soll vs mayrhofen

Hi folks looking for some advice on visiting soll for the first time and how it compares to mayrhofen area.
We are a group of four whos main priorities are covering lots of mileage in the week so a big varied ski area like mayrhofen suits us perfectly with its ziller valley ski pass .
Apres ski is next on the list somehow we manage to combine early starts on the slopes with big nites out on the weiss bier!!so apres ski is a big factor on choosing a resort,
We visited mayrhofen two seasons in a row we loved it that much with zillertal arena and kaltenbach our favourite ski areas ,
So how does soll compare to it ?, is it a small village?,are there as many good nite spots? is the area pass that includes kitzbuhel as good as ziller valley pass?
Hopefully tony h is still on here and has been to soll as he was a wealth of knowledge before our hof visits !

We have had two holidays in Soell, one before kids, and one after.mbefore kids, I remember Soell as having great nightlife and good skiing. Post kids, we didn't notice the nightlife but it's a really pretty village with two mountains to ski on.mthe only challenge with Soell is the altitude as its not that high, but a great place with lots of Gemuetlichkeit.
We had one of our best holidays ever in Mayrhofen but,nstrangely, have never flt the urge to go back. Try Soell, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

I haven't been to Mayrhofen (yet :wink: ) so my comments are about Soll and am unable to compare.

Soll has a huge area with plenty of well connected runs and plenty of variety to keep you happy. The only downside is that many of the runs are fairly short. While it is low, the snow is very well maintained with plenty of snowmaking to ensure conditions are kept in good shape. The "local" pass includes Westendorf and that area is worth a day. I haven't skied over to Kitzbuel. It is possible on the extended pass but I suspect the effort of making the journey is not really worth it,

Apres ski is very good. The Moonlight bar at the bottom of the piste is great fun immediately after the skiing, especially around the weekend when all the Germans come down from Munich and other cities on day trips. Lots of heaving bodies and catchy Europop. The main village has plenty of lively pubs with live music to be found somewhere most nights. The Whiskey Muhle is still going strong for late night activity, though it does tend to be very young - think late teens/early twenties.

A few decent restaurants around as well if you are not staying in a catered property.

Hi Dunk

I think I can help you as I did a whole season in Mayrhofen as a ski guide and I also have been to Soll 3 times.

Totally agree with you about the resorts in the Ziller Valley as I took my group to a different area every day. I don't know about you but my least favourite place to ski was Mayrhofen itself. Anyway as you say you have had great times there so you know all about it.

With regards to Soll I have to say that it is easily on a par with Mayrhofen for apres ski and the ski area is huge, I believe the Ski Welt as it is called has something like 250kms of interconnected pistes which is the largest in Austria. The great thing about this of course is you don't have to get buses or trains as you do in Zillertal thereofre more time for skiing and pares ski. From memory the resorts in the Ski Welt are generally higher and so skiing back to the village is available more often than in Mayrhofen.

As you have already been to the Ziller Valley I would suggest that Soll is certainly worth a visit. Of course skiing hols need good snow and if you get that in Soll I promise you won't be disappointed.

Btw, I love Austria and in my humble opinion is so much better than France.

Good luck.

I've been to Mayrhofen 5 times and never been to Soll. Theres a reason why. Snow.
I've been in Dec, Jan, Feb and March and always had excellent skiing even when its hot down in the valley at resort level, whereas I know Soll often suffers with water skiing.

The lift pass covers tons of skiing, 650km in total, not all linked by lift at all, but buses and trains are efficient and the valley feels as if everything is close at hand. Its got glacial heights too at Hintertux.

Penken and Eggalm are linked and provide you with lots of skiing to go at, and I have also skied at Zell for a day and Hintertux for a day too.

Good vibe in Mayrhofen itself, lots of lively bars and good places to eat, and the town feels modern whilst being traditional at the same time. I've skied it to death now though so not rushing back. I might try Skiwelt someday but if you've never been to either, weigh up the pros and cons first. I did.

Hi Dunk. We're doing the opposite - been to Soll past 4 years (& a couple of times a good few years ago!) but trying Mayrhofen for the first time in February. Tony's right that you do take a bit of a risk with altitude - we've done the waterskiing!! but also had some fabulous snow - especially last year. Great skiing - we usually did a warm up run in Soll then straight over to Scheffau then Ellmau over to Brixen, Hopfgatren & back to Soll via Itter. Plenty of choice for drinks & food on the way & runs down the mountain optional & with good gondolas & funicular back up. We have found the night life getting a bit quieter over the years but that might be us getting older & not seeking out new places!! The Salvenstadle was our favourite place once down the mountain & then the Postwirt stube for live music later on. The Whiskey Muhler's the place for a lively & late night out. Tony thanks for your advice. We're staying close to the Penken so will certainly try to get there early in the morning. Are the buses reliable & regular to get around the other areas? Starting to get a bit excited now!!!

Thanks for all the advice folks ,
Think myself and rest of the group are still undecided about soll for now .
Possible dodgy conditions are a concern ! and 250 kms compared to 625kms !!so much bigger area .
With a bit of luck some of the mayrhofen deals will come down in price soon as they seem very steep at the moment!!
Agree with ikwida about mayrhofen being our least favourite out of the whole valley resorts but it was still amazing!! And so is Austria !!!

I echo TH, I spent a couple of seasons in Mayrhofen with fab snow most of the winter, visited Ski Welt early last March and although Soll is a great village, the snow was quite poor for the time of year.

BUT you might want to try somewhere different just make sure it's not too late in the season.