 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm already thinking about next year's trip because with 9 people to organise it takes forever! So, we all love Austria, mainly due to the charming villages, apres ski and quick flights and transfers. We have been to Kitzbuhel, Ski Welt, Saalbach, Mayrhofen and various resorts in the Zillertal and Zell am Zee/Kaprun so that should be a good idea of what we're after.
We are considering the following for next year (February) and require a minimum of 150km of piste with easy access to the slopes (not buses if it can be helped):
Schladming (enough apres ski?)
Saalbach (again - our favourite so far, could go for Hinterglemm for a change?)
Ischgl (bit pricy - is there a cheaper way?)
St Anton (nervous intermediates, 3 second weekers in our group?)
Lech (as Ischgl)
Bad Gastein area (going in the New Year!)
I should add that we like comfortable hotels, preferably with good facilities.
If anyone has been to the above and can offer any advice it would be much appreciated.
Cheers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Plenty of comfy hotels in BadG. More of a small attractive town rather than your typical Austrian village, but we liked it. Plenty of lively bars but the apres lacks a focal area. Casino and thermal baths good for a laugh and make a change from just boozing in the evening. If you don't like buses and walking up steep hills check the position of your accom carefully!
Big ski area but split into 5 seperate mountains, of which only 2 are linked. All worth a visit. Mainly suited to inters, best advanced terrain on Graukogel, but this area is lowest & has least snowmaking. Conditions were excellent last Jan but if snow is sparse get the bus to SportGastein. You will have to bus/taxi to at least 2 areas (no matter where you stay) if you want to ski the lot. Most people don't bother with DorfGastein but it is excellent: I spent 2 whole days out of 6 there.
Lots of accom in BadHofGastein as well, which is lift-linked into the main area above BadG. No idea about apres there. Overall it is poor for beginners, very good for inters, pretty good for advanced, but if you hate buses you won't get the most out of the area.
Relatively cheap as well, unlike Ischgl (I hear). Not been personally but I think Galtur is linked by ski-bus, has its own small ski area, is cheaper, but has less apres.
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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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Saalbach is great with some really good intermediate runs. Great fun.
St Anton is also good for intermediates with Expert standard apres! Even more fun!
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Leave St Anton till later when nobody is nervous and the lower level skiers have improved. Lech is probably better for your group although the Apres ski is much better in St Anton.
Schladming doesn't have the biggest Apres Ski just a few umbrella bars and bars / clubs.
Other places to consider for nervous intermediates with good Apres Ski
Solden (Nearby Obergurgl isn't bad either but with less Apres Ski than Solden)
http://www.bergfex.com/soelden/
Obertauern
http://www.bergfex.com/obertauern/
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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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hayley t, why only Austria? There are a whole load of places in Switzerland that are equally charming and offer just as much. Why not try Flims/Laax or on a slightly smaller scale the Engadin village of Scuol. Likewise St. Moritz, has great skiing and is not only reserved for the stupidly rich!
Also worth considering the German/Austrian resort of Oberstdorf/Kleinwalsertal, which I can only recommend. Not quite as big as Saalbach or Kitz, but has a lot to be said for it. OK my wife comes from Kleinwalsertal so I'm not completely unbiased!
I try to avoid the 'big' resorts as much as I can these days. I find that in the smaller resorts you get better value for money, less drink-till-you-drop tourism, and on the skiing side there is almost as much variety and challenge to be found as there is in the bigger resorts. For example Kleinwalsertal is known as an eldorado for powder skiing, but only in southern Germany and Voralberg. Small is beautiful! The only exception to this rule for me is Kitz, which in my mind is a big place which has managed to stay small...
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hayley t, I've skied all the resorts you've listed and I'd agree that you should ski Ischgl and stay in Galtur as ice perv advises, if the accom cost is too high. When I stayed there the two resorts were linked by public bus, so I guess that's still the case. I also agree with DB about Solden - well worth skiing.
But the Arlberg is the best. If you can find a way of staying in Lech for the right price that'll be the perfect spot (usually with the best snow too), with buses to St Anton for days of skiing there. DB's right that St Anton is a bit ambitious for the more nervous skiers, though the Rendl area is lovely for intermediates.
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Mike Lawrie, we would consider Switzerland, although the transfers seem longer and the cost a bit higher compared to Austria (at least most resorts in Austria). Agreed Flims looks good, although when I went to Switzerland I found the apres ski on the tame side! We also need a minimum of 150km of piste as some of us put the miles in which I think Flims has. I will check out Oberstorf but my other vested interest in Austria/German speaking areas etc is that I'm learning German and want to use it.
the ice perv, myself and Mr T are off to B'Gastein for my 30th in the New Year and staying at the Salzburgerhof. I realise snow cover is a bit iffy at that time of year and the two of us don't mind buses, it's the rest of the group that do, so we'll be fine. PLus the hotel looks stunning.
David Goldsmith, I remember you recommended Saalbach to me a couple of years ago and we loved it so I will look a bit closer into Lech and Ischgl/Galtur. Half the group are confident intermediates so the Arlberg looks like it has something for everyone. Another consideration is the cost of a lift pass which is almost double that of some of the other large ski areas in Austria.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
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