CALLING ALL SEASONED SKI TRAVELERS FOR ADVISE

I am planning my first ever skiing holiday this march. But rather than use a
tour operator myself and two freinds are planning to wing it! We have looked
into low cost flights to salzberg austria with a mind to travel to Kitzbuhel
(getting the flights seems simple enough.)

Due to circumstances beyond our control we have some strange accomidation
requirements. I myself would like to stay for a week whereas my friends only
have time for a 4 day visit.

What I am asking is: Should I just turn up and wonder around looking for
accomidation? Do people know of hotels or resorts that offer this kind of
flexibility? Has anyone already been in this sort of situation looking for
accomidation only? Do you seasoned ski travels have any advise for me?

Thanks

--
Kyle


--
Kyle Jaques

Home: 01235 810053
Mobile: 0779 3235 202

k wrote:
I am planning my first ever skiing holiday this march. But rather than use a
tour operator myself and two freinds are planning to wing it! We have looked
into low cost flights to salzberg austria with a mind to travel to Kitzbuhel
(getting the flights seems simple enough.)

Due to circumstances beyond our control we have some strange accomidation
requirements. I myself would like to stay for a week whereas my friends only
have time for a 4 day visit.

What I am asking is: Should I just turn up and wonder around looking for
accomidation? Do people know of hotels or resorts that offer this kind of
flexibility? Has anyone already been in this sort of situation looking for
accomidation only? Do you seasoned ski travels have any advise for me?

Thanks

Lot's of people now go skiing this way, you should have no problems
doing it yourself. Since you're group wants to stay for different
numbers of nights you'll almost certainly find it cheaper to book
youself than to do it through a TO.

If you are travelling in early March is might be fairly busy so I would
book a hotel in advance. You should be able to find hotel details on the
tourist office website, or you could phone the tourist office and ask
them for advice - they may even be able to book a hotel for you there
and then. Use Google (or similar) to find the right websites.

I'm sure others here will recommend favourite hotels in Kitzbuhel. I've
not stayed there myself.

You may find some hotels are not keen to take a booking which is not
Saturday to Saturday. This is a problem I have had when booking in busy
periods, it's unfortunate but as March is not the peak season you should
be OK. If a hotel says you can only book 7 nights then just look for
somewhere else.

"k" wrote in message ...
I am planning my first ever skiing holiday this march. But rather than use
a
tour operator myself and two freinds are planning to wing it! We have
looked
into low cost flights to salzberg austria with a mind to travel to
Kitzbuhel
(getting the flights seems simple enough.)

Due to circumstances beyond our control we have some strange accomidation
requirements. I myself would like to stay for a week whereas my friends
only
have time for a 4 day visit.

What I am asking is: Should I just turn up and wonder around looking for
accomidation? Do people know of hotels or resorts that offer this kind of
flexibility? Has anyone already been in this sort of situation looking for
accomidation only? Do you seasoned ski travels have any advise for me?


What I am asking is: Should I just turn up and wonder around looking for
accomidation?

As long as its not school holidays you should be ok to turn up, go to the
tourist info office,
they will usually be able to find something for you.

Has anyone already been in this sort of situation looking for
accomidation only?

Just did it a few weeks ago in Avoriaz, worked out OK, we had a car so could
travel if
needed but ended up in the centre of the village

Steve Haigh wrote:

You may find some hotels are not keen to take a booking which is not
Saturday to Saturday. This is a problem I have had when booking in busy
periods, it's unfortunate but as March is not the peak season you should
be OK. If a hotel says you can only book 7 nights then just look for
somewhere else.

www.tiscover.at is pretty good, I used it all the time when I lived in
Germany for weekends and assorted trips. I think I've only ever been to
Austria once on the 7 day weekend-weekend think once even including Xmass.

Ian

Ian Spare wrote:

Steve Haigh wrote:


You may find some hotels are not keen to take a booking which is not
Saturday to Saturday. This is a problem I have had when booking in
busy periods, it's unfortunate but as March is not the peak season you
should be OK. If a hotel says you can only book 7 nights then just
look for somewhere else.


www.tiscover.at is pretty good, I used it all the time when I lived in
Germany for weekends and assorted trips. I think I've only ever been to
Austria once on the 7 day weekend-weekend think once even including Xmass.

Ian
That's good to hear. My experience with uncooperative hotels has always
been in France, so I clearly need to go to Austria next time.

Steve Haigh wrote:
Ian Spare wrote:

Steve Haigh wrote:


You may find some hotels are not keen to take a booking which is not
Saturday to Saturday. This is a problem I have had when booking in
busy periods, it's unfortunate but as March is not the peak season
you should be OK. If a hotel says you can only book 7 nights then
just look for somewhere else.



www.tiscover.at is pretty good, I used it all the time when I lived in
Germany for weekends and assorted trips. I think I've only ever been
to Austria once on the 7 day weekend-weekend think once even including
Xmass.

Ian

That's good to hear. My experience with uncooperative hotels has always
been in France, so I clearly need to go to Austria next time.

I'll do nearly anything to avoid using French hotels, the standard
compared to Austria is appalling and the prices are outrageous.

Ian

What I am asking is: Should I just turn up and wonder around looking for
accomidation? Do people know of hotels or resorts that offer this kind of
flexibility? Has anyone already been in this sort of situation looking for
accomidation only? Do you seasoned ski travels have any advise for me?

Thanks

--
Kyle

Turning up and looking for accomodation is a risk. If snow conditions
are good it could be booked out. I would recommend that you book
ahead. As much for your own peace of mind than anything else As a
general rule, while self catering and accomodation taken over by the
ski companies book by the week other places book by the night. In
Kitzbuhel you can definately book for the number of nights you require
at Snowbunnys hostel and at the other
extreme the Romantikhotel. Both can be booked on the net. There may
be others between the extremes in quality but I don't know of them.

Steve Haigh wrote in
:

k wrote:
I am planning my first ever skiing holiday this march. But rather
than use a tour operator myself and two freinds are planning to wing
it! We have looked into low cost flights to salzberg austria with a
mind to travel to Kitzbuhel (getting the flights seems simple
enough.)

Due to circumstances beyond our control we have some strange
accomidation requirements. I myself would like to stay for a week
whereas my friends only have time for a 4 day visit.

What I am asking is: Should I just turn up and wonder around looking
for accomidation? Do people know of hotels or resorts that offer this
kind of flexibility? Has anyone already been in this sort of
situation looking for accomidation only? Do you seasoned ski travels
have any advise for me?

Thanks

Lot's of people now go skiing this way, you should have no problems
doing it yourself. Since you're group wants to stay for different
numbers of nights you'll almost certainly find it cheaper to book
youself than to do it through a TO.

If you are travelling in early March is might be fairly busy so I
would book a hotel in advance. You should be able to find hotel
details on the tourist office website, or you could phone the tourist
office and ask them for advice - they may even be able to book a hotel
for you there and then. Use Google (or similar) to find the right
websites.

I'm sure others here will recommend favourite hotels in Kitzbuhel.
I've not stayed there myself.

You may find some hotels are not keen to take a booking which is not
Saturday to Saturday. This is a problem I have had when booking in
busy periods, it's unfortunate but as March is not the peak season you
should be OK. If a hotel says you can only book 7 nights then just
look for somewhere else.

What's a rough estimate of a price for that? I've been very lucky taking
unspecified 1-week charter trips, around 30 times the last 14 years.
The trips are more or less unspecified, in January I knew I would be in S:t
Anton, but the trip now on Saturday is to "France". Anyway, last four times
I have gotten a single room or single apartment. In S:t Anton I got the
good pension Gennewein, placed close to Underground on the Piste/Ski
Museum/Galzigbahn. Six nights there, bought "on the spot" if you didn't get
a discount, would cost more than my entire trip.

The one-week trip on Saturday includes AS flight Stockholm-Geneva, bus
transfer to either Avoriaz/Val d'Isère/Chamonix/Val Thoréns (most likely
Avoriaz) and the room (which I may share with one more person, but hasn't
happened the last four times) cost me USD$245.

/Tommy P.

Should I just turn up and wonder around looking for accomodation?

Better not. There are winter holidays in Austria around the Fasching weekend
(21st/22nd February), so any place might be full. Moreover, there will be
snowfalls this weekend (8th February), so there will be lots of tourists
travelling spontaneously.

Look into the internet pages of your destination, call some hotels and book
online or per fax.

If you can't be dissuaded to come without a booked hotel bed and you can't
find one: wait at the local hospital until someone is brought in with a
broken leg. You won't be the first to get a hotel room this way!

Good luck!
Turan

Steve Haigh wrote in message ...
I'm sure others here will recommend favourite hotels in Kitzbuhel. I've
not stayed there myself.

Hotel Zur Tenne is v.pleasant but probably pricey. Right in
the centre of town about 10 minutes walk from the Hahnenkamm
lift. Depends what sort of skiing holiday you're looking
for.

Cheers.
Iain.