Can anyone recommend how to construct a DIY ski holiday in Austria? My girlfriend is a beginner skier and I am thinking of trying to fly into Munich and then get transport to Zell am See or maybe Soll.
Can anyone recommend other better routes or destinations or good accomodation links?
Thoughts would be much appreciated.
Mike
DIY ski holiday
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Started by MikeyT in Austria 05-Aug-2005 - 5 Replies
MikeyT posted Aug-2005
Gone20161017
reply to 'DIY ski holiday' posted Sep-2006
We did it for the 1st time this year to Hinterglemm, was the most perfect experience and won't use a TO ever again (unless it?s a last minute cheapy). We Got a budget flight to Salzburg airport, which is about 1 - 2 hours drive to any number of ski resorts. The airport website has all the contacts for Taxis and transfer buses and trains. There is a train station nearby, trains go direct to Zell am See, but there were 7 of us so it worked out about £14 each return for a minibus taxi that took us right to the door of our hotel. It was waiting for us when we got off the plain and turned up bang on time to take us back, even though there was a heavy snowfall causing delays.
Once you've decided which resort you want, check how you can get there using your nearest airport and what seat availability there is. Then check out what the transfer distance is. The greater the number in the party the cheaper the transfer, as they charge per taxi, not per person. If there are only 2 of you, public transport will be the cheapest option, but check out how many changes you will need to make (this is where resort location is a big factor). Then check the Tourist office website of that resort, they all have accommodation on there, email addresses and hotel websites. You can usually request a Tourist Office brochure (which all the hotels will advertise in), to be sent by post. Pick the hotels you like the look of and use the hotel websites to check prices and availability, if it?s only in German, send them an email giving them the dates you are looking for etc and they will usually respond. Some of the hotels are the same ones that the tour operators use, so they are fluent in English. Using the resort?s website village map, (providing they have one online) will give you an idea of where the actual hotels are in relation to the lifts. Once you have chosen the hotel, to reserve your booking they will always ask for a money transfer deposit of 100 ? 200 euros. Before you actually book though, I would book your flights. The flights fill up before accommodation does, the hotels will usually hold your booking for 24 hours to give you time to book the flights, but have a few hotels as choice B and C.
You don?t pay the rest of the hotel bill until the eve before departure so none of that up-front nonsense. The taxi will take the booking online, with no deposit. You can search for these either on the Salzburg Airport website or the Tourist Office Site of the resort, some hotels pick their guests up too. It all goes like clock work if you pay attention to detail and don?t leave anything to chance or the last minute.
If you want to try Hinterglemm, we used the Hotel Hinterglemm, right in the heart of the small town, 5 star luxury at 3 star prices, never stayed in such luxury or had such good food in my life and it saved us £200 each on the Tour Operator prices, but the owner speaks very little english! Hinterglemm is not a beginner resort though, once you get off the nursery slopes the blues are really reds, nor is Zell am See particularly. Soll is good I?m told but suffers from low altitude. There are so many resorts near the airports in Austria that I'm sure you'll find somewhere. We booked it all in June when the first flights were released, (SkyEurope) so got them for £17.00 each way!!
We are going to Obertauern this time, DIY again, they have a good Tourist Office website and this always makes the process easy, its near the airport, and it?s the highest resort in Austria, but no pretty trees like Hinterglemm/Saalbach. Is reported to be good for nervous intermediates!
Links Salzburg Airport taxis http://engl.salzburg-airport.com/bus.html
Saalbach/Hinterglemm http://www.saalbach.at/default.php?id=17&L=1
Hotel [/url]http://www.hotel-hinterglemm.at/e-index.htm
Once you've decided which resort you want, check how you can get there using your nearest airport and what seat availability there is. Then check out what the transfer distance is. The greater the number in the party the cheaper the transfer, as they charge per taxi, not per person. If there are only 2 of you, public transport will be the cheapest option, but check out how many changes you will need to make (this is where resort location is a big factor). Then check the Tourist office website of that resort, they all have accommodation on there, email addresses and hotel websites. You can usually request a Tourist Office brochure (which all the hotels will advertise in), to be sent by post. Pick the hotels you like the look of and use the hotel websites to check prices and availability, if it?s only in German, send them an email giving them the dates you are looking for etc and they will usually respond. Some of the hotels are the same ones that the tour operators use, so they are fluent in English. Using the resort?s website village map, (providing they have one online) will give you an idea of where the actual hotels are in relation to the lifts. Once you have chosen the hotel, to reserve your booking they will always ask for a money transfer deposit of 100 ? 200 euros. Before you actually book though, I would book your flights. The flights fill up before accommodation does, the hotels will usually hold your booking for 24 hours to give you time to book the flights, but have a few hotels as choice B and C.
You don?t pay the rest of the hotel bill until the eve before departure so none of that up-front nonsense. The taxi will take the booking online, with no deposit. You can search for these either on the Salzburg Airport website or the Tourist Office Site of the resort, some hotels pick their guests up too. It all goes like clock work if you pay attention to detail and don?t leave anything to chance or the last minute.
If you want to try Hinterglemm, we used the Hotel Hinterglemm, right in the heart of the small town, 5 star luxury at 3 star prices, never stayed in such luxury or had such good food in my life and it saved us £200 each on the Tour Operator prices, but the owner speaks very little english! Hinterglemm is not a beginner resort though, once you get off the nursery slopes the blues are really reds, nor is Zell am See particularly. Soll is good I?m told but suffers from low altitude. There are so many resorts near the airports in Austria that I'm sure you'll find somewhere. We booked it all in June when the first flights were released, (SkyEurope) so got them for £17.00 each way!!
We are going to Obertauern this time, DIY again, they have a good Tourist Office website and this always makes the process easy, its near the airport, and it?s the highest resort in Austria, but no pretty trees like Hinterglemm/Saalbach. Is reported to be good for nervous intermediates!
Links Salzburg Airport taxis http://engl.salzburg-airport.com/bus.html
Saalbach/Hinterglemm http://www.saalbach.at/default.php?id=17&L=1
Hotel [/url]http://www.hotel-hinterglemm.at/e-index.htm
www
Skibobber
Austrian-adventures
reply to 'DIY ski holiday' posted Nov-2006
It is certainly best to fly to Salzburg and then go from there...
The transfer time to skiing is very short (45min ish) and can be booked on a coach, train or cab...
We run a guest house in this area (Radstadt, 1 resort down from Obertaurn)...
click on our web link to find a little more (www.austrian-adventures.com)
The transfer time to skiing is very short (45min ish) and can be booked on a coach, train or cab...
We run a guest house in this area (Radstadt, 1 resort down from Obertaurn)...
click on our web link to find a little more (www.austrian-adventures.com)
www
Haus Susanne, Radstadt, Ski Amade.
www.austrian-adventures.com
Rbericson
reply to 'DIY ski holiday' posted Dec-2006
Another option is to fly to Zurich, and drive less than 3 hours or take the train to the Montafon or Lech/Zurs/St. Anton. The Montafon (Schruns/Gaschurn/Gargellen) is inexpensive, friendly and lovely. The Arlberg area is huge and varied. You can hit both in the same ski vacation, as all are served by train. A beginner skier will have plenty of easy skiing in any of these places, and the towns are big enough to offer lots of diversions for non-ski days.
The tourist offices in any of those towns can hook you up with will be far less expensive than a hotel.
You absolutely do NOT need a travel agent. But beware that some Austrian ski resorts still do not accept credit cards, so be prepared to withdraw $ from ATMs or bring traveler's checks.
The tourist offices in any of those towns can hook you up with will be far less expensive than a hotel.
You absolutely do NOT need a travel agent. But beware that some Austrian ski resorts still do not accept credit cards, so be prepared to withdraw $ from ATMs or bring traveler's checks.
Rockybalboa
reply to 'DIY ski holiday' posted Aug-2007
Try www.activitybreaks.com then book your own flights with Ryanair or the likes
Topic last updated on 15-August-2007 at 13:49