 Poster: A snowHead
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The largest English Glacier, South Georgia, could be very big in the near future!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The skiing on the glacier at Val D'Isere is limited, but more interesting than most.
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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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| JimSearle wrote: |
| The largest English Glacier, South Georgia, could be very big in the near future! |
Except that its British, not English, and the lift infrastructure currently consists of waiting for the Navy to come by twice per year with HMS Endurance and its Lynx helicopter. Plus the glaciers in the British Antarctic Territory are bigger by some considerable margin 
Been there, seen it, but haven't skiied it, unfortunately...
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| Latchigo wrote: |
DB, My name is not Michael Fish. Google.
Austria used to have a larger share of the market than France. Poor snow was the factor that boosted the stations de ski. Prices and popularity of DIY holidays has renewed interest in Austria. |
All my skiing other than one week has been done in the last eight years. Always planned to ski France when conditions were better there than here in Austria. I can remember seasons when conditions were either simultaneously good or bad in both countries but in the last eight years I can't remember a time when one was significantly better than the other for the whole season. Austria tended to experience more short periods where snow was better than France. Was it really that much different decades ago? The real differences have tended to be Europe v USA & Canada.
The Austrians have heavily invested in lifts and esp. snow making facilities in recent years.
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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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For all-round holiday experience - Austria would probably win against France. I think Switzerland might edge it though.
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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| Latchigo, this is true although there were other factors... tour ops could make more money ramming punters into rabbit hutch apartments so pumped up France, Austria was slow to update infrastructure like lifts, snowmaking, rental. Does it matter which is best? |
If you have skied both places you can make your own mind up. If you have never skied before it might help you decide where to go.
It makes a change from all the threads on the economy, but it has been discussed on Snowheads many times before, along with Europe versus North America.
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... never been ( to be rectified this season) ... but they speak German so behind everywhere else ...
..steps back 
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I've never had a problem getting a holiday flat in Austria for the exact dates I want (meaning not Sat to Sat). Not so elsewhere. This is a big plus in my book (as is the generally lower cost and larger size of said holiday flat).
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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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In the days of the Great British Piste Basher, when these things were important, the Frenchman in his station de ski could turn to the Austrian and say :-
'I could not help noticing that I have considerably more kilometres of piste than yow.'
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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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| stanton wrote: |
| Yes, no contest. |
surely it gets -50 points if stanton goes there 
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| Latchigo wrote: |
In the days of the Great British Piste Basher, when these things were important, the Frenchman in his station de ski could turn to the Austrian and say :-
'I could not help noticing that I have considerably more kilometres of piste than yow.' |
Who wants pistes? gimme powder and offpiste (e.g. St Anton) - must visit La Grave one of these days though.
....... but what type of French stereotype are you
http://www.leapfrog-properties.com/french_stereotypes/
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You know it makes sense.
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| Agenterre wrote: |
| but they speak German so behind everywhere else |
Ah, but you forget to mention that they happily speak English too 
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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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Elizabeth B, .. well that puts them one ahead of me
DB, Worth a thread of its own .. Im an Onion Seller
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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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add to the list - willingness to speak English (and before I get shot down in flames for being typical Brit abroad I can speak fairly decent German) 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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Boredsurfing, No special insurance that I know off? Not sure about the tyres as the public transport is so good I wouldnt bother driving
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| waynos wrote: |
| You can now even use plastic to pay for things. |
I did quite like the old aluminium coins (I guess that's what they were made from?). Didn't weigh your pockets down.
Austria or Switzerland come first for me. Only a 5 hour drive to the nearest good resorts instead of 7 to the nearest French resort. 5 hour drive is of the same order as a getting to/from airports and checking in etc. Switzerland top for food imho unless your allergic to cheese. France is good if you don't mind taking out a 2nd mortgage to buy the bottle of water that was filled from water that came out of the mountain you're skiing on.
Definitely want to do St.Anton and/or Ischgl this yr, and probably occasional weekends at Mayrhofen/Zillertal Arena. Will sort out bashes first, then fit everything around that.
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| Ordhan wrote: |
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Austria was slow to update infrastructure like lifts, snowmaking, rental
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You obviously have not been recently? |
The important word in there is "was". I go there all the time.
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andy, I just realised where you are starting your drive from ...! 
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| Switzerland top for food imho unless your allergic to cheese |
..shouldnt that read ...if you're addicted to cheese .. otherwise youll starve! I love the country but their food was awful when I stayed there last winter.
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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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| Quote: |
Quality of skiing
Value for money
Transfer Time
Snow History
Length of season
Hospitality of locals
Passion for skiing
Teaching
Attractiveness of resorts
Standard of resort Accomodation and food
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Personal opinion on these a lot vary more between resorts within a country than between countries But
Quality of skiing
I would put Switzerland top though this varies more than any other.
Value
Yep Austria wins on that one.
Snow History
Dunno, some low Austrian resorts had a pretty torrid time in the late 80's from memory though Arlberg seems better than most so do odd 'snow holes' elsewhere. (La Ros anyone)
Length of Season
Dunno Scandinavia doesn't seem bad for non glacial places.
Hospitality
Maye Austria though to genreralise, small resorts better than big anywhere.
Skiing Passion
Yeah probably Austria.
Teaching
Good and bad anywhere I've certainly had poor lessons in Austria.
Attractiveness
Switzerland for me.
Accommodation and food
Austria for accommodation Italy for food Switzerland for a compromise of both.
Transfer time
Well from Scotland apart from domestic skiing Switzerland is best then France then Austria.
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Agenterre, far be it from me to defend Switzerland, a country which I find it easy to dislike, but it does have some great grub, although probably not in its ski resorts (which are not a fair test of any country's cuisine, with some worthy exceptions).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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richmond, It must just be my taste ..
superb dairy and cow products but I hate it and I must have spent 6-12 months plus there in the last couple of years not just Saanenland but Ticino , Valais , Vaud, Geneva and Zurich as well. Its the lack of veggies and salad stuff that did my head in last winter . I found myself trying to get to Migros as it opened to get the best available before it ran out!
-- Ill shut it now, sorry all ... interesting reading about Austria and skiing, I'm creating an unnecessary diversion !
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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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NON!
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Kruisler, JA!
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You know it makes sense.
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Not the most accessible of places compared to France & Switzerland where long weekends skiing everyday are easily achievable.
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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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After quite epic trips in last 3 years to Lech/Arlberg/Innsbruck, various places in the Tux/Zillertal Valley and Ischgl, I'm hooked. Lots of regular, deep pow, huge off-piste areas with great terrain, some wonderful pistes - unbeatable really. Only really seen busy pistes in St Anton, and lift systems are excellent.
Value for money is unbeatable too. Beer/food prices on par/lower than what I pay in a mid-market US/Canadian ski hill, some good local wines/beers, accommodation good quality with wellness areas really appreciated, and the funniest apres imaginable. And lift tickets are a bargain, esp compared to major North American ski hills.
I'd love to return to the Val D'Iseres, 3 Valleys and Verbier's of this world, but it's not top of my list. Crowds, prices and hoardes of British tourists don't appeal. I'd rather hit somewhat 'off-beat' places like Serre Chevalier, La Ros, Gressonay, and no doubt a few more I'm still to discover. But right now, too many must-do places in Austria with snow records that are enough to entice me over from North America
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Poster: A snowHead
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| fatbob wrote: |
| Not the most accessible of places compared to France & Switzerland where long weekends skiing everyday are easily achievable. |
Sorry but that's tosh. The top French resorts (apart rom Cham) are long transfers whereas Austria's top places are generally 1-1.5 hours.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No.
Switzerland is the best overall.
Austria is full of pikeys and dungeons.
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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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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| fatbob wrote: |
| Not the most accessible of places compared to France & Switzerland where long weekends skiing everyday are easily achievable. |
Sorry but that's tosh. The top French resorts (apart rom Cham) are long transfers whereas Austria's top places are generally 1-1.5 hours. |
Flights into Innsbruck and Salzburg don't seem to be as numerous nor as conveniently timed for work/fly/ski/fly when I last looked whereas this is easy into Lyon, Geneva, Basle, Zurich. In France this gives you PDS, Grand Massif, Megeve/les Cont, Cham & all the Oisans areas pretty easily.
Someone find me convenient and well-priced flights into Innsbruck and I'm more than happy to give it more of a go.
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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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| Ordhan wrote: |
| Quote: |
Austria was slow to update infrastructure like lifts, snowmaking, rental
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You obviously have not been recently? |
He said was!
That may well have been a major part of the reasons why France became more popular. But most Austrian resorts now have modernised pretty well.
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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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| DB wrote: |
Italian Glaciers
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Breuil-Cervinia
Passo Tonale
Val Senales
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I actually stayed (pretty well accidentally) in Val Senales for a night last week - but didn't ski, although it was open, and the thunderstorm we had at valley level as we arrived almost certainly meant freshies on the Glacier.
Unfortunately, that was the night I was rather unwell (I wasn't exactly well for any of the trip, but that was the worst night.)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| fatbob wrote: |
| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| fatbob wrote: |
| Not the most accessible of places compared to France & Switzerland where long weekends skiing everyday are easily achievable. |
Sorry but that's tosh. The top French resorts (apart rom Cham) are long transfers whereas Austria's top places are generally 1-1.5 hours. |
Flights into Innsbruck and Salzburg don't seem to be as numerous nor as conveniently timed for work/fly/ski/fly when I last looked whereas this is easy into Lyon, Geneva, Basle, Zurich. In France this gives you PDS, Grand Massif, Megeve/les Cont, Cham & all the Oisans areas pretty easily.
Someone find me convenient and well-priced flights into Innsbruck and I'm more than happy to give it more of a go. |
Best gateways for many Austrian resorts aren't in Austria... eg. Munich and Zurich. More flights than you can shake a stick at.
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| fatbob wrote: |
| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| fatbob wrote: |
| Not the most accessible of places compared to France & Switzerland where long weekends skiing everyday are easily achievable. |
Sorry but that's tosh. The top French resorts (apart rom Cham) are long transfers whereas Austria's top places are generally 1-1.5 hours. |
Flights into Innsbruck and Salzburg don't seem to be as numerous nor as conveniently timed for work/fly/ski/fly when I last looked whereas this is easy into Lyon, Geneva, Basle, Zurich. In France this gives you PDS, Grand Massif, Megeve/les Cont, Cham & all the Oisans areas pretty easily.
Someone find me convenient and well-priced flights into Innsbruck and I'm more than happy to give it more of a go. |
From where?
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Bode Swiller,
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Best gateways for many Austrian resorts aren't in Austria... eg. Munich and Zurich. More flights than you can shake a stick at.
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These are the gateways I use for Austria but in terms of convenience they are less convenient than Geneva, Lyon etc. for the majority of French resorts.
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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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Easy jet are doing quite a few flights to Innsbruck from Gatwick, Liverpool and Brsitol - so easilly reachable from Wales (apart from Gatwick perhaps). Friedrichshafen is a good one for Arlberg area - good road and train links. Ryanair go there but only from Dublin and Stanstead
What I find quite amazing about this post is that the majority prefer Austria, yet the majority of Brits do go to France. Keep it that way!
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Weekend in Jan at random - easyjet lgw-inn
Fri latest flight out 12.15
Sun latest rtn 16.20
Not ideal for the weekend warrior.
compare to timetables for gva etc which give 2 full days skiing and require v little time off work on the Friday.
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