 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello!
I need some help deciding on where to do a ski season this upcoming winter in Europe.
I did Whistler 22/23 season and it was nuts - I loved it so much and made the best friends.
I have done a little bit of research but am looking for some help from the snowheads haha.
I am looking for the following:
1. Decent snow (I am an on-piste snowboarder - with 0 interest in back country or off piste)
2. Low ish wait times - Whistler felt a bit touristy and packed at times
3. Good nightlife - this is how I made all my friends after all haha. They didn't have a great apres scene in Whistler though, so that would be a cool bonus this time around!
4. A charming and beautiful town / village - Whistler was beautiful but didn't have any European charm obviously.
5. Somewhere not crazy expensive (Switzerland is almost definitely out of the question I am guessing!)
So far, I have found the following options:
Zell am See-Kanpur, Austria
St. Anton, Austria
Chamonix, France
Megeve, France
Val Thorens, France
Val D'Isere, France
Any suggestions would be unreal!!
Thanks so much. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Rule out Megeve on snow. And Val Thorens is not a charming and beautiful town but the snow and skiing are worth it. Definitely take out Chamonix and possibly St Anton if you are a piste skier. I think Ischgl is the better Austrian choice for pistes and après. Val d’Isere is not cheap but pretty much meets all your other criteria. That would be my pick
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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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Zell am See is an odd choice for Austria. If you're in that area, you'd be better off up the valley in Saalbach.
You could also add in Mayrhofen to the list. Nice village, well known for it's apres, and loads of skiing along the Zillertal valley, including the glacier up at Hintertux.
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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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What's your budget? Val d'Isere good if budget large! What passport?
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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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Zell am See is a great choice for Austria. Huge number of bars and restaurants, great apres scene, lots of non-skiing activities, well connected for public transport and easy reach of numerous other resorts, including Kaprun glacier. Main downside is the limited skiing at Zell itself.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 3-05-24 9:00; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Innsbruck if you want town life. Great season pass options in Tyrol.
Davos for would be my personal pick though.
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Wow, thanks guys!! My budget is probably 1,000 AUD a month - or 600 euros.
I have been looking at Mayrhofen - seems like a really good idea.
Would VD be possible on my above budget? Is it a super ritzy place? I am not crazy keen on the whole 5 star vibe; I worked at the Fairmont Chateau in Whistler and it was not my favourite; especially compared to my other job there at the local brewery.
If it were between M and VD; what is cheaper and better for a younger Aussie worker? 
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Also, forgot to mention. The above budget would be from just my savings; I hope to get accom with my job and just spend whatever I earn (and then have that extra 600 euro a month for backup, etc.).
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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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If you've got an Australian passport the first thing you need is a Work and Holiday Visa, without which you'll not be able to work in Austria. https://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/austrian-embassy-canberra/ If you have an EU passport, this obviously doesn't apply. Your €600 a month will get you nowhere if you can't get a job and accommodation.
Assuming that you get over this hurdle, your hotel and brewhouse experience should make it fairly easy to find this type of work in any large ski resort. The big resorts employ thousands of seasonal workers. Someone upthread mentioned Saalbach. In 2025 the FIS World Championships are being held in Saalbach, so there will be many more guests from all corners of the world (e.g. US & Canada, Japan and Korea, Aus & NZ etc) than there would usually be, so if you have experience working with these guests you'll be a great asset to the hotels that usually mainly have guests from Germany, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Saalbach-Hinterglemm is also one of the most popular resorts in Austria and the entire Ski Circus, plus Zell am See and Kaprun, is huge. The length of the of queues seen at peak times in Whistler are never seen in Saalbach, which has one of the most modern lift systems in Europe.
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@isobeleastwood, If you're looking at Mayrhofen, then perhaps look at staying here:
https://thegasthofzillertal.com/
Lots of seasonaires living there. I believe they also do some deals of free accommodation for some volunteering in return.
You'll find that you can get yourself a job with accommodation in Mayrhofen anyway. For example the restaurant my OH was working in last winter had some staff accommodation that a few of them stayed in. (I actually wouldn't recommend that specific place though as the accommodation is a bit out of the way with a fairly irregular bus service and not really walkable to anywhere)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I would think you could find a job and accommodation in Chamonix. There are many, many anglophones in the valley, to the point where you might think it's a British/American/Australian town haha.
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