Söll, Saalbach, Mayrhofen or Ischgl in Feb 2010???

I'm planning my first Austrian ski-trip for the midterm break in February 2010. I'm trying to decide between these 4 resorts- Söll, Saalbach, Mayrhofen or Ischgl. There are 7 of us and the key criteria (in order of importance) are:

1. Suitable for Beginners and Intermediates
2. Affordable- food, drink, accommodation, passes and rental
3. Lively Apres Ski
4. Shortest airport commute from Munich or Memmingen (would consider car rental if necessary)
5. Everything close together in the resort
6. Shortest upload and download times and shortest queues.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

I've been only to Mayrhofen out of those and would thoroughly recommend the place. However, you have to take a gondola up and down the mountain and there CAN be queues. However, if you get up for first lift at 8.15 you will be fine and get up long before many people will. Alternatively you can head up from Lanersbach, Finkenburg and Hippach both sides of the town.
Theres loads to do, good bars and places to eat, but not right in your face. There are good ski schools and the slopes are mainly good intermediate standard. You can also ski at Zell am Ziller and Fugen on the lift pass.

Ischgl is somewhere I really want to go, it has legendary apres status and perfect slopes for intermediates, not sure about beginners but there will be ski schools. I believe it has the best upload access in the alps but might be wrong. High and snowsure too.

Soll I have dismissed many times before, but it might just be right for you IF conditions are good.

Saalbach also has lively apres but I have often chosen somewhere else over it for a holiday because a mate of mine goes there regularly and often finds skiing back to the village is either impossible or dicey because of a lack of good snow. Again lovely intermediate area though.

All reachable in a couple of hours from either airport, and of the 2 I'd be looking at Ischgl first and Mayrhofen second.

You don't want much thats half term week, Austria is possible your best bet as most of France would be extremely busy 8)

Oh yeh I missed that. My advice: choose a different week.

Thanks for the advice guys. Unfortunately half term is the only week we can go.

I've gotten some pretty negative feedback on the nightlife in Saalbach- I've been told it's not as good as it's made out to be. Can anyone comment on this?

I had also considered St. Anton but I heard it's not great for complete beginners, that it's a lot more expensive than some of the other options I've listed and that it will be mad busy at half term. Fair comments?

crossor wrote:I've gotten some pretty negative feedback on the nightlife in Saalbach- I've been told it's not as good as it's made out to be. Can anyone comment on this?

I had also considered St. Anton but I heard it's not great for complete beginners, that it's a lot more expensive than some of the other options I've listed and that it will be mad busy at half term. Fair comments?

Why is nightlife so important? ski all day a nice meal and a couple of drinks in the evening and if you have skied hard enough that should be quite enough :shock:

Ischgl really is the best of your list . It ticks most boxes and it rocks!