 Poster: A snowHead
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There have been discussions on her in the past about France v Austria apartments and value for money, etc.
I've booked many apartments in France. Last year I paid 500 Euros at xmas and 300 at Easter (at Les Coches and La Norma) respectively. I was looking at Ischgl previously and now at serfaus-fiss-ladis and prices are coming up at 1000 Euros minimum. Am I looking in the wrong places here (official website accomodation search) or what?
Anyone know of an apartment that can accomodate 4 in serfaus-fiss-ladis for christmas week for somewhere near 500 Euros.
I just checked the apartment we rented in Les Coches last xmas. It's available at 533 Euros. The only reason we are looking elsewhere is lift pass prices and general VFM. Our kids are young and we can do smaller resorts at the moment (hence La Norma). Plus we are going to south west germany for new year after. Have I got this Austria thing all wrong?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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So much for Austria being a cheap paradise then. 
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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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Probably not comparing like for like! Although I have no idea about a website to look for cheap apartments in Austria. Serfaus does have a lot of apartments but I would expect them to be pretty pricey, as would those in Ischgl. I'd say a similar level of resort to Les Coches would be somewhere like Mayrhofen in Austria but I don't know what their apartment supply is like. There tends to be a lot of hotels rather than apartments.
Sorry, that hasn't been much help but you would need to look at cheaper resorts than Serfaus or Ischgl.
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Layne, I paid 700 Euro for a large 2 bedroom apartment in Zell am See last New Year. Had seperate kitchen and seperate lounge with big flat screen, wifi etc. It felt like v v good VFM.
Don't forget, all Austrian apartments have secret cellars equal in size to the apartment. You just need to find the trap door and key and get past the sound proofing.
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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 think the French apartment model is rare elsewhere so you are less likely to find like for like in other countries. Best value for money in Austria might be a nice family-run pension.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We've found Austrian apartments on booking.com.
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Layne, You are not comparing like with Like Ischgl is Austria's premier resort with St Anton and Lech. You are comparing it to Les Coches and La Norma try comparing prices with say Chamonix or Courcheval for a better comparison.
Look at resorts like Saalbach, Mayrhofen, Lermoos and Solden for a better price match.
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Layne, Serfaus-Fiss is not the cheapest of resorts plus it is really really popular with families over Xmas and NY. Things get booked up very early. There are other Austrian resorts where you will find better value accommodation. You say that you are heading to Germany after New Year - have you thought about skiing in Bavaria? There are some great small resorts in the Allgäu which represent good value for money.
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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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| feefee wrote: |
| We've found Austrian apartments on booking.com. |
Yes, it can throw up some really good deals and even at times when certain resorts are allegedly "fully booked".
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I've found this year is more expensive than last in general.
The same holiday as I took in March is over £200 more this time round.
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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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| Lizzard wrote: |
| So much for Austria being a cheap paradise then. |
+1
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-2
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You know it makes sense.
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As others have said, Serfaus-Fiss is not the cheapest. Out of curiosity I have just looked on the Zillertal website. There are plenty of apartments for 4 people available for around £500. Is there a specific reason why you chose Serfaus-Fiss?
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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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I wouldn't expect to get a GOOD apartment in a top resort in France for 500 euros for Christmas week. For an apartment like mine (piste-side, 2 beds, nice apartment in an obscure resort) you'd pay around 750 euros for Christmas week. I've always got the impression, maybe wrongly, that in France there's a greater range of quality and price - some very, very, cheap apartments, in smaller resorts, and some eye-wateringly expensive and luxurious places too. And maybe a bigger range of self catering accommodation, and correspondingly fewer hotels. French people seem to go more for renting an apartment and going out to eat in a choice of restaurants (if they have the money) or cooking for themselves (if they don't, and/or have small kids).
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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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Layne, If you want to ski Ischgl on the cheap as opposed to staying in Ischgl try one of the resorts down the valley. We have stayed in very reasonable priced accommodation in Kappl for several years and driven a short distance to ski at Ischgl. Not really a great way of enjoying Ischgl's nightlife but a great way of enjoying the skiing on the cheap.
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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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Thanks for all the replies. Let's first of state that I am no way anti-Austrian. It's not my regular haunt but I've done a few day/short trips there.. Sonnenkopf, Stubai, Wart-Schroken, St Anton because my in-laws live in SW Germany - and they've been great. And indeed the in-laws are largely why I am once again looking to go down that way. Even though they are not now going skiing with us this time, we are going to their house after our weeks skiing. And I thought a 3 hour drive would be better than a 7 hour one from France. Plus we are trying to avoid the mega-resorts at the minute on account of the kids being young. However, I don't want to go anywhere with less than 100km and want a fully connected, pretty much ski in ski out resort. Anyway, originally I was looking at Ishgl and found it seemed expensive and some people suggestd Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. I liked the look of it so....
I am not adverse to going other resorts and indeed that was part of the reason for my question... is it just Ishgl and Serfaus... although it seems many of the others will add an hour to my journey. Not necessarily the end of the world.
I don't believe Les Coches is regarded as a particular cheap place to stay and I can get want I want for 533 Euros. I don't need a particular spacious apartment. If Serfaus only does spacious at double the price then clearly it's not going to work for me.
I'll keep digging on Serfaus at sites mentioned and look at some of the other options people suggested.
Some of the Austrian resorts confuse the hell out of me. Zillertal being an example. Seems like a set of 10 unconnected but close small ski areas. I'm sure it works but I wouldn't have a clue where to say.
I should just say that I know Austrian isn't France, and I know a lot aren't ski in ski out and the other pro's and con's. I just needed an angle on whether my (perhaps naive) expectations on price for Serfaus and the like were way off beam.
To spin my head further I have been glancing at places like Chamrousse and even Switzerland, which I know little about either!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Layne wrote: |
| I just needed an angle on whether my (perhaps naive) expectations on price for Serfaus and the like were way off beam. |
Yes, they are off. And Ischgl is a party resort, which maybe with 2 young kids is not top on your list of priorities.
Mayrhofen is one of the larger resorts in the Zillertal - plenty to keep you occupied there.
Try the resorts in the Ski Welt, ie Ellmau, Soll etc, also Westendorf. Vast area of skiing there and a short 5 min bus ride from slopes the other side of Westendorf gets you into the Kitzbuhel ski area.
Zell am See would be another good area.
However, as said, Austria does not tend to have the large blocks of rabbit hutch apartments that can be found in France. You may be better looking at B&B or garni hotels.
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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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| Quote: |
the large blocks of rabbit hutch apartments that can be found in France
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even in the big name resorts - so you can have massive areas, massive convenience, at non-massive prices, if you are OK with a small apartment. And in a low-cost resort, such as the satellite areas (maybe including Les Coches, but I wouldn't know) you can ski big name resorts very cheaply. Sure, the meals out and beers are ruinously expensive, but if you buy a big pack of supermarket beers and shop intelligently you can eat and drink very well for not a lot of money. Sit down proper lunches are wonderful - but in all the years we went skiing as a family with kids, whether in Austria or France, we never had them. And I rarely have them now, though I ski for much of the season. No way could I afford it. You save a lot, with little kids, having your own slopeside place equipped with sensible stuff for lunch, tea, coffee and some beers in the fridge. With a B & B every single drink, snack, meal, glass of wine, will cost extra - and even at Austrian prices, or in the less ruinous French resorts, that mounts up rapidly with kids. Or without them, come to that.
For partying adults who want to eat out and drink in bars, Austrian B & Bs are no doubt cheaper, but for a family with small kids, wanting a holiday on a tight budget, a self-catering slopeside apartment will be preferable, and there are more of those in France.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Layne, Yes, there are several resorts in Zillertal, they're not all small though. Hochzillertal has 188kms of piste, Mayrhofen is about the same, Zillertal Arena is a bit bigger. If you want ski in, ski out in Zillertal then you would need to look at Hochfuegen or Koenigsleiten, everywhere else, I think, you would have go up into the ski area by gondola. I know in Hochzillertal and in Mayrhofen it is possible to store your skis at the top of the gondola so with little kids it wouldn't be so much of a faff to get them and all their equipment into the gondola every morning.
If you start seriously considering somewhere in Zillertal, give me a shout and I'll put some more thought into it 
Good luck with your search!
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| Quote: |
Try the resorts in the Ski Welt, ie Ellmau, Soll etc, also Westendorf. Vast area of skiing there and a short 5 min bus ride from slopes the other side of Westendorf gets you into the Kitzbuhel ski area.
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Great suggestion.
Layne, Ischgl is one of the biggest party resorts in the Alps, and can be pretty rowdy - so seems like a very odd choice for what you want! I think the SkiWelt would be a great area for you, may not be quite ski in ski out (when I used to stay in Westendorf, our hotel was towards the edge of the village - two minute walk in to the hire shop/ski depot, which was right by the lifts), but lots of cruisy pistes for the kids. Friends have stayed in appartments many times in Westendorf, don't know the name, sorry, but they are there. Some of the other small villages (not Soll) are also worth looking at if on a budget - Ellmau, Scheffau, etc.
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Might also be worth looking at Leogang, at the quiet end of the Saalbach HInterglemm ski area.
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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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SaraJ, great, informative post. I will have a look and if necessary come back to you. I do not want to download by lift or drive because of the age of the children. There is enough faffing about with the bugs as it is Also as pam w, describes well an apartment suits us well at this time.
I originally looked at Ischgl because we had grandparents (one non-skier) on the trip but when questioned they really weren't up for it. So I then reverted back to my traditional hunting ground, France. But then I thought of the fact we are going to SW germany after and the Saturday transfer time. And revisited the Austria idea. So all a bit of messy. Now they are not we are open in regard of any apartment in a small or big town; ski in/ski out to 100k of good skiing. I shall continue with my investigations and ruminations.
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Layne, have a look at Kappl as T Bar, suggested. Have stayed there twice with the family. Great value and we paid €50 a night db&b right on the piste - food was excellent too. Gasthof Alpenfrieden. Ischgl and Serfaus are on a par with Lech in terms of price
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Layne, what dates are you looking at?
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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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22nd > 29th December.
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You know it makes sense.
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Montana, cheers, I had seen some stuff there (Ried) and the price is in range but as I understand it Ried im Oberinntal is a bus or car journey to the lifts. Oh hold, it says... Nearest Ski : Seilbahn Ried-Fendels at 300 Metres... I seem to have missed that funicular on the map. Is it new?
Uploading and downloading at the start of each day isn't ideal but it's an option - cheers!
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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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Layne, you're welcome 
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Poster: A snowHead
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We booked Feb half-term week in Serfaus and have got a two bedroom apartment near the nursery slope for about €1400 - this is at the cheaper end of the spectrum. There really didn't seem to be much choice at the lower end of the market. You might find that Ladis is a bit cheaper.
Ried IS a car/bus journey away from Serfaus. It is a very windy and steep road up to Serfaus/Fiss/Ladis- it's not that far but wouldn't be fun in dicey weather - winter tyres would be advisable. The seilbahn you refer to serves the Fendels ski area which is a separate to the Serfaus skiing.
If you don't mind a smaller resort have considered something in Germany a bit closer to your onward destination. Not been skiing there but I know that Oberstdorf is a really nice spot.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Tirol, cheers for the clarification.
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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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Serfaus is quite expensive. However, there are many resorts that are much cheaper . Many hotels and many private b & b have apartments and in places like skiwelt or ski amade (flachau or radstadt) you can find great deals. Same for Fugen or Kaltenbach in the Zillertal
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FAQ
