Poster: A snowHead
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I am looking to plan a family ski trip the week Dec 26-Jan2. We are three families going together and hope to stay in self-catering apartments. I would like to go someplace family friendly, with good snow and not terribly crowded. Am I asking for too much?
What places should we def. avoid?
We range in skill level from from beginner to high intermediate. We are driving from Germany so any place in Austria would do. Last year we went to the Dolomites and that was great, but don't want to travel that far this year.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Am I asking for too much?
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Probably, at New Year, but welcome to Snowheads anyway. Someone with good knowledge of Austrian possibilities will no doubt be along soon.
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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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I can really only speak about St.Anton where I live. New Year week is the busiest and therefore most expensive time of the season with prices for accommodation at least 30% higher than normal. Also by this time the resort is also already very booked up so you will struggle to find somewhere to take all of you in the one place. If your kids are youngish I would not consider coming here as this is a pretty crazy week with St.Anton being a big party town!! The slopes are also very very busy. If it was me I would come for the Christmas week, the slopes are a bit quieter and you will get much much better deals on accommodation.... But I would certainly advise you start getting organised now if you want to ski for New Year where ever you go as for sure most resorts will be getting very booked up already...
Have fun!!
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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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You think this is hard? Try organising a trip for family (intermediates) plus two friends (offpiste skiers) plus their significant others (beginners), when you know that one or two of the friends may not come after all...
But in your place, I would base myself in one of the smaller villages in a larger area. This should avoid some crowds and control the costs.
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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 be amazed if you could get anywhere New Year week for 3 families. I would think your only chance would be tour op, but even then I doubt they will have availability for 3 families in the same accomadation
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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gnftr66, Kappl/See area might be worth a shout? Just down the road from Ischgl but great kids area up on hill at Kappl side. I'm taking my lot there on 2nd Jan for a great price.
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gnftr66, as you may know since you say you're driving from Germany, Germans like to book their holidays a year in advance as they end their current ones. The result is that things get booked up really quickly for a week like Christmas-New Years. Three years ago I had a bear of a time finding anything for that week for just a couple while also trying to book in September. The solution, as others have noted, ended up being to stay not in the main resort but in a neighbouring village. In our case that was Grainau instead of Garmisch.
Having said that, most Austrian resorts have a function through their website where you can give the tourist office your requirements, and they make those details available to hotel and apartment owners for three days. You then sit back and wait to be contacted about any vacencies. If I were you, I'd pick a few resorts you are interested in and try it. It's not as though you have anything to lose, and someone else is doing all the work. This worked for us last Christmas for Bad Gastein (although we booked in the spring), and it was great.
As for crowds, my experience is that they are unavoidable starting from the weekend before New Years, although not really an issue before that.
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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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gnftr66, Welcome to Snowheads
This site is useful for finding accomodation (including apartments):
http://www.tiscover.com/
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Thanks for all the replies. I guess I really need to get on this.
Any advice of which place to look at? I did find some places in St. Anton, but am concerned about the crowds.
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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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gnftr66, frankly, it's going to be crowded everywhere. It's about the busiest week of the year. But surely almost every other resort in Austria would be more family friendly than St Anton? You need to sit at a computer and hunt for accommodation - I was doing that last week, for friends who were wondering about renting an apartment somewhere near ours (France) and joining us for a week. There was just about nothing and they gave up the idea. Lose no time. Do what ami in berlin says.
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