 Poster: A snowHead
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@ChatEnOeuf, on the night skiing - the slope is open until 9:30pm, but the last 680 bus back last year left at 7:15pm and there is no longer a night bus service, so if you're keen to ski under the floodlights then you may want to either go early and be done by 6:45 to get back to either of the bus stops, or better would be to take a taxi back. The bottom of the slope at the U-bahn is not the most convenient for bus users - you can ski past the ski school toddlers area to get to Schwarzacherweg and then down to the main road where there is a bus stop before the tunnel, or if you are comfortable skiing in the dark or with head torches it is possible (at your own risk of course) to cut off from the slope above the speed/slalom movie runs to the right to get to the top of the Bergfriedlift, and then ski down the slope (minding the steep section right at the bottom which can be bypassed on the right side) to come out almost opposite the new bus station.
Or taxis can usually be found from the side of the Spar, or on Schwarzacherweg, as well as in town at the end of Reiterkogelweg.
Night skiing has its attractions - the slope conditions will usually be good because the temperature will have dropped 5 degrees or more, the contrast is excellent unless it is actively snowing, and the slopes will be quiet. But even then, it is essentially a single run and you're likely to get bored in about an hour unless the park appeals.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Marvellous- thanks @radar, @tatmanstours, @Griff(0.02) and @gilo. Duly noted re: rounds at the Soulhouse! I have some great memories of a heavily bearded chap trying to teach my 4yo how to play the hammer and nail game to the strains of Sweet Caroline 
We will probably only get a single evening for nightskiing - ski there, drink in bar, night ski, then heading back for dinner. Useful to know about taxis especially if we don't all ski
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Having just toddled over to the Kohlmaisbahn cash desk to buy my Ski Alpin Card, I thought it might be useful to post some facts and figures for the benefit of anyone planning repeated visits to the Ski Circus this coming winter.
The Alpin Card is valid from 11/10/25 to 03/05/26. It covers the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, the Schmittenhöhe in Zell am See, the Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel in Kaprun as well as the Hinterreit lifts in Maria Alm and on the Naglköpfl in Walchen.
More information at: alpincard.at
The normal price of this season pass is €1,005, but this is reduced to €840 if purchased before 09/12/25.
Significant discounts are available for children, adolescents, people under the age of 25, and those who live or work in the area.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Or for 999 euros you can get the salzbuger super ski pass giving access to 23 different ski areas. Inc all of the above
Little bit more, but great value for money
https://www.superskicard.com/en/season-ticket.html
Being local, I paid 599 euros for 12 months here in Kitz, but that only gives us the Kitzbuhel ski area. But the one advantage for us living here, was that we also get the summer lits inc foc in that price, so havent gone for the wider area pass this year.
Ill just pay the daily rate if I decide to venture away from here.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@jafa, that sounds a great deal. My season pass cost €595 but doesn’t cover any lifts in summer. I could have shelled out a bit extra for the 365 day pass, but I’ve found that I seldom use the lifts in the summer, and I can drive up to several high mountain restaurants that are a fairly easy hike from the summits.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@ousekjarr, thanks - I expect the kids will be tired so we won't spend hours there - good to know about the bus/taxi setup. I'd be comfortable with a headtorch, we do a lot of rural running here in winter, but I wouldn't trust/risk it with the littlies!
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For the DJ Ötzi 
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Damn. Away to the Arlberg instead this year. The DJ Ötzi days have been a great day in previous years
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Slightly off topic but more for the S-H locals. If I was visiting to do some hill walking somewhere between May and October, when is the weather best normally? Looking to avoid summer holidays
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@boabski, although the weather is obviously unpredictable and capable of surprising one at any time, I would probably choose autumn. I’ve experienced some very rainy weather in spring and early summer. Somewhere on the internet you can probably find a guide to historical precipitation patterns in Saalbach. I remember once seeing one and being surprised that winter is very much the “dry” season - although it shouldn’t be surprising when you think how much blue sky and sunshine tends to predominate during the ski season.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@ousekjarr, thanks, that’s excellent and very informative, as well as slightly surprising (I didn’t realise that the summer months were so rainy - it hasn’t been my experience over the last 18 years of spending summer holidays in Saalbach). Makes October look like a good bet.
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Amazing guys. Thanks for this and kinda what I was thinking too having seen the webcams over the months.
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You know it makes sense.
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Just in case your not following the EES thread.
The EES starts across the EU in October, however it’s being phased in, Salzburg Airport starts on 12 November
Taken from the Airport newsletter :
“In Salzburg, the EES entry and exit system starts with 12. November 2025. In addition to the NON-Schengen entry access in the arrival terminal, a separate EES satellite was set up for a stronger travel flow from third countries, which is used when many guests from third countries are expected. The technical adjustments for EES entry and exit were also made in the General Aviation sector for private aviation.”
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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@munich_irish, Thanks for the link. Of more importance to some of us Saalbach regulars is having 168 open more often, some snow making would have been nice.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@munich_irish, and @radar, yes, thanks for the link. I’ve posted my thoughts on that other thread. At least we seem to have been spared the horrible prospect of piste 168 being turned into a busy, heavily trafficked, motorway piste. There’s no denying that the new project would have ruined it. Hopefully it will continue to be an occasional delicacy.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Saalbach-Hinterglemm seems to be top of the list (along with Skiwelt) for our Christmas holiday. Not done Austria before but it - the country and the Ski Circus - comes highly recommended.
Looking at Hotel Panorama Landhaus, seems a decent location, walkable into town and not far to the gondola in ski boots.
We were initially looking for something self catering but doesn't seem there's a hug amount to go at unless someone can point me to listings?
Is it worth upgrading to Alpincard to explore over to Zell am See? My wife and daughter are all about cursing on blues, not massively mile munchers, but myself and my 16yo son are boarders and we fancy hitting as much as we can.... guessing SkiCircus has plenty to go at?
looking back through webcams it looks like Christmas is pretty certain for snow or have I missed something?
Snowparks - the lad wants to spend a day or two doing one with kickers and rails/boxes, what's it like for those?
Apres with kids - is it all cool or does it get a bit raucous?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Specialman, most hotels on the main road between the villages are reasonably placed and with frequent bus services in both directions you can start the day anywhere you want in the valley, though beware that buses towards the Schattberg Xpress lift are likely to be full by the time they get to you at peak times. Walking isn't too bad from there.
For self catering, there are lots of options in both villages - look at the accommodation list on https://www.saalbach.com/en and filter for apartments and you should find 50+ matches for most weeks in the season until the end of the month when they'll start to become booked up for prime dates.
The Alpincard is the standard ticket, and covers Zell and Kaprun as well. There is no longer an option to buy tickets just for the Glemmtal. If that's not enough for you, the wider area pass in the Salzburger Superski pass, but I suspect you won't need it and the nearest place to use it would be Maria Alm which is a 20-30 minute drive away. If you can't stop your wife and daughter from cursing  , maybe don't ski with them - but if instead they want cruising, there's lots to be had while mainly avoiding red and black runs.
Snow will likely be good at Christmas, but if not the snowmaking is excellent and there will be plenty to ski on.
There are park options in several places - on the way to Leogang is the more serious one which includes an airbag for practicing Big Air skills, while there is a smaller one under the U-bahn in Hinterglemm which is also open for floodlit skiing. For occasional and non-serious use, go to Hinterglemm.
As for the apres, it depends - it's entirely possible to have a quiet beer, but also possible to be surrounded by drunk Germans spilling beer everywhere, so choose your location accordingly. Even in the more popular places, it can vary from one side to the other.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Yeah, I'd guessed that was the case, but it was an opportunity too good to miss..
While Kaprun and Zell are included, I wouldn't fret too much about going there - Zell is OK for a day out if the conditions are good and the scenery can be seen, and has some excellent black runs down towards town plus the Areit slope seems to go on for ever, but it will be busier than Saalbach and in lesser conditions it can be pretty poor in places because most of the slopes catch the sun in the morning.
Kaprun is also OK for a day out - but from Saalbach it's a long haul and a bus ride away, and you need the conditions to be good to make the glacier worthwhile. Time it wrong and you'll have a day of -20, high winds, and whiteout conditions which is not much fun. Even on a good day, it's a glacier - drag lifts are the majority. If you do go, the Maiskogel area is worth trying - it's a single arm of a mountain, but still fun.
All that said, there's enough in the main Glemmtal area to keep most people happy for a week, and a trip across to Feiberbrunn and down to Leogang are must do options.
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@Specialman, there is more than plenty to go at and you can start in different directions each day so it takes a while before having the feeling of covering the same ground to get somewhere different. I go Saalbach and SkiWelt a lot and I’d definitely put Saalbach ahead if you’re undecided. That’s not to say anything bad about SkiWelt as I go there every season but it’s for friends and familiarity.
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Excellent advice @ousekjarr, lots to go on.
The missus has given it the seal of approval, that's one hurdle sorted. Is there a 'christmassy' feel to the village over the winter? Looking on google street view it looks nicely Austrian, cosy and authentic.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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There's a crib and stable display, and there may be snow on the ground, but that's as Christmassy as any ski resort gets other than the usual, to my knowledge - but I've usually arrived in the first full week of January so don't have experience of the Christmas week.
Paging @tatmanstours ...
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@Specialman, the Panorama landhaus is a solid choice, they have their own shuttle service, they are set back from the main road up a very short steepish aproach, you are near the bus stop up and down the valley, the SchattbergXpress is one stop away , though with the hotel shuttle service you shouldn't need to worry, you also have the option of going up the valley to in Hinterglemm and Hochalm if the ski bus is busy.
You can walk into town in normal walking shoes in 10 minutes.
There are options for self catering, @tatmanstours on this forum has connections with a number of owners, the tourist board is also a good option as suggested above or check https://portal.gastfreund.net/appartementservice-hermann-weiss/377804?language=en.
Apre you can go the full works or got to the EVa Alm or Schattbergstubbe for a quite drink.
As has been said the ski pass covers Zell, got to the top have a look at the lake, given your group experience don't ski back to the mid station take the gondola!
There's a park over in Leogang.
Hope that helps
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Specialman, looks like sunweb have a couple of self catering options available over the Xmas week - we’re staying at the residence saalbach.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Specialman, if you do go independently, on page 1 of this thread there is a guide on how to get to Saalbach.
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@Pejoli, just looked but waaaaay out of my price league
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You know it makes sense.
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Ah sorry - I hadn’t checked/compared the prices. Do bear in mind sunweb includes lift passes for everyone, which takes the edge of it a bit.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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New lift or rather a replacement this season, the Maiskopf T bar ( F8 ) in Fieberbrunn has been replaced with a 6 seater chair for the coming season, a great improvement.
https://fb.watch/CPyLDsvBy1/?fs=e
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Mon 20-10-25 18:58; edited 2 times in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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I’ve just booked a return transfer from Salzburg through booking.com - ~£216 each way for 5 of us for the Xmas week.
It’s cancellable up until the day before, so anyone seeing any better prices?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Pejoli, page 1 you will find some more info on transportation, I do options each year.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@radar, yes i know, I’m looking for what prices people are seeing.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Booked for Crimbo in Saalbach - yay!!
The wife and daughter weren't so keen on self-catering as me and the boy, so I opted for "happy wife, happy life" - Panorama Landhaus, seems a good location
Now to resist looking at webcams and snow forecast.com multiple times per day for the next two months LOL
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@ousekjarr, and @radar, thanks for the mentions - only just caught up with this discussion.
@Specialman, I know of a virtually ski-in ski-out apartment that is available for Christmas week (any period up to 27/12/25) - perfect location a stone’s throw from the village centre, and opposite the Kohlmaisbahn gondola lift station (which is arguably the most useful of the three village-centre gondolas).
Saalbach (which is blessed with an attractive village centre) is very Christmassy during the festive period - a big Christmas tree in the village square, decorations, pretty lights and appropriate music everywhere, carol service in the church, midnight mass, etc. This will be my 20th consecutive Christmas in Saalbach, and I can’t imagine spending it anywhere else. Ask any questions, and P.M. with your email address if you would like my comprehensive, 20 page guide to Saalbach, and a few suggested itineraries.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Specialman, ah, it seems I was too slow off the mark.
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@tatmanstours, Or maybe I was too excited LOL
But thank you anyway for the suggestion. Just told the kids we’re booked, they’re a bit exciteble
I’ll DM you - thanks for the offer of the guide. Anything to swot up and get us ready is gladly accepted
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Aside from Hansi's (on @tatmanstours recommendation), what place would you guys recommend, especially to rent a higher end snowboard? Are there any shops in Saalbach that specifically deal with snowboarding?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Specialman, my wife snowboards and while we get my skis from Hansi's we get her board from board.at they are a few shops down towards the main road. She has always been happy with the quality from there. She grew up on snow so tends to stay clear from beginner boards. She rented a freestyle board from them one year if you want something like that.
https://www.board.at/en/
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@Specialman, I would second @TomBH, comment and go with Board.at , a hop and a skip from the Panorama Landaus is https://www.sporthagleitner.com, they do rent boards and are one of the best shops in Saalbach, the attached map shows your hotel and the shop (It's their depot), I've also marked the bus stops with a red cross.
If you are going to rent from Hansi the you might as well pop next door and go to Board.at
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FAQ
