Planning for taking the family next year and quite fancy Austria / Bavarian Alps.
Probably Feb half term, Kids will be 11 and 9 and will be post-beginner (5-10 days on snow beforehand).
Any recommendations?

Mayrhofen is a great resort IMO, but you’d really want to leave the kids at home to sample the delightful apres 😉

You can get to most of the Austrian resorts in that time traffic permitting (which is a big factor as there can be massive traffic jams if you time it wrong). I’d probably aim for one of the resorts in the Kitzbuehel area

I can highly recommend Biberwier – I have been going there with family for a number of years. It is very close to the Zugspitze (highest mountain in Germany). It’s not a massive resort but has enough to keep you entertained and a great nursery slope. The lift pass gets access to two other close resorts too – Lermoos & Ehrwald.
Fairly close to Munich. In fact one year to get there, I flew to Munich, caught a train to Garmisch then Taxi to Biberwier.

Thanks for the pointers guys. I have the chance of going on a wee recce next month to check things out, so keep them coming!

Only time I’ve been snowboarding we went to Neustift (Stubai Glacier).

Probably towards the top end, but I think we did in about 3hrs from Munich.

Decent range of starter slopes, fairly quiet town with a few decent bars/restaurants.
Was about a 10min drive to the slopes.

We stayed at the Schonherr haus.

I’d avoid Mayrhofen with kids, unless you have accommodation right next to the lifts. Buses and lift queues to get out of the valley in the mornings would be a faff with kids.

Lech or Zurs Am Arlberg – although we head to St Anton usually. Lech is a bit more chocolate box.

Pitztal is nice- and the Otztal Valley also good fun. They’re all just west of Innsbruck and within your three hour radius.

Or…Garmisch?

How about Garmisch? I’ve never been but I’d be interested to hear from those who have.

We go to a different resort each year and my favourite for the family is Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. The resort is high up so you can ski to the apres ski bars. They have a good selection of blue pistes too which are ideal for beginners. You can drive to it via Garmisch and not hit the Austrian motorways.

We went to a little place called Lengries. And further along the same train line is Bad Tolz where there is also an amazing sledge run.

I did a bit of searching, with the help of the Austrian Tourist agency, and looked at Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. It looked really good, as did Alpbach. Ended up booking a place there, flying out in a couple of weeks with the family. I really liked the set-up, focus on family skiing, good schools and relaxed atmosphere. Oh, and it’s not in France, which is a significant bonus.

@slowoldman I just posted the following the main skking thread

We used to ski with the family in Garmisch – it’s an hour from Munich. We also skied at a small resort near Chiemsee also an hour from Munich. I am sure there are better resorts further away, Garmisch and especially Chiemsee is a bit low. St Anton is less than 3 hours and you can take the train, looking at Google many of the Austrian resorts are about 3hrs away, Obergurgl is good for families.

Garmisch is pretty good for kids, we did 3 family holidays there as guests of serving NATO troops, the US have a big R&R facility there. Its quite low and the Zugspitze which is high can be like Ice Station Zebra in bad weather.

I learnt to ski at Zel am See, a very long time ago. Seem to recall plenty of beginner stuff, decent Austrian instructors who were friendly and could handle a bunch of kids without being rude all the time (unlike ESF), nice area.

Not far from Saalbach also, but not sure how family friendly it is. Nice Austrian apre party atmosphere though 😉 . Big area, and Hinterglemm area I got the impression is better for families as a place to stay, but can’t say for certain.

Thanks jambalaya.

Just back from Alpbach, and have had the best ski trip ever!

Such a friendly place, with genuinely helpful people everywhere, whether it be in the hire shop, ski school, restaurants or just out and about. Very good value too, and made me swear I would not be back in France for a good few years. Already arranged to go back to the same place next year.

Alpbach was the resort where British Army families in Germany went. I went there 40 years ago.

Small Austrian resorts are great. They really take the concept of hospitality seriously and most of the huts are charming and good value, and everyone is super friendly. Totally set up for kids too.

Makes paying 7 euros for a hot chocolate in a small plastic cup chucked in front of you by a surly Frenchman seem even less appealing.

http://www.tonnerhuette.at

If you want a small family owned resort perfect for families you won’t get better than Tonnerhütte.
They speak English and its relatively cheap.
I’ve been three winters and I love it.

we were in Hinterglemm this half-term

I’d say it’s good for families – ski school is easily walkable from the main village bit (not certain what’s on offer for newish skiers but at 10 days on snow they can probably do OK already). Runs down to the town are steepish but there’s an easily accessed bubble option on either side of the valley.

There’s a fair amount of skiing available, but I think Saalbach may have a bit better access to “all” of it (Hinterglemm up the valley, Legoland Leogang down the valley). Saalbach’s also bigger FWIW

No idea of transfer time from Munich – about 90 min from Salzburg though

I am currently in Rauris, I’d be happy to bring a family here.

Due to a certain branch of our armed forces visiting here annually there is a good number of properties here owned by british folk and more or less everyone understands English. They also seem to be entertained by my efforts to speak German and are really genuinely helpful.

There’s two ski schools at the foot of the lift and a third one operating locally too. The novice slope is respectable enough and there are several red and blue runs. The one black run is steep and narrow but not especially challenging. Apparently. I’m so bad on a snowboard I’ve barely made it off the novice slopes.

Take a look at the Hochkoenig area too (Maria Alm, Dienten & Muhlbach).
2 hours from Munich on a good run, very family orientated.
Check out SkiFix

Skiwelt, 1.5 hours from Munich is well worth considering. There’s 6 villages all around the bottom and you can ski between them all. Having also been to Kitzbuhel, Solden and Ziller in Austria and plenty of other places around the world this is still pretty much my favourite. Not many black runs though.

http://www.skiwelt.at

GavinB – Member
Just back from Alpbach, and have had the best ski trip ever!

Such a friendly place, with genuinely helpful people everywhere, whether it be in the hire shop, ski school, restaurants or just out and about. Very good value too, and made me swear I would not be back in France for a good few years. Already arranged to go back to the same place next year.

+1 came back Tuesday after 4 excellent days. Changed my attitude towards small, low resorts. BUT, needed a guide to make the most of the OP stuff as runs are frustratingly short in places.

€1.40 why would anyone go to Switzerland or US at the moment?

Thanks for the updates guys. Trying to get organised for next year now, so this is really useful.

THM – I know what you mean about short runs. The owners of the place we were staying at had lived and skied there all their lives, and often we heading out the door, skins on the skis before we’d even finished breakfast. Loads of touring options and easy off-piste around the ‘Route 66’ but otherwise I found it hard to get any big stuff done.

Where did you hire a guide from?

Even with the good € rate, I’m put off going to France as the prices there are still high, whereas eating out in Alpbach, at really nice restaurants was refreshingly cheap.

Gavin

Luggi Mayrhofer at Chalet Immerhof.

Great place to stay and Penny and Luggi are excellent hosts who know the resort backwards.

Route 66 was pretty cruddy by the end of the weekend though! Real thigh burner by the end.

GavinB – If you need someone to show you some OP areas next year let me know.. email in profile. Even better if you want to go touring with skins!!

Very impressed with all the “skinners” last weekend! Fancy the OP off the shoulder at the top of the valley. 3-4 tracks only there all weekend.

Thanks Selled – I will do that (and will definitely bring skins next time)! 😀

THM – I saw an amazing line right up on the top of Gamskopf, with just two sets of tracks down it when I was there. Was green with envy, as I just couldn’t get away for a whole day, as we were really there to have a family ski holiday, so picking our boys up from ski school at midday, then skiing with them for as long as they wanted in the afternoon.

I was just amazed that 2-3 days after fresh snow, I could still easily find fresh tracks. So refreshing, after skiing for years in the ‘obvious’ off piste areas such as Chamonix, Val d’Isere, Verbier etc.

Luggi is very protective of the off piste. He insisted that we all skied right next to his tracks and without crossing them, so that there was more left for others. Lots of great s-tracks x6 all the way down but plenty of fresh stuff left for others.

He was quite angry when some of the party strayed from the line – cue one mate claiming, “I am just trying to get down without falling over. I am not good enough to follow your lines!!”

The lines I was referring too were off the Galtenberg. The Gmahkopf stuff was probably us!

Gamskopf featured in the local press about for weeks ago as a classic. I tend to go out early in the morning and when I have been over that way there tends to be quite a few people heading up.

THM – Luggi sounds like an iteresting character! Do your lines use less fresh powder when spaced apart?