October 24, 2003 -- Okay, we're exaggerating a little. But especially if you're flying from the East Coast, skiing a place like Vail or Tahoe can be costly and involve a lot of time on airplanes. Why not look in the other direction for a truly exotic ski experience this season?
Think about it: instead of scones at the Starbucks in Breckenridge, you could be nibbling pastries in Innsbruck. Instead of brewing up a cup of Swiss Miss in Vail, you could be brewing a cup with a Swiss miss in Zermatt.
The Austrian and Swiss ski seasons are typically January through March, but it makes sense to book in advance, as accommodations sell out (especially for February in Switzerland.) Right now, Go-Today (www.gotoday.com) is offering early-bird Euro ski packages that include discounted airfare, trains and hotels to get you to the slopes, although they don't include lift tickets or equipment rental.
Go-Today's Austrian packages (www.gotoday.com/AT_FGAS.ASP) send you to Innsbruck or Salzburg, two ski-friendly cities with a lot more to offer than slopes. Innsbruck, the site of two Olympic Winter Games, is a gorgeous medieval city nestled in the poetic Alps (take that, Tahoe) with five ski resorts within easy reach. For instance, the popular Igls resort is reachable by streetcar in a mere half an hour from Innsbruck. Go-Today's prices to Innsbruck start at $499 from New York, $579 from DC, $599 from Chicago and $679 from San Francisco or LA for six nights.
Salzburg, meanwhile, is as well-known for its native son Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as it is for skiing. It's full of gorgeous Baroque architecture and near the castles and attractions of Bavaria, in Germany. The surrounding countryside is where the movie The Sound of Music was shot, so it's almost insanely picturesque. It's less convenient than Innsbruck for skiers, though, as the resorts are an hour or more out of town by train, making for a tough commute. If you're looking for a cultural vacation with a little bit of skiing, Go-Today's prices start at start at $499 from New York, $579 from DC, $599 from Chicago and $679 from San Francisco or LA for six nights.
The Swiss packages (www.gotoday.com/CH_FGAD.ASP) take you to Interlaken or Zermatt via a flight to Zurich and a train to your final destination (included). We think Zermatt is the best of these destinations for skiers. It's a charming village at the foot of the Matterhorn, with great slopes, a slew of peaks and a reputation for being the loudest and rowdiest party town in the Alps. Six-night Zermatt(erhorn) packages start from $849 from New York, $899 from DC, $949 from Chicago, $1029 from LA and $1049 from San Francisco.
Interlaken is a good budget choice, as this resort charges low-season prices when Zermatt is going full-out for the francs. Although there's no skiing in Interlaken proper, the ski resorts of Wengen and Grindelwald and even Gstaad are all within an hour by train (for more details, see our full guide to the area at www.frommers.com/destinations/berneseoberland). This is a land of cog railways, cable cars and other silly, breathtaking modes of transport -- getting to the resort really will be half the fun. Prices start at a reasonable $649 from New York, $699 from DC, $749 from Chicago, $829 from LA and $849 from San Francisco for a six-night stay with lodging.
