Mayrhofen

Mayrhofen: reviews

• skiclub.co.uk visitor (04 December 2010)

  We spent a week in Mayrhofen Feb 09, bringing our 1 yr old with us. We were joined by 2 other couples.

  
  Having skied in Killington USA, Andorra, Livigno, Soll, and Alpe D Huez, Mayrhofen is the best by a mile with one exception Alpe d huez (but apres ski is, well there is none).

  
  My Ideal skiing holiday is up early beat the queues ski hard all day then apres ski hard for a few hours, diinner and bed early. If that's your holiday, Mayrhofen is for you. The gondola in the morning is simple, if you stay in bed then expect queues. The gondola in the evening is simple apres ski in the bar at the gondola until it closes. Then the only people going on the lift are the staff of the bar.

  
  The skiing is excellent, ski park amazing, jumps as big as houses. We stayed in hotel Berghof which we thought was brilliant, the crèche our daughter stayed in was also amazing she cried when she had to leave.

  
  All in all I couldn't fault it - we cant wait to go back.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (04 March 2010)

  We were in Mayrhofen and stayed half board at the Hotel Pramstraller – a very civilised establishment a short stroll from the centre of town (i.e. when we wanted “lively” we could find it easily enough but quiet enough when we didn’t). Comfortable, clean, good food, friendly service, sauna and pool table a bonus.

  
  The short transfer from Innsbruck airport definitely a plus (just over an hour), alternatively it’s about 1.5 hours (and one change) on the train to get to Innsbruck city centre. Reminded me a lot of Chamonix in having several distinct small to medium sized ski areas based within striking distance of the main valley town rather than being a “proper” linked up ski in ski out sort of a resort like Espace Killy Trois Vallees etc..

  
  Just two 30-something single guys on this particular trip – my mate was mostly in ski school (he’d improved dramatically enough to get down the truly precipitous Hara Kiri on the last day) and yours truly had a fantastic time skiing both on and off piste with the Ski Club Rep on the more advanced days in his programme (thank you Simon).

  
  Beginners and intermediates will find plenty of scope in the Mayrhofen area proper, however I would suggest the more advanced skier bring their own vehicle – whilst there are several other great ski areas in the Ziller valley (Hintertux, Zell Am Ziller etc) and there is a huge variety of good challenging stuff the bus and rail connections can feel disjointed and time consuming. Up and down queues on the main Penken lift can be avoided by getting up early and/or coming down late. We tend to find a day on the slopes works up a powerful thirst and are therefore pleased to report no shortage of après ski action in town – our favourite place was part of the Hotel Brucke complex (I think) between the bridge and the Ahorn lift which offered draft beers for 3 Euro, lashings of truly terrible Europop and plenty of bona fide lunacy in ski boots dancing on tables and bars and so forth – in short the authentically cheesy beery Austrian après experience and I for one wouldn’t have it any other way. Later in the evening the Sports Bar in the Hotel Strass had good live music and there seemed to be no shortage of watering holes to suit most tastes and budgets in and around town. I’d definitely go back, but I’d want to bring my own transport.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (21 February 2010)

  We spent Christmas in Mayrhofen (2 adults and 2 children).

  We had great conditions with a 50cm dump the day before we arrived and 40cm over our week stay. The none skier with us really enjoyed the atmosphere in the town and the shopping.

  The skiing is endless for competent intermediates and providing you get to the gondola early, it's no real problem. I would definitely recommend it.

  The service and food in the hotel was excellent, we stayed in the Bruke right between the two gondolas.

  We will go back at some point, and having been to France and Italy in the last few years would have to say we found it cheap in comparison. Being the wrong side of 40 with 2 kids we didn't stay out late but found the apres ski lively and fun. If you haven't been to Austria, you will not believe how hospitable the Austrians are. All in all it gets the big thumbs up from us all.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (22 February 2009)

  Had a very snowy week staying at the Hotel Strolz from7th to 14th Feb. Managed one day of sun but we had a great time - mixed party of adventurous, boarders and more sedate (slightly) skiers. Only queued once for the Penk Gondola; just get the timing right. Great run down the Ahorn back to the village - boarders clocked 99.8 km per hour!! Some extreme skiing on the Glacier and one down at Sell am Ziller - brilliant snow but that chair to the top was definitely 9 minutes of freezing our butts off! Austria gets the thumbs up from all the party.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (20 January 2009)

  Just got back from Mayrhofen (10th-17) of jan and it was totally awesome. We travelled with Inghams and stayed at the Strass Hotel. The hotel and food in particular was very impressive. The room was spacious and always immaculate (after the maid had been in). The hotel is the centre for late night apres-ski which led to some late night noise as our room was above the bars.
  
  Apart from that though, the hotel rocked. It is situated right next door to the main gondola staion, and despite reviews saying there was huge queues we didn't find this to be the case. If you get up like we did for about 08:30 then it was just a case of walking straight through.
  
  The ski area is fantastic for intermediates with an abundance of reds which, despite no fresh snow, were perfectly groomed for the first part of the week but after snow fall on the fourth day they were quite bumpy and icy in places. The Ahorn side of the mountain was only worth visiting to go to the White Lounge. Apart from that it was just full of ski schools and the run back to the village was particulary tough and not for beginners.
  
  For a meal at night, try Coup and More on the main street for some fantastic food at a reasonable price and the sports bar for a good old pint and some fantastic entertaiment afterwards.
  
  Overall I found Mayrhofen to be much better than other reviews have suggested and would totally go back.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (03 January 2009)

  Hi all Just back from a fantastic week in Mayrhofen, we had wonderfull conditions with plenty of snow. The runs seem to be endless if your an intemediate. We all did ski school & loved it with good english speaking instructors We stayed in the Brucke & have to say that the service & food were excelent. The Brucke is right in the middle of the two gondalas & as we were up early we never had to que to get up the mountain. At the end of the day we stopped at the restraunt at the top for a drink which ment me missed the que to get down We also found it cheaper than Italy & France where we have been several times before The apes ski is lively for a few hours after the lifts shut however having hit 40 & skiing up to 60km one day I was pretty shatered so didn't stop up that late. All in all I would recomend it with out hesitation provided skiing is the most important thing for you. Also the views down the valley on a clear day are breath taking.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (24 March 2008)

  Hubby and I were in Mayrhofen w/c 15/03/08. Booked one of the Inghams snow houses not knowing what to expect. We ended up in Landhaus Roscher which was in a quiet part of town, approx 5 min walk to the Penken gondola and approx 10 mins to the Ahorn cable car. Ski bus stops a bit closer though. Accommodation was basic and a bit dated but clean and tidy. We had a huge double bedroom which would have held 3 double beds and a separate room with a large balcony looking onto the mountains, cooker, fridge, sitting area and dining area. Tons of storage space. Small bathroom with a shower, toilet and basin. Nice and warm with three radiators for drying clothes. Downstairs heated book/ski storage room. Breakfast was basic with two cereals, bread rolls, tea/coffee, orange juice, cheese and hams. Enough for us though. The couple who ran the Roscher were lovely people, extremely friendly. Would have no qualms about staying there again.

  Vast ski area on ski pass and fantastic setting in the Zillertal valley with excellent views all around. Lots and lots of snow but as a result the pistes didn't seem to be particulary well groomed. Some of them were extremely bumpy and some were fairly icy but it was below freezing every day (-5 to -10) and it snowed 4 out of the 6 days we skiied, as well as overnight. Very poor visability on some days with a very "flat" light which made it hard to see the bumps. As intermediate skiers previously having had only three ski holidays from complete beginners (and the wrong side of 30!!) it was a little bit off putting on some slopes - as were the crowds.

  The resort was VERY busy - however probably because that it was the week of the Saab Ski Challenge, the snowfall and also the week prior to Easter. Saying that, the queues up to Penken at around 10 in the morning were no more than 15-20 mins. The Penken gondola cars hold 15 at a time so it can be a bit of a crush. At around 0830 it was pretty much straight through with no queuing. Remember that you can also get up the mountain on four other gondolas as well as the Penken. Just use the green line bus service to get you to one of the other cable car stations. On Ahorn there were virtually no queues - this is a good place to start if you need to find your "ski legs" and avoids the rush to Penken in the morning. On Ahorn, there is a few easy blues, two reds 3 and 4 (4 got very bumpy) and a long red (5) to the village. Although 5 is shown as a red on the maps, at the start of the Ebenwald chair at the bottom of red 4 it is shown as a black. There were virtually no queues at the lifts on Ahorn, once or twice we stood in a queue but for no more than 5 mins. Penken had a good selection of runs - all the blues are good for beginners and we found the reds fairly challenging. Queues on Penken not too bad either but stood at the Tappenalm chair one morning for 20 mins, if not more. Not much pushing and shoving but I was elbowed in the ribs several times by an eight year old boy who was determined to get onto the Tux cable car to Rastkogel before me. For beginners getting onto either the Tappenalm or Schneekar chairs you have to first negiotate a short, fairly steep part which in itself is not difficult. However it was very icy and together with the queues waiting at these lifts and crowds of people coming off pistes from 4 or 5 different directions I imagine it could be quite daunting. Very few drag lifts. Chair lifts nearly all with padded seats and some had perspex hoods as well to protect from the elements. Peken is best first thing before the crowds come up from about 0945 onwards.

  Rastkogel and Egglam are much quieter. The best way we found to get to Rastkogel was to get the Tappenhalm chair, ski down a lovely short blue to the left of a T bar, get the chair to the top of the board park, ski through it and then get the Tux cable car. Nice blues and reds on Rastkogel and no queues at all. Not as icy but perhaps because it wasn't as busy. On a couple of days we took the ski track from Rastkogel (a nice easy blue) to Egglam which brings you out at a chair lift. This takes you to the top of Egglam which is all reds and 3 or 4 blues lower down. The reds on Egglam and quite long and as novice intermediates, challenging enough for us. Nice blues also but I think that blue 1 would be fairly hard for someone who has just learnt to ski. Blue 5 runs you back down to Tux village where you can get the Green Line bus back to Mayrhofen. This was a nice run but the bottom was extremely icy and bumpy and also slushy in places - not at all pleasant. Egglam and Rastkogel are quite open to the elements but we preferred skiing them as there were less people.

  Several places to eat in Mayrhofen. We ate in the Pramstraller Hotel, Kegelbahn restaurant (beside Landhaus Roscher), Mo's, Coup and More and twice in the Kramerwirt Hotel. No bad meals anywhere. Coup & More was very simple but good food and excellent staff (approx 40 euros for two mains and two soft drinks) but the gem was the Kramerwirt. More expensive that the others (80 euros for two glasses of wine, two starters, two steak mains and two Irish coffees) but worth every penny (note: Irish coffee cheaper in Kramerwirt than Mo's). Even better, they have a separate no smoking restaurant. The service was also first class. The first night we went we received a complimentary glass of sparkling wine and the second time a complimentary schnapps. The bar/lounge area is really nice as well. We were gutted to find out that if we'd stayed half board this is where we'd would've had our evening meal each night. Quick note on Mo's - when you go in you will notice that a lot of tables have "reserved" signs on them. This does not appear to be for anyone in particular, just to reserve them for food, rather than people sitting drinking, so ask one of the waitresses for a table.

  Used Mannis Ski Hire - ok but my bindings were a bit tight at the start of the week. Friendly staff.

  In all, we enjoyed our week in Mayrhofen and are looking forward to going back. We were disappointed by the crowds but we are used to a much quieter resort so sort of expected that.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (14 March 2008)

  Just back from the Hoff as the locals call it.

  Lucky enough to catch some fine snow so excellent skiing !
  

  The town is great with a huge ski area - I would recommend it to anyone. The only gripe I have is the much talked about ride up to/down from the ski area. It isn’t ideal but I wouldn’t let it put you off going. If you are early risers, you won’t queue. If you are smart you won’t queue - make use of the other side (Ahorn) - really great 7k red run back to the resort. Use the ski bus to access other points on the mountain rather than the main Penkenbahn lift etc.
  

  Once up the mountain, the lifts are excellent with minimal wait times.

  The famous Hari Kari black run? Not for beginners, but frankly if it was in France, they wouldn’t be making a fuss about it !

  Nightlife - it took us a few days to work this one out ! In Maryhoffen it is definitely a go hard early - then go home affair. Everyone piles into the bars at 4pm, drinks till 8, then eats and goes to sleep (try the Apres Ski bar at the Hotel Brucke, bottom of Ahorn cable car - much better than the Ice Bar). There are bars/clubs open 'til late, but the town is fairly quiet in after 9pm.

  In conclusion - I have skied a lot of places, while Maryhoffen isn’t my favourite, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

  PS:

  Stayed at Gasthof Vier Jahr Zeiten. Very pleasant, even if the lady who runs it is a bit grumpy. If you are going with Neilsen / Thomas Cook I wouldn’t bother with the evening meal option (taken in Hotel Brucke). The food is ok (not great) but it works out at about 20 euros each per night. A friend joined us late and was just paying the hotel 12 a night to join us ! Also, we ate in restaurants some nights where you could get a much better meal for the same money - the eating out is quite reasonably priced.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (03 February 2008)

  Just returned from 5 days in Mayerhofen, the snow was excellent. Stayed in the Zillertaler Hof Hotel, excellent hotel great food and very friendly staff.

  The queues at the Penkenbaln lift can be busy but if you avoid 9.00- 10 am there is no problem. Once up the mountain the lift system is great as there is a lot of modern 8 man chairs that whisk you up the mountain with virtually no queues whatsoever. The only drawback is that you can't ski back down the mountain, but we left our skis and boots in ski depot at the bottom of the lift so we didnt have to haul everything back to the hotel that is approx 5 mins from lifts.

  Apres ski is lively and would go on all night if you so wished. We flew to Munich and the transfer was less than 2 hours with 4 seasons transfers.

  Great resort - it's 18 years since I last skied in Mayerhofen but cant wait to get back as the new lift system has made a huge difference to this great resort .

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (12 January 2008)

  Just returned from a New Year's week at Mayrhofen and had a brilliant time. This was my 2nd visit there and given that I am a creature of habit – I now feel this is one of three resorts that I am happy to alternate between for the rest of my "skiing life"! The others, if anyone is interested, being Zell am See and Dachstein Region.

  The skiing is diverse and the infrastructure efficient - though Penken queues can be a bit of a pain. It helped that the snow was good too. I loved being on the simple Ahorn one-morning - with its very fast lift system and wide, open reds - then the more challenging, diverse Penken in the afternoon and the glacier the next day. Excellent stuff.

  The town is friendly - though I did get hit in the head by a rogue firework during the manic New Year celebrations in the High Street. I especially recommend Cohibar and the Snowhouses run by Inghams, if, like me, you are no longer in your teens or early twenties, are on something of a budget and like things busy, lively-ish but not too "in your face"!

  Couldn't recommend it strongly enough and look forward to returning sometime very soon.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Kym Wilson (20 November 2007)

  We are returning to Mayrhofen for the third time this Christmas. This is the only resort i have returned to more than twice, and I have skied all over the Alps. The reason is; the hotels are a good standard, the food is filling and hearty and the skiing never disappoints. You sometimes have to queue for a bit at the Penken gondalo station, but keep in mind that this is NOT the only way up the mountain, the buses to other main gondolas are free and frequent.

  We like Mayrhofen so much that went back in summertime!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (17 July 2007)

  It has all been said before.There some fantastic skiing in and around Mayrhofen. If you try Gerlos and Konigslieton for example there is every chance you will have the piste to yourself outside of main hoilday weeks and like the rest of the Zillertal the lifts are modern and efficient. I have been skiing this area for 19 years now. Try the sledge lodges at Lannersbach in the day or evening.T hey have 5km flood light runs which without doubt are some of the best in the world.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• John Bradley (16 May 2007)

  I was the SC Rep in Mayrhofen from 17th February to 14th March - the busiest part of the season. After a day or two members would often say to me that the Ski Club should alter its description of the resort because it was so misleading, giving an impression of long queues up and down the mountain, crowded, short runs and and rowdy nightlife.

  In the four weeks I was there, we never queued to go up or down the Penken - because there are lots of alternative routes but also because we generally skied in the other, less crowded areas covered by the lift pass. These were easily accessed by the efficient bus and train services. The key is to think of the entire Ziller valley as the ski are and Mayrhofen as the hub.

  The apres-ski was much better than expected too - the best atmosphere I've ever experienced in the popular bars immediatley after the skiing and I neither saw nor heard of any rowdiness later on.

  All in all I think the area needs a re-assessment, reflecting the massive investment in recent years which has linked so many of the smaller areas together and produced a world-class skiing area.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Gwyn Williams (20 March 2007)

  Recently returned from a weeks boarding in Mayrhofen (3-10th March) with my wife and kids (aged 3 and 1). Stayed in the Hotel Neuhaus and would have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending this hotel to anyone (friendly staff, great facilities, fantastic food and a creche that the kids loved). It was about a 10 minute stroll through the village to ge to the lift (or the bus stopped outside if you were feeling lazy), but since this meant that the noisier pubs were not on the doorstep the kids got a good night sleep and happy kids means happy parents!! One piece of advice...leave your skis and boots in one of the shops at the base of the gondola - for 17 euro it takes a lot of hassle of walking about in the village.

  Overall we were impressed with the skiing, an excellent area for intermediates (although I can understand some of the comments about the suitability for beginners - not much choice and a bit disjointed if you couldn't get down a red or two to link up the area). We were lucky with the conditions so it helped with our impression of the area (although not much of the vast off-piste area was skiiable when we were there).

  I can't say that we found the lift as unbearable as we had expected. Before 9 am it was clear and by 9:45 the worst of the queue had gone. Get clear of the three seater at the Penken gondola station by 10 am if you can as ski school starts there and everyone goes for the same lift at the same time. One thing I did notice was that the queues that we did get stuck in were far friendlier than other resorts we have been to, with a lot less pushing and jostling.

  The resort itself has retained it's character with no high-rise structures and the main street has a good variety of shops, bars, cafe's etc. There's also an excellent pool in the town which the kids loved. In addition, the entire resort (including mountain restraunts, lifts, streets etc.) was incredibly clean.

  We'll definitely be considering this one for a return visit in the future.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Jane Overland (15 March 2007)

  Just returned from Mayrhofen. Went with a group of 10 including 3 beginners. I have skied mainly in France and was a bit wary of not being able to sk to the door (or maybe just lazy!) especially after the dire warnings of queues for the lift in the morning.

  None of it was jusified - yes the lift queue got busy first thing if you were there after 9am but if you get up early and get up to the slopes there is no queue and the runs are very quiet.

  The skiing was great and the apres ski was even better - I have never known anything like it. Staying in the bar at the top of the gondala was an enjoyable way to mis the queue back down !

  All of our group thoroughly enjoyed their holiday and the resort suited all abilities.

  We are definitely all going back next year !

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (12 March 2007)

  Just got back from a week in Mayrhofen. The resort was VERY busy, with people being brought in by coach from nearby resorts that didn't have snow. We had to queue for nearly an hour to get on the gondola to the slopes each morning and the same for the trip down in the afternoon! Not sure if this is unusual for Mayrhofen, but it became very frustrating. The runs are reasonably good although they tend to be short and are mainly suited to intermediate skiers. Beginners should try the wide shallow blue runs on the Ahorn.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (05 March 2007)

  I've just returned from a week in Mayrhofen following a 5 year break from skiing. Went on 2 very useful guided tours of the Zillertal area with the Crystal reps and learned that the infamous lift queues are avoidable by getting there before 0830 and coming off the mountain either before or after the rush of ski schools at around 1515. Overall a fantastic weeks skiing over an expansive area and well worth taking the guided tours to find the less crowded areas. Ideal place for a 'rusty' intermediate.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Jan Milsom (05 March 2007)

  Having returned from a week, having read the reviews of others moaning about queues and not being able to ski into resort etc etc, I say book elsewhere, please.

  I have skied in many places and none have had this total experience. The sking was excellent (taking into account the conditions), the ski-school for my daughter was brilliant, with 2 hours skiing, lunch together and then another 2 hours sking. There were some queues for lifts, but nothing severe.

  To overcome the queues in the morning, get their early, get your kit and get on the slopes. It's not busy, perfectly groomed and justifies why you go sking. Alternatively, for staying in bed I hear Tenerife is good this time of year.

  The town itself was disciplined in its control of apres ski, thus allowing satisfaction for families and couples. It was also exceptionally clean with good shops and restauraunts.

  This resort and what its surrounding areas offer will make an exceptional holiday for skiers and non-skiers. You only get out what you put in, and if you can remember this during your time in Mayrhofen, enjoyment is guaranteed.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (04 March 2007)

  Just back from 1 weeks boarding in Mayrhofen. Most reviews I had read proir to my trip gave warnings about the time it takes to get up on the slopes - a warning i wish I had taken note of. Despite the usual bustle of the lift que, the locals seemed a friendly bunch so not all bad.

  As for the skiing, whilst the late season snow conditions did have an impact on the resort, most of the runs had been worked on every night to provide a decent skiing arena. The guys working the slope definitely made the difference. Mayrhofen itself was over used over crowded and lacking in the white stuff, but if you are prepared to get up early a vist to either the glacier or Zell its well worth it,. These slopes benifited from a highter altitude and received more snow and most of the slopes were very quiet.

  The high number of red runs took its toll on our party and we would have liked to a ferw more softer runs, however I this just something intermediate or beginner boarders should be aware of.You may find that Mayrhofen is a bit of a challenge.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (27 February 2007)

  Just returned from a week in Mayrhofen staying at the Gasthaus Pramstraller. Never been on a b & b basis before but would recommend it. We had really good food each night at different hotels and restaurants and all at a reasonable price. The accommodation was very good - clean, central location with a well stocked breakfast and the skiing area open to us was huge. Going to different areas in the valley by train was novel and worked well. Although new snow was required, they did an excellent job of keeping the pistes in a good, ski-able condition.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (06 February 2007)

  I am currently driving europes ski resorts in a mobile home (Not as glam as it sounds) I have found myself here twice this year and on the glacier. Great resort with loads for all the family. Get up early and hit the gondala if you miss the 8:30 start either catch the bus to the other Gondalas or wait till about 10- am when the queue is gone at Penken (Alternativly you could ski the Ahorn in the morning and then Penken!) Apres ski is great Ice bar is fab and Moes. Loads of alternative activites There is an ice rink and an indoor aquatic center. For the non skiers there is one in every family inssbruck is real close by train from the bottom of the village.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (30 January 2007)

  Heed all the warnings about this resort - it really is the most inconvenient place I've ever skiied.

  You can't get to any snow without a journey on a gondola/train/bus - or a combination of all three - and, worse, you have to come back the same way.

  If you've never skiied anywhere else it may appear well organised, but if you're used to doorstep skiing this ain't for you ...

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (29 January 2007)

  I have been skiing in Mayrhofen for 10 years as we have family ties in the village.

  The secret is to have a car or catch the free bus to avoid the morning rush for the Penken gondal.The Horberg connection to the same area is free of waiting.

  The whole area has much more to offer than first appears.The main Penken area is now connected to other resorts and forms a great loop of 4 hours skiing pulling the Vogels Nest a award winning new restaurant that is a must visit.

  Without doubt the rodelling(sledging)in Lannerbach about 15 minutes by car is some of the finest in the world.You will even be transported up the 5km run in a army truck. It makes the kids holiday.

  Finally if you travel to nearby Gerlos you will find uncrowded pistes and great off piste opportunities.

  Having skiied many resorts in France I am very happy to return to Mayrhofen for its variation.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Caroline Morris-Hills (21 January 2007)

  Just returned from a weeks skiing in Mayrhofen(13th - 20th January). Even though there hasn't been a great deal of snow, like most other resorts, Mayrhofen has worked hard to keep a good covering of snow and predominantly good skiing conditions. The lift system across the ski area is excellent. The new Ahorn Bahn opened in December '06 whisks skiers to the Ahorn mountain in just over 5 minutes. Queues do form on the Penken Gondola, but if you make an early start you can avoid excessive queing. Mayrhofen is a very pretty village, with lots of nice hotels and a good variety of shops. We stayed at the Mannis Hotel, which was excellent. Great food, first class service and a good central location. The heated outdoor swimming pool was a godsend after a good days skiing. This is the second time we have been to Mayrhofen and Mannis and intend to go back despite the "Apres Pee"

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (17 November 2006)

  Lively town and great pistes but queueing for the gondola to get up the mountain each morning was a real pain. However, even this was better, if you went early than the queues to get back down the mountain at the end of the day!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Tina Fox (19 May 2006)

  We as a family, two children aged 5 and 13, have been going back to Mayrhofen for about 7 years. We love this area as it is very good for the children. Our 5 year old was put in a different ski school this year in January, which was much smaller than the year before, but much more caring. I must admitt I hate the lifts to the top of the slopes, they do not cater for young children. I have seen many a time mothers with their young children being pushed dangerously forward they should really change this. We have a lovely time each time we go and book our appartment by email ourselves, which saves a lot of money. Will be going back next year to the same appartments and for the first time will not be taking ski school.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Steve Pope (07 April 2006)

  Stayed in the Mannis Sporthotel for a week from the 4th of March-excellent hotel with good food and nice atmosphere. The queue for the Penken was a really bug bear and if you weren't in the queue by 08.30 then somedays you'll be in it for 45 mins before getting to the slope!!! It's all survival of the fittest as well, which is atrocious compared to Canada. Some excellent runs with a great run on the Ahorn down to the bottom. A great apres ski atmosphere as is what you would expect with Austria, but the bumping and pushing for lifts has really put me off Europe for the last time-time to head back to Canada where they are a damn sight more civil!!!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Claire Dempsey, York (07 March 2006)

  (18th Feb-25th Feb) Had a great time in Mayrhofen, first time there for us all. Snow was good and decent weather. Yes the queues for the Penken lift were a pain but like someone has said get on the outside and you get there quicker. It is a bit like a cattle crush as they shove as many people in as possible! Really enjoyed the mountain restaurants good mix, especially liked the one near the snowboard jumps. favourite run of our group No. 7 from off the sneeker lift. Really enjoyed skiing on the Ahorn, shorter queues and nice gentle runs and great red run down from the top back to lift. Stayed at Strass Sport central hotel, great food but bit noisy as in centre. Transfer from Innsbruck only 1hr 15mins really appreciated this as originally were flying to Salzburg. Overall had a great time

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Brian O'Farrell (23 February 2006)

  11th – 18th February 2006 Fantastic location, hospitality superb, snow conditions great, Mayrhofen have a lift system second to none once you are on the mountain. The queue for the Penken gondola out of the hearth of the town is cruel, if you arrive after 8.30am expect to queue for at least 1 hour. By 10.45-11.00am you can walk right through. The worst part of the problem is that if you wish to get down off the mountain by Gondola (understand that there is no other way) without queuing for a considerable time you must be prepared to leave before 3.30pm! There are almost no Drag Lifts, and practically all but one chair lift are derail able with conveyer belt systems to get you on with incredible ease. If you are advanced or a good intermediate Mayrhofen is heaven. The Hari-kari (78% of vertical) is the best test you will get to stay on your skis. If you fall it’s one unstoppable long slide to the bottom. When you have slid to the bottom wait a while to watch others slide down to meet you. Black 17 must be one of the longest straightest black runs you will ever make your way down. I would offer a word of caution, while the instructors are very dedicated and extremely pleasant, when it comes to working with beginners they do not have a lot of slopes at there disposal. Our group had 9 beginners in it and it was four days before the got on a chair lift. When taking into consideration that there are only two drag lifts at the beginners area and slopes of about 100m a person can get bored very quickly. I should also point out that we were there during the high season, perhaps if you can get there at another time it might be better. Another point worth mentioning is the traffic situation if you are driving from Salzburg or Munich on a Saturday expect long delays it took us six hours to get to Mayrhofen, leaving Munich at 12.30pm and the same if not worse returning. When in Mayrhofen be sure to try out Mo’s on the Main Street, great food and beer To sum up I would say, fantasist place, great for intermediates, not for beginners, avoid mid-term and the traffic on Saturdays is a killer. Brian O'Farrell, Dublin, Ireland

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Dave (21 February 2006)

  Just back from Mayrhofen. Great skiing but the twice daily queues to get up and down the Penken were a pain which took the edge of an otherwise great holiday. I had seen other comments on this site regarding the queues but had not paid as much attention to them as I should have. Beware!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Steve Daniels (21 February 2006)

  Was worried that Mayrhofen at half term might be a nightmare but could not have been more wrong. The anticipated mass of school age skiers and boarders did not materialise and for the most part the slopes were uncrowded. Much is made in the Resort Guide about the queue for the Penken gondola, which can seem daunting, but if you keep to the outside "lane" you can normally get to the front within 10-15 minutes. Once past that though there are no real bottlenecks. The only real problem for us was the quality of the snow, which cut up quite badly in the afternoons, particularly on the runs back down to the Penken gondola. This is nothing that a fresh dump won't sort out, though, as we had brilliant conditions in the same resort last year. Mayrhofen has much to recommend it (other than noisy dutch guests stumbling out of the Speak Easy Bar at 4.00 in the morning) and I know a number of people who return year after year. As reasonable intermediates there is plenty of skiing there for me and my family and in all likelihood we will go back again next year.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• David Orrells (17 January 2006)

  Just back from Mayrhofen and agree with previous two comments, pistes on both mountains in excellent condition and largely quiet. A fantastic cloudless week help as well. The whole resort is well maintained and organised. This was my first visit back since learning to ski here 25 years ago and the development is tremendous. Can't understand why the Ahorn is so deserted as it has friendly blues and a couple of reds to be enjoyed by all. Stayed at the well located Gasthof Brucke which has fairly ordinairy food ( some downright wacky like the shredded pancake soup, some ok). Brilliant atmosphere and friendly, helpful staff. Only blackspot is room 101. Avoid this first floor, above main entrance room at all costs, expecially if you have booked with Neilson's who are aware the room is not suitable but still book it for their clients even though other operators refuse it.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Peter Blundell (11 January 2006)

  I agree with Wolfgang. Fantastic conditions available first week after new year. A lot of the runs were challenging, but were a bit shorter than I expected them to be, when compared to other resorts. A good mix of runs available including the Harakiri! (78% incline) Queues at Penken gondola were long if arrived late, and were worse when the sun was shining! We arrived about 8:45ish and queued for 10 minutes on a cloudy day and 20ish minutes on a sunny day.On the mountain the queing for chair lifts were never as bad as they first looked. Good sized chair lifts allowed people to move quickly. Food and drink on the mountain was good and varied, although the seating areas were not large enough, and between 12 and 1pm is best avoided due to ski scholl lunch break. Stayed at Mannis Hotel. 3 mins walk from Penken. Nice hotel, large clean room. Food was excellent quality although quite fancy for some people's taste. Good fun looking at menu for the German to English translation to describe the food! Down side of the hotel that we had was the noise. Main road in town can be noisy with late into the night, and the corridors of the hotel were not carpeted so echoed noise quite a lot. Seemed to be a lot of noisy Russians around! Staff were helpful and polite. Another good idea is the live TV channel with cameras at Penken, Ahorn and Hintertux so you could see the conditions, temperatures and winds before you set off. Good when choosing where to go that day. Mayrhofen is an excellent resort, and the Zillertal area pass means that you can travel to other resorts for free. Zell Am Ziller, Kaltenbach etc. Kaltenbach was a good day trip with wide and long runs. Although, it is a lot easier resort than Mayrhofen, the runs are generous. I recommend Mayrhofen as a good resort to visit.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• wolfgang (08 January 2006)

  Just returned from Mayrhofen - excellent snow, excellent slopes well linked although a bit of speed is required to get through some of the dips. Lift Infrastructure excellent - most of the resort can be accessed using fast and comfortable chair lifts, gondolas or cable cars. Most importantly I cannot comprehend the official comments on this site about lack of challenging slopes!!! The black runs are tougher than anything St Anton and Val d'Isere (both famed for challenging runs) have to offer and some of the reds would probably be classified as 'black' in any other resort. Rest of valley: Kaltenbach, Zell and Ramsau are all well worth a visit too. Huge powder fields in all resorts with untracked snow to be found days after last snowfall. Lift queues are a nuisance in the morning but easy to avoid: the main gondola runs much longer (8:20 to 17:45) than the advertised hours (8:30 to 17:00) - well after dark in Dec/Jan) depending on demand. Best way to avoid queues on way down is to wait for the DJ in the Apres Ski bars to announce that lift queue is diminishing.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Anna Gorringe (11 April 2004)

  Had a second wonderful week in Mayrhofen 3-10 April. The biggest bonus of the resort is the short transfer from Innsbruck. We stayed at the Hotel-Pension Siegerlerhof for the 2nd time, which served us very well again. It's cheap, clean, extremely friendly, and gives you the real Tirol traditional experience! The Ice Bar was still buzzing, although the snow was so great that we were too tired to enjoy much hard core apres-ski. Took the Green-Line bus to the glacier, which took a good 40 mins. The glacier queues, which we had been warned about, did not materialise, but the pistes were pretty busy. Despite sunshine, it was -17C and felt all of that and more. I would be pretty hesitant about going up there again unless conditions were seriously bad in the rest of the valley. Our mixed ability group all found something in the valley to entertain them, and I would thoroughly recommend the resort. PS. Last year we stayed there for New Year. The fireworks are something to behold, but beware that you might not escape with your life-it's pretty wild!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Andy R (17 March 2004)

  Went to Mayrhofen during the February half term on a companies inspection visit. Stayed at the Hotel Perauer which is in an ideal position, just about 100 metres from the main Penken lift, and about 200 metres from the Eggalm lift. If you reach the Penken lift just before 8:30, then you will have no problems with queues at all. On the mountain there was no more than a 5 minute wait for any lift, though there was a fair bit of cross country skiing to get from one lift to another. Although the snow did become a little bumpy towards the afternoon, it was not too much of a problem, and in the mornings, the pistes were impeccable. The Zillertal area is huge and offers great variety to skiers, especially intermediates like me, with plenty of challenging red runs throughout, in particular, the Zell am Ziller tour was excellent, albeit exhausting. The apres-ski ws very lively until about 9, then the whole village went quiet except for one or two bars which were ridiculously busy, however this wasn't too off-putting because of the necessary early rise for the Penkenbahn each day. I would thoroughly recommend Mayrhofen for both a social or a school skiing holiday.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• neil S (15 March 2004)

  Well I said below that I would be back & I just have. Snow this year has been fantastic - same as most places which makes for a great ride down the slopes. Some specific feedback on Mayrhofen - you need to be at the Penken before 9am in March otherwise its at least a 30 min queue. Going down it seemed to get really busy after about 3:45. Was it just me or was the piste preparation a bit poor this year - with all the snow, the slopes tended to get very bumpy & didn't look that great in the morning either, I was slightly disappointed. Strong points are the number & variety of runs, great for a red run skier like myself. Restaurants are variable from burger & chips crud to pizza's, soups & traditional Austrian - usually about 5-6 Euro. There are three new chairs this year that speed progress around the mountain so once your up the gondola its no probs. There aren't even that many boarders either wich is a nice bonus. Accomodation is great with several 4 star hotels - usually half board & all with sauna complexes (usually naked!) & plenty of stuff in the town for Apres Ski. Definitely good for kids with some great ski schools & a nice pool as well. Oh & one other bad point to finish - we were forced to check in three hours early for our flight home, meaning we left our hotel at 4 in the morning for an 8:30 flight just because Innsbruck airport check-in is inefficient & what a crap place to spend three hours - could do better

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Eric (05 March 2004)

  Skiing in school holidays, queues at Penkenbahn gondola to get to slopes are 30m to 1hr if you start after 8:30am, similar length to get down if you get caught by ski schools finishing. However, apres-ski is fab and snow this year was superb. Bus link to Glacier free, easy and worthwhile. Good time anytime but better out of school holidays and without kids!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Neil S (24 March 2003)

  Just back on 22nd March. Ski-ing was fantastic for intermediates, the sun was strong & the spring conditions were just like fresh powder without any ice. Truly georgous tree lined runs & very friendly people. I must say the Penken Gondola scared me stiff for the first few days but you soon get used to the height & the steep climb. I would say that only 70cm of snow is still more than enough due to excellent piste preparation. In the words of Arnie....I'll be back!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Sue King (09 January 2003)

  Friday 10/01/03 will be the 4th time to Mayrhofen (thank goodness there is snow at last!) It is in a beautiful valley, supported by many nearby pretty smaller resorts. As a town and agricultural area in it's own right, means there is always something to do should you be unlucky enough to sprain a muscle or just fancy a day off the slopes. I'm hooked, and even if you come home unscathed - your ribs can still ache with all the laughing and fun you've had.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Geoff Dykes (22 February 2002)

  Having last skied here in 1984 my recent visit confirmed that this resort has not lost it's magic. The Zillertal 3000 pass is fantastic - it offers excellent value and a wide range of ski slopes admittedly better accessed by car. Hochfugen was particularly enjoyable and the planned opening of a new lift linking it to Kaltenbach will make it even more attractive.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.

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