Thank you all. I do understand I am planning a trip for one of the busiest times of the year.
You all or correct that choosing flights would limit the available options. I'd have done so if not for some airline hassles I am dealing with.
I have now bounced from austria to the Dolomites as some suggested above. Perhaps in the Val di Fassa (off the Sella ronda) to perhaps mitigate crowds but still have good infrastructure.
Any thoughts on that option?
Hopefully flights will be booked in the next few days.
Cheers.
How far down the Val di Fassa? Alba, Canazei and Campetillo are all major uplifts to Sella, but still within reach for places like San Pellegrino and others:
But thinking about your mother and wife I still think Corvara on the other side of Sella is better for their skiing abilities and Venezia is within reach.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Alastair Pink, once again thank you for the excellent information. Looking like we'd be flying into Milan.
Any thoughts on crowds dolomites vs say zillertal?
Do you have any specific towns you'd recommend for lodging in the western Sella Ronda region?
Thanks again!
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?
@Hyst, thank you for the continued input. We were looking at staying in either Predazzo Moena or Canazei.
Are you thinking the skiing near Corvara would be easier in general than in the Val I Fassa? That would be good for my wife/mother but less of interest to the kids. I'm guessing my mom would only try skiing one day.
Any thoughts on crowds in one area versus the other?
@nelliefj40, Don't dare to judge the difference in crowds. Alba has a good uplift to both sides and a good parking area.
Corvara (Alta Badia) has easier slopes, but that does not mean you can not find more difficult slopes for you and and the kids - there are many possibilities.
I have never stayed in AltaBadia - only in Val di Fassa and Val Gardena, but skied the hole area many times.
And you could make a meetup with the driving part at Passo Falzarego for lunch on Lagazuoi https://rifugiolagazuoi.com/
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
nelliefj40 wrote:
@Alastair Pink, once again thank you for the excellent information. Looking like we'd be flying into Milan.
Any thoughts on crowds dolomites vs say zillertal?
Do you have any specific towns you'd recommend for lodging in the western Sella Ronda region?
Thanks again!
I don't think there'll be that much difference as regards crowds between the two areas.
In the western Sella region then in Val Gardena Selva/Wolkenstein is directly on the Sella Ronda circuit, however Ortisei/St. Ulrich is the prettiest of the towns in the valley and has its own good ski areas on both sides of the town; the Seceda on one side with a lovely 10.5km long red run La Longia back down to the town, and on the other side is the Alpe di Suisi/Seiser Alm which is the largest alpine meadow area in the Alps with extensive blue runs. Ortisei also has a 6km long toboggan run from the top of the Resciesa funicular on the which your non-skier might like (as well as the easy skiing and walks on the Seiser Alm). Here's a video on YouTube of the LaLongia run: http://youtube.com/v/ldOY-5La_5o
You can of course ski from Ortisei via the Seceda plateau down to St Christina ( which is at the bottom of the SassLong Men's Downhill course with its famous camel bumps) and then on to Selva/Wolkenstein, but if you want to get to the Sella Ronda quicker you can always drive from Ortisei to Selva (about 10 minutes in a car).
Other towns on the western side of the Sella Ronda circuit are Canazei and Campitello.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
rjs wrote:
nelliefj40 wrote:
Any thoughts on a town to base in in Austria with smaller resorts we could drive to each day that might mitigate crowds? I've found a couple good rental options in Landeck but I'm guessing there are many such places with potentially better smaller ski options?
It is New Year week, everywhere will be busy.
People are suggesting that you go to big resorts that have the lift capacity to cope with crowds.
Your basic strategy is go big and for the best lift systems that get you up regardless (and then be prepared to deal with overcrowding on pistes, particularly if snowmaking restricts opening)
OR
Go for ski hills that aren't so much on the tourist map and which will only have regular local visitors (though school hols will obviously increase family and ski school at all hills) There are lots of these around the Inn valley for instance.
Local tourist bed base vs lift capacity is a decent metric you can look at.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Another vote for Zell am See here. Easy to get back into Salzburg for the non skiers, you can do it by train in around 90 minutes and access to lots of smaller ski areas if you wanted to explore other resorts. Plus it's very pretty.
We're booked to go to one of those little sister resorts from the 23rd to the 30th December.
A thread on another forum recently said that Austria tends to be more snow sure than France at Christmas because it's more inland and the climate is different.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Thank you once again for all of your help everyone. We've flip flopped back and forth and have landed on skiing Austria. I'm concerned about crowds but a few factors led us to that decision:
- We likely will travel with friends to the dolomites in a couple years to ski so I wanted to go someplace different
- the non skiers were more excited about austria
- one of the kids ski coaches will be in Austria at the time and mentioned meeting up to ski for a day
So that now decided we are flying into Munich on Dec 26 and back home Jan 5.
I think we'll base near Landeck for a portion of the trip and then a 2nd location. Options we are considering for the 2nd location are Bludenz, Seefeld, Oberstdorf, Garmisch.
Thank you all again.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@nelliefj40, if you're flying into Munich airport then I expect you'll be collecting a rental car from the airport. You'll find that renting from there at that time of year the cars will be fitted with winter tyres/tires, which is always reassuring. One thing to bear in mind when you collect the car there is to mention that you'll be taking it into Austria, some of the rental companies charge a small extra fee (about 20 Euros from memory) if you're taking the car outside Germany. Also to use the motorways in Austria the car needs to be either displaying a vignette sticker on the windscreen/windshield (which you can buy at filling stations near the border) or although I've never used it they've recently introduced an online digital version where you enter the vehicle license plate number. Fortunately they do vignettes of different durations, the cheapest is the 10 day one which costs € 9.60. If after your long transatlantic flight you're staying the first night somewhere in Germany and don't enter Austria until the next day then I reckon the 10 day vignette should just cover your dates.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Alastair Pink, thank you for this assistance. You are correct, and I should have mentioned, that we will be renting a vehicle from Munich.
Excellent info regarding the tires, vignette, and rental fee.
Cheers.
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.
nelliefj40 wrote:
Thank you once again for all of your help everyone. We've flip flopped back and forth and have landed on skiing Austria. I'm concerned about crowds but a few factors led us to that decision:
- We likely will travel with friends to the dolomites in a couple years to ski so I wanted to go someplace different
- the non skiers were more excited about austria
- one of the kids ski coaches will be in Austria at the time and mentioned meeting up to ski for a day
So that now decided we are flying into Munich on Dec 26 and back home Jan 5.
I think we'll base near Landeck for a portion of the trip and then a 2nd location. Options we are considering for the 2nd location are Bludenz, Seefeld, Oberstdorf, Garmisch.
Thank you all again.
Bludenz is a nice choice. You have many option round...
But Seefelld is not something really exciting althouth it is very nice
Garmish is a small town. Obrestdorf really nice, but both of them will be REALL OVERCROWDED.
Maybe Radstadt? for Skiamade, Flachau, Zauchensee, OBertauern ....
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
@turms2, thank you! You're thinking Garmisch and Obrestdorf are really crowded?
I'll look into Radstadt.
Glad to hear Bludenz may be a good choice. A nice altstadt would be nice for the non skiers. Does Landeck have that?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Am I right in thinking that, as you say, it is a very bad time for crowds in Garmish and Oberstdorf due to the four hills ski jumping event around new year?
Seefeld - never skied there, seems to be a very limited ski area, but brilliant for walking in the summer
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
countryman wrote:
Am I right in thinking that, as you say, it is a very bad time for crowds in Garmish and Oberstdorf due to the four hills ski jumping event around new year?
Good point, here's the dates. Oberstdorf 28th & 29th December, Garmisch 31st December and 1st January.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I had seen something about the four hills ski jumping event. Good to know. We wouldn't necessarily mind seeing some type of event be it jumping, nordic,...but not sure we'd want to deal with the crowd for such things.
Thanks again.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Last night I booked our accomodations.. We'll be staying in Landeck and Bludenz.
Thank you all for your help.
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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