Saalbach vs Mayrhofen vs Kitzbuhel.

A snowHead

It's the annual old boys trip first weekend in March.

In recent years we've done Ischgl a few times and loved it for a good mix of mixed ability skiing,après,nightlife and a relatively upmarket feel.Something for everyone really.

Solden. Didn't like it half as much as Ischgl as its strung out and not particularly an attractive town and a bit downmarket in comparison.

Verbier. Been many times and it's great if your lucky enough to arrive just as it's dumped and the many itineraries and off piste options come into play. If not its disjointed and not particularly easy to rack up miles for the less able in the group. Nightlife is great on a weekend and love the live music in the farinet. Obviously a different vibe to most Austrian resorts.

We are considering Saalbach vs Mayrhofen vs

For a mixed ability group of upper intermediates and a couple of advanced skiers
Plenty of après options needed but some variety,maybe not all the typical cheesefest type venues.

We can't make up our minds ,will we be disappointed? please help us make a decision Laughing

A snowHead

Saalbach alllllllll day long. Ticks every box. Would choose it over Mayrhofen anyday.

If you'd consider a French alternative then Val d'Isere has everything you want.

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@hedley, I started my skiing career in Mayrhofen (2 weeks one season and two weeks the next), and I thought it was great - that is until I discovered Saalbach, which trumps it in every aspect that I can think of. (I am now based in Saalbach but had already formed my opinion many years before, and within a couple of hours of seeing what the Ski Circus had to offer by comparison with Mayrhofen).

I found the Ahorn in Mayrhofen a waste of time (no doubt okay for beginners), apart from the one black run to the bottom - from where you need (unless things have changed) to get on a ski bus to the other lift, the Penkenbahn. I found the Penken okay, but, compared with Saalbach, quite limited, and there is no run down to the village - whereas in Saalbach alone (not even considering Hinterglemm) there are 6 runs back to the village. I alo found the Penken lift a bottle-neck at both ends of the day. Mayrhofen no doubt comes into its own if you lump it together with all the other ski resorts on its area pass, but it's not all interlinked, like Saalbach, and there is inevitably some inconvenience in travelling from one part of the Ziller valley to another (unless you don't regard a certain amount of driving/bussing/taxiing as inconvenient - much depends on what you're used to).

Can't really comment on Kitzbuehel and Ischgl, which I haven't visited - but I keep my ears open. The Austrians seem to consider Saalbach, St A and Ischgl as their top three. A couple of Germans I was chatting to last season told me that they prefer Saalbach to Ischgl, on account of its prettier scenery, more forested slopes and better mountain restaurants. No doubt both resorts are great, and it will boil down to a matter of individual priorities and taste, as well as other random factors and subjective experiences.

I know that Kitzbuehel has plenty of fans, and I'm sure it has plenty to commend it. One factor that tends to worry some people is its altitude - 762m compared with Saalbach's 1003m - but I'm sure that it would not be as successful and popular as it is if it wasn't snowsure during the main season. My cousin and a group of his friends have been several times to Saalbach and also Hinterglemm, and they love the area. A couple of seasons ago they decided to give Kitzbuehel a try, but it didn't do it for them. They commented on the smaller and less well-connected ski area, and the less villagey feel of the place - by which I had the impression that they preferred the compact feel of Saalbach, where the bars, restaurants and apres-ski venues are relatively concentrated around the village, whereas Kitzbuhel is a town and everything is more strung out. All I can really conclude from this is that people develop a bias, based on what they are familiar and comfortable with. I know of one chap who's been going to Mayrhofen all his life and won't consider going anywhere else - he was once dragged somewhere else and apparently did nothing but draw negative comparisons - mind you he was unusual, you might say an old curmudgeon with a somewhat limited comfort zone.

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@tatmanstours, Just one question for you. How much skiing is done at village level, because I don't understand the hang up with the village altitude? I found Saalbach quite a dreary place when the sun was still low in the sky, and understood why the snow is good. It never got much sun.
Personally I thoroughly enjoyed skiing the Saalbach/Hinterglemm and though Im based in Kirchberg, I seriously cant say there`s that much difference between the two areas that make one stand out differently from the other.

Sorry Hedley if that doesn't help, but just wanted to clarify the nonsense being banded "re some peoples worries " Personally never heard it being mentioned other than sometimes on here by Saalbach residents.

Id like to finish off by saying that I feel that too much thought goes into some peoples minds about choosing a ski resort. They all provide what most people want. Especially in a group, there will be those that prefer quitter evenings, some want to party to the wee small hours. Some want wide fast blues, some want more option for off piste. You get all of it where ever you choose. Don't worry

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@tatmanstours, Just one question for you. How much skiing is done at village level, because I don't understand the hang up with the village altitude? I found Saalbach quite a dreary place when the sun was still low in the sky, and understood why the snow is good. It never got much sun.
Personally I thoroughly enjoyed skiing the Saalbach/Hinterglemm and though Im based in Kirchberg, I seriously cant say there`s that much difference between the two areas that make one stand out differently from the other.

Sorry Hedley if that doesn't help, but just wanted to clarify the nonsense being banded "re some peoples worries " Personally never heard it being mentioned other than sometimes on here by Saalbach residents.

Id like to finish off by saying that I feel that too much thought goes into some peoples minds about choosing a ski resort. They all provide what most people want. Especially in a group, there will be those that prefer quitter evenings, some want to party to the wee small hours. Some want wide fast blues, some want more option for off piste. You get all of it where ever you choose. Don't worry

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

@hedley, Any of the three will be fun. I've skied all three, And had memorable holidays in each (especially kitz, I guess).
They each have something a little different to offer, makes it impossible to discount any in my view. The ski areas are large enough in each, don't get hung up on this as the stronger skiers will find good runs no matter where they are.
If I had to choose from your criteria I'd go for Kitz, definately has a more upmarket feel (sure someone will disagree).

Good alternatives may also be the Arlberg (just pick your town/village), maybe also Schladming.

After all it is free

Saalbach and Kitz very close. Saalbach village 200m higher and top 100m higher. More runs come down in to the valley in Saalbach than Kitz. Saalbach has a higher proportion of south facing runs which can get the sun obviously, though good snow can always be found. Kitz lift system very good, but Saalbach's is stunning - possibly the best anywhere in the Alps. I've skied both at half term or Fasching week and Saalbach is better for queues - in fact there were none at half term; Kitz on the way to Pass Thurn and at pass Thurn had some queues. Kitz is more bitty I found - and it's quite a way from Kitz to Pass Thurn, which isn't itself a bad thing. Best skiing is at Pass Thurn but there's not a huge amount there.

Mayrhofen I skied last year - has advantage that the skiing is higher, but it is less convienient - obviously no skiing back to the village. There is as much skiing there as Saalbach, but it's spread out up and down the Ziller valley and you need trains and buses.

The new Penken lift is one of the 3S type and queuing is much better now. Some queues up the mountain.

My favourite of the 3 would be Saalbach. But for better guarantee of good snow, though more expensive, have a look at Ischgl. Lift system just about on a par with Saalbach (so 2nd best in the Alps!)

Any would be good. Personal choice would be Saalbach.

Kitz - The most "upmarket" town, but more town than village and expensive compared to others in Tirol, Kirchberg is cheaper but much quieter. The ski area is excellent and very well connected, by March the lower runs will be warm and soft at days end but they are very good at opening everything, have skied all over the area mid/late march with no problems.

Saalbach - Saalbach and Hinterglemm are separate villages, though bus linked, don't know Hinterglemm but Saalbach is very lively and great fun, hotels and apres are good quality and variety but not "upmarket" as such, a bit less expensive than Kitz. Ski area and lift system as a whole is amazing, slightly higher base level than Kitz so less mush in a warm March and absolutely vast. Some good offpiste in the Fieberbrunn sector. Quite a lot of accom is in the valley between the villages, make sure you get somewhere central if you want to hit the town.

Mayrhofen - not stayed there so can't comment on the town, you mostly have to download at the end of the day which I find a pain. The Zillertal area has some superb skiing but (purely personal opinion here!) The best is at Kaltenbach/Hochfugen which is the same lift pass but a train ride away. Still plenty of good options in Mayrhofen for a weekend though.

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Thanks for the replies folks.

Im leaning towards Saalbach as ive got a decent deal on an centrally located apartment.

Ive actually skied Kitzbuhel recently but only stayed there about 30 years ago. Agree it would possibly be the more upmarket of the 3.

Not much to choose between them all skiing wise although again the Saalbach lift system and the circus do appeal.

I would go back to Ischgl again (5th time) in a heartbeat as we have had some fun there and it manages to combine good natured apres fun on steroids with some more classy establishments which we also like, but the group fancy a change.

We thought Solden would be similar to Ischgl but I don't know it felt a bit seedy somehow strung along the main road, we decided as a group it jus didn't quite hit the spot.

I think Saalbach will hopefully be the nearest we will get to Ischgl but maybe the village/town is slightly smaller and not quite as expensive?

First weekend in March is the plan hoping its buzzy around then too ?

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Skiing in Solden I believe is very good but the town looks horrid. Driven through it 3 times on way to Obergurgl. The resort runs looked poor - slushy, east facing. Though it was March

You know it makes sense.

St Anton.

Best station in all of Austria.

Forget the rest.

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

@Whitegold, Not everyone is a fan of “St Manton”. A local ski instructor I was talking to last season described it as “steep, narrow, mogully runs”, which may of course suit some people but not everyone. Typical, one week a year holiday skiers may prefer a resort that is more geared towards intermediates and long distance cruising.
My own experience of St A around 20 years ago didn’t endear me to the resort. Admittedly it was very late season and I was staying in an uninspiring Ski Total Chalet in Nasserein, a tedious walk from the lift, none of which was the resort’s fault, but I came away with an abiding hatred of that last run down, “Happy Valley”, and a generally underwhelmed feeling about the resort. I liked the White Circle Ski tour, but that was about it.
Each to his own - I might get a different impression now, especially if I shelled out for (shrugging off St A’s notorious prices) better-located accommodation earlier in the season.

A snowHead

@jafa, I’ll try to answer your question, although others seem to have partially answered it already.
I’v never skied in Kitzbuhel, so my comment about its altitude was based on the concerns expressed in virtually every thread and every guide I’ve read about the resort.
I compare it with Zell am See, which is at a similar altitude and is just down the road from Saalbach. A 200-300m difference in height may not sound like a big deal, but when you drive from one resort to another and drop that kind of altitude, it makes you realise that it’s actually quite significant - especially when it’s snowing hard in the higher resort and raining or sleeting in the lower one.
To answer your question specifically, the conditions at resort level can be quite significant if the resort is a village surrounded by several pistes that descend to the village itself - like the spokes of a wheel. Much skiing is done on those lower pistes, not least by lower intermediates graduating from the nursery slopes, which are also of course at village level. No one likes going out in the rain, or skiing down into rain, and, when a warm front is afflicting the Alps, that is more of a concern at 700-800m than at 1,000m. It’s also undeniable that the height difference can be of importance (as is also slope orientation) later in the season, when the sun has gained height and strength.
I can’t speak for Kitzbuhel, but
Saalbach is both fortunate and unfortunate in the height and orientation of its slopes. It does benefit from having village slopes (including two nursery areas and six pistes that radiate out from the village hub) that are significantly higher than some other low resorts. It also benefits from the topography of its narrow, ‘V’-shaped valley and the surrounding mountains, which run from east to west and, in the case of the mountains on the southern side of the valley, overshadow the extensive south-facing slopes on the opposite side. This means, as you observed (presumably in the early part of the season) that for most of the day the sun remains behind the Schattberg (“Shadow Mountain”) and Zwoelferkogel mountains, which cast a large, cold shadow over much of the lower, south-facing ski area that would otherwise be vulnerable. Consequently good, powdery conditions are invariably to be found at village level.
However, what works to Saalbach’s advantage early in the season can be a hindrance during the late season. The sun then rises above those east-west running mountains, bordering the Glemmtal on its southern side, and “bake” the south-facing slopes.
Fortunately Saalbach has a big enough ski area for this not to be an insuperable problem (with a bit of careful planning of itineraries), and those extra few hundred meters also make an appreciable difference - for example the runs at the lower end of the area (at Vorderglemm and Viehhofen) deteriorate quicker than those farther up the valley around the two main villages of Saalbach and Hinterglemm.
I know how irritating it is when people focus too much on altitude, especially when comparing with resorts in the western Alps or Pyrenees, which are more exposed to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream. During a normal season, and between early January and late March, there will always be good skiing to be found in successful, low-lying Austrian resorts, but, in unseasonably mild weather and at the extremities of the season, a few hundred meters of altitude can make the difference between snow and rain/sleet, and between spring snow and mush.

A snowHead

I've been to all 3 in recent years and I would go back to mayrhofen because of apres and cost. All 3 have great skiing.

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@HoneyBunny, been to St Anton too 😉 granted some great off piste skiing to be had for the better skiers in the group but Mooserwirt aside we were a bit underwhelmed by the fabled après/nightlife. Ischgl is on a complete other level.

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@tatmanstours, I will reply keeping it simple as can be. The village altitude height is only something that the French resorts seem to fire away at the Austrian resorts as its primarily the only stick they have to try to hit them with. As you quite rightly stated, there is far more things to a resort than just the height of the resort above sea level. And to compare two resorts literally round the corner from each other due to base altitude is in my mind misleading. The ski Welte for example, again just round the corner. I doubt very much I ever ski back down to the valley other than the last run of the day back into Brixen. it doesn't even concern me that its south facing and is prone to the sun, as the vast majority of the skiing is at the top of the mountain. Similar to once you get off the Flekelmbahn gondola, most of the skiing is in front of you at circa 2000 metres level. And even if you do want to ski back down the Kaesir/Flek runs, Ive only ever really found it hard going late in the season, and then only the lower quarter. The vast majority of the season its no more an issue than the other runs you have talked about in Zell or Saalbach.

Lets leave the height discussion to the more Western resorts who seem to be far more hung up about it than we need to be.

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Personally I would say that Ischgl and the Arlberg are the two best resorts in Austria, considerably better than the rest both for the actual skiing, for reliable snow conditions especially later in the season and also the apres etc. However that doesnt mean other places are not good to ski too. I often go to Ski Welt / Kitzbühel and less often to S-H as they are easier to get to for me than western Austria. I am always wary about suggesting going to these places after the end of February as the snow conditions can deteriorate quite quickly. I know there are extensive snow making facilities and the resorts put lots of effort into keeping the runs in the best conditions possible but it is all a bit of a lottery.

It does depend to a large extent on what is important to you, if skiing is the main focus then not sure I would suggest either Kitzbühel or S-H in March but if you want a holiday where skiing is just one part then both would be good. Personally I much prefer Kitzbühel to S-H, to me the S-H skiing is rather fragmented and too much is on low south facing slopes but I know others think differently. I think the skiing at Kitzbühel has more variety, interest and challenge. However as a holiday destination I can see why S-H might be preferred, with easier access to the slopes and better apres.

After all it is free

[quote="jafa"]@tatmanstours, I will reply keeping it simple as can be. The village altitude height is only something that the French resorts seem to fire away at the Austrian resorts as its primarily the only stick they have to try to hit them with.

I recall going to the ski show many years ago, and vistiting resort stabds for the US.
On a couple of the stands they promoted the low altitude of some Eastern US resorts as a distinct advantage over Europe, apparently you were less likely to suffer from altitude sickness Shocked

kitzbuhel for me, will be my 9th visit next March, i love thehistory of the town, have found a fantastic hotel close the Hahnenkahm gondola. Love the variety of skiing though some my find some of it strung out.

Mayrhofen, I stayed in Finkenburg as I thought access to the mountain would be better, it wasnt, a slow gondola from the valley caused a bottle neck, to a new high speed one half way up. As for the ski area, while maybe not to dissimilar to Kitz, it just didnt do it for me. it snowed all week which was good, I dont think it was linked up as well as Kits.

Never been to saalbach.

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