We are trying to plan a Ski trip from February 13 thru Feb 20th. Right now we are primarily looking at ski areas in Austria, but would be open to other areas in France as well. We are currently living in Amsterdam and will be traveling from Amsterdam. I know nothing about ski mountains over in Europe.
Right now I am looking at Austria in the areas of Kirchberg/Kitzbuhel, St. Anton, and Zell Am See. We are also considering staying in Innsbruck. From what I have read you stay in the city and then have your choice of seven ski mountains. There is a shuttle from Innsbruck to each ski area.
My wife and I are intermediate skiers and our five year old daughter will need to go to an ski school to learn how to ski. We would like to a area where 1.) there is likely to have good snow. 2.) a variety of good restaurants and bars 3.) non ski options such as ice skating as we will probably ski 4 out of 7 days 4.) fairly large ski mountain or an area with a variety of ski options. We have been skiing Heavenly at Lake Tahoe, so don’t want to go to a really small ski mountain.
Any feedback on the ski areas mentioned above or are there others that might better suite our needs? I saw positive posts about Ischgl on this site. Thanks in advance.
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You have picked a very busy time for your ski trip.
Many countries schools are closed for varios weks during this period including those in Austria.
This is high season and higher hotel rates too.
I believe you can find much better experiences than Innsbruck. Yes it has a ski bus, burt remember the extended time both ways to the ski areas plus the inconvenience.
No fun esecially cold and trired on the way home.
Innsbruck now a big city and not great for a friendly vacation time.
Ischgl is very good with excelent skiing for all levels . But as a recent poster found, it is expensive and extra crowded during these times.
Zell is Ok , but have a look at Saalbach- Hinterglemm
www.saalbach.at
of the the best and biggest ski circus plans in Austria or Europe. Easy access to lifts from the many hotels and a beautiful place.
This has easy access from Salzburg via shuttle transfer .-the towns in a nice valley just north of Zell.
Also nice is Schladming/ Rohrmoos
www.schladming.at
Obertauern
www.obertauern.at
all of the above have good ski schools- some of the best ski conditions to be found - god restaurants , bars etc. especially saalbach.
Non ski activities - sleigh rides - tobaggans , ice skating .
touring salzburg for the day possible too.
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A excelent source of information on many good ski resorts in one place is the following site
www.bergfex.at
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Thanks. This is a great website. Do know of a similar wehg site for France?
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Thanks for the information. Very helpful. How do Kitzbuhel and Mayrhofen compare Saalbach? I have narrowed down to these three areas. The sking sounds great at all three , so I most ineterested in whcih place has the mosy quaint ski town/village with lots of fun things to do.
Thanks.
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All 3 offer good ski vacationsdepending on your desires.
Kitz probably the overall most expensive .
Kitz also with most probably the lesser of overll snow quality valley to mountain top.
In my opinion , it lives on a reputation earned many years ago. Other places now surpass it .
Some go just to say they have been there- snow conditions can be suspect at lower altitudes and a few years ago a very famous World Cup ski race had to be cancelled there due to insufficient snow. This after gigantic and exensive efforts to move snow byy truck from other places with the help of the Austrian arma and even helicopters.
Fortunately in the past several years , most all resorts have seen good snow , but who knows what happens- the past few days some snow in the mountainds many places - no one could predict this or the future.
Saalbach and mayrhofen have normally better snow - some higher altitudes.
My heart always in Mayrhofen and this clouds my judgment - fine ski circus- fun village with some nightlife and shopping too.
Some family lives there and I have always skiied on the mountains remembering the time of a single chair lift. Still stop at an pld farmers hut and still , a litle snack and a drink looking tothe fantastic views- thinking of past adventures there-
many changes and a ski cicus now that takes you from Lanersbach / Tux to Hippach crossing with ease with a well planned network- ski riuns for all abilities - one the steepest in Austria a good snow board park and ski schools too.
May be just a little less expensive- their day lift ticket example just a few euro less normally.
www.mayrhofen.at
But my choice would be for Saalbach Hinterglemm-
good hotel choices in all categories - excelent ski cicus- I think now the biggest in Austria - usually excelent snow conditions - a beautiful narrow valley dedicated to sports nice nightlife - many other non ski activities.usually some Nederlanders too.
www.saalbach.at
But whatever your choice - good winter fun
for france perhaps this site
www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts /
easy connections to Salzburg airport
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We all have our favourites and I am a big fan of Ischgl as are my kids. I also enjoy as do my kids Mayrhofen and the %26quot;Skiwelt%26quot; (Ellmau etc) but as Vertical mentioned like some other places the Skiwelt can be susceptible to lack of snow and as it is only a day trip for me I can pick and choose when to go. As Vertical said that time of year, about last 2 weeks in Feb are the most busiest and expensive.
Saalbach has a lot to offer and if I was thinking of booking a weeks holiday it would be one of the resorts at the top of my list. If you only intend to ski 4 days out of 7 I think it is also a nice area from which to visit other ski resorts/towns for a day trip.
As for France the areas that I have been to the positives were the extensive ski areas and the ski in/out. The two negative things that stick out for me in the areas that I have been - Expense and 70%26#39;s style purpose built concrete jungle accommodation/village centres. Although some resorts are nice in their own right or have improved over the years (Meribel, Val d%26#39;Isere, Belle Plagne for example) and some of the small satellite villages can be picturesque the main centres of places like Courchevel 1850, La Plagne (centre) , Les Arcs and Tignes still exhibit that purpose built feeling as does some of the accommodation. Nevertheless you will not get %26quot;value for money%26quot; in your accommodation.Places like Vald%26#39;Isere are nice but come at an extra premium to an already expensive price. Beers at 7euros+ in most resorts.
My kids learnt to ski in France in La Plagne and Courchevel form the age of 4.
Personally for family skiholidays I would always choose Austria
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