 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi. A group of 8 of us (4 couples) are looking to book a ski trip to Austria for a week next Christmas (2023). It seems to be a very expensive week. I’ve been looking at resorts and have narrowed it down to Zell am See, Mayrhofen, Saalbach and Soll. We have 2 skiers in the group and the rest are beginners. We’re all interested in a lively town with good apres ski and nightlife but also somewhere that’s typically Austrian and Christmassy. Would really appreciate some feedback as for some of us this will be a once off trip and we want to make it memorable.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@afinlay, This is a very quiet part of the forum -- try posting your question in the 'Piste' section (or 'Resort reviews') for more views
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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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@afinlay, a lot of places don't have availability up yet for then. I am waiting for Sunweb to release next season before bookkng anything beyond our flights.
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@afinlay, Christmas week is both expensive and very unreliable for snow. What criteria have you used to come up with your list? I would suggest Söll is not ideal as it is least snow sure of the places you mention. Zell is a nice location next to the lake but the skiing is not particularly snow sure though there is a glacier nearby. Saalbach though pretty low has invested heavily in snow making so there will be skiing also good for apres. Mayrhofen is a lively town with lots of skiing including a glacier area. If reliable skiing is important then look at Ischgl, which is also excellent from an apres perspective though maybe not from a "value for money" one.
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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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Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. We’re travelling from Ireland so we seem to be restricted to crystal ski for package holidays. I chose those resorts because I would prefer to fly into Salzburg. I don’t like flying and don’t like the thought of flying into Innsbruck. Having said that if the resorts closer to Innsbruck have more guaranteed snow then I’ll fly there  Also the higher altitude resorts like Ischgl seem to be more expensive?
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It gets pretty windy in Ireland. Can’t imagine Innsbruck is any worse! Honesty, it’s just like any other airport (except Leeds, where landing sideways is normal), but with much better scenery.
Mayrhofen is an hour from Innsbruck, much closer than Salzburg. Söll is the same distance, but it’s in between your airports so less of a bother from the other side.
Ischgl is expensive, but it does get good snow.
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Cheers thanks for that. What would be your suggestion for a resort that’s a bit more reasonable but has more guaranteed snow and good night life? Mayrhofen?
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| afinlay wrote: |
| Cheers thanks for that. What would be your suggestion for a resort that’s a bit more reasonable but has more guaranteed snow and good night life? Mayrhofen? |
You would have the backup of Hintertux glacier skiing if the snow isnt great!
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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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Are you primarily going at Xmas to have a white Xmas or is it to ski? If the latter, and you have holiday flexibility, go later in the season. It will be cheaper and you will have a better chance of getting good snow.
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@afinlay, Come to Flachau. Someone will no doubt say that it is lower than Mayrhofen or other resorts but the superb snow making kept all the access slopes open even this year. 50 min transfer from Salzburg, loads of decent places to stay and a proper Apres town. Christmas is usually busy with Dutch and a few Irish, surprisingly few Brits which might be a bonus for you! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@afinlay, Mayrhofen is a reasonable choice though easier to fly to Innsbruck (Munich is nearer than Salzburg). It as safe to fly there as anywhere else, it is situated in a wide valley perhaps the biggest issue is low lying fog which can restrict operations no different to London City. Yes the higher more snow sure resorts tend to be more expensive, Ischgl is not the cheapest spot but generally better early season snow than elsewhere and its a big party place. You might find that organising flights yourself etc is cheaper and it is not hard, the advantages of buying a package seem very small for the additional cost involved .
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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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Thanks everyone for all the advice.
We want to be there for Christmas week. I checked the Ryanair flights to Salzburg for that week and they’re €585 return (They don’t fly to Innsbruck) so I think a package deal with a chartered flight might work out cheaper. I’ll keep looking for a good deal and will check out Flachau also. Thanks guys.
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With 8 of you it could be most cost-effective to drive in two cars, as all flight options for Christmas week are likely to be expensive and driving costs the same whenever you do it!
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You know it makes sense.
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@pam w, Have you seen the price of crossing the Irish Sea for Christmas week?
@afinlay, I'm not sure why the cost of flights is such a surprise, they're over €500 for next month's half term too. But if you go on Ryan Air and book Dublin-Stansted, Stansted- Salzburg, you'll save about €100 each.
I was going to recommend having a look at Neilson but I see they've now pulled out of Austria. Sunweb would be a good alternative for Austria but you might have to source your own Dublin to London flights to get the package deals. Jet 2 do some good stuff out of Stansted (and see my earlier line about Ryan Air) but I'd hang on for Sunweb as they haven't published stuff for 23/24 yet. You can look at their Feb '23 offers to get an idea though. https://www.sunweb.co.uk/
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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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@afinlay, look at lufthansa.com. dublin to munich. For 23rd - 30th dec. Weirdly their economy flex is cheaper than economy classic. Includes bag. For 1 is 271 euro return.
Car hire is also cheaper for Munich than Salzburg
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Poster: A snowHead
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I’ll keep an eye on sunweb. Had a look at their current prices and they’re pretty good, especially as they include a lift pass.
Also that’s a great price for flights to Munich, I didn’t realise that was an option so thanks for that.
Thanks everyone much 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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@afinlay, lots to think about already. One thing you said is that you'll have quite a few non skiers. I like Mayrhofen as a resort but I don't think I'd recommend it for absolute beginners.
It has some reasonable beginner slopes on the small Ahorn area but the main (not linked) Penken area where your skiers will want to be might be a bit hard for the beginners to progress to.
I almost almost always for to Munich at it tends to be a lot cheaper and not too bad a drive to many of the Austrian resorts.
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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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@afinlay, we are doing April in Mayrhofen, Lufthansa flights Heathrow to Munich. Nb Lufthansa you can add on ski carriage for free as long as you have a fare including baggage.
We booked the flights not long after release while cheap. A month later those same flights were 4 times the price. They work on the model that initial seat release are cheap and as those seats sell, next seats aew more exponsive and so on.
We learnt in Mayrhofen as absolute beginners but our lessons were all on the Ahorn. That worked great. However not sure they still do that.....
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We spent Christmas just gone in Austria. We went to a small resort just down the road from Zell.
It worked out cheaper to fly to Vienna and then get the train back across, but it did add a significant amount of travelling either side.
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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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Thanks everyone for all the feedback. I’m literally blown away by all your kindness and advice. Lots to think about now. Really looking forward to the trip wherever we end up
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Our first ski holiday was in Zell am See over Christmas many years ago. The town and hotel were great but the lower runs were closed due to lack of snow, so not a great choice. Mayrhofen is also low but the skiing is not, and is snow sure "as it gets" for Christmas and is a much larger area. I wouldn't consider Soll, as others have said ischgl is even more snow sure but expensive and Saalbach is is heading to the more expensive end. Tatman would be would be good to ask about Christmas there. Check him out on his Saalbach thread.
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Thanks a lots for that. I guess that rules out Zell am See so. I like the look of Saalbach but as you say it’s a bit more expensive. From all the advice here it looks like Mayrhofen (although not great for beginners) or Saalbach would suit us best. I’ll check out Tatman thanks.
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The Ahorn side of Mayrhofen is good for beginners but it’s not a huge area. Quite a few blue pistes on the Penkenbahn side to progress to.
FWIW, I’d suck up the extra expense and go to Saalbach, from experience, much as I also enjoyed skiing at Mayrhofen.
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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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| afinlay wrote: |
| Thanks a lots for that. I guess that rules out Zell am See so. I like the look of Saalbach but as you say it’s a bit more expensive. From all the advice here it looks like Mayrhofen (although not great for beginners) or Saalbach would suit us best. I’ll check out Tatman thanks. |
No harm in securing flights while cheap. While you research exactly where to go.
I have flights booked for week before Christmas due to fortuitous school holiday dates. Still not quite sure where we will go .... will book car hire soon.
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@NickyJ, cheers thanks for that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm based in Ireland and over last few years have used both Crystal Ski UK from Belfast and Crystal Ski Ireland from Dublin, depending on where you are can be worthwhile checking them both for different flight options. This years holiday at half term (Westendorf) I'm booked through Topflight but haven't used them before. I see Topflight have options for Christmas week from Belfast for Soll, Zell am See, Kaprun and Saalbach, but not Mayrhofen. Might be worth a phone call to them to see if they will have options from Dublin. Have also done DIY trips from Dublin to Munich airport, Aer Lingus and Lufthansa normally have good options. Usually I rent a car at Munich but train is an option for some resorts, Soll and Mayrhofen included. I've been to Soll and Mayrhofen (learned to ski there) but not Zell or Saalbach. I had the same short list as you (minus Zell) for a wee extra trip I'm doing in March and choose Mayrhofen, slightly better apres and more variety with the skiing than Soll and hopefully a slightly shorter drive than Saalbach. No bad options in your list though!
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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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@jaggycolin, thanks for all that I’ll certainly check it out. I’m kinda focusing now on Saalbach and Mayrhofen. The only reasonable hotel in Saalbach (with Crystal ski) is Sporthotel Berger and it gets very mixed reports so I’m a bit afraid to change it. Can you recommend hotels in Mayrhofen?
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@afinlay, are you after catered or self catered? I have stayed in a couple of self catered places in mayrhofen. Found it easy to self cater there due to being more of a town than you get in a lot of resorts
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You know it makes sense.
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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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We stayed at the Berghof which was excellent and friends stayed at Neuhaus which they loved but said was pricey. Think the standard overall in Mayrhofen is good.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@NickyJ, Either would suit really.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks everyone for all the feedback
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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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We spent Christmas this year in Mayrhofen. Husband & 1 and 3 kids. Was brilliant! No snow in the village but plenty up the mountains. We did it independently & was super easy by train from Innsbruck airport. Possibly not ideal for total beginners as others have said, but pistes were v quiet & hardly any queues for lifts. Would totally recommend. Feel free to message for any details.
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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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@NickyJ, Thanks for all that. I emailed sunweb and their Christmas availability only comes out in June so I’ll check them out then. Cheers..
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| afinlay wrote: |
| @NickyJ, Thanks for all that. I emailed sunweb and their Christmas availability only comes out in June so I’ll check them out then. Cheers.. |
Thanks for that date  I am also waiting for that release. Will PM you if spot any sooner, as sure I have seen stuff released from them earlier.
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@JessG, thanks for that. Unfortunately there are no flights from Dublin to Innsbruck other than with tour operators..
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@NickyJ, That’s great thanks.
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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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@afinlay, we did Christmas 2022 in Mayrhofen - flew Dublin to Munich on Lufthansa, used Four Seasons Travel for the Munich/Mayrhofen transfers (we had an 8-seater minibus to ourselves, even though there were only 3 in our party, and it was exactly 2 hours door-to-door) and stayed in the Kramerwirt. This was a Christmas holiday with skiing, rather than purely a ski holiday at Christmas - we hadn't been skiing since before Covid, so wanted to ease ourselves back into it.
The Lufthansa flights and Four Seasons transfers were seamless - Four Seasons do a discount for anyone flying on Lufthansa - and the Kramerwirt was excellent; we'd booked a Superior Double Room (which must have been refurbished when they were closed during Covid - the room seemed virtually brand new) which had a separate area for our daughter to have some space of her own, tons of storage and hanging space, and the food was outstanding. It also has a great pool and spa area on the top floor.
I'd echo some of the other comments about complete beginners though - the Ahorn is a decent area for beginners, although the two skiers in your group will exhaust that terrain pretty quickly; there are a few nursery slopes on the Penken with magic carpets that were mostly quiet throughout the week, but many of the blues in that area were roads or tracks and were frequently choked with ski school groups, and the reds seemed to be quite a step up. We had a couple of refresher lessons with Habeler ski school, just beside the Penken gondola, but with hindsight we should have booked with a different ski school and had the lessons on the Ahorn. We rented our gear from Miet Ski, because it was right beside the Kramerwirt, and my skis and boots were brand new and unused.
Mayrhofen is a great spot - plenty of decent bars and restaurants at various price points - and we'd definitely consider going back; we only scratched the surface of the ski area available.
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@Numb, we were at the Kramerwirt too! Must have walked past each other at breakfast!
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