J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Wanderer

The train is a great way to get to St Anton but your arrival time is so close to the last train of the evening that you would need to be confident of your flight arriving on time and luggage off fast. You could have a look at carhire - probably cheaper than a taxi.

Hi Scarlet

Only seeing your post now. I doubt if the Competition fines have made a significant impact yet so prices may still be very high. Have a look at Mietski.com. They are based in Pettneu which is a few kms east of the town. They can be significantly cheaper and it might be worth considering getting a couple of taxis over there to rent (you could take the bus but that would be a bit of a pain).

Consider using ski lockers. Depending on where you are staying, it can be a bit of trudge to/from the lifts. If you hire in the town, the hire company will usually offer storage at a discounted price.

Skiing - the central ski slopes can be very crowded even in off-peak weeks - St Anton is pretty much full every week so the crowds don't vary that much. So the trick is to get out to the edges as quickly as you can. Stuben is well worth the trip. There are only a few runs up there and they are short but nice. The runs down to the valley are long and good. Make sure you get over to Lech and Warth. It will take a little time but is worth it. The skiing is more extensive but tends to be quieter. The White Ring circuit starting from Zurs is worth doing. It does include a reasonable long "skiroute" but the time I did it, it was no more difficult than an average Red - they do bash it now and then so it does depend on conditions. The valley runs in the evening can be a bit hectic and can be icy in places depending on conditions. Technically, they are Blues but are actually really Red level and can be decidedly tricky with lots of beginners struggling on them :twisted: . It is probably best to get off the mountain either early or stay as late as possible until the worst of the crowds have passed :lol: .

Apres Ski starts early on the mountain with the Krazy Kangarou and the Mooserwirt being the 2 most famous. Worth stopping for one or two but if you stay too long, you will be skiing the last section in the dark :shock: . Also their prices are pretty steamy :evil: . Plenty of places down in the town, several of them with live music and most would have a slightly older crowd. Underground on the Piste would probably be my favourite but it is somewhat eccentric and they will throw you out at about 7.30pm as they change the focus to food :roll: .

If you have a look at the older posts, you will find a fairly detailed report from me on a previous trip.

I really struggle with this question. I have been skiing for nearly 20 years and am a fairly decent on-piste skier. I did buy a pair of skis a few years ago but have rarely used them because of the gouging by airlines to transport them :evil: as well as the hassle factor and so I usually hire my skis.

Every year, it is a different set of skis but also a different set of ski conditions so I haven't been able to tell the difference from one set to the other. I tend to book the middle category and as long as they look alright, I go with them.

To really get a sense of the difference skis make, I think you would have to change skis during the week and them compare performance but I generally couldn't be bothered :shock:. Maybe I should be more fussy but I don't know enough about it even after all this time to decide :oops:

It all depends :shock: .

If you are travelling for a peak week, you can save a fair bit compared with the TOs who tend to load peak week prices :evil: . As you have indicated that you are thinking of a trip at New Year's, then it is worth checking out. Make sure you have good travel insurance as you are taking on the risk of missed flights, etc.

Flights - generally, the earlier you book the better. Be open to moving your travelling days to get the best prices but be careful as accommodation will be become tricky if you are not taking the standard Saturday - Saturday week. This can also let you organize an 8-day trip or longer provided you are able to find accommodation.

Transfers - these can be make or break for a DIY trip. Ideally, pick a resort that is relatively close to an airport - this website has an excellent page with details of distances from airports :D . Failing that, research ease of bus or train transfers but be careful as any delay in your flight could result in a missed connection. If you get the numbers right, a taxi transfer can be affordable and is much more flexible but can also be prohibitive :roll: .

Car hire can be a good option but you should always get winter tyres and chains. This can be difficult in some airports, especially France and Italy. Carhire also gives you a bit more flexibility in terms of where you stay as you can drive to the slopes - most resorts have large carparks beside the lifts - usually free though you might have to get there early to be sure of a space.

Accommodation - best, most centrally located properties tend to be expensive and book up fast. However, there are several booking websites that will let you search easily. The further out you are prepared to stay, the easier it will be to get accommodation.

Ski hire, lift passes, etc - these are all easily sorted out. Probably worth booking skis in advance to get the best deals but lift passes can be sorted out easily in resort (though it might involve a little bit of queuing)

You can depend on the bigger French resorts making their decisions on what is most profitable rather than on what the customers might want :shock: .

A few years ago, we holidayed in La Plagne for the New Year's week. It bucketed down on the Thursday night but the lift company were incredibly slow opening up the resort the next day :evil: . I reckon they calculated that the following week was one of their quietest weeks and so they weren't bothered to make a decent effort or pay overtime to get the slopes open quickly. As a result, we lost a full days skiing. I was not a happy camper :twisted:.

Dave

Don't mind Tony. Hopefully you will not have any paintings to show us but only because you will be skiing like a demon all the time :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I would go with an estate - they are great for space and for throwing skis into the back for short runs. Always try to hire one for my ski trips. Ford focus estate is a good, if somewhat boring choice :lol: .

I had an interesting conversation with the car hire desk in Venice airport last year. The car was a diesel and she informed me that the local diesel was not suitable for the mountains (did not have anti-freeze in it and liable to freeze overnight :shock: ). She advised that I fill up as soon as I got there or alternatively add anti-freeze to the fuel tank :roll: Apparently, the diesel sold in the mountains has anti-freeze added in Winter.

Snowmaking and maintenance in the Skiwelt is probably the best anywhere. You should have absolutely no problems at end of January.