Advice - Switzerland/Austria/France
 

Hello,

Hoping to find recommendations on Intermediate skiing with a good
nightlife (and non-skiing activities). Timing is Christmas week, so
it is early in the season.

Would like to try Switzerland or Austria - with France a distant
third. Was originally leaning towards Jungfrau region, but having
doubts over quality of skiing and nightlife. Any opinions are greatly
appreciated as it will be my first trip to Europe. My traveling
companion and I are in our early 30's.

One last question - would you recommend waiting to reserve hotels
until there or just before - therefore protecting myself against green
trails?

Thanks.

Advice - Switzerland/Austria/France
 

Christmas week is busy, and a lot of popular places are booked out already..
I found some troubel when booking my trip to Zell am See.. the travel
companies are also pretty heavily booked..

wrote in message
...
Hello,

Hoping to find recommendations on Intermediate skiing with a good
nightlife (and non-skiing activities). Timing is Christmas week, so
it is early in the season.

Would like to try Switzerland or Austria - with France a distant
third. Was originally leaning towards Jungfrau region, but having
doubts over quality of skiing and nightlife. Any opinions are greatly
appreciated as it will be my first trip to Europe. My traveling
companion and I are in our early 30's.

One last question - would you recommend waiting to reserve hotels
until there or just before - therefore protecting myself against green
trails?

Thanks.

Advice - Switzerland/Austria/France
 

On Sat, 27 Sep 2003 04:29:19 GMT, wrote:

Hello,

Hoping to find recommendations on Intermediate skiing with a good
nightlife (and non-skiing activities). Timing is Christmas week, so
it is early in the season.

Would like to try Switzerland or Austria - with France a distant
third. Was originally leaning towards Jungfrau region, but having
doubts over quality of skiing and nightlife. Any opinions are greatly
appreciated as it will be my first trip to Europe. My traveling
companion and I are in our early 30's.

Take a look at Arosa, Lenzerheide/Vallbela, Davos, Laax, Saas Fee,
Verbier
Even small villages got a pup/bar and Disco.

One last question - would you recommend waiting to reserve hotels
until there or just before - therefore protecting myself against green
trails?

It's better you look know. Some resorts are booked out (more or less).
Ok it's possible to find something 1 week befor you go, but it could
be expensive or it isn't that what you like.
What you can also do. Is travel some time for a accommodation.
Exemple: Stay at Chur and Sking at Arosa (by Train) or
Lenzerheide/Vallbella (by bus).

Johannes

Advice - Switzerland/Austria/France
 

Advice - Switzerland/Austria/France
 

On Sun, 28 Sep 2003 00:55:32 GMT, pk wrote:

wrote:

Hoping to find recommendations on Intermediate skiing with a good
nightlife (and non-skiing activities). Timing is Christmas week, so
it is early in the season.

That's quite early in the season in terms of snowfall, and in recent
years the most reliable snow at that time has been the resorts in the
Tyrol province in Austria.

You'll also need somewhere with a reasonable elevation, so I'd try for
Solden or St Anton. Both have fairly large villages with excellent
nightlife and non-skiing activities.

For the same reasons Obergurgl or Lech would be good. I find Solden
way to noisy for me, nightlife is just loud and caters for drunk
Germans which is not really my thing. That said there's several good
restaurants and the skiing is not bad at all.


As for the skiing, Solden is mostly Intermediate, and Anton is
int-expert terrain.

Advice - Switzerland/Austria/France
 

That's quite early in the season in terms of snowfall, and in recent
years the most reliable snow at that time has been the resorts in the
Tyrol province in Austria.

Well, yes, but last year the pattern was not followed - there was
almost no snow in most of the Tirol at Christmas and New Year, and the
Arlberg resorts (St Anton, Lech, Zurs) were all absolutely heaving
with people as a result! You just can't generalise about snow
certainty that early in the season. High altitude snow was good in St
Anton at New Year, but the slush lower down and the crowds high up
made for some slightly stressful skiing.

Paul
Leigh
Lancs

Advice - Switzerland/Austria/France
 

Chirstmas & especially New Years weeek in St Anton are allways heaving
for me that create most of the atmosphere in St Anton at this time.
However, this doesnt lead to substantial overcrowding than normal when
other resorts are closed . The resort only has a certain amount of beds
(around 9000) so the maximum amount of people only goes up when they
build a new hotel. Camping and Trailers are not allowed to park
overnight . You get daytrip coaches but they tend to be at the weekends
only. Last year they stopped selling tickets after a certain time this
was actually due to preserving the lower slope snow which was melting
fast in the spring like conditions .

Nigel

Doc Paul wrote:
That's quite early in the season in terms of snowfall, and in recent
years the most reliable snow at that time has been the resorts in the
Tyrol province in Austria.


Well, yes, but last year the pattern was not followed - there was
almost no snow in most of the Tirol at Christmas and New Year, and the
Arlberg resorts (St Anton, Lech, Zurs) were all absolutely heaving
with people as a result! You just can't generalise about snow
certainty that early in the season. High altitude snow was good in St
Anton at New Year, but the slush lower down and the crowds high up
made for some slightly stressful skiing.

Paul
Leigh
Lancs

Advice - Switzerland/Austria/France
 

On 28 Sep 2003 13:42:55 -0700, (Doc Paul) wrote:

That's quite early in the season in terms of snowfall, and in recent
years the most reliable snow at that time has been the resorts in the
Tyrol province in Austria.

Well, yes, but last year the pattern was not followed - there was
almost no snow in most of the Tirol at Christmas and New Year, and the

Yes, it was warm and wet, but "almost no snow" is overstating it a
bit.

Arlberg resorts (St Anton, Lech, Zurs) were all absolutely heaving

St Anton was a little busy over Christmas but Lech and Zurs were not.

with people as a result! You just can't generalise about snow
certainty that early in the season. High altitude snow was good in St
Anton at New Year, but the slush lower down and the crowds high up
made for some slightly stressful skiing.

Paul
Leigh
Lancs

Advice - Switzerland/Austria/France
 

Just an "outside chance" caution, it might be different in a ski area but:

My wife and I were in Wien (Vienna) for Christmas. The front desk of our
hotel warned us that, on Christmas Eve, all restaurants would be closed ...
people are religious in Austria. We assumed he was referring to the hotel
restaurants ... not true, we hiked all over the city and could not find a
place open. We had "chocolate Santas" for dinner, which the hotel
courteously left in the room.

You mentioned the Jungfrau area: we went there once and stayed at a charming
place called the Waldran. We were driving and needed chains to get to the
place. Anyway, after checking in I asked the desk how to get to the lift
.... "just ski down the road (you just drove up) and take a left under the
Mannicherbahn (lift)". Pretty cool, and ski-in/ski-out.


wrote in message
...
Hello,

Hoping to find recommendations on Intermediate skiing with a good
nightlife (and non-skiing activities). Timing is Christmas week, so
it is early in the season.

Would like to try Switzerland or Austria - with France a distant
third. Was originally leaning towards Jungfrau region, but having
doubts over quality of skiing and nightlife. Any opinions are greatly
appreciated as it will be my first trip to Europe. My traveling
companion and I are in our early 30's.

One last question - would you recommend waiting to reserve hotels
until there or just before - therefore protecting myself against green
trails?

Thanks.

Advice - Switzerland/Austria/France
 

In article ,
S. Gione wrote:
You mentioned the Jungfrau area: we went there once and stayed at a charming
place called the Waldran. We were driving and needed chains to get to the
place. Anyway, after checking in I asked the desk how to get to the lift
... "just ski down the road (you just drove up) and take a left under the
Mannicherbahn (lift)". Pretty cool, and ski-in/ski-out.

Longest gondola in the world.

Yeah the Jungfrau was my first stop on my first trip to Europe.
France is OK, too. Austria: I need more time.

Early season skiing: when you get lower you will get the smell of
European cow dung. Rocks have largely been removed so that the base
starts with grass. Lodging is likely to be ok BEFORE X-mas, but will
be fully booked after just like the US.

Less grooming.

I have found 2 books on European and world skiing:
Ski Europe is so-so
Reuter's has Where to Ski (and Snowboard) worldwide



wrote in message
.. .
Hoping to find recommendations on Intermediate skiing with a good
nightlife (and non-skiing activities). Timing is Christmas week, so
it is early in the season.

Would like to try Switzerland or Austria - with France a distant
third. Was originally leaning towards Jungfrau region, but having
doubts over quality of skiing and nightlife. Any opinions are greatly
appreciated as it will be my first trip to Europe. My traveling

Jungfrau is okay for a first time.
It all depends on your readinng and knowledge of the area and what your
priorities are.

With a minimum of prep one Dec. I flew from SF/DC to Zurich and back.
At the airport I was given a choice where do I want a train ticket for?
So I just said Interlaken off the top of my head. Having never been
there, no hotel in mind.

After a sort of orientation day (Sunday anyway, important to know days
even with ATMs) I spent 5 days in that part of the Bernese oberland.

The Jungfrau is basic Grindelwald and the Lauderbrunnen Valleys.
There are sort of 4 different sets of slopes to ski. The train/ski
ticket to purchase in that area is the one with the 3 or more days of
lift skiing plus the train up to the Jungfraujoch. The combined ticket
is better than separate tickets. Most Swiss cities, towns and villages
have web sites www.townname.ch.

I didn't ski First. I wish I had also skied Murren as well as Wengen
and down to Grindelwald. So for me, the next time I visit that region
I will go for at least 5 days. I plan to avoid staying in Grindelwald
or Launderbrunnen proper, the villages minus cars are nicer if more
expensive (I actually stay at Kleine Scheidegg but I have friends whose
history involved the Eiger). I also have a co-worker who grew up in Spiez.

Very nice region for tourists.

As a first timer, take a day in Zermatt and see the Matterhorn on a day
of hopefully good weather.

Expensive, but it is a symbol worth seeing.