convenience. But the majority of French resorts (which the majority of Brits have never heard of) are not like that at all. French cows like meadows too! I don't remember any sweeping generalisations on Snowheads about Swiss resorts (except that they're expensive....which somebody will usually pop up and deny ).
We all have our pet hates - and ski busses, when you have small kids with you needing help or protection from the jostling hordes, are one of mine. On the other hand, using your own car, when parking is convenient, is not a problem. Neither is downloading in a lift at the end of the ski day - my usual choice in, for example, Val d'Isere.
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Like @munich irish said, I wouldn't ski anywhere but the Arlberg now. But the set of requirements by the OP sound better suited to the big French resorts. I've skied 3v in France and been disappointed compared to St Anton bur everyone has there own requirements and some places fit those better than others. I'm in St Anton now, had a fantastic day skiing, now in A lively bar in town. For me it doesn't get better than here.
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FAQ
A Germknödel is a type of steamed dumpling, and the 'fag ash' is ground poppy seeds and sugar. 