 Poster: A snowHead
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For the last 13-14 years I have organised a lads trip the last week of Jan or 1st week of Feb, usually we fly out of Heathrow at 5pm, an hour transfer from Geneva to Les Gets, Morzine or Chatel, arrive around 9pm for a few beers. We ski Thurs, Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning, get picked up at 2pm and we are back at home in bed by 9pm.
It has always worked brilliantly and 3 resorts we have loved since the first time we visited them, however I do feel that we are exhausting it and we fancy a bit of a change next year.
We have always avoided Austria and Switzerland mainly because the flights and transfers always feel more complicated, a lot of airports only do weekend flights and none of them have the flexibility of Geneva flights and then the Swiss resorts are a bit of a trek from Geneva.
I came across Skiwelt in our magazine and it looks really good but I know nothing about it. How flexible are the flights, which airports, transfer times etc, and which resort. We are mid 50's, decent skiers and boarders of 20+ years and we do like Apre, a nice meal 1-2 nights and we usually hang out a late one on at least one night, dad dancing and being way to old for the venue thinking we have what it takes.
We tend to like a hotel with B&B but would not rule out self catered if we had to. A short transfer, 1-1-5 hours and 4 nights is what we are looking for really.
Any advice 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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Our gang did this via Westendorf.
Train down from Munich and then a cab on the return leg.
Lots of flights to Munich.
We had some nice s/c apartments
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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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@mheadbee, Munich is good for flights lots of them (I think Easyjet still fly there from Stansted) , Lufthansa seem to be relatively cheap from LHR midweek (though of course as soon as you look at them the prices will go up!). Train whilst perfectly OK is rather slow certainly for a short trip. Road is OK I would guess 1.5 hours on the inbound, Sunday evenings can be a bit slow as lots of day trip folk going home.
If you go for SkiWelt I would look at Brixen as it gives the option of easily skiing the Kitzbühel area too (Kitzbühel has some reasonable off piste of which there is not much in SkiWelt, lots of tree skiing in the right conditions though). Söll is possibly the best known village from a UK perspective it was seen as a big party place 30 years ago!
If apres is a big factor maybe also look at Mayrhofen, not much further to travel, lots of skiing up & down the ZIllertal, plenty of well known apres spots.
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Thanks for responses, will do some research into the above.
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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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We’ve been DIYing to Soll fir a few years (been to other Austrian resorts with Crystal) We fly to Munich with Lufthansa or Easyjet & get the train to Kufstein & post bus to Soll. Depending on flight times & connections that can take about 2hrs, maybe 3! To get there sooner, Lots of Soll regulars arrange transport from Munich - Four Seasons seem to be a favourite. Wilderkaiser website is a good place to look for accommodation & plenty of good places to eat in the village. If you enjoy live bands as part of your après - and good beer - then it’s definitely the place to be!
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| Quote: |
We have always avoided Austria and Switzerland mainly because the flights and transfers always feel more complicated, a lot of airports only do weekend flights and none of them have the flexibility of Geneva flights
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As has been mentioned, Munich has daily flights with easyjet and rail/bus transfers are easy. In addition, Ryanair have frequent (and often very cheap) flights to Salzburg and Memmingen, which is west of Munich.
Then there's easyjet to Zurich.
Are you stuck with transfers and public transport? A hire car would open up infinite possibilities.
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Echo the above, flew to Munich and got the train to Kufstein and 20 min taxi to Soll plenty of times, easy journey and dead cheap, considering the astronomical cost of care hire and some transfers these days.
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| mheadbee wrote: |
For the last 13-14 years I have organised a lads trip the last week of Jan or 1st week of Feb, usually we fly out of Heathrow at 5pm, an hour transfer from Geneva to Les Gets, Morzine or Chatel, arrive around 9pm for a few beers. We ski Thurs, Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning, get picked up at 2pm and we are back at home in bed by 9pm.
It has always worked brilliantly and 3 resorts we have loved since the first time we visited them, however I do feel that we are exhausting it and we fancy a bit of a change next year.
We have always avoided Austria and Switzerland mainly because the flights and transfers always feel more complicated, a lot of airports only do weekend flights and none of them have the flexibility of Geneva flights and then the Swiss resorts are a bit of a trek from Geneva.
I came across Skiwelt in our magazine and it looks really good but I know nothing about it. How flexible are the flights, which airports, transfer times etc, and which resort. We are mid 50's, decent skiers and boarders of 20+ years and we do like Apre, a nice meal 1-2 nights and we usually hang out a late one on at least one night, dad dancing and being way to old for the venue thinking we have what it takes.
We tend to like a hotel with B&B but would not rule out self catered if we had to. A short transfer, 1-1-5 hours and 4 nights is what we are looking for really.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. |
SkiWelt is very easy from Innsbruck or Salzburg - mostly flat along valley bottoms. More and more Uk flights to both; BA has daily to Salzburg for example - am flying there in 10 days to go to Ellmau. Munich is a bit further and the airport is on the wrong side of Munich - I don't consider anything but Innsbruck or Salzburg for Tirol, and if there's a bunch of you, hire a taxi mini bus - will be about €300 for a return from each airport.
Transfer from both airports is under 1.5 hours. Innsbruck is a really cool location for an airport, but can have cancellations (I've been in and out a dozen times and very occasional delay, no cancellations or diversions)
As for skiing, haven't skied in Ski Welt for 35+ years, the days when the Hohe Salve mountain was served by a single - yes, one person - chair (now it's a 10 person bubble) and before snow making. Area seems to be relatively easy and there's lots of it. You can ski Kitz on the extended pass but Westendorf is included in Ski Welt pass, so there really is loads. Looking at web cams it seems very quiet as well (yes. it's January, but...). Lifts don't seem to be quite up to the high proportion of fast chairs/bubbles or Ischgl or Saalbach but it still seems pretty good. It's fairly low, but a fair bit is facing the right way - snow looks fine right now. Soll, Scheffau, Ellmau are on north side, so valley runs should be OK
Soll is THE place for nightlife...maybe a bit less so that the 80s, but it is a walk to the slopes. I'm staying at Tirol Lodge, just outside Ellmau flying out week on Saturday for 4 nights. It is ski in ski out (straight on the gondola) so better placed for skiing and reportedly has a very good home run (NW facing so shouldn't be a lumpy slush fest at the end of the day). Only a short walk in to Ellmau which from my 18-30 holiday days does have bars but not as lively as Soll.
Oh, and Austrian prices even up the mountains are pretty reasonable.
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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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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Quote: |
We have always avoided Austria and Switzerland mainly because the flights and transfers always feel more complicated, a lot of airports only do weekend flights and none of them have the flexibility of Geneva flights
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As has been mentioned, Munich has daily flights with easyjet and rail/bus transfers are easy. In addition, Ryanair have frequent (and often very cheap) flights to Salzburg and Memmingen, which is west of Munich.
Then there's easyjet to Zurich.
Are you stuck with transfers and public transport? A hire car would open up infinite possibilities. |
Easyjet flies to Innsbruck 3 or 4 days a week. BA now has more than one flight daily to Salzburg from Gatwick (I'm flying out on a Saturday, back on a Weds). Their prices are fairly comparable I believe with EJ and Ryanair, though I always use Avios.
Hire cars from Innsbruck and Salzburg are not cheap and a taxi transfer is actually a bit cheaper. Munich may be cheaper for car hire
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@buchanan101, INN is no good for the OP's long weekend flight time requirements, but SZG can work for LGW punters, as you say
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| red 27 wrote: |
| @buchanan101, INN is no good for the OP's long weekend flight time requirements, but SZG can work for LGW punters, as you say |
SZG also has some LCY flights now - early Saturdays only I think (have to beat the Sat lunchtime curfew on the way back). No use for the OP, but an interesting option in future.
LGW seems to be reinstating itself as BAs airport of choice for skiing access to Austrian airports
Innsbruck looks like it is served from both LGW and LHR on Fri/Sat/Sun
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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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If you can get a decent car hire price from Munich, we've done similar to the above short breaks mentioned, with flights to Munich and driven to Soll. Very easy to do, including skiing on departure day.
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Depending on the traffic I can be in Scheffau (nearest decent sized area to me) in under an hour and we are only a short drive from the airport so assuming a somewhat more sedate transfer journey again with low traffic then MUC to SkiWelt should be no more than 1.5 hours cant see SZG being any quicker, If you can find a flight no doubt Innsbruck is the nearest. Return on a Sunday after 15:00 is going to be a good bit slower whether to MUC or SZG but before then should be no problem (lots of locals & Dutch travelling home)
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You know it makes sense.
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| munich_irish wrote: |
| Depending on the traffic I can be in Scheffau (nearest decent sized area to me) in under an hour and we are only a short drive from the airport so assuming a somewhat more sedate transfer journey again with low traffic then MUC to SkiWelt should be no more than 1.5 hours cant see SZG being any quicker, If you can find a flight no doubt Innsbruck is the nearest. Return on a Sunday after 15:00 is going to be a good bit slower whether to MUC or SZG but before then should be no problem (lots of locals & Dutch travelling home) |
Suntransfers quoted me 75mins for my Salzburg to Ellmau - obviously that’s going to depend on how busy the roads are. Innsbruck has quite a lot of autobahn in the transfer to Skiwelt but flights are generally only Fri through Sun
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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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Just got an early flight Manchester to Salzburg return 4th Feb - 11th Feb for £38 (+ bags)
Getting Train (£30 each way) to Kufstein then Bus/Taxi to Söll. Should be there for lunch. Soooo easy.
If you're around then and want to meet up for a couple of 'Reds' then PM me.
Enjoy!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, I'm going to try to push for a week in SkiWelt with my daughter.
Trouble is, it's her half term which is Carnival week, she has commitments before and I have commitments after. So we are likely to fly out Sunday 19 Feb and back Saturday 25 Feb (which I gather gives its own problems about transport back to MUC - but hoping to use the train). I've looked on sites including Wilderkaiser for basic accommodation (usually pension, occasional hotel, but I really want two rooms even if one is sofa-bed), and while they're available for 7 days they are not available for 6 days - makes me assume they want to book the whole week in that period of high demand.
Is it likely that there is the habit of not wanting less than 7 days? or am I just unlucky?
I guess as I type this I could just book and pay for 7 then leave on day 6...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Orange200, given that week is peak season most accommodation providers will hold out for 7 days rather than 6 so you are likely to have to "bite the bullet" and pay for the 7 though you should only have to pay the tourist tax for the nights you actually stay. The train works, go to Kufstein and then either bus or taxi depending on which particular village and time of day (the bus stops are literally at the end of the platform for the regional trains from Munich)
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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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Many thanks. Given some of the prices I'm looking at, burning one day at a cheap price is a lot cheaper than saving one day at the expensive prices.
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Two plane tickets bought! (NOT cheap compared to three weeks ago, but remembering I’m unlikely to get a big summer hols, I’ll swallow the difference!)
Will check accommodation tomorrow 
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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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Right, just booked a small apartment in Westendorf, and paid the 70% deposit.
Now looked at the location (by Reiterstueberl), as I didn't understand the exact address; damn, google maps says an 18 min walk to the gondola station, looks like I messed up there, that's why it was cheaper than the others!  And how I can get to the main body of pistes along the central ridge in SkiWelt? looks like I go up the 110 gondola, down 11 to Brixen, then up from there?
Any recommendations where to hire skis and boots in Westendorf? Most places are good? And will I benefit from any combined kit/skipass discount, or is the pass from SkiWelt and price has no relation to kit hire?
Finally, is it worth me getting a locker somewhere so I don't have to walk with skis and boots? Maybe in the gondola station?
Thanks all!
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Hire from Skisport Hausberger right by the Schneeberg lift.
They have great lockers so you can walk to and from your apartment in trainers
From the top of the schneeberg you traverse over to the Alpenrosebahn bubble
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@Orange200, there will almost certainly be a nearby skibus stop, most Austrian ski villages have that well sorted. I dont know Westendorf that well but there must be a good chance you can ski back in good conditions (across fields). Yes to get to Brixen you need to get to Choralm and ski down, from Westendorf itself you need to take the Alpenrosebahn then ski in the "wrong" direction to get to the Choralmbahn. The run down to Brixen is usually excellent, a long red with a short "black" section (there is an easier path alternative). There are probably buses linking Westendorf and Brixen which might be quicker. Dont neglect going over to Kitzbühel either (easy to get to via Ki West, probably easier than getting to Brixen) but make sure you buy the right ski pass. There will be plenty of ski hire places you might be better off with a place in the gondola station if you want a locker or storage (yes much easier to leave your kit there rather than walking around in ski boots). There is not usually any discount for hire with a ski pass. This site will be helpful https://www.kitzbueheler-alpen.com/de/bri/wi/ski/busse.html
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@red 27, got it, looks perfect thank you!  That cuts our walk in half, and in comfortable shoes too.
@munich_irish, thanks, I'll dig into that link on day 2 or 3 I reckon You mentioned Kitzbühel, as was also mentioned on my other thread (MXP or MUC), and I try to ask the same question here - if I have 5 days in SkiWelt, which I've never been to before and I guess there is plenty to explore, what would take me over to Kitz rather than the north sides of SkiWelt? I'm Inside Out Level 7, sometimes stretching close to 8 after some refresher lessons, with the caution of the over 50. Daughter must be Level 8 plus teen confidence. Is it so much different/better than SW? If it's steeps I'm not sure I could do them justice...
For private lessons, from google maps I found https://en.skischoolwestendorf.com/ski-school/prices/ and https://www.schischule-westendorf.com/en/private/ ... could be they are much of a muchness. And/or some sort of school for daughter? Maybe race, maybe tricks, just something to challenge her, as she knows I certainly won't. Would I get there and ask at the time, or will they all be booked solid that week and I should get in in advance?
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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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@mheadbee, I've just done this trip 2 weeks ago, staying on my own in Soll. Easy!
Manc to Munich with Luthansa. Arrived in resort Friday 16.00 ish left Monday evening for a 22.00 flight back.
For hassle free I choose to hire a car form Munich, easy drive.... considered the train but I used a large double roller bag so didn't want the hassle of lugging it around a platform.
I stayed at the Moonlight bar via Airbnb. Right next to the main gondola and above the main Apris Ski bar.... highly recommended for its convenience and it does really good food.. there is way more skiing than Les Gets (I've been there loads).... its a massive area, especially for a weekend
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@Orange200, No idea what your ski level is, so difficult to advise, if you are happy skiing fairly steep reds (hate using that as a yardstick as so much depends on the snow conditions) then getting over to Brixen for the rest of SkiWelt is OK (the main negative with Brixen is the red run down on the other side, the lower section of which, below the Zinsbergbahn, is invariably in poor condition only really advised for confident skiers, otherwise take the gondola down). It is just as easy (maybe easier) to get from Westendorf to KiWest (link to Kitzbühel). Not sure Westendorf on its own will keep you happy for 5 days skiing. There are some pleasant runs, a network of easy runs over the meadows just above the village though you need to ski down the steeper stuff higher up to get to them (unless you are happy with steep keep off of the black just below Choralm use the path down from Talkaser / top of the Alpenrosenbahn). The runs by the Fleiding chair , the bowl at the top and the longish run down to KiWest are again fairly easy nothing too challenging (one short steep section on the KiWest run has a blue path alternative). I think you will find you want a bit more variety. Head over towards Ellmau where again there are some decent longer runs. Personally I would spend at least a day in the Kitzbühel area it has a wider variety of skiing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| munich_irish wrote: |
| @Orange200, Personally I would spend at least a day in the Kitzbühel area it has a wider variety of skiing. |
Yes I definitely 2nd that. Fun trip over, the bus link is easy, and it opens up the vast area over there
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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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So I’ve packed and will get up at stupid o’clock for the plane to Munich and then on to SkiWelt, with elder daughter who is currently on a bus back from a school trip.
Wife (not native English) checks the family chat for news of daughter. “Ellmau? What is Ellmau?”
Odd I thought. I never told daughter about Ellmau. We’re going to Westendorf. “What do you mean?”
Wife shows me the chat, where daughter has replied to a joke with “LMAO”.
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FAQ
