 Poster: A snowHead
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Thinking ahead to next year's trip and like the look of the Austrian Kinder hotels (we're a group of two families, 4 kids in total: ages 4/6/7/ .
Looking at a short transfer from SZG, so resorts like Zauchensee, Flachau and Wargrain look like the best bets.
The trickiest bit is finding somewhere with good childcare options: all our wee ones will need ski school and we need a hotel that can take them to and collect from ski school (and give them lunch). It's not going to work for us if we have to collect them after morning lessons just to bring them back to the hotel for lunch before dropping them back to ski school for their afternoons. We won't have them in full days all week but ideally want 2 or 3 days that the adults can put in some serious ski miles and explore the wider Amade area.
The rest of our requirements are pretty simple: ski in/out preferred, not fussed on après: expect most evenings to be a mix of pool/dinner and early nights! The family hotels I've looked at to date all look like half board which would suit us fine.
Would appreciate any pointers/feedback from people who've done this before
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@mrchips, Zauchensee has some good hotel options (e.g. https://www.zauchenseehof.com/en ) but for the adults you'd be starting from the edge of the area and maybe trying to work your way to the far end, with a short shuttle bus required from Highport to Flachauwinkl to get access to the rest of the area. It's a great place to ski, but has limited options for beginners once they get off the nursery slope as the real attraction of the valley is the number of reds and blacks available.
Flachau and Wagrain are better options for the adults, but more spread out because they're bigger. If you're likely to stay in the hotel when you're not skiing, that makes little difference. https://www.adapura-wagrain.com/en/ in Wagrain and https://www.felsenhof.com/en/ in Flachau are reasonable options, both a little way away from the centre but very close to lifts, but there are several more if you are happy to take a bus each way or walk a little further.
Lessons will typically be possible all day, with lunch included, though you may find that the youngest might not be able to cope with that unless they're fairly robust and active. Timings vary but in most places it will be something like a 0930 drop-off, skiing from 10-12 and 1-3, and collection between 3 and 3:30. Some of the hotels linked above arrange to get the kids kitted up in the morning and then take them to the ski school, and collect them at the end of the day and take them back to the hotel. When our kids were learning, we used the time before meetup to get some practice in, and the time after collection for them to show us what they'd learned and where they'd been if it was possible to go back there with them before the lifts closed, but our kids were quick learners and keen and that won't work for everyone.
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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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Brilliant ousekjarr, some great pointers there. I hadn't noticed that about the Highport to Flachauwinkl bus: maybe we'll look at Flachau and Wagrain more than Zauchensee.
Yes, the 4 years old will likely be too young for full days: hoping to find somewhere where he could do mornings, then come in for supervised lunch with an afternoon of indoor play.
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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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@mrchips, The Ski Amade thread would be a good place to start.  https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=173402&highlight=
I think you're confusing Childcare with Ski School. The latter being a more expensive version of the former with kids that age! So here's my recommendation. Come to Flachau. Book them into ski school with Sport am Jet https://www.sportamjet.at/en/winter/ski-school/children-ski-courses.html. They have a meeting point and beginners area at the top of the Achter Jet Gondola (the only school in Flachau that does). You can also pay for supervised lunches so you don't have to collect them until 3pm. That is more than enough time to go to one side of the ski area and get back after an adult lunch.
Ski in/Ski out options are available but you'll pay a bit more. The free ski buses run every 15 mins in peak season and you'll never be walking more than a couple of 100m to the nearest ski bus stop. They will deliver you to the bottom of the Achter Jet gondola.
Family Hotels include the Central https://www.central-flachau.com/en/, Lacknerhof https://www.lacknerhof.at/en/winter and Resl Resort https://www.reslresort.com/. I wouldn't call any of them budget options but they come with great reviews. Check on their childcare options on the websites.
With regards to the 4 year old. Sport am Jet's Bambini classes are geared to keeping them entertained. If they don't want to ski then they'll be building snow animals and bum-boarding. You can download on the Achter Jet until 16.30 if they have had enough and don't want to ski down.
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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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Depending on budget, you could also have a look at the Schwaigerhof in Schladming: https://www.schwaigerhof.at/en/family-kids/skiing-holiday-with-kids/129-0.html. It's slightly further to drive from SZG but not much. We just spent half term in an apartment near the Schwaigerhof and had a spa day and dinner there, and it certainly seems very family friendly. Although I can't see that they do childcare or collect the kids, the Hopl ski school has a snow garden and beginner area right in front of the hotel, and the ski school offers lunchtime supervision. Ski-in ski-out for adults too and we really enjoyed the skiing from there. Out of budget for us but may work for you or others.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@mrchips, I don't know what you thought of the suggestion to use Sport am Jet's offerings in Flachau but if you were interested would you consider staying somewhere like Berggasthof Munzen, up the mountain? I have never stayed there but I think it has a pool and might be the base for tobogganing in the evenings. The location would surely be perfect for getting to and from drop off points and an easy finish. Limiting for any exploration in the evenings but it doesnt sound like you would worry too much about that. I am sure the same Flachau experts would have more info about the reputation of the place if it appealed.
https://www.munzen.at/de/berggasthof-flachau/urlaub-am-berg.html
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@toyah807, the food was not great when I ate there, wouldn't go back
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@mrchips, Depending on the week your coming, I'd give the Munzen a miss. It is used by one of the other ski schools for their lunch stop and will be rammed every lunchtime with kids. The toboggan starts at Zur Brennhütte but you'd need to walk or taxi back up.
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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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@mrchips, The Ski Amade thread would be a good place to start. Very Happy https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=173402&highlight=
I think you're confusing Childcare with Ski School. The latter being a more expensive version of the former with kids that age! So here's my recommendation. Come to Flachau. Book them into ski school with Sport am Jet https://www.sportamjet.at/en/winter/ski-school/children-ski-courses.html. They have a meeting point and beginners area at the top of the Achter Jet Gondola (the only school in Flachau that does). You can also pay for supervised lunches so you don't have to collect them until 3pm. That is more than enough time to go to one side of the ski area and get back after an adult lunch.
Ski in/Ski out options are available but you'll pay a bit more. The free ski buses run every 15 mins in peak season and you'll never be walking more than a couple of 100m to the nearest ski bus stop. They will deliver you to the bottom of the Achter Jet gondola.
Family Hotels include the Central https://www.central-flachau.com/en/, Lacknerhof https://www.lacknerhof.at/en/winter and Resl Resort https://www.reslresort.com/. I wouldn't call any of them budget options but they come with great reviews. Check on their childcare options on the websites.
With regards to the 4 year old. Sport am Jet's Bambini classes are geared to keeping them entertained. If they don't want to ski then they'll be building snow animals and bum-boarding. You can download on the Achter Jet until 16.30 if they have had enough and don't want to ski down.
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Thanks, Lacknerhof looks like it might fit the bill. Email sent to clarify a few details!
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Depending on budget, you could also have a look at the Schwaigerhof in Schladming: https://www.schwaigerhof.at/en/family-kids/skiing-holiday-with-kids/129-0.html. It's slightly further to drive from SZG but not much. We just spent half term in an apartment near the Schwaigerhof and had a spa day and dinner there, and it certainly seems very family friendly. Although I can't see that they do childcare or collect the kids, the Hopl ski school has a snow garden and beginner area right in front of the hotel, and the ski school offers lunchtime supervision. Ski-in ski-out for adults too and we really enjoyed the skiing from there. Out of budget for us but may work for you or others.
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Thanks Natalie, Schwaigerhof looked like it was going to be an option but no childcare offered and the ski school only takes 4 year olds for half days. Def. one to look at again in a couple of years!
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