Switzerland/Austria/Italy - where to go ?

Hi all.

After skiing in various resorts in France for the last five years I have
made the decision to venture elsewhere. Therefore, I would like to tap into
the wealth of knowledge available here as to where I should go. So far I
have in mind -

Zermatt/Cervinia
St Anton
Obergurgl

Please let me know where I can go for a super week of skiing and not be let
down. It's for two people aged in their twenties

Thanks

In article ,
Joe Hunt wrote:
Zermatt/Cervinia

Expensive touristy place.
You go here because "It's the Matterhorn." It's history. It has some
of the most vertical you can descent via mechanical assistance (trams
and trains) in the world bar few. It's more a matter of the location
and it's how much time and money you are willing to spend. Other places
have better snow, better sun, etc. I think that I've spent 10 days (2
-different 5 day trips in different years with comparatively great
weather, but I'll only go there again if I am taking someone who has
never been). I can spend money elsewhere. It depends how much you read
up on history. It can be done for cheaper (not much, I stayed in a
hostel) in shorter time, and I also did overnight over in Italy (worth doing).
It's not a place to take beginners.


St Anton

Just was there. Friends used to live there (Zurs proper).
I have mixed opinions about the place. Crowded.
I met people I liked (like the place where I stayed) and I didn't like.
After noon everything became icy mogul fields (I'm more into cruising).
The locals feel that every one should ski the Arlberg method.
It is on the main E-W rail line, so you might as well stop (Zermatt is an
end of line destination). I did ski both sides of the train tracks
but not high due to weather. I need to get back to Lech and Zurs.
If you book here, they really want you to stay a week (I sacrificed
Austria for more time in Italy). I'll go back some time, and also see
and ski more of Austria. Less casual skiing.

Areas around Innsbruck seem more fun. I also have to do area Salzberg
(relatives of friends).

Obergurgl

Never been. Give it a go and get back to us.
--

"Eugene Miya" wrote in message
news:4591c6a7$1@darkstar...
In article ,
Joe Hunt wrote:
Zermatt/Cervinia

Expensive touristy place.
You go here because "It's the Matterhorn." It's history. It has some
of the most vertical you can descent via mechanical assistance (trams
and trains) in the world bar few. It's more a matter of the location
and it's how much time and money you are willing to spend. Other places
have better snow, better sun, etc. I think that I've spent 10 days (2
-different 5 day trips in different years with comparatively great
weather, but I'll only go there again if I am taking someone who has
never been). I can spend money elsewhere. It depends how much you read
up on history. It can be done for cheaper (not much, I stayed in a
hostel) in shorter time, and I also did overnight over in Italy (worth
doing).
It's not a place to take beginners.


St Anton

Just was there. Friends used to live there (Zurs proper).
I have mixed opinions about the place. Crowded.
I met people I liked (like the place where I stayed) and I didn't like.
After noon everything became icy mogul fields (I'm more into cruising).
The locals feel that every one should ski the Arlberg method.
It is on the main E-W rail line, so you might as well stop (Zermatt is an
end of line destination). I did ski both sides of the train tracks
but not high due to weather. I need to get back to Lech and Zurs.
If you book here, they really want you to stay a week (I sacrificed
Austria for more time in Italy). I'll go back some time, and also see
and ski more of Austria. Less casual skiing.

Areas around Innsbruck seem more fun. I also have to do area Salzberg
(relatives of friends).

Obergurgl

Never been. Give it a go and get back to us.
--

Thanks Eugene, all points noted.

If I pay X to have a week's skiing holiday in Zermatt but can pay X
elsewhere to get better skiing and a better experience then it is obviously
the latter I prefer !

As it is the last week of March I am looking at, Obergurgl's height
certainly has its advantages.

Anyone been to Obergurgl who would like ot share their experiences ?

Thanks, Joe

Hi Joe

Anyone been to Obergurgl who would like ot share their experiences ?
I was last year mid of april there. Though Obergurgl is a complete
tourist orientated village it is relatively calm and intimate.
We did not search the nightlive. Though there might be some.
Pistes (Obergurgl and Hochgurgl, which are connected) are really great.
Not that much black, but enough red and blue pistes. Lift queues were
neglectable (in the morning when getting up the hill we had maybe 5
minutes to wait).
If you are a very(!) good skiier it might get boring after a week, but
for the average skier it is perfect. If you need variety: Soelden is
around 30 minutes to drive.
Liftserved offpiste is available but not too much (at least while the
conditions in April). If you skin up too: there are great backcountry
opportunities.
If you want to do cross crountry skiing too Obergurgl is a bit limited.

Accomodation
We were at "Hotel Alpenland". Very nice accomodation, fine wellness
area, and incredible good food (btw: they also are able to cook gluten
free, without missing anything of the great taste of their meals!)
Very polite and nice people.

Florian

In article ,
Joe Hunt wrote:
Zermatt/Cervinia

Expensive touristy place.
You go here because "It's the Matterhorn." It's history. It has some
33 lines cut.

Thanks Eugene, all points noted.

Joe, you don't have to attribute more than a few lines.

If I pay X to have a week's skiing holiday in Zermatt but can pay X
elsewhere to get better skiing and a better experience then it is obviously
the latter I prefer !

You can't place a dollar value on all experiences.
I read the story of Whymper's obsession with the Matterhorn and the
Zermatt indifference at the time and knew of the industrial tourism
since after reading about it 36 years ago. When I visited 7 years, it
was a casual end of year off season vacation with a little skiing thrown in.

My first run (easy) down at the start of the morning from the Gornergrat
was just stunning. I just crashed. I realized that I had to make a
choice: was I here to ski or here to sight see? The snow was pretty good.
but off the packed piste there were rocks. It was clear. It was the
classic view of the thing. It was my first trip to Europe. Little did
I know that I'd make something like 7 more trips so far, most of work
with some time off.

Later I chanced to meet some of the victims' distant relatives.
Life there is a business to them; Let them have it.

I had similar but less dramatic experiences in Chamonix and the Berner
Oberland. The more you read up on these places the more you will get
from them.

The experience is like Tom Cruise's early comment in Risky Business:
It's a Porsche.

So the following year, when I chanced to come back and do a little work
as well I had your X example: I was in Brig waiting to go to St. Moritz
and I had time to kill and it turned out to be a holiday weekend
(Friday), so I did a little train riding to get some info for curiosity
before a much later train. I ended up changing my plans and spent the
weekend in obcure little carless towns only accessible by trams and
delaying going to St. Moritz. I had great times in places most tourists
never heard of.

Anyone been to Obergurgl
--