Latest posts for the topic "soll vs mayrhofen"

soll vs mayrhofen

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:50:46 GMT

Hi folks looking for some advice on visiting soll for the first time and how it compares to mayrhofen area.
We are a group of four whos main priorities are covering lots of mileage in the week so a big varied ski area like mayrhofen suits us perfectly with its ziller valley ski pass .
Apres ski is next on the list somehow we manage to combine early starts on the slopes with big nites out on the weiss bier!!so apres ski is a big factor on choosing a resort,
We visited mayrhofen two seasons in a row we loved it that much with zillertal arena and kaltenbach our favourite ski areas ,
So how does soll compare to it ?, is it a small village?,are there as many good nite spots? is the area pass that includes kitzbuhel as good as ziller valley pass?
Hopefully tony h is still on here and has been to soll as he was a wealth of knowledge before our hof visits !

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 21:28:54 GMT

We have had two holidays in Soell, one before kids, and one after.mbefore kids, I remember Soell as having great nightlife and good skiing. Post kids, we didn't notice the nightlife but it's a really pretty village with two mountains to ski on.mthe only challenge with Soell is the altitude as its not that high, but a great place with lots of Gemuetlichkeit.
We had one of our best holidays ever in Mayrhofen but,nstrangely, have never flt the urge to go back. Try Soell, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:01:07 GMT

I haven't been to Mayrhofen (yet :wink: ) so my comments are about Soll and am unable to compare.

Soll has a huge area with plenty of well connected runs and plenty of variety to keep you happy. The only downside is that many of the runs are fairly short. While it is low, the snow is very well maintained with plenty of snowmaking to ensure conditions are kept in good shape. The "local" pass includes Westendorf and that area is worth a day. I haven't skied over to Kitzbuel. It is possible on the extended pass but I suspect the effort of making the journey is not really worth it,

Apres ski is very good. The Moonlight bar at the bottom of the piste is great fun immediately after the skiing, especially around the weekend when all the Germans come down from Munich and other cities on day trips. Lots of heaving bodies and catchy Europop. The main village has plenty of lively pubs with live music to be found somewhere most nights. The Whiskey Muhle is still going strong for late night activity, though it does tend to be very young - think late teens/early twenties.

A few decent restaurants around as well if you are not staying in a catered property.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 17:05:35 GMT

Hi Dunk

I think I can help you as I did a whole season in Mayrhofen as a ski guide and I also have been to Soll 3 times.

Totally agree with you about the resorts in the Ziller Valley as I took my group to a different area every day. I don't know about you but my least favourite place to ski was Mayrhofen itself. Anyway as you say you have had great times there so you know all about it.

With regards to Soll I have to say that it is easily on a par with Mayrhofen for apres ski and the ski area is huge, I believe the Ski Welt as it is called has something like 250kms of interconnected pistes which is the largest in Austria. The great thing about this of course is you don't have to get buses or trains as you do in Zillertal thereofre more time for skiing and pares ski. From memory the resorts in the Ski Welt are generally higher and so skiing back to the village is available more often than in Mayrhofen.

As you have already been to the Ziller Valley I would suggest that Soll is certainly worth a visit. Of course skiing hols need good snow and if you get that in Soll I promise you won't be disappointed.

Btw, I love Austria and in my humble opinion is so much better than France.

Good luck.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 17:43:44 GMT

I've been to Mayrhofen 5 times and never been to Soll. Theres a reason why. Snow.
I've been in Dec, Jan, Feb and March and always had excellent skiing even when its hot down in the valley at resort level, whereas I know Soll often suffers with water skiing.

The lift pass covers tons of skiing, 650km in total, not all linked by lift at all, but buses and trains are efficient and the valley feels as if everything is close at hand. Its got glacial heights too at Hintertux.

Penken and Eggalm are linked and provide you with lots of skiing to go at, and I have also skied at Zell for a day and Hintertux for a day too.

Good vibe in Mayrhofen itself, lots of lively bars and good places to eat, and the town feels modern whilst being traditional at the same time. I've skied it to death now though so not rushing back. I might try Skiwelt someday but if you've never been to either, weigh up the pros and cons first. I did.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 18:43:00 GMT

Hi Dunk. We're doing the opposite - been to Soll past 4 years (& a couple of times a good few years ago!) but trying Mayrhofen for the first time in February. Tony's right that you do take a bit of a risk with altitude - we've done the waterskiing!! but also had some fabulous snow - especially last year. Great skiing - we usually did a warm up run in Soll then straight over to Scheffau then Ellmau over to Brixen, Hopfgatren & back to Soll via Itter. Plenty of choice for drinks & food on the way & runs down the mountain optional & with good gondolas & funicular back up. We have found the night life getting a bit quieter over the years but that might be us getting older & not seeking out new places!! The Salvenstadle was our favourite place once down the mountain & then the Postwirt stube for live music later on. The Whiskey Muhler's the place for a lively & late night out. Tony thanks for your advice. We're staying close to the Penken so will certainly try to get there early in the morning. Are the buses reliable & regular to get around the other areas? Starting to get a bit excited now!!!

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 20:20:22 GMT

Thanks for all the advice folks ,
Think myself and rest of the group are still undecided about soll for now .
Possible dodgy conditions are a concern ! and 250 kms compared to 625kms !!so much bigger area .
With a bit of luck some of the mayrhofen deals will come down in price soon as they seem very steep at the moment!!
Agree with ikwida about mayrhofen being our least favourite out of the whole valley resorts but it was still amazing!! And so is Austria !!!

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 20:38:02 GMT

I echo TH, I spent a couple of seasons in Mayrhofen with fab snow most of the winter, visited Ski Welt early last March and although Soll is a great village, the snow was quite poor for the time of year.

BUT you might want to try somewhere different just make sure it's not too late in the season.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 20:39:55 GMT

Just one other thing, obviously there is some travelling in the Ziller Valley by train/bus, Ski Welt can be skiied without the need for other modes of transport, that's one plus point to consider.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:27:31 GMT

And theres Westendorf too

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:44:04 GMT

I think I am in a good position to give an opinion on the question in hand. What I will add is that our ski trips have been early season in January. We did a multi family trip to Mayrhofen where we found the skiing excellent, apres great but the massive downer for us was queues to get up and down the mountain from the town in the main gondolla. Tony H makes some very valid points to the credit of Mayrhofen. I have been fortunate to go to Austria for the past 8 years with good experienced mature aged skiers who like to put the mileage in and like their Apres. We did Schladming for a nummber of years but then for a change went and tried Soll. We loved the place, as good a ski area as Schladming, the snow was great, the Apres superb so much that went 3 times on the trot. Some of our group had also been to Mayrhofen and as much as they liked it, it was deemed not suitable for our groups needs because of the hassle of getting up and down the mountain. We ski hard and try and apres hard as well and our rule of being on the first lift by 9.30 still stands. We are on our hols Tony!!
Just out of interest we are trying Saalbach this year for the first time. Seems a little more expensive in all aspects but the reports are promising, anyone got any views on the subject.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:49:06 GMT

Can I just add for the record that Scarlet Girl and I are not known to each other. :lol:
But I think we can both agree that Soll is great and the Postwirt hotel is very good. -)
We have never been at Soll at the same time.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:24:00 GMT

I have to disagree with some of the above. I spent a whole season in Mayrhofen and you could only ski back to the village from Mayrhofen ski area for 2 days, not at all in Zell am Ziller and not in Kaltenbach. The 3 occasions I have been to Soll I have always been able to ski back to the village. Last time I went there I drove and I couldn't get my car to the hotel I was staying in because there was 3ft snow in the village. Never had that in Mayrhofen.
There may well be 650kms piste in Zillertal but let's get something straight you are not going to be able to cover it all in a week. There is absolutely no doubt that you will get more sking done in the Ski Welt area than you would get in Zillertal.
However, I think that both are great destinations but as someone who has skied in more than 60 resorts and done 5 full seasons in Europe as a ski guide or intsructor I can assure you there is a lot more on offer in Austria than the Zillertal and I would respectfully suggest that you give some others a try.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:28:58 GMT

I've been following this discussion with interest. We're looking to go to Austria at the end of January. Have only been to Hopfgarten in the past. Grateful for advice on where else to try please.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:21:21 GMT

Hi Sue Cymraeg! As you'll have gathered the Scarlets love Soll!! (Despite not knowing each other as Fez says!). We've been in February & March but usually conditions much better the earlier we've been. Haven't stayed in Hopfgarten but have had a look around the village. The biggest difference you'd notice in Soll is that it's a bus ride to the gondola in the morning. After that you've got the same fantastic skiing options. The red home run to Soll is narrower than Hopfgarten & gets very busy and a bit cut up at the end of the day but, in good conditions you can ski to (almost ) the Salvenstadle ! Have stayed in Ellmau as well but found Soll village much more compact & quicker to get up the mountain - thogh we love skiing over there from Soll, sometimes spending the day there. Apres ski in Soll is great - a good mix of bars, live music & all night dancing should you wish! If flights are also a consideration and, like me are from South Wales (????) flights to Salzburg for Soll available from Cardiff & Bristol. We fly to Innsbuck for Mayrhofen & have to go from Birmingham (with our fingers crossed that the pilot can land!!!). Have fun wherever you decide to go.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:03:32 GMT

Perhaps you sould try Soll/Ski Welt, it would be a good opportunity to try a new resort/s, just go early season.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:10:47 GMT

Thanks both, Soll sounds a good idea. I've just had Kitzbuhel thrown into the mix from a colleague at work. Any views?

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:42:18 GMT

Sue Cymraeg, dont be put of by talk of a bus up to the gondolla in Soll. If you stay in Soll village (we stayed in the Postwirt) the buses run really regular. It is less than 10 minutes on the bus whilst it does its round robin route. There are lockers up by the gondolla so many of our group he used to walk up there. (I didnt) After skiing it is only a 12-15 minute stretch off walk down the hill if you can't be bothered to bus it. We found Soll bars and restaurants very very resonable, I think Kitzbuhel is also very good but believe it to be dearer.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:20:38 GMT

Thanks again for all the great info and views folks .
Just wondering if anyone who stayed in soll made the trip over to kitzbuhel and if you can ski there and if so how long would it take or do you need to bus it there and back ?? Definately go there if we choose soll .

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:26:49 GMT

Scarlet Fez wrote: Some of our group had also been to Mayrhofen and as much as they liked it, it was deemed not suitable for our groups needs because of the hassle of getting up and down the mountain. We ski hard and try and apres hard as well and our rule of being on the first lift by 9.30 still stands. We are on our hols Tony!!
.

I hear you but you have to take a lift up anywhere to ski!
I'm not saying go to mayrhofen as I've been there done that got the t shirt but I don't think the lift issue is as big a problem as some people think. Just accept you will take a ride down almost every finish and get on with it!

Fez, I'm on my holidays too. That's precisely why we are on the first lift at 8 or whatever time it starts. You've missed possibly the best 90 mins of skiing by 9.30.

I always say you can have a drink any day any where but you can't always ski the next morning. That's worth thinking about.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:32:38 GMT

Yes but you can't have Apres Ski anywhere? We ski till 4.30pm so at our gaes we put the hours in. :-)

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:34:47 GMT

Scarlet Fez wrote:Yes but you can't have Apres Ski anywhere? We ski till 4.30pm so at our gaes we put the hours in. :-)

Fair play to you.
Apres for me us strait off the slopes and includes dinner. But bed at a reasonable time so not to spoil the next days skiing.
Everyone's different.
Anyone, get up early in mayrhofen or join the queue, that's the facts!!!

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 21:25:36 GMT

We were always up early and making fresh tracks at mayrhofen as tony says beat the ski school queues and some of the best couple hours skiing , Also had lunch earlier too around 1130 ,to avoid the rush then get back out when most people stop for lunch.
We usually finish a bit earlier in afternoon tho about 3 ish. As pistes getting cut up moguled and busy late on. And of course the thirst for weiss bier needs quenching !!

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 00:00:41 GMT

Kitzbuhel although very close was not on the same large ski pass as Soll (Skiwelt). If you can ski all the Skiwelt in a week and be bored for different runs then I am affraid I cannot help you. What I will say is that the nearest part of the Skiwelt to Kitzbuhel was I believe Brixen. One of our number got tired and tried to bus it back to Soll!!! Ended up getting a 45 minute taxi ride as it had to go up and down dale!!

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 13:47:26 GMT

There are some big differences between Mayrhofen and Soll.
In fact the only similarities I can think of are that they are both full of Brits (mostly men) and have an abundance of on mountain restaurants.
The Ski Welt is low and has a short season. Best time is January.
Zillertal is great late season, particularly Kaltenbach which is off piste heaven.
Ski Welt has lots of short runs, most of those that go all the way down to the valley floor have some south facing element and are only good in january.
Best skiing in Ski Welt by far is Westendorf, though you are better off staying there than skiing there and back each day. Plus you can ski right back into the village which has a more traditional type of Apres Ski and is full of Dutch visitors. After that Scheffau has better snow than Soll and a great home run.
A really modern lift system means that the runs get incredibly crowded and the man made snow deteriates quickly on busy days.This plus a lot of gung ho skiers on the hill means that the red run back to the village after 3.00pm can be icy, crowded and not for the faint hearted.
There is some great off pist from the top of the gondola on the Hohe Salve, but this is steep and for advanced skiers only.
Nightlife basically comprises of 4 Pub type bars which can be boisterous and crowded but lack the gemutlichkeit found in other resorts with less of a British ex-pat type contingent.
Apart from that there is little in the way of restaurants or coffee shops.
If you want great nightlife and comparable skiing to Zillertal I would recommend Saalbach.
Hope some of this helps.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 20:08:22 GMT

I've always found mayrhofen seems to be full of German and Dutch men. The Germans seem to go up the mountain, drink heavily all day, and then ski back to the gondola and have it off big style in the ice bar, where the Dutch have been all day.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 21:28:37 GMT

Thanks for all the info folks but we have now changed our minds and are heading to st anton instead 2nd of feb , Got our flights booked with monarch to friedrichshafen.
Hoping to sort out accomodation in next couple of days as it seems to be selling out quickly for that week.
Anyone had any dealings with sidney reilly who runs a good website on st anton and offers apartments for rent ??

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 23:05:03 GMT

Nope. Only been to st Anton with package deals. Great skiing but busy on the st Anton side.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 23:00:00 GMT

.... after all that you decide to go somewhere else :x

Still an interesting debate and highlights the very different perspectives that people have about their favourite resorts, often based on a small number of visits. While Soll is certainly low, it really manages the snow well and I have never had a problem apart from the final stretch of the home run on occasions. As somebody highlighted, the home run at peak descent time can be a real mess with difficult conditions and too many people, many of whom should not be on the run at all :twisted: We usually avoid the rush by leaving it as late as possible.

As for St Anton,, it is a great resort but accommodation tends to be pretty expensive. You also have to be a bit careful where the accommodation is located. It is a big resort and some of the accommodation can be a bit out of the way and not very convenient.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 23:50:59 GMT

Very interesting. I've had 2 weeks in st Anton and both were very reasonably priced. The first was GBP500 chalet board a coule of years ago and 5 mins walk to the rendlbahn. This march we stayed in st christoph which was ski in ski out and easy to get into town by bus or taxi. And lift linked directly into the main area.

Nasserein is a good area to stay.

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Thu, 1 Nov 2012 11:52:10 GMT

You won't get bored in Soll and if you haven't tried it do it. As mentioned the Ski Welt is huge an accessed far easier that the Zillertall.

The lift passes streches from Ellmau to Kitzbuhl (short bus journey to Kitzbuhl from Westdorff) and you will struggle to go from one end and back in a day. we tired it once and ran out of time.

see below to compare Mayrhofen and Soll/Skiwelt piste maps.

www.apsleyski.com/Services/lift-passes.html

Hot tip: Check out the Kitzbuhler All Star Card which will give you even more access to Ski Welt and surrounding resorts for pretty much the same price Euro211 and about 1000km of piste

www.allstarcard.at/en/default.asp

Re:soll vs mayrhofen

Fri, 2 Nov 2012 00:24:35 GMT

Dunk, St Anton, now you are talking. If you had asked Soll versus Mayrhofen versus St Anton then there is only one winner in my book and that is St Anton. However, I don't like to go to the same place every year altough I am currently lucky enough to do 15 weeks a season, so there will always be a place in my ski time for the Ski Welt and the Zillertal although when it comes to the Zillertal I don't like to ski much in Mayrhofen itself as it is a poor ski area IMHO and anywhere where you have to queue to get up the mountain and have to get a lift down is not worth the effort. However, for those of you who like to ski in Mayrhofen itself then you are best to get up the mountain at Finkenberg where there is no queue.
Other places in Austria which are certainly worth going are Ischgl, Saalbach Hinterglem, Schladming, Obergurgl, Lech, Obertauern, Bad Hofgastein and I am sure a few others that I can't think of at the moment.