Resort for a smooth skiing experience

Hi all,
I have been reading some posts here for a while, but have just joined up and this is my first post. I really didn't want my first post to be 'which ski resort' but that is really the question on my mind for a trip next year.

I will be going with my wife, but no kids and I think no friends on this trip, because we are no so advanced and want to do our own thing rather than what our more advanced friends want to be doing.

We live in Norway but are Australian which I guess is why we are not so advanced (not much snow in the north of Australia). We go skiing every week or two during the season here, but both want to get to mainland Europe for a larger skiing experience. We have great scenery where we go in Norway but the downhill ski areas are very small.

We would like somewhere will a lot of varied skiing with blue and red pistes and good atmosphere. I also want to make sure that you do not need to take any difficult pistes to end the day. I like the idea of ski in/ski out to make the experience smooth, but just close to the lifts is also good.

To give an example, I was in Davos last year, and loved the experience. We stayed a long way from the lifts though, which took up a lot of time and hastle. I was thinking of St Anton or Obertauern maybe?

Anyone think these are suitable for us or have thinking that I am asking for a bit much? Maybe also whether these are reasonable value for money or extremely expensive as well?

St Anton is an awesome place. Pretty much all the accommodation is close to the lifts as well. Not the easiest of mountains, but a fun one at that.

Don't know about Obertauern in terms of skiing, but I am going there for a week in Feb :D Was there for a day end of July this year, and it looks really cool. Pretty wide open sunny ski area, good variety of runs etc so cant wait to try it out!!!

I will be going to St Anton first week in January, but what I have heard about the place suggests to me you should try it. I can also recommend Mayrhofen thoroughly - lots of mileage to cover, and a real sense of travel around the mountains. Mainly reds but some blues as well. The village is at 690m but a quick gondola takes you up to 1800m and higher.

I also think you should consider the resorts of Zermatt and Verbier in Switzerland as well, or Serre Chevalier in France. If you like to cruise around, also consider Sauze d'Oulx which is a really fun place, but the weather is unreliable there so be careful when you choose to go.

All the best.

Hi Leo N and welcome :D To find a resort which meets all your criteria will take some research. For example, St Anton is a big, big resort, so lots of the holiday accommodation is not close to a lift, but on the upside, being a big resort it has lots of skiing and nightlife. Obertauern is quite a small resort by comparison, but it's high and is pretty well ski in/out.
If you fancy that area of Austria, Lech/Oberlech may meet your needs.

Both St Anton and Obertauern have a reputation for being pricey, but for different reasons. Austria does not seem to do ski in/out much, and I guess that is down to the resorts being real places and not (mostly)French ski factories.
Crans Montana is good for blue and red grade slopes, with plenty of easy routes down, and has good access from Geneva.
Also, you may want to consider resorts in the Portes du Soleil, some are high ski/out like Avoriaz, and some traditional villages.

Thanks for the quick replies. I had thought that Lech would be a good option, but had read in a few places that it is extremely expensive. Price is not the most important factor, but it would be nice to get good value and not just be around the super-rich.

I think that the most important thing for me is that there are enough blue runs to keep my wife happy. I am happy with reds, but she is a bit more shy. That is why I had not thought of Mayrhofen.

Leo N. wrote:

I think that the most important thing for me is that there are enough blue runs to keep my wife happy. I am happy with reds, but she is a bit more shy. That is why I had not thought of Mayrhofen.

My best friends GF goes there on a regular basis, and she is what I would call a particularly timid skier. She is far from a beginner, but does not like to go fast, and therefore likes nice wide open slopes. The reds in Mayrhofen, in particular at Ahorn, Rastkogel and Eggalm, are perfect for this kind of experience, and they are very uncrowded too. Worth a look, as the area is very good value, and the town and its apres scene are excellent.

I reckon you should give lech a go,its mostly blues and reds.

dont be put off by the expensive reputation,ok so the 4/5 star hotels can get pricey,but theres plenty of modest 3 star accommodation.

the food and drink cost is a tad higher than the average austrian resort.but it is still cheaper than france.

was watching bridget jones edge of reason last night(for about the 6th time) always seems to get me in the mood for the arlberg,as some of the film is shot in lech.

not as big and hectic as st anton,so it sits in nice with the smooth theme.

lifts also are mainly the padded covered and heated type,plus you dont have to queue for them.

Thanks Tony and Bluebird for the more detailed opinions on Mayrhofen and Lech. I now have more info to discuss with my wife.

...looking forward to winter, which none of the Norwegians can understand at all.