5 replies to this topic

[porter]

I'm strongly considering two weeks skiing in Austria this year. I can fly from AVL to MUC for about as much as it costs to fly from here to Montana. Since there are trains and buses I don't need to rent a car. Lift tickets are cheaper there than here. Even with a sinking dollar, I don't think it would cost that much more to go to Europe than Mondana/Idaho/Oregon, which is where I would go this year if I stayed in the US to ski.

I was thinking about Jan. 11 to Jan 28 to avoid school holidays.

I'd fly to Munich and spend about a week based in/around Salzburg, then a week in/around Innsbruk, skiing a different area each time. Hopefully transit time could be minimized so I would not miss any days skiing while going from city to city.

I had considered Switzerland/France, with a flight to Geneva, but accommodation and general expenses there seem to be much higher than Austria, and the French skiing seems to be at artificial glitz resorts.

I'm interested in low key resorts, no nightlife, no glam and I love t-bars and pomas. They don't have to be the huge areas everyone has heard about.

A few questions:

a. have I raised any red flags?
b. how feasible is it to stay in Inn or Slz and take a train/bus to a different area each day, arriving before the lifts open and leaving only after they close (i.e. I don't want to take a "snow bus" for tourists)?
c. is a base in Inn and Slz indeed convenient to skiing a different area each day?
d. how important is it to make accommodation reservations in advance? I'm definitely a one-star hotel type of fellow.
e. there are so many ski areas in Austria it's overwhelming. Any places you'd recommend I visit?

Thanks!

[radon]

Aother unplanned post for me... this is not the main reason I have enetered this community, but hey, what can you do ? People are ment to help people.

So, @porter: Due to my location I am much closer to Austria than you. It's true what you say, it's overwhelming, so may ski areas. It's hard to choose, what can I do now is to reccomend two regions I know: Flattach-Mallnitz ( http://www.skifideli...r-gletscher_en/ ) and Zell-am-See - Kaprun ( http://www.europaspo.../en/winter.html , http://www.schmitten.at/en/winter/ , http://en.kitzsteinhorn.at/ ).
Both regions offer high-class skiing, on glaciers, above 3.000 meters (if I'm not wrong, this means around 10.000 ft) altitude.

As far as for staying in In or Slz and travel each day early in the morning, I don't find this such a good idea. Neither of the cities are close enough to ski regions, and I guess this going to and back will not be so pleasant. During winter season, skilifts are usually operating from 10 in the morning until 15 or 16 in the afternoon.

Now, about accommodation. The period you are looking for is not a busy one, just after New Year it's a little bit easy to find places to stay on the spot. But it will be safer to book in advance. If in your shoes, I will do that.

I hope the information is useful, for you, or anyone else interrested.

This post has been edited by radon: 16 November 2007 - 09:50 AM

[EricEurope]

Hi Porter!
We would be pleased to have you here
I think Innsbruck is almost perfect for your demands.
There are numbers of smaller or intermediate ski areas located around the city!
And also the famous Stubai valley is easy to access from there.
But I agree with Radon that Salzburg is too far away from the ski areas to go there every day.
Here I have a map of the resorts around Innsbruck:

Seegrube-Nordpark (2 Aerial Trams and 2 Doubles) can be reached directly from the city by funicular and aerial tram.
The Patscherkofel (1 Aerial Tram, 2 Quads, 1 Single and 3 T-Bars) and Mutterer Alm (2 eight person gondolas, a Quad and a T-Bar) are located only a few miles above Innsbruck. Some of the other ski areas are larger and also easy to access from Innsbruck.
Instead of Salzburg you could consider Bischofshofen which is 20 miles south or another closer city. From there you can get easily to many ski resorts around.

[skierdude9450]

If you're going to be close to Salzburg I think that you should go to either SkiWelt (biggest area in Austria) or maybe Kitzbuehel.

This post has been edited by skierdude9450: 20 November 2007 - 07:11 PM

[poloxskier]

I have very limited skiing experience in Europe but Kitzbuhel was incredible and I would highly recomend it as well.

[shoemaniii]

advice on austria? sure, find the closest relative to a. hitler and kick 'em in the nutz.
just kidding!

seriously, how about whistler? been there, huge, loved it. you won't like the european lift lines (jostling/pushing). you're gonna lose a couple of days w/travel time/jet lag. if you go, please post pics.
bobp