Mayrhofner Bergbahnen, Austrian Alps, Austria

5Irina S 5:00 PM Oct 26, 2012

Mayrhofen + Zell am Ziller + Kaltenbach ski areas on one lift pass
What I love about staying in Mayrhofen is how much piste you get on one Zillertal ski pass, and sadly not all skiers are aware of it. Yes, you get to ski well linked and varied Penken+ with 159 km of piste area accessible straight from Mayrhofen. But do not limit yourself just to that, Your weekly lift pass covers so much more! Jump on a Glacier Express bus (free with lift pass), time table displayed at every bus stop. It's a 40 min most wonderful scenic drive higher up into the mountains which feels like a sightseeing excursion in itself. It takes you to the foot of Hintertux glacier with sizeable skiing area at high altitude (72 km) and views to die for, where professional skiers train all year round. Next day go to the Mayrhofen train station (all free ski busses go there)and jump on a cute diesel train (free with your lift pass, goes every 30 min), the journey feels again like a sightseeing trip along the floor of Zillertal Valley with it's steep wooded sides, and you get a sense of exploring the whole area. Get off a few stops later at Zell am Ziller. There will be a red ski bus waiting by the station (free, timed for train arrival) to take skiers to Zillertal Arena 5 min drive away with it's 169 km of linked pistes and huge variety of slopes. Return the same way. And next day venture further afield: jump on the train again at Mayrhofen and go a bit further past Zell to Kaltenbach. Get off and walk about 10 min (follow other skiers)past car parks to the lifts of Hochzillertal-Kaltenbach ski area with 181 km of linked pistes. Return the same way. So, you've just explored nearly 600 km of beautifully groomed, well linked pistes, all served by excellent new lift system, dotted with adorable huts to stop for lunch, fun areas for children, free ski movie of your exploits on mountain and record of your route (get info on www.zillertalarena.com, click on Ski Movie or Ski Line). Google piste maps of Zillertal Arena and Kaltenbach before you go, to see what pure jems thiese areas are. Hope you have a good time!

4AvinAgg 5:00 PM Feb 11, 2019

11 guys on boards..
A last minute place for me as one of the group had to pull out due to illness. His loss unfortunately was my gain. What a lovely place Mayrhofen is. A large mountain with plenty of pistes and off piste areas for even the most accomplished. We stayed at the bottom of the village in a hotel called Hotel Obemair at 650m. I don't think the resort of mayrhofen has many ski in, ski out type accommodation unlike the three valleys. However, a short bus ride from right outside the hotel takes you right to the gondola and up the hill. Getting there early or slightly later, about 9.30am, means you avoid the stampede. Food and drink prices in the resort were reasonable and we managed to satisfy our thirst and hunger for a daily €50 pp including many beers. A good marker of a trip is the "would I go back" question. Pleased to confirm a definite yes. We were lucky to have great conditions, 1st day white out with lots of powder then wall to wall sun...this helps of course as everything's better in the sunshine.