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Christmas in Austria?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We have just returned from our 2nd family skiing trip, both times to Niederau - did mid march last year with Crystal, Last week and a bit of feb last year, DIY via munich and a hire car. Both times in the Hotel Sonnschein. Can't rate the place highly enough. We've never skiid elsewhere, but the kids loved the place and we like the mix of tradional Austrian village, laid back people (I didn't pay for the ski gear until the last day, with no deposit or credit card requested, skii's left unlocked in a store near the slopes - no theft problems etc etc), and nice skiiing.
We are well and trully bitten by the skiing bug and already planning to return to niederau either the week before or after feb half term again next year, but are also thinking that maybe we can do 2 ski holidays and skiing over xmas may be an option? or is it? I'm guessing neiderau is too low at xmas, so we will need somewhere higher, I want to fly to munich, so somewhere drivable from there. Is christmas really any good for skiing or is it crazy busy and expensive and a complete waste of time?
Any ideas?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Christmas is very quiet for skiing in Austria. It generally gets busy from 27th /28th. If you can do the Saturday to Saturday which includes Christmas Day (next year 21st to 28th) then you will have the slopes to yourself early in the week, gradually getting busier but perfectly fine as the week goes on. Snow is completely unknown but there are plenty of options of resorts that are pretty much guaranteed snow at that time of year. Schladming, Obertauern, Obergurgl, Sölden, Ischgl etc are always open well before Christmas. Niederau is more risky.


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 3-03-13 15:56; edited 1 time in total
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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?
Christmas is a really good time to go away imo - cheaper and not as busy as Feb half term.

Actually did last 2 Christmases in Niederau and snow has been fine both times. Love the feel of Christmas with snow all around - can heartily recommend it.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
alexl, Good to hear that you've been bitten by the ski bug Laughing , and Christmas can be a great time for a ski holiday, particularly IMV in Austria if you want a Christmassy feel. I once spent a Christmas week in Zell am See, and apart from the pretty lakeside setting they had a Christmas market in the town square on the days preceding Christmas, and one evening in the market the town band and choir performed traditional Christmas tunes. Madeye-Smiley Another plus point for Zell am See is that although the snow cover was good the year I went, should you be unlucky and the snow cover be poor then you have the insurance of nearby glacier skiing at Kaprun.


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 3-03-13 16:59; 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.
Alastair Pink, indeed, Zell am See is a very nice place to spend Christmas. We have spent Christmas the last couple of years very close to Zell with both years sufficient snow on the Schmitten and the Kitzsteinhorn as a back up. alexl, the slopes are, as already mentioned above, less crowded than in February. Munich->Zell takes some two hours by car.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Excellent - Looks like I'd better try and get the christmas week off work then (easier said than done in my job!).

we had a hire car in Niederau which made the trip to Aufach nice and simple but I also noticed that Ski Welt was only 5 miles away and looked to be an easy drive - I know snow is a complete unknown - but how likely is ski welt to be ski-able as a backup if the snow cover in niederau is iffy? or is it likely that if niederau is out then ski-welt will be too?

Do ski-schools tend to operate that christmas week? (for the kids mainly, but we made some great friends and got some far more adventurous with our instructor than we would have otherwise)

TallGuyUK from west sussex - do you have a very similar name on another forum (aviation related?) if so then we have met a couple of times! If not there is another 'tallguy' in west sussex!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
alexl wrote:
Do ski-schools tend to operate that christmas week? (for the kids mainly, but we made some great friends and got some far more adventurous with our instructor than we would have otherwise)


Ski schools and shops will operate as per normal, except that they may not operate, or they may finish early, on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. (In Austria Christmas Eve is the most important time, with the special family holiday meal usually being the evening meal on 24th Dec - Christmas Day is a normal day on the ski slopes).
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
alexl, We spent about 12 Christmas trips going to Niederau - made great friends there and just kept going back for Christmas and New Year. We usually arrived around 23rd December and would leave sometime after New Year. We started out flying/package and after a couple of years drove and made independent bookings. Sometimes the snow did not arrive until just before we got there but in all those years only once did we pile into cars and take the kids ice skating in Kufstein as the snow had disappeared - and after a skate and good lunch we drove back up and the village was full of snow again.
Everything on the slopes functioned as normal and as Alastair Pink, says Christmas Eve is important - and we had one magical year when we went to Midnight Mass and came out to snow and the village band playing Silent Night.
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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.
Book it now! If you're lucky the ski school will be so quiet it will be only you/your kids and just like having your own private instructor.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Spent Christmas in Lech once. Lovely, if you like more graven images and dirndls than you can shake a stick at . At eye-watering prices. But the skiing was great.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
alexl wrote:
Excellent - Looks like I'd better try and get the christmas week off work then (easier said than done in my job!).

Do ski-schools tend to operate that christmas week? (for the kids mainly, but we made some great friends and got some far more adventurous with our instructor than we would have otherwise)

TallGuyUK from west sussex - do you have a very similar name on another forum (aviation related?) if so then we have met a couple of times! If not there is another 'tallguy' in west sussex!


Yes Ski Schools operatre as per normal - and reasonably busy when I have been at Christmas though the slops until a couple of days after are pretty quiet.

Not me on an aviation forum though do work in Aviation ! Smile
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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.
We are off to Austria for Christmas also. First Christmas ski trip and really looking forward to it.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
alexl, We've just spent our seventh consecutive Christmas in Saalbach, and we've never had any snow problems. In fact in the couple of weeks before Christmas the skiing has tended to be the best of the season with perfectly groomed, idyllically quiet pistes. As others have commented, the hordes arrive for New Year week, the busiest of the season. I can heartily recommend a Christmas skiing holiday, provided that you don't mind running the risk that in future you may never be satisfied with Christmas in the UK!
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I've 2 weeks booked in La Tzoumaz (Vebrier) for Christmas...

Year before in Megeve

Year before that in Le Grand Bornand

The only drawback is the "Is there going to be enough to snow to ski" stress...Just because you have to book early, money has been then all given out, and no turning back.

In the end, it has worked out every time, even if it as others have said, sometimes the snow only comes a few days before... But we don't do a lot of presents, and choose to spend the money on doing something nice together as a family.

To be fair, if you have the ski bug, there's really no other way to get enough skiing in if you have kids in school.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:

sometimes the snow only comes a few days before

Indeed, I once arrived in Nesselwang to torrential rain and not a bit of snow in sight. Got up the next day to half a metre of fresh Very Happy
Quote:

you may never be satisfied with Christmas in the UK!

So true snowHead
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