J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by LOTA

Not trying that hard! Just making sure you're apprised of the facts!

I think Solden is greatly overlooked; I had a great time there!

Ian Wickham wrote:

Tony_H wrote:Civilised, or dull?

Can't beat a bit of Jazz :thumbup:

I was stuck in a chalet with three jazzers when the lifts were closed by storms at Tignes. I don't mind music with a bit of melody but this trio insisted on playing CDs by obscure herberts with no tune, rhythm or discernible lyrics. They sat around, nodding their heads, and whispering 'nice' and 'cool' -just like the Fast Show sketch!

Anyway, I sneaked into the kitchen, raided the chalet girl's CD collection and secretly swapped this 'jazz' stuff for Alvin Stardust. The jazzers were horrified and didn't speak to me again all week.

Result! -)

Tony_H wrote:Useful stuff so far thanks

LOTA - Sölden was number 1 target but the reviews I've read about the chalet hotel Hermann have put us off. The tour op says its ski in ski out but clearly that's a lie!!!!
I don't mind buses, my mate refuses to use buses or drag lifts though!
But i don't want to go anywhere that involves morning queues to get out of the resort.

Big queues at the Giggijoch gondola each morning - no queues at all for the Gailaischkogl gondola. So stay on the bus, or get off earlier, depending which end of town you're coming from. Lots of hotels clustered around each of the main lift stations. The chalet Hermann is neither Arthur nor Martha - somewhere in the middle and close only to the nursery slope lifts, I think.

Despite its shortcomings, I very much enjoyed Solden and will be looking to return sometime soon.

Harz mountains?

Anyway to get a bargain, escape the tyranny of the tour operators and book through resort websites. You generally don't pay up front and cancellation is free (if you can't find flights etc). Pick a resort close to an airport for cheap rail/bus transfers and avoid Sat to Sat or Sun to Sun for flight bargains. Don't just limit yourself to 'budget' airlines; Swiss or BA often work out cheaper.

Tony

I stayed at the Hotel Des Guides in Cervinia in 1979! The hotel rooms, then, were very small but the location was excellent - just a few yards to the slopes. An elegant lounge for a drink or a coffee festooned with the owner's souvenirs of Everest trips and other expeditions.

Solden is a much bigger ski area than it looks on the piste map - it's quite a trek to the glaciers and back and I found it a much more varied area than Cervinia - which is the king of resorts if you want easy cruising at high altitude in the sunshine.

What you won't like about Solden is the need to hop on a bus reasonably often. However, the very good bus service does make days at Obergurgl and the little-known but interesting Vent plus Kuhtai and Hochotz very easy to do.

Snapzzz wrote:You can get free transfers from Courchevel airport to your hotel. You walk.

Not necessarily true - you can probably ski! :)

Try resort website; most have online accommodation booking. Much cheaper and a massive choice compared to tour operators. It's worked for me every time over the last five or six seasons.

What is ski depreciation?

It's not like a car where you trade them in or sell when you buy a new pair!

As for ski carriage, fly Swiss - free carriage!

As for the best resort in Austria: the combination of St Anton/Lech/Zurs is hard to beat; Solden is a little way behind, Saalbach would be my next choice and Obergurgl some way behind that. Looking forward to seeing how the new Ski Juwel area measures up.