 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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shoogly, Viehhofen is pretty much midway between Zell and Saalbach, so you could do both areas on one trip if you wanted. Saalbach is bigger and slightly more snow sure, Zell is nicer and more of a normal town, so it depends on your priorities.
The snow record is good for Saalbach and Zell - 100/50cm and 100/40cm respectively, and snow making coverage is also good in both areas. Zell suffers a little from having few areas above 1750m, so when the conditions are poor, everyone is on the top 10% of the hill. Kaprun is another 20 minutes away, so unless the conditions are dire, I'd forget about trying to get there, as there's more than enough in Saalbach to keep you busy, while Zell would be OK for 3-4 days before you got bored of doing the same runs. Piste maps are at http://www.saalbach.at/PisteMap.87.0.html?L=1 and http://www.schmitten.at/en/winter/map-of-the-slopes/ respectively. Personally, for a full week I'd go with Saalbach, but you have the option of paying €10 extra for the Salzburg super ski pass which also covers Zell and Kaprun among the 23 regions included.
Flights are difficult from Scotland, but Easyjet fly from Edinburgh to Munich, which could be an option. Trains from Munich to Zell am See are 2hrs 45mins to 3hrs 20mins at around €42 each way, or it is about 180Km for a 2-2.5 hour drive in a hire car.
[Edit - piste map link for Zell updated to show options]
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 29-01-09 15:21; edited 1 time in total
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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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shoogly, yes it's a very different Mayrhofen!
The nearest airport is Salzburg, but I don't think it's that easy to get there direct from Scotland, apart from on charter flights. Give me a minute and I'll do some digging!
Viehhofen is I think almost at the junction where the Saalbavh road meets the Zell road, so it should be easy to get to either. There is now a skipass which covers both resorts, so you don't have to choose one for the whole week. Saalbach is more extensive with the ski circuit, but Zell is pretty and a nice mountain to ski on for at least a few days, plus the glacier is also just beyond Zell if you fancy that again.
D
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Alternatively, skip via Stansted and then on from there to Salzburg with Ryanair, or from Leeds/Bradford to Salzburg with Jet2.com
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just been looking at the Salzburg Airport arrivals list and Thomson have a flight from Glasgow on Saturdays. Just looked on the Thomson website and there's no mention of Salzburg at all. Will they be contracting the flight out to someone else?
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Also, there is a skiway down into Viehhofen from the Vorderglemm area of Saalbach, but whether it is open much I don't know. We've done the long 2b run on the other side of the valley once, and never again - after what seems like days, you arrive at the bottom desperate for a rest and a chance to sit down, only to find that the Schonelitenbahn gondola has no seats...
If you like very long cruising runs, Saalbach has it in spades - the longest pisted run is 7km, with several over 4km in length.
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shoogly, that'll be Thomson the tour operator rather than Thomsonfly, the airline - what you can see is a charter flight. They might sell flight-only tickets at the last minute to fill the plane, but not early on if it means they can't sell a holiday with it.
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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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Ha ha ha ha ha...
Just did a search on Austria Airlines for Edinburgh - Salzburgh via Frankfurt.
cost for two adults and an infant... £2,500!!!!
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Doing a quick check on Easyjet, it's about £350 doing Glasgow-Gatwick-Salzburg for 2+1, but the flight times aren't exactly designed for this sort of connection. Trying Glasgow-Stansted-Salzburg via Easyjet and then Ryanair might be a better option - pricing this for 28/2/09 to 7/3/09 gives £116 with Easyjet, plus £125 with Ryanair, plus of course the hidden baggage charges Ryanair land you with after you agree to buy the flight, but that's still probably about £350 all in for the 3 of you at non-peak times.
Plus you get the joy of time in an airport lounge, so the journey becomes 12 hours rather than 5.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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hmmmm... this is looking less and less likely. it's fine if i arrange a complete trip through someone like crystal, but as i said, we've got access to a very nice chalet that isn't available through any tour operator.
maybe we should just take the ferry from rosyth to zeebrugge and drive 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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shoogly, can you find flights to Munich?
It really is an easy drive. (and quick if you do 120 on the Motorways in Germany).
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shoogly, as Jagerbull says, if you can get to Munich, that is an easy drive.
Or get to either Leeds (Jet2), Manchester (Thomsonfly), Stansted (Easy & Ryanair) or Gatwich (Easy) and fly from there.
It is a bit of a mare from Scottish airports, but if Munich is doable then that would be the best bet.
D
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You know it makes sense.
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| shoogly wrote: |
| maybe we should just take the ferry from rosyth to zeebrugge and drive down! |
I have driven from Zeebrugge to my home in Chiemgau, halfway between Munich and Salzburg, several times (using the previous ferry operator). That usually took around 9-10 hours. Zell/Saalbach would be another hour and a bit, I guess. If you have two drivers you might manage a little faster. The ferry (and the fuel) weren't all that cheap!
I flew Munich-Edinburgh with easyJet last December and was very happy with them, as was a friend who was out here skiing last week. I think he paid £145 return (for one person) - I only paid €68 return but without ski gear.
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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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| Jagerbull wrote: |
| (and quick if you do 120 on the Motorways in Germany). |
Do you mean mph or km/h?  My calculations above were at about that speed - in km/h.
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Poster: A snowHead
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We've just got back from a stay in Viehhofen. The village is on the main road into Saalbach which is about 5km away. There is a regular free ski bus that takes you to the cable car at Vorderglemm where you can easily access the slopes of both Saalbach and Leogang. The cable car station also has a large free car park if you prefer to drive.
At the end of the day you can ski back to Viehhofen via a long easy blue run which returns you to within 200m of the village grocery store.
We bought a Super Salzburger ski pass which for about an extra 10 euros allows access to all areas in Salzburgerland. As well as Saalbach-Hinterglemm we also ventured out to Zell-am-See, Muhlbach, Mittersill and Kitzbuhel on the day of the Super G race.
Hope this helps.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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thanks for that SCollier1,
i'll look into Munich flights later today.
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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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Agree with all the basic advice above. Fly to Munich and drive down is fine - but beware the extras on the car hire. Not cheap from there. (Lufthansa have a sale on at present)
The ski bus service from Viehofen is not brilliant, but you are very much in the Saalbach domain there. Viehofen itself is very quiet. I have never seen the unpisted trail down to Vierhofen from the top of the Asitz open, but I know someone who gets down it to their place in Vierhofen.
Saalbach Hinterglemm is a brilliant ski area with something for everyone.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 30-01-09 13:51; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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shoogly, Check out Inghams or First Choice for flights - think they do Edi and Gla to Salzburg. Innsbruck COULD be an option but not as convenient as either Salzburg or potentially Munich. You could also check out the easyjet route from Edi to Munich, although I THINK it will be a 3 hours drive (drove to Kaprun from Glasgow in summer 2007). Visited Saalbach a couple of times during our trip and really loved it - would definitely go back in winter. Viehofen will (I presume) be a cheaper option than Saalbach or Hinterglemm and that's because it looks a lot less convenient than staying in Saalbach or Hnterglemm - from memory did not look as if there was a great deal of skiing around Viehofen - 1 lift maybe.
My brother in law went to Saalbach for years and loved it - great skiing and apres.
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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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have looked into flights...
can do BA via heathrow for £150 each or sleazyjet to munich for £250 for all 3 of us including me skis
could be a goer, but still might be better off with a package deal.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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shoogly, did ryanair from Salzburg via Stanstead a couple of years ago on the way back from St Anton (flight times were better than Friedrichshafen and we were not away with any kids!). Don't know if doing connecting flights is a great idea though with an 18 month old. Do you have any more kids? Taking kids that young but especially on a ski trip involves a lot of gear
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nope just the one kid. If we go to Viehhofen, the grandparents will be there anyway so they would be able to help with some of the gear.
got friends who've just been away with their 13 month old and they managed (coped) well.
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shoogly, cool. Have never taken grandparent(s) away but always thought it would be a better idea than a creche. I've got 3 kids so its, 5 sets skis, boots, poles, helmets etc......Military operation when we go 
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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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jings...
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Shoogly - Just for clarity the run back down to Viehhofen is an "official" piste, run number 68 on the piste map. It also has snow making so as long as its cold enough you should be able to ski all the way down to the bottom. There is also a mountain restaurant about 2/3 of the 7km run down if you feel like a rest or refreshment.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Forgot to add. We flew to Munich and although the drive should have taken about 2 1/2 hours we got caught in terrible traffic on the way back to the airport on the German Autobahns. We set off for a 3.30 Saturday afternoon flight at 9.30 and didn't arrive at the airport until 2.30.
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