The hunt is on for a resort suitable for our group near Munich Airport.

A snowHead

OK, OK... I've seen the other thread from the nice American Lady, but that's not the sort of info I'm after...

Firstly I wouldn't dream of transferring to/from Munich on anything except the train (and maybe the last tiny bit on a bus), secondly I could do with some info on lift systems and convenience of resorts for slopes (a perennial Austrian problem) if poss?

Have done Ellmau in the Skiwelt and would go back, but would prefer something new. We have a mixed ability group, half of whom are morbidly fearful of draglifts of any variety, so a modern-ish lift system would help.

Would want a minimum of 80km of piste, I'd say. Not interested in Kitzbuhel, spent a day there and found it terribly overrated (and inconvenient for slopes). Would be interested in uncovering some small hidden gems that are off the main radar if poss.

Garmisch was of interest, but I'm concerned about the long trip to the lifts on a bus every morning.

Is there a site that compares 6-day lift pass prices anywhere? There seems to be a huge variation in the prices charged and it's not always related directly to extent of piste. As many of my group are very budget conscious, it could be a great help to start with lift pass price and then check the slopes from there!

Am I correct in thinking that Fasching starts on the 17th or 24th Feb this year? So we shouldn't suffer TOO badly from queues?

A snowHead

carled, you mean you're not coming to Serre Che this year ??? wink

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

carled, Why not try the Zillertal Valley? (over 600km of piste according to this website). On the direct line from Munich to Innsbruck you get off at Jenbach station (which is at the lower end of the valley) , then you get onto the narrow gauge Zillertalbahn railway which stops at all the valley resorts, terminating at Mayrhofen. The Zillertal Superskipass covers the entire valley(including travel on the Zillertalbahn and skibusses). The above website link called "Ski-Infos" shows that a 6 day Superskipass is 172 Euros Adult or 86Euros for children.

Although most people only know of Mayrhofen, there is some very good skiing to be had at the newly linked Kaltenbach-Hochfugen area Very Happy

. I posted on it on this thread.

Of course you also have the Hintertux Glacier available as snow insurance in the unlikely event of the snow conditions elsewhere in the valley being poor snowHead

.

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If you're going for a week and you don't fancy Kitzbuhel, forget Garmisch. You might want to look again at Kitzbuhel, as it seems to fit your requirements well; you may just have had a bad day there (I didn't lie Paris the irst time I visisted, but I do now). Kitzbuhel is an easy train (or car) transfer from Munich Airport. You can ski almost every run without touching a T bar, and being close to lifts is just a matter of picking the right hotel. I don't think that anyone would claim that Kitzbuhel has the greatest skiing in the world, but it's pretty good for most people, unless you are real steeps fans. There is apres to suit all tastes (and none). Just a thought.

You can transfer Munich airport to St Anton by train. There are 2 (or 3) changes, and it takes 3or 4 hours, but it's perfectly doable (I'm told).

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

carled, not sure why you think access to Kitz is inconvenient. You can either get into the resort from Kitz itself via the new bubbles on the Hahnenkamm, or from Kirchberg on the Fleckalmbahn. I usually drive from Munich to Kirchberg. Once you're up there I don't see any problems at all with the way the place is connected. For a couple of seasons now they have had a connecttion over to the Pass Thurn area and since last year they are connected to the Westendorf (Ski Welt) as well. The skiable area is getting really enormous now.
Garmisch is worth visiting. Again access is not as bad as you think, if you are living in Garmisch then take the lift up from Garmisch to the Hausberg, which gets you into the main area. If you want to do the Zugspitze then its a ride on the bus or the train, which can take some time.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Hmm. It was 10 years ago that I visited Kitz and I was just... underwhelmed by the place. I had been led to believe it was some sort of mecca and I just found it a bit.. meh... I'll have another look at it in light of what you're all saying now and I'll also check out the Zillertal stuff - thanks for that tip!

Helen... sadly I think three years in a row at Serre Che may prove to be a bit samey for us...!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Hi

Check out our valley , 150 kms of piste, quiet slopes etc...

http://www.hochkoenig.at/cms.php/4041/1/0

we're full that week, but it's not that busy at that time.

see what they say about it in Equity -

Despite the vast ski area, immaculate slopes and enviable snow record, the Hochkönig Winter Kingdom is still largely unknown to the British market. For the few keen British skiers that have discovered this incredibly beautiful area with its quietpistes and short lift queues there's no looking back.

The Hochkönig ski area has 150 kilometres superbly groomed slopes stretching from Maria Alm in the West to Mühlbach in the East. State-of-the-art lifts and captivating powder snow provide all the variety you could hope for.

The Hochkönig ski area also forms part of the immense Ski Amadé alliance allowing winter sports enthusiasts access to 276 lifts and 865kms of superbly groomed slopes - all under one skipass!

Deb

After all it is free

Thanks Deb - I am launching an investigation into it now! Quick points - how easy is it to get to from Munich in your point of view and a further addendum to the whole forum - the other main consideration is cost of living. Have uncovered lots of "sheesh, those Kitzbuehel beer/food prices are steep" sorts of comments on the Internet, so I need to specify that one of the whole points of going to Austria/Germany is to avoid the French rip-off beer & food prices!

Im flying to Munich next year and going to teh Ziller Valley - it certainly looks great and i really like the idea of several excellent and large resorts very close to each other with free travel between them all on the same cheap lift pass. The glacier is an added bonus too.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

carled, if you were expecting absolutely fantastic skiing in Kitzbuhel, you were misled. I'd describe it as very good, enjoyable skiing for all skiers except those looking for real challenges (which slightly worryingly is pretty much what the Good Ski Guide says, IIRC). The area is a godd size (and there's a just about OK link to Westendorf) with a good varity of runs. In the right conditions the off piste can be pretty reasonable, I'm told. The skiing is very pretty, lots below the tree line, plenty of decent mountain restaurants and bars. The lift system is pretty decent, no cable cars, very few T bars. The town centre is verey pleasant, again loads of restaurants of all sorts and lots of bars and clubs.

The worst feature is the ski bus service, which I've found pretty hopeless (but unnecessary unless you want to go between the Hahenkamm and the Kitzbuheler Horn or along the Kirchberg Valley to and fro the Westendorf gondola).

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

OK, on doing further research, Kitz is out. Honestly... the prices are ludicrous! From accommodation throught to lift pass the price is way inflated over what it should be. Then there's beer & food to worry about and that (according to many reports I've read) is higher priced than most of the French resorts I've been to!

I had a look at a number of the other places mentioned in this thread but unless I'm interpreting the sites wrongly, as a rule they're not much in the way of ski-convenient, with accommodation an infrequently-timed bus ride away from most ski lifts.

I can't believe that there aren't resorts in Austria/Germany with access to, say, 70km+ of pistes (we don't need 600km... who the heck does? You'll never use it all and why pay all that extra?) and with access a few minutes walk from accommodation... It's looking like I may have to go back to the skiwelt region and pick Ellmau or Westendorf or somewhere like that again... Please don't anyone suggest Soll! It's one of the least ski-convenient places out there!

Oh well... I'll keep looking! Any more ideas welcomed!

snow reports

I quote the "where to ski & snowboard" guide re Soll:

You know it makes sense.

carled, Schladming has plenty of skiing and is readily accessible by train.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

carled, I never understand the Soll comments as it's no worse than Kitz, Mayrhofen etc. We stayed in the town centre and I timed it (very sad I know) at 7 mins walk to the gondola which isn't extreme and there are lockers there for equipment storage. There is a hotel (Berghaus or similar name) just 2 mins away from the gondola. If it's bargain prices and good skiing you're after, then Soll is your place. It's a small/town village, but the nightlife is excellent. There is also a swimming complex if you have the energy. The down side is that you may need to get a bus for the last part of the journey (probably from St Johann or even Kitzbuhel.)

A snowHead

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Been offered a suitable place over somewhere called "Mittersill" at the extreme Pass Thurn end of the Ski Circus... anyone any idea how convenient this is as a place to stay or whether we'll end up spending two hourse each morning simply getting to a good part for us to ski/board on?

The New Panoramabahn looks like it will be handy for getting up to the top of the Resterhoehe!

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It's not clear whether Mittersill has it's own ski area or relies solely on the Kitzbuhel area; I suspect the latter. Mittersill is some way over the other side of the Pass Thurn from Kitzbuhel and I believe that the lift from Mittersill into the Pass Thurn ski area of the Kitzbuhel area starts from some way outside Mittersill, in some other village or hamlet.

The Pass Thurn skiing itself is limited but pretty good, and the snow is often better there than elsewhere in the Kitzbuhel area, as it's the highest part. It's just about the only part where a T bar is unavoidable (unless you're just skiing from Kitzbuhel to Pass Thurn). You can normally, but not always, get from Pass Thurn to the rest of the Kitzbuhel area (and back) on skis using the relatively new 3S Bahn, (requires a black and a couple of T bars to be negotiated IIRC - no probs unless you have relative beginners in your group) or you can take the bus from Pass Thurn to Kitzbuhel (infrequent service, 30+ min journey).

Personally, I wouldn't consider Mittersill for skiing the Kitzbuhel area, and I'm not at all sure it meets your ski convenience requirement. I suspect it's more use as a base for travelling to a number of resorts in the Salzburg area, with a day or two at Pass Thurn and maybe elsewhere in Kitzbuhel.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I agree Richmond. I got blinded by the offer of a good apartment and didn't really consider the implications. Fortunately I subsequently had a bit of a spat with the rather stroppy apartment owner so that's all over now! They are soooooo pushy! "so are you booking then?", "why have you not booked yet" and so on... Er... because you still haven't satisfactorily explained what the layout of beds is, you silly woman!

Been offered some more apartments right next to the base of the Fleckalmbahn in Kirchberg and also some apartments above a Gasthof nearer to the Obergaisberglift over the other side of Kirchberg, with a ski bus stopping nearby. The gasthof will do us an upgrade to a week's buffet breakfast & 4-course evening meal for just over £100 on top of the apartment cost, which may be an attractive offer. Just not sure that we'd spend £400 in a family of four for a week's breakfast and evening meal... there is always the convenience of not having to clear up breakfast and evening meal though!

Had a few offers from Schladming, one or two from the Montafon area, some from the Zillertal region and a few from the skiwelt and St. Johann in Tirol... Just doing a spreadsheet of costs and details now so I can compare at a glance!

You'll need to Register first of course.

carled, you're enjoying this, aren't you?

Kirchberg is a jolly enough little place with restaurants and bars. You'd be doing very well to get brekkie and dinner for £400 (assuming you eat dinner out) although personally I like to be able to eat in different restaurants.

Staying at the bottom of the Fleckalmbahn will be as convenient as you'll get around Kitzbuhel. It's right at the edge of (just outside, actually) Kirchberg, some way from the centre and I don't know what if anything in the way of sluicing and browsing is within easy walking distance; not much, I fear (I haven't spent much time there).

Gaisberg is Kirchberg's own ski area, not linked into the rest of Kitzbuhel's skiing, and very limited (1 lift, 2 runs IIRC). It includes a toboggan run, which we've never to around to doing. To get into the main skiing, you have to get across (actually not too far, but uphill) to the Maierl chair (3 stages up to the top) or bus/cab/drive to the Fleckalmbahn or in the other direction to the Pengelstein gondola.

If you can satisfy yourself that the aparts near the Fleckalmbahn are OK so far as other facilities are concerned, they may be what you want.

I assume that you've contacted the Kitzbuhel and Kirchberg tourist offices; I've found them very helpful with accomodation.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Blimey... that was all fun & games. In the last few days the group climbed from 17 people to 25 people! "Oh, can my friend come..?" and so on...

Anyhow, all sorted now... it's Garmisch Partenkirchen. I know, I know... not a great extent and not *that* ski-convenient, but, hey, you can't have everything and it'll suit our mixed ability group well. Besides which, half of the group are idiot snowboarders like me and we'll spend 90% of our time in the Zugspitze terrain park, probably!

It appealed because we'd already got flights to Munich booked, therefore easy train transfer, it has a reasonable amount of skiing available (none of us are mileage hounds) and it's pretty much a proper town. Got good accommodation, the ski bus stop is nearby, there's a friendly and helpful apartment house owner and the house has several smaller apartments with a couple of central rooms for us to gather in.

The Hausberg lift has been improved this year which will help dissipate queues too.

Doesn anyone know about the feasibility of getting to Ehrwald via the Zugspitze? I know it would probably be quicker to get the bus to Ehrwald, but if we go up the Zugspitze first thing, then spend a couple of hours up there, it looks to me like we can get the cable car down to Ehrwald (or Obermoos at least) and get into the Ehrwald area that way? do a couple of hours down there, then head back up the Zugspitze, last few runs and back down into Garmisch, job's a good 'un?

Or am I being hopelessly optimistic here Puzzled

After all it is free

Garmisch is a pleasant enough spot, some decent restaurants and very enjoyable skiing, although as you say not miles and miles. Depending where you stay, you can get the train to the lifts/Zugspitze; it leaves from the same station as the Munich train (but in the opposite direction!). I think that there are ski lockers at the bottom of at least one lift and a ski hire shop at the bottom of one, which may be useful. A day trip to Munich by train is easy and well worth it if you don't already know the place.

Don't know about skiing to Ehrwald/Obermoos; if you can't you could get the train, I think.

carled, If you want to ski Ehrwald ( or Lermoos or Biberwier ) then you would be a lot quicker taking the bus over from Garmisch I think. I'm also not sure whether the German lift pass for Garmisch covers the Zugspitz Arena ( i.e the Tyrolean side of the Zugsitze ). Of the areas over there I personally like Lermoos more than Ehrwald. Havn't got round to trying Biberwier yet.
Have fun.
Mike

Help!!

The hunt is on for a resort suitable for our group near Munich Airport.

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