Skiing in Austria
 

I am from Australia and am planning to have one week skiing in Austria in mid-January. Kitzbuhel has been recommended to me but others say the snow is too unreliable and I should go for St Anton or Lech. What do you think?

Also, does anyone have any hotel/apartment recommendations in their ski village of choice? It is two of us on a budget so we'd like somewhere not too far from the slopes but not prohibitively expensive either! Thank you

I absolutely agree that you don't want to be coming all the way from Australia and depending on their being good snow in Kitzbuhel. In general, the Austrian resorts have some of the lowest elevations in the Alps, so you need to choose carefully to guarantee snow.

We've been skiing in Europe for the last several years, and not having to worry about snow is the first criterion on my list for picking a destination. We'll be in Lech this year, and it is absolutely snow-sure, but is also about the most expensive resort in Austria and among the most expensive in Europe. St. Anton is probably a better choice if you're on a budget or, if you're young, single, and interested in the most unbelievably raucous apres-ski scene anywhere(in addition to some pretty amazing skiing) you could check out Ischgl

Sorry, hit the "post" inadvertently. As I was saying, Ischgl and the Silvretta Ski Region, which is in the same general area as Lech and St. Anton, is the hidden gem of Austria in my opinion. I'm far past the age of fully enjoying the nightlife, but the skiing was fantastic, with a couple of nice long runs that take you into Switzerland. Ischgl has also become a bit more pricey lately, but there are still some budget options, which isn't really the case in Lech.

There are a number of smaller snow-sure Austrian resorts (Obergurgl is one that comes to mind), but I don't know about pricing. You can get descriptions of all the resorts, as well as tons of other information to help you plan your trip, at the Ski Club of Great Britain web site (www.skiclub.co.uk).

St. Anton is a good bet. You can stay there and drive to other ski area's within 30 minutes

Ischgl is also expensive and I don't think you can find a lot of bargains there either. Obergurgl is really a pricey place - not a place for an average budget.

I agree that St. Anton is probably your best bet. Another good option is Serfaus/Fiss/Ladis. Excellent skiing and snow reliable. Especially in Fiss you'll find plenty of inexpensive places. Charming village, gondolas start at the edge of the village. Don't know about an English version, here is their website:
www.serfaus-fiss-ladis.at or try
www.tiscover.at and search.

Ingo

Hi Sophie: I have skied Kitz before and it was a great time. Good slopes and snow, with a wild nightlife. As I recall that was in mid Feb, so snow was not an issue. I am travelling to St Anton on 1/20/05 to ski and it is a great time from all that I have read. I had trouble finding a room, but think I found one at the Maiensee Hotel- not cheap but it was all I could find. Hope this helps! Let me know when you'll be there!

Hi Sophie:

I just read where they are having terrible avalanches in Lech, Voralberg! I hope none of these posters are currntly in the area!

That being said...I highly recommend the Voralberg area (Lech, Zurs, St. Anton) for a very good snow sure resort! ....and it is usually very safe for those who stick to the marked trails!
JOHN

Sophie, wow! Do you have any news links for that? Lech would be our first choice for European skiing, but the last thing I'd want to face is an avalanche.

Here is a link:

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/sto...tm&sc=1103

Thanks for the link, John. We'll be in Lech in March, so I'm glad to see the new snow but saddened to hear of the avalanche deaths. I agree that avalanches are really only of concern for those venturing off-piste.

Thanks for the link. Sounds like Kitz and St. Anton are also at risk. Were the avalanches on trails or were they mostly in off-piste areas? Avalanches on trails are very scary indeed.

Another link:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6737951/
The MSNBC story said one of the fatalities was a 41 yo American; the other a 39 yo German. Both skiing off piste, neither wearing avalanche beepers. The American's wife (also American) was critically injured.

Is Garmisch a good/cheaper alternative than skiing in Austria?

Hi Quebec:

I think that Flyfish gave you good advice when you had asked that question in an earlier post!
I like Garmish....but it is a big city by ski-town standards!
If you want to nordic ski I would highly recommend "Seefeld" near Garmish on the Austrian border!
As an "Alp-aholic" (thanks for that one flyfish!) I would highly recommend doing as the Europeans do and book a ski-week package! All resorts in Europe have it in some form or another!
You book your hotel, meals and lift tix for the week and...if going off peak time...get a great value! The Euro is kicking our butts now...but you can still land a good value package!

JOHN