 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everyone. I normally lerk in the background and enjoy the forum but I'm writing my first post to ask some advice please on equipment kind of.
I'm booking a long weekend ski trip to Austria Juwel Ski Area (Auffach).
The only flights that suit my dates are flying to Munich with Monarch and i'm renting a car in March.
All the cars come with Winter Tyres. Some rental sites are better than others when listing snow chain fees and some are a lot more in price than others.
Are the snow chains mandatory in Austria and am I likely to need them? I will gladly pay for them if needed as safety is paramount, but there such a pain to book and becoming a real hassle to sort out.
Any advice would great 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It all depends on the snow conditions, of course. Odds are that you won't need them. With that said, on my first trip to Austria last season, I definitely needed them to get into Lech. Since you are renting a car, couldn't you just wait to see what the weather looks like prior to your arrival?
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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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Claffster, I drove to Austria a few years ago. I checked carefully before I left the UK as to whether or not I needed chains. The official answer was that they were adviseable but not mandatory. I took a chance and went without as they were very difficult to fit to the car that I had then (I would have had to change the wheels before I could fit chains).
I drove very very carefully indeed. After I had crashed the car I regretted my decision. No-one was injured.
I would always take chains (or at least 'snow socks' or similar) and practice fitting them before leaving the UK. It's no good trying to fit them for the first time in a blizzard in the dark.
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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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Not needed by law, apart from rare cases when a sign is put up. I have never ever needed to use chains in Austria (well, one time on a farmers track in the Salzkammergut they'd have been nice!), most resorts are in the valley and so the roads in tend to be kept clear enough of snow that normal winter tyres are ok. I don't know the resort where you're going to though - email your hotel and ask about the roads in. If it's dumping as you arrive, may then be worth grabbing a pair - I'd have though the hire company should be able to sort that at the airport?
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 18-11-12 20:17; edited 1 time in total
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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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clarky999, They are going to what used to be called the Wildschonau. Now it is linked to Alpbach they've renamed the area SkiJuwel.
Claffster, As far as Wörgl you almost certainly get away with just winter tyres but the road up to Niederau (2 villages before Auffach) can be a problem. The best person to ask is a snwHead called Carolyn as she lives in Niederau all year round. I have seen the road in a bad way because there was so much snow coming down that some vehicles were being stopped by the police and being made to put chains on. I always have them in my car but as yet have only had to put them on a couple of times.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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JohnHSmith, snow socks are not legal in Austria yet as far as I am aware. You can drive without chains, but in very bad conditions the police may prevent you going any further if you don't have them.
What you didn't say was whether you had winter tyres. If you didn't have the clearance for chains because of the wheel size, the answer would have been to fit smaller steel rims with winter tyres to gain enough clearance. Your speedo would then have over-read by ~5%, but that's legal, e.g. if you went from 225/60 R16 to 215/55 R16, you'd gain 3cm in the diameter, and your speed would be 5% less than indicated on the speedo - see http://www.kouki.co.uk/utilities/visual-tyre-size-calculator for a good tool which helps with this.
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ousekjarr, The car will be a rental!
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Samerberg Sue, I know - but the reply was from someone who crashed his own car.
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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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Hi everyone,
Thanks for the feedback. TBH I have decided to hire a pair. Better safe than sorry and only €31 with the hire company for the whole trip for some peace of mind. I finally got some clarity on the rental of snowchains that was lacking with a lot of the rental companies.
The road up to Niederau from Worgl is steep and I can imagine that would be the major issue in adverse conditions. I should know as I cycled it in the summer in the rain!
It's going to be strange returning to the valley in the winter after a quiet summer relaxing break and looking forward to seeing the change. I remember the roads being good in the valley itself.
Looking forward to skiing Alpbach also and should be a good short blast. 
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