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Skiing in Austria (merged threads)

Need advice from someone whos been there.

I belong to an international club in Budapest and we just started a ski group. Looking to go to Saalbach for skiing in Feb. However we hit a stone wall when it came to the hotel.
So I figured some here might have suggestions. This is what we are looking for:

1. A four star hotel or better.
2. Does not have to be at the mountain as long as there is ground transportation from the hotel to the mountain, 1/2 hr max.
3. Needs to have some type of spa facility that is open in the evening.
4. Smaller hotel is preferable but a large one is ok as well.

We are planning a 2 night 3 day trip so that is why we picked Saalbach which is doable from Budapest. Right now thinking of a night train. However if there are other areas that could be recommended we would consider it as well. Right now we are in the early stages of organizing the trip so open to suggestions.

I would offer to fly into Salzburg but some have expressed an issue with 600 Euros for a car rental. So paying 1/8 th of that just for airport fees, I cant see there would be much interest.
Secondly I would be under a lot of pressure to get there and back under all types of weather since the reservations have to be pre-booked and paid for. My home field is VFR former military base.

KHTO, LHTL

Parking in Salzburg is critical over weekends

A2126/14 NOTAMR A2125/14 Q) LOVV/QFAXX/IV/BO /A /000/999/4748N01300E005 A) LOWS B) 1410301226 C) 1501222359 EST E) ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES, REGULATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS DURING WINTER SEASON 2014/2015 – SEE AIP SUP 012/14.

AIP SUP 012/14, Seite/page 4
1) Parking restrictions on Saturdays:
Due to lack of parking stands PPR for all General
Aviation and non-schedule / non-charter flights
on Saturdays, also for flights arriving on previous
days and staying until Saturday
Maximum parking time for such flights arriving on
Saturday is restricted to 1 hour.
Permission/exemption has to be requested at least
24 hours prior to flight.
For permission contact Ramp Service Manager:
Monday – Saturday, 0700 – 1500 UTC /
e-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +43 (0)662 8580 270.

Last Edited by nobbi at 20 Jan 09:19
EDxx, Germany

Thanks I was in Salzburg last month and stopped by the FBO to see first hand whats up. I think flying there with their limitations and having limitations at my field in BP precludes using the plane unless people can be more flexible which they are not.

KHTO, LHTL

Concerning the Salzburg parking PPR two years ago I never the less was able to park there over the weekend. I called up Mr. Karres and said that it was willing to push back the plane against the border of the concrete apron. Another option might be LOWL / Linz. I was there this week end. Full ILS airport, reasonable fees, no restrictions, all rental car companies on site and with the car not far away from Salzburg etc.

www.ing-golze.de
EDAZ

Just back from a skiing weekend in Saalbach .

First a word on the ressort: We had a blast, but that was as a group of 5 male friends from highschool/army/university days who looked for an opportunity to get together again. I wouldn’t take my wife to Saalbach. There’s a certain lack of refineness there – plenty of opportunitites to get drunk for little money, but no scenic village center, no fashionable shops etc… A friend called it “the Lignano of the Austrian Alps”, which sums it up quite nicely. That said, the skiing itself was great, especially on the higher peaks on the southern side of the valley.

Maybe Kitzbühel or Zell am See are better choices for the kind of trip C210 Flyer is planning. Especially Kitzbühel has a wide variety of upmarket hotels/restaurants/shops. Zell am See never fails to impress with it’s lake and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier nearby. Both have good airfields (LOIJ, LOWZ) with paved runways and reliable snow cleaning in the immediate vicinity, but they are a VFR only and may get fogged in.

IMHO, Arlberg (St. Johann, Lech etc) is the best skiing area in Austria. It’s more than an hour by car from LOWI, however.

Concerning parking in LOWI or LOWS, the situation seems to have improved a bit due to the near-collapse of the ruble and the resulting reduction in Russian charter traffic …

Last Edited by blueline at 20 Jan 12:56
LOAN Wiener Neustadt Ost, Austria

Another option might be LOWL / Linz.

By car it’s 2,5 hours from Linz to Saalbach. If you factor in the time spent in the air and on the airports, it will be quicker to drive from Budapest.

LOAN Wiener Neustadt Ost, Austria

One other suggestion: Schladming has a large ski area, is about an hour closer to Budapest and has an airfield nearby too (LOGO).

The hotel Schloss Pichlarn was quite good when we were there 5 or 6 years ago, although recent reviews on Tripadvisor are mixed.

LOAN Wiener Neustadt Ost, Austria

Thanks for all your responses. I used to fly for skiing day trips in the US leave at first light and be back after dark. I had a group with me that took off midweek Thursdays and were all self employed. The boss could take off a day. All kept in touch with their business by cell phone. So far from what Ive seen the wx reports at least 24hrs in advance were much more accurate in the US. Also by and large the VFR wx was better in the US than what I have observed here in Europe. Although in the past year IF my BP airport was IFR equiped as with an ILS than maybe 5 days in the year would have been to minimums. Which was much better than on the East Coast of the US where we had dense local as well as wide spread dense fog at times. I would imagine comparable to English wx. Maybe thats why they call it New England.

I know… yawn.

The fact that dates have to be done in advance bookings etc. precludes my use of the plane. I took a look at LOWI and the IFR approaches are challenging with high altitudes. LOWS is much better its what 2 hrs by train/bus to Saalbach? That is if you catch it at just right. So its mainly the uncertainty of the wx and of course a return to a VFR, day only, airport.

I will keep LOIJ and LOWZ in mind if Im staying in Augsburg for the week and there is good VFR for a quick day trip. Augsburg has lights and ILS so wx is not that criticalfor return or departure as long as they get it right for Austria. Of course getting wx for an early morning flight is challenging no matter which continent your on.

KHTO, LHTL

Schladming looks promising I see they have train service from Salzburg. So they might have train service from Vienna. Looked at Schloss Pichlarn and recognized two of the reviewers I seen before and both gave it a thumbs down. A pity since it looks really nice.

I found the star rating very subjective. Ive stayed at places where you kind of shake your head and wonder while in other places a 3 star could very easily pass for a 4. Thats why I go by trip advisor. Although even there you have to sift through the comments.

Thanks for the tips.

KHTO, LHTL

When you travel VFR LOGO is a place to be! Schladming is nice but no high end “town”. Skiin ist there just perfekt!

EDAZ
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