Where to go Feb/Mar 09

We're thinking of going to either Mayrhofen or Chamonix at the end of Feb/beginning of Mar 09.

Does anyone have any views on which is better, having been to both? Or ideas of price of beer in each resort?

Any info would be great

Cheers
Becca

I havent been to Chamonix, but have done Mayrhofen a number of times. Its a great all round resort, and you can usually find a way of getting there pretty cheap.
Packages are available with the major tour ops, but Inghams and Neilson in particular advertise "Snowhomes" which are B&Bs around the resort, not named properties, at excellent prices if you can wait and be reasonably flexible with dates.
Also, if you fly into Munich, Salzburg or Innsbruck, transfers to Mayrhofen or car hire is reasonable and easy to organise.
Have a look on their official resort website www.mayrhofen.at where you can also book accommodation independently.
Thoroughly recommended.

Over to someone else to comment on Chamonix.....

Thanks Tony.
Found some reasonably cheap deal for both with Thomas Cook & Thomson.
Just got to make a decision!

becca3183 wrote:Mayrhofen or Chamonix ... which is better?

You need to tell us what you're looking for and what level of skier/boarder/drinker you are.

Chamonix gives access to some of the finest skiing on the planet - without question - for capable skiers, and has a reputation as a party town. If either of those aspects are important to you then it's hard to beat.

If you want a compact or interlinked ski area, ski-in/out, runs for a mixed ability group to play together on... and/or are on a tight budget, then Chamonix's not going to be top of your list (Mayrhofen may be, but I've not skiied there).

Tell us more about you...

My partner and i went on our first boarding holiday this year, and are going again at christmas to livigno, he is probably intermediate boarder & i'm not quite up to the same level as him. Our friends are experienced skiers, they've been to Mayrhofen before but don't mind going back.

Would you say Chamonix is expensive for apres ski? and more for the experienced skier/boarder?

France is typically about 50% more expensive than Austria for food and drink.

Ok, there is certainly skiing/boarding to suit you all in Chamonix but it's probably not going to be in the same part of the valley.

So, TBH, you will get more out of Chamonix if you get a few more weeks under your boards first. If your friends are happy with Mayrhofen that may be better for you right now.

But put Chamonix high on your "must ski/board" list for the future... something to aim for. 8)

Comparing the 2, from what I know, I would say Chamonix will set you back quite a lot more money in terms of food, drink etc, and yes - it is more for the strong intermediate/advanced skiers. Its something of a Mecca to the pro's too.
Mayrhofen is reasonably in terms of eating out and going for a beer, and whilst you have to take a gondola up to the slopes, the area is more closely linked compared to Chamonix.

It all depends on what you want, but from what you say, you might find Mayrhofen more up your street.

As a suggestion, you might also want to consider Sauze d'Oulx. A group of mates went there, all boarders, last March, and loved the long cruising reds which enabled them to gain confidence and work on technique whilst also zipping along at a decent pace without feeling worried about falling, crashing into someone, or the steepness of the slopes. The big problem with Sauze is the unreliability of the weather, but its the sort of place to really build your confidence up.