 Poster: A snowHead
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We intend (my wife and I who are both retired) intend to do 6 weeks in Austria (driving there) this winter using the Tyrol Card. Current plan is to work our way from SkiWelt via Zillertal, Oeztal, Inntal, Paznauntal. This gives 5 valleys and all the bigger resorts. We’ve skied the SkiWelt previously so don’t want to do 2 weeks there. We intend to stay in the valleys and drive to resorts. Where would be the best place (valley) to base for 2 weeks so we can make up the “missing” week?
We don’t want to do the Arlberg as the 6th week as this is not included in the Tyrol Card and we’ve skied there for the last 3 years.
Any thoughts on the “plan”
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Zillertal has 3 main ski areas, Mayrhofen, Zell am Ziller and Kaltenbach and then Hintertux glacier in addition.
The best place in Zillertal to stay is Mayrhofen, but that'll mean the most travel to the other areas. If you want something a bit less touristy and probably cheaper then staying basically anywhere else in the valley will give you this. The travel isn't too far between each area, Mayrhofen to Kaltenbach is 15/20 mins in the car. Or you have the bus or train which is included with your pass.
For Inntal ski areas, i'd try and stay in Innsbruck if I were you, that'll give you plenty of options then for eating in the evening and within 30mins you can be at any number of small ski areas.
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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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a hidden gem is Tobadill. Not so well know, meaning lower prices, and from there you have good access to See/Kappl/Ischgl, and a little bit further to SFL Nauder and Kaunertal
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I should add that the Inntal is the upper reaches for Ischgl and Galtur - not those resorts around Innsbruck 
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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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@Sfellows, Myself and wife did six weeks in the Salzburger Superski last winter. We stayed in resorts, much better for us with no driving during the week, and a bit of modest Apres. Previously we stayed mainly in one place, this time we did six different apartments in six different resorts. In retrospect the six different was a mistake, too much hassle moving, sorting stuff, finding your way around somewhere new etc. If doing it again we would still stay in resorts, possibly smaller cheaper ones so we had some skiing, and a bar/restaurant or two on the doorstep, but within easy driving distance of a variety of other ski areas to have mix of local skiing and "days out". By doing this in the past we have visited most of the Salzburger Superski resorts. If your six weeks covers any of the busy times it's good to have small "locals" ski areas to fall back on to avoid crowds. Hope this is helpful.
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As above, I think you might have got your valleys mixed up. Staying in Innsbruck would give you some other options of things to do, should you want a day off from skiing. Also, resorts in the area tend to be pretty quiet Mon-Thu, and get busy at the weekend, so you could take advantage of that.
Zillertal is huge, you could easily spend a couple of weeks there, maybe basing yourself at one end and then the other for a change of scenery, or head into Gerlostal (I think that's on the Tirol Card, but do check for yourself).
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| Scarlet wrote: |
| or head into Gerlostal (I think that's on the Tirol Card, but do check for yourself). |
Yes it is, as is the Wildkogel area over the border in Salzburgerland on the way to Mittersill.
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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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| munich_irish wrote: |
Surely that is the Paznauntal not the Inntal (the river Inn comes down from Switzerland and comes through Landeck where the Sanna river joins)? |
Yes, you are right, I got my valleys mixed up! - we want to be in the upper reaches of the Inntal for Serfaus etc....
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We've done similar several times in the last few years with the Tyrol Card. We've normally gone out for 4 or 5 weeks, and stayed in 2 places, mostly in or near resort (on ski bus routes).
If you're happy driving to resort each day, then Innsbruck is a good option giving access to Seefeld, Stubai, Axamer-Lizum. We stayed near Patscherkofel (which is alo worth a day's skiing) for a couple of weeks last January.
There's also Kitzbuhel on the Tyrol pass. If you don't want to do much in SkiWelt, you could stay in Kirchberg for direct access to the main Kitzbuhel skiing (plus drive to Kitzbulerhorn and St Johann), and a 10 minute drive to Brixen
Another option is SkiJuwel, which you can reach easily from the lower part of Zillertal, though beware that traffic in and out of Zillertal can be very heavy on weekends
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sounds like a great time! I would echo the suggestion of basing in Landeck for part of it. Easy access to Ischgl, See, Kaprun etc. Also a good base for Serfaus, which is worth visiting. Even Solden is "reachable" from there if they get snow that more local spots don't. It really does open up lots of options for each day basing 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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We did 8 days skiing based in Landeck, driving similar distances to Ischgl and St Anton, (plus other small resorts on the way to Ischgl and after it). It worked very well, but I notice you didn't want St Anton, which makes Landeck less useful a base.
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St Anton isn't on that pass anyways. But SFL is, which is about the same driving time as St Anton. So still as useful as a base.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks for all the insights and help.
We’ve decided:
2 weeks Zillertal
1 week SkiWelt (Hopfgarten)
1 week HochOetz (Oetz Valley)
2 weeks Tobadill above Landeck for the Inn and Paznauan valleys.
Very excited now we’ve booked it!
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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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You'll love the Snow Card @Sfellows. Mrs MA and I bought one 3 or 4 years ago and had a brilliant winter.
It's brilliant that you can just do an hour or two, if that's all you've got time for, or you arrive mid afternoon at a new area. On one trip, we skied 1 hour from the first lift of the day (on fresh snow!) at Seefeld, before driving to Innsbruck Airport to fly home 
Hochötz ski area is definitely worth a look. We had a great day there. From our base near Ötz, we also drove to the totally unheard of (in the UK!) Hochzeiger ski area, about half an hour away. It was absolutely brilliant - fantastic snow, great skiing and practically deserted slopes.
From Ötz, we also skied at Imst for half a day - a tiny area, with a very steep top section. And of course Sölden and Obergurgl were easy to get to from there.
Ötz is quite a small place, but has a few restaurants, supermarkets etc and a couple of streets of nice old buildings, just off the main road through the town.
You mentioned being near Landeck. From there, we skied two more unknown gems - ie Kappl and See. Oh! And had a fantastic powder day at Landeck's deserted local area - Venet - which is more extensive than it appears.
You'll love the Zillertal too. We really enjoyed all of the different ski areas in the valley. I can understand your excitement! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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@mountainaddict, I second your endorsement of Hochoetz as a ski area. When we went it had far better snow than other resorts we went to near Innsbruck, some interesting runs and an easy bus link to Kuhtai up the road. We found the village perfectly decent as well and reasonably priced.
I’m heartened to read your recommendation of Hochzeiger. I’ve booked to take my family there this season for their first ever ski week. There’s not a great deal on Snowheads about it. We booked it due to it’s great value and beginner friendly appeal, so I’m delighted that you also enjoyed it as experienced skiers (albeit, I’m guessing just for a day or two)!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Sfellows, there's a tiny area in Ötztal called Vent as well you could check out. Haven't been there but that will give you a totally different experience to Solden/Gurgl i'd imagine!
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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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@Sfellows, sounds amazing, have a great trip! 
I've always wanted to ski the resorts around Achensee after driving back that way to Munich once. The scenery around the lake and the jagged limestone Karwendel mountains was very pleasing! Not far from your Zillertal stop.
https://www.bergfex.com/achensee/
Also, the resorts around the Austrian side of the huge limestone peak of the Zugspitze look interesting as I've driven through in summertime. Berwang, up a side valley looks small, but perfectly formed. There was a cover picture on WTSS guidebook of Berwang one year, very picturesque. Might be doable from your Oetz stop...if you haven't got enough to do already!!
https://www.bergfex.com/berwang/
The Bergfex resort lists and resort pages are very useful with stats, piste maps, weather forecasts, webcams, etc. You can order the resorts by size by clicking on the pistes column.
https://www.bergfex.com/tirol/
Might help with planning! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
| I'm heartened to read your recommendation of Hochzeiger. I’ve booked to take my family there this season for their first ever ski week. There’s not a great deal on Snowheads about it. We booked it due to it’s great value and beginner friendly appeal, so I’m delighted that you also enjoyed it as experienced skiers (albeit, I’m guessing just for a day or two)! |
We were only there for a day @EdYarker, but loved it and could easily have enjoyed another day or two there. We just love discovering somewhere new to ski.
We found great snow conditions, an impressive 900m vertical, excellent cruising runs (including some steeper ones for more experienced skiers) and a decent lift system, with no queues and quiet runs.
There's not too much at the base station/front de neige, but it's a very functional, user-friendly set up, with a few shops, cafes and restaurants and easy slope access. I recall that we had our skis serviced there after skiing, as prices were so reasonable compared to bigger resorts.
Do post a trip report and let us know how you get on
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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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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I'm heartened to read your recommendation of Hochzeiger. I’ve booked to take my family there this season for their first ever ski week. There’s not a great deal on Snowheads about it. We booked it due to it’s great value and beginner friendly appeal, so I’m delighted that you also enjoyed it as experienced skiers (albeit, I’m guessing just for a day or two)! |
We were only there for a day @EdYarker, but loved it and could easily have enjoyed another day or two there. We just love discovering somewhere new to ski.
We found great snow conditions, an impressive 900m vertical, excellent cruising runs (including some steeper ones for more experienced skiers) and a decent lift system, with no queues and quiet runs.
There's not too much at the base station/front de neige, but it's a very functional, user-friendly set up, with a few shops, cafes and restaurants and easy slope access. I recall that we had our skis serviced there after skiing, as prices were so reasonable compared to bigger resorts.
Do post a trip report and let us know how you get on |
Never heard of it before, but looks impressive on the piste map as it fans out above the mid-station...a gondola and 4 chairs, plus a few drags, 54km piste, 1000m+ vertical...
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@swskier, Vent is a beautiful, small but remote spot. In summer it is an ideal starting point for various walks to huts and glaciers. In winter I cant imagine they get enough visitors to justify operating the lifts but it is well located for serious high alpine ski touring eg to the Wildspitze or a traverse to Obergurgl.
@luigi, The areas under the Tirolean side of the Zugspitze were popular with UK tour companies in the 1980s & 90s, similar to other smallish Austrian areas. They are pretty low so conditions have deteriorated significantly in recent years. They are easier to access from Garmisch than from the rest of the Tirol, there is a railway line that starts and ends in Bavaria and is actually operated by DB despite running mostly in Austria.
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@munich_irish, my boss goes to Gurgl with his family every February holidays, and they'll often go ski in Vent. Sounds like it could be the sort of place where you have your own private ski resort!
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@mountainaddict, @luigi, I'm fairly sure my German colleague at work who lives in Innsbruck said when there's a powder day, his mates all go to Hochzeiger. I'll confirm that with him when I see/speak with him.
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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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Six week trip....my advice would be find a physio, that’s going to be exhausting
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@luigi, My first ever ski trip was with the school to Pertisau (Achensee)! Many, many years ago. I remember the cable bindings and I was hooked for life!
I’ll probably go back there for one day when we are in the Zillertal.
Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions - I’m (just a bit) excited! Let’s hope it’s a great snowy winter!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Sfellows, Pertisau is a lovely place, except the village to be completely dead! I went there one afternoon when my parents visited in Feb'24, virtually everything shut and barely anybody in the town!
When you're in Zillertal definitely try and spend half a day in Gerlosstein, it's always dead quiet. I spent a Saturday morning there with boot deep fresh powder on-piste, and there was 5 of us there in total, and I only skied anywhere near 1 person, the others I could just see on a chairlift while I was skiing down.
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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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Loving this thread. We are looking to do a similar type trip. Thoughts on the quietest part of the Tirol for the school holidays?
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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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| Quote: |
| Six week trip....my advice would be find a physio, that’s going to be exhausting |
The beauty of any season pass is that, on longer trips, you can also include some sightseeing and culture too. It's great (especially on bad weather days) that you can do leisurely days of only an hour or two's skiing without (eg Hintertux) having to buy a full day pass at nearly €80 if you turn up there on a morning.
Will you have use of a car @Sfellows? (Apologies if I've missed that...). If so, the following places are worth a visit and wander round if you want a break from the slopes:
- Innsbruck. Just lovely. Nice old centre. And loads of ski areas near the city.
- Hall in Tirol. A mini Innsbruck.
- Rattenberg. Tiny but beautiful. Lovely old buildings and some nice places for coffee and cake.
And from Ötz, we drove up to see Tirol's biggest waterfall (the 150m Stuibenfall, above Umhausen), in frozen, winter conditions.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I'm heartened to read your recommendation of Hochzeiger. I’ve booked to take my family there this season for their first ever ski week. There’s not a great deal on Snowheads about it. We booked it due to it’s great value and beginner friendly appeal, so I’m delighted that you also enjoyed it as experienced skiers (albeit, I’m guessing just for a day or two)! |
We were only there for a day @EdYarker, but loved it and could easily have enjoyed another day or two there. We just love discovering somewhere new to ski.
We found great snow conditions, an impressive 900m vertical, excellent cruising runs (including some steeper ones for more experienced skiers) and a decent lift system, with no queues and quiet runs.
There's not too much at the base station/front de neige, but it's a very functional, user-friendly set up, with a few shops, cafes and restaurants and easy slope access. I recall that we had our skis serviced there after skiing, as prices were so reasonable compared to bigger resorts.
Do post a trip report and let us know how you get on |
Thanks for the further input @mountainaddict and @luigi and @swskier. I agree that the stats and lift details look promising. If we are lucky enough to get a decent dump there are 2-3 ski routes which should be epic.
I’m not too worried about the quiet ‘base station’ as we are staying down the valley anyway (Wenns) and just dumping our skis in the lockers.
My main concern is that it’s quite small for a full week’s skiing. The main Pitztal glacier is on the lift pass but I think it’s a slog to get to, especially with the kids in ski school. But skiing the same runs many times is not the end of the world and a small price to pay for getting the girls onto snow, late season and within budget!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@mountainaddict, Thanks for the advice and tips, and yes we will have a car, one of the new Defender 110s with 3PMSF tyres and chains, so if we can’t get anywhere no one else will be able to! 
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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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Good stuff @Sfellows! Access to the majority of (but not all) Austrian resorts is via lower level valley roads (with low level motorway valley connections between regions too), so you should be absolutely fine, especially with your car fully winterised
When's your trip?
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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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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Six week trip....my advice would be find a physio, that’s going to be exhausting |
The beauty of any season pass is that, on longer trips, you can also include some sightseeing and culture too. It's great (especially on bad weather days) that you can do leisurely days of only an hour or two's skiing without (eg Hintertux) having to buy a full day pass at nearly €80 if you turn up there on a morning.
Will you have use of a car @Sfellows? (Apologies if I've missed that...). If so, the following places are worth a visit and wander round if you want a break from the slopes:
- Innsbruck. Just lovely. Nice old centre. And loads of ski areas near the city.
- Hall in Tirol. A mini Innsbruck.
- Rattenberg. Tiny but beautiful. Lovely old buildings and some nice places for coffee and cake.
And from Ötz, we drove up to see Tirol's biggest waterfall (the 150m Stuibenfall, above Umhausen), in frozen, winter conditions. |
From Zillertal you're also only a short hop over the Gerlos pass (toll included in with your Snowcard) to Krimml waterfall too, Austria's biggest waterfall.
Rattenberg is Austria's smallest city, so that's a box ticked off there
Kufstein actually has quite a nice centre to it too.
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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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I'd forgotten about lovely Krimml (despite having been in summer). Kufstein would be nice too (also been - very pleasant), but a bit further off @Sfellows' route?
I didn't know that about Rattenberg @swskier! Great! We really like Rattenberg - just so pleasant for a wander round.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@mountainaddict, We’re going from 23 January to 7 March (but might stay longer!). We want the full winter experience!
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@mountainaddict, Kufstein won't be too far off route during the week they have in the Skiwelt.
@Sfellows, Is you plan to go in the order you wrote it, or are you going to start East/West and work your way across?
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| Quote: |
| Kufstein won't be too far off route during the week they have in the Skiwelt |
Oops @swskier! @Sfellows' trip has already become such a whirl that I'd forgotten about the Skiwelt leg!
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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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@swskier, Yes, that is the order, mainly because of accommodation logistics/availability. We had planned East - West but a short drive east from the Zillertal to Hopfgarten and the SkiWelt for the 3rd week is no big deal.
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14th-18th century buildings in Innsbruck centre. Famous Renaissance "Golden Roof" at the end.
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FAQ
