Peter wrote:
And then you have the same on the way back
Why? Can’t you go direct to the UK from anywhere
it cannot be flown to/from the UK
it cannot be flown to/from the UK non_stop
(sorry, I see this theme had already been taken care of. Again, to each their own – long live the liberrty to choose our own limitations!
Can’t you go direct to the UK from anywhere
You can fly into the UK from anywhere, yes, thanks to the GAR form; but you also need to depart Schengen area in a proper way and most countries limit that to so-called (but wrongly) “customs airports”.
Peter,
if you are looking for beginner-intermediate ski areas I can really recommend Maria Alm. Fly in to St. Johann with your plane or Salzburg and rent a car. It’s nice there!
Andreas
You can fly into the UK from anywhere, yes, thanks to the GAR form; but you also need to depart Schengen area in a proper way and most countries limit that to so-called (but wrongly) “customs airports”.
Well, the method sometimes used, supposedly, reportedly, allegedly, is that you file LFAT for the return customs stop and when approaching LFAT you ask to divert to some place just over the bit of water 
To make it really authentic you make sure LFAT has a huge CB above it when you get there (that has actually happened, allegedly ).
The procedure is described here and like all, well most, good things it needs to be used sparingly.
if you are looking for beginner-intermediate ski areas I can really recommend Maria Alm. Fly in to St. Johann with your plane or Salzburg and rent a car. It’s nice there!
Thanks – I will check it out.
Maria Alm is just around the corner from Zell am See
Indeed. Start at Arberg. For the drink use “Hütten”: Tischlerwirt, Bärenmoos Alm & Wastl Alm. In the Village of Maria Alm: Dengl Alm & Bachwirt!
I’m confirmed (can we add a button on euroga that inserts “subject to weather”?) for Zell am See March 20-25 now. Flying if possible, driving if not. Just in case someone from here ends up there as well..
Having spent a few hours today booking flights and hotels at Filzmoos in Austria, 26-29 Feb, I have realised another factor which makes GA flying to a popular ski location a bit tricky:
If you wait till a few days before (or even less) you will find all the hotels are fully booked. Well, all the ones which have internet visibility (e.g. booking.com). The others (a big majority) cater for e.g. Germans only. Phoning them up just gets you somebody who can’t speak English and isn’t interested.
But you have to leave it till late, because e.g. Zell am See is inaccessible in less than very good weather. Plus this winter we have had very warm temps and heavy rain, in between the snowfalls…
So I think GA works if you are going somewhere
The alternative is a fully de-iced plane and then you just fly to Salzburg, etc. almost anytime you want. Or of course pay lots of money for a room e.g. 400 quid for 3 nights 
Peter – there is an additional option.
While totally useless for me (and probably you) in most cases, there is still the Tourist Information (Tourismusbüro / Tourismusverband)in most areas.
They usually have someone speaking English and have access to inns, B&Bs, and alike.
Have you tried them ? e.g. Mariaalm
Not much snow right now (Munich has 18 degrees today :-) ), but that may change (hope it does)
cheers, christian
Yes; I was informed by a German pilot that most Germans book these hotels 6-9 months ahead and they don’t use booking.com; they use the municipality (tourist) website.
I don’t think the hotels like booking.com anyway because they lose 15%. Hence most hotels allocate only 1 or 2 rooms to booking.com
