 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Snowheads,
I'm looking for recommendations for a family friendly ski resort for our February 2025 week-long ski trip in either Italy (near Austrian border) or Austria for myself (upper intermediate) my wife (intermediate) and my two teenagers, both intermediate skiiers. Our main criteria are: a family friendly, snow sure resort that has accommodation providing half board, Location is important because we We're driving from Prague, Czech Republic. In Italy, a location with a similar distance inside the border of Bolzano / Cortona would be approximately our maximum desired distance, I'm open to suggestions. Slope difficulty: a mix of intermediate runs with enough black runs to keep dad thinking he's still got it. We have skiied in Austria in Kitzbhuel and kreischberg but never in Italy. Scenic views and some sort of a village or apres ski are important as well. Prices - family friendly, mid range. I welcome your insights and recommedations.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Thank you Luigi. Yes Cortina vs Cortona (beautiful, but not for skiing  . Your responses are all new to me, I'll investigate those places. Do you have any recommendations of locations for accommodations that might be less pricey?
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| PKoldschool wrote: |
| Thank you Luigi. Yes Cortina vs Cortona (beautiful, but not for skiing . Your responses are all new to me, I'll investigate those places. Do you have any recommendations of locations for accommodations that might be less pricey? |
No, not really, sorry. You'll have to look on the the usual booking sites, see what's available for your dates.
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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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Serfaus in Austria is a great, family suitable, family ski resort in the Tyrol in Austria. Good variety of runs including some decent black and a very wide set of intermediate slopes. Snow sure, high compared with a lot of Austrian resorts. Not the cheapest and depending on when you're going in February may well be peak half term holidays and hence busy. Definitely recommend though and if you search on the forum there's quite a few threads about it.
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For somewhere different you might want to look at Schladming in Austria.
It's in Styria, close to Salzburg, so shorter drive time. Has great intermediate skiing, and the accommodation is reasonably priced.
https://www.schladming-dachstein.at/en
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| luigi wrote: |
If you positioned yourself in the middle around Flachau, Altenmarkt, Radstadt, you could ski a different area each day from Schladming in the East through the Salzburg Sportwelt resorts in the middle to the Gastein Valley & Hochkonig in the West.
Probably easy enough for 2 weeks there!!  |
@PKoldschool, yes, as you'll have your car with you there's a huge amount of skiing there you can explore.
As regards accommodation I can highly recommend fellow snowHead @flangesax's guesthouse Haus Susanne in Radstadt. There is a half board option. https://austrian-adventures.com/
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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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| PKoldschool wrote: |
| Slope difficulty: a mix of intermediate runs with enough black runs to keep dad thinking he's still got it. |
Just wanted to acknowledge this excellent criterion, and will continue to watch the thread.
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| luigi wrote: |
| In Austria, Dachstein West or somewhere in Ski Amade? Certainly a lot closer to Prague than Italy, around 5hrs vs 8hrs driving |
Good advice from luigi - Dachstein West is certainly a popular destination for Czech skiers, given the relatively short journey. Very much an intermediate area with some more challenging pistes, though really only three black runs - one is definitely challenging (Kanonen), one is often closed but fun when it isn’t, one is quite short and often busy. The ski area gives a good sense of travel, the mountain restaurants are not expensive (lunch between €10-€18 typically, large beer about €5,00).
Dachstein Krippenstein (20 mins by car from Gosau) is included on the pass which opens up the mountain top to valley red piste - 11km and very much like a race course….or take it at a leisurely pace and enjoy what I’d describe as some of the most spectacular views from a piste (and I’ve skied in some stunning places ).
Stay in Gosau. The other two villages making up DW are much quieter. Moose Alm for Apres at the valley station is often quite lively (though possibly not by comparison with typically larger/better known Austrian resorts).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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@PKoldschool, As you're driving, I'd second/third the earlier recommendations for Ski Amade and for cheaper accommodation options, focus on Altenmarkt and Radstadt. All the valleys have large free parking areas next to the lifts.
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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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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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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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I'm wondering would Ski Amade be a possible destination for a ski safari, travelling across the resorts staying in huts or pensions down in the resorts?
Those Austrian Dolomites also look gorgeous
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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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@8611, It's all one lift pass but it depends on your definition of Ski Safari. You can't really Ski Tour between the resorts without using some form of non-skiing transport. But if you're looking for a different ski area every day for a six day trip then yes.
Schladming Day 1, Snowspace Day 2, Falgeralm/Filzmoss/Eben/Radstadt Day 3 (bagging the smaller areas but you'll need a car), Grossarl/Dorfgastein Day 4, Bad Gastein/Sport Gastein Day 5 and finish on the Hochkonig on Day 6. All great fun but you'd only scratch the surface in Schladming, Snowspace and Bad Gastein.
As for accommodation, there are huts/pensions in each location but to be honest, base yourself in Radstadt, Flachau or Bischoffsen and it would be cheaper and easier to get around.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Yeah I suppose you'd want to ski from resort to resort and only have to get maybe 20 minute taxis or ski buses between them. Just looking for an alternative to the Dolomites one. Still a good area to explore.
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@8611, I'm guessing you haven't skied here? Taking Snowspace as an example, there is a 12 Peak challenge route which takes you from Alpendorf via Wagrain, Flachau to Zauchensee (and back). If you ski really hard it's possible to do in 3-4 hours but you're only skiing a fraction of the available runs. I think the last time I skied the Sella Ronda it took about 3 hours. That gives you an idea of scale. The other thing that we like here is the amount of "Vert" as the Americans say. Because the pistes run back to valley bottom. Each valley one (in Snowspace) is around 1000m of Vert and average 7-8km in length. Top to bottom on Red 12 (aka the Rote Achte) is (IMHO) one of the best runs in Austria and 90% in the treeline.
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@RedandWhiteFlachau, Rote Achte (the name of the lift) actually serves piste 12? I genuinely had no idea!
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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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@RedandWhiteFlachau, Wow, that sounds great. I've skied Gastein but had Zauchensee down as a family destination I wanted to try at some point. I think the above certainly sounds like somewhere you could do a few days resort to resort and have time to see / ski most of it.
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FAQ
I feel I have many many excellent options in Austria. Luigi recommended Cortina d'Ampezzo, 3 Zinnen and Kronplatz. Does anyone have any recommendations in the Dolomites? 
Thanks 
for your guidance and explanation. The intel on this thread helps me understand the transborder character of the places you mention in both Austria and Italy. Serious respect to you all 
