 Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks for all the Austria info on my thread a couple of weeks ago. We were looking at going to Ischgl, but awkward group/room arrangements are making it difficult to find accommodation without paying huge amounts of money.
So I've been looking at Stuben as an alternative and have already had 3 suitable offers of accommodation through this morning (from the Post/Albona, Flexen and Berg-Klause, if anyone has any opinions on those), so it looks promising. I like the central location to access other areas, without the noise of a party town (and the prices to match). But I'm going to have to sell it, so these are some of the questions I'm expecting:
1. I see you can ski to/from St Anton - how long does this take for a reasonable skier?
2. How easy is it to get to/from Lech/Zurs?
3. Is it viable to stay on in St Anton or one of the other villages to sample the apres and then get the bus back a bit later?
4. 2 of these guesthouses are B&B. If we took this option, what are the food options like in Stuben? Would it be viable to get the bus to another town in the evening for food and get a taxi back?
5. How much should we expect to pay for a taxi from St Anton to Stuben?
And a more general question that I keep being asked, is it true that the concept of a twin room is practically unheard of in Austria? (Our group includes 5 people who are travelling as singles, this means 2x 2 blokes are sharing and keep asking me why I haven't provided any twin options).
Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Stuben is a lovely small village but there are not many independent bars & restaurants. I've only been there for lunch and most of the restaurants are in the hotels which I believe are open to non residents in the evenings as well for lunchtime.
To ski to St Anton you need to take the old 2 seat Albona I chair out of Stuben, then ski across to Alpe rauz, across the road and up a 50metre T-Bar to the 6 man Valfagehr chair which gets you to near the Ulmerhutte refuge. Then you can ski down into the main part of St Anton.
With 5 people in a taxi the costs are not too bad, 8 in a taxi is as cheap as the fare paying buses during the daytime. Taxi fares go up after about 7pm.
From Alpe Rauz you can get the public buses to Zurs & Lech. However at busy times the buses do get full by the time they get to Alpe Rauz.
Evening buses between St Anton and Lech are not frequent and finish at between 8 & 9pm. Stuben is not on this bus route.
Most twins are "Austrian Twins" 2 single mattresses in a king sized bedframe!!!
Stuben is not a central location it is out on a limb.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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welshflyer, ahh ok, I'd assumed that buses from St Anton to Lech would have to pass through Stuben, but I can see from a satellite map that this is not the case. Do you know how late buses do run to Stuben?
You mention fare paying buses - are these different routes to the ski buses? I was hoping we would be able to get around on the free ski buses, or do they not go to Stuben?
Maybe I would be better off looking for somewhere to stay in St Anton (though I fear the same problems as I'm having with Ischgl). Is it more viable to get the bus to ski Lech area from St Anton than Stuben?
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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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Einari78, Thanks, that's useful. I had't considered that there is a train, though a train plus bus may be too much for tired people who've been drinking! As you recommend the Post for food, I may consider taking up their HB option without concern.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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nozawaonsen, Personally, I like peace and quiet - it's nice to go out during the day and experience the atmosphere, and then it's nice to leave!
As it is peak time, I have been having trouble finding accommodation to suit 7 people in 3x double/twins and 1x single (the single is causing most issues, though the quantity of rooms doesn't help) without it being massively expensive. I expect to have this problem in St Anton too, as it is a popular destination. Prices in Stuben seem very reasonable. St Anton also looked to be quite a trek from Lech area compared to Stuben, but I may have misunderstood the bus routes?
TBH at this point my OH is trying to persuade me that we should just ditch the rest of them and book our own trip. This now feels quite appealing, especially as I'm hearing lots of "too far from the lift", "rooms too small" and other such nonsense! It's so much easier to get 2 people into any double room, and we could be flexible about weeks too! [/rant]
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St Anton's not that much of a trek from Lech. There's a Post bus that runs between the two (doesn't stop at Stuben), or there is a ski bus that runs between Lech and Alpe Rauz. From Rauz you can ski down in to Stuben, or take the T-Bar and Valfagehrbahn heated chair to the top and ski down in to St Anton. The only free bus that goes to/from Stuben is the one that takes you to Sonnenkopf, which is another area on the Arlberg lift pass. The Sonnenkopf bus does stop at Langen am Arlberg train station from where you can get direct trains to St Anton as well as the likes of Innsbruck and Zurich.
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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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Scarlet, it is pretty easy grabbing the coach between St Anton and Lech.
It's enough to mean that you would tend to want to commit to a day there rather than going back and forth, but it's not really a hassle.
In a large group and if you have the cash then a taxi is probably a bit more comfortable and gives you more flexibility (it can be a bit of a scrum getting onto the bus).
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| Scarlet wrote: |
| nozawaonsen, Personally, I like peace and quiet - |
Stuben is place for you.
Some small TIPS: dont take the free blue bus №3 from Lech (or Zuers) to Alpe Rauz before 16.00 (they will be full, because lift to St.Anton is open till 16.15). Take free bus after 16.00 (they will be emty) and go by ski to Stuben from Alpe Rauz.
If you want apre-ski - stay at Lech and go back to Stuben by post-bus. Latest run between 20.00 and 21.00
PS. And dont forget about Sonnenkopf
4 day after snowfalls
 [/img]
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Or if you are a good off piste skier you can ski with a guide from the top of the Valluga to Zurs and then to Lech without taking any buses.
Still don't know if you are an off-piste skier but some good pics of tough off piste St Anton here http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=74596#1742268
There are some real Twin rooms but the notorious "Austrian Twin" as described above can also sometimes be offered to a couple as a double simply by making it up with big sheets and duvet......
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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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Post Hotel is Stuben is very nice. Also, high marks for the Hotel Mondschein. Much more reasonable than staying in Lech/Zurs or St. Anton. Definitely the quiet side of the Arlberg, but some like that aspect. Easy connection by ski nto St. Anton network. Lech/Zurs connection via Alp Rauz or via Postbus from Stuben is easy. Good tip on the return from Lech via bus to Alp Rauz after 1600. Spent a week at the Mondschein (with HB) in March '12. Perfect week. Great weather, tons of snow. Had a guide for 3 days. Fabulous long corn snow runs. Going back again this year.
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Scarlet, great base to stay for Arlberg, if you're not wanting to spend the cash on Lech/Zurs or want the party life of St Anton. Stayed at the Hubertushof a few years ago with the family and we had a great time. The Hotel Post is in a great location and only 1 min walk to lift, and beside bus stop. Dead quick to get to Zurs (5 mins) although the buses are not that regular. Dead easy to ski to St Anton from Stuben. Went into the Post a couple of times at night for a change of scene from our hotel and was always a good atmosphere in the place.
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