Switzerland or Austria or similar mountain spring / summer holiday

[Triceratopsandjellytots]

Hi, it’s my dh’s 40th next year and he’d love a mountain holiday (second to Japan, but I fear it’s out of our budget right now and maybe best to wait until Ds (4) and dd (21m) are a bit older!). He loves hiking and running. Me and the kids not so much 🤣 but happy to oblige especially for a big birthday. Anyway, I’ve seen some amazing kinder hotel places on Instagram in Switzerland and Austria, but so far they all seem to be about £700+ a night… out of our budget unfortunately. I’ve seen some amazing mountain playgrounds online too. Any recommendations for hotels, b&bs, anything else? (Or any other amazing holidays you’d recommend otherwise also welcomed!)

sadly constrained to school hols from September.

thank you :)

Chamonix has loads to do, and if you get a Mont Blanc pass you can go on all the ski lifts, gondolas etc and up to the Aguilar du MIDI, where for another €40 you can take a cable car across the mountains into Italy.

Anyone staying in the Chamonix valley gets a pass for free trains and half price buses, so if you stay a little outside (say Les Boissons) you take the train in every day, and they are a brilliant reliable service.

Lots of self catering chalets available on the campsites and around too.

Ouch! We were in the Italian alps recently and you could easily find pizza in simple restaurants for about €6.

I don’t have any recommendations but my bestfriend went to Austria and Switzerland in the summer and her photos are absolutely stunning. I’ve been lucky to go to both for skiing but would love to see the scenery when it’s all green.

I’m just place marking here as I’d love to do this type of holiday in the future!

Not an AirBnB but we stayed here last year and it was great.
www.marcati.at/torri/

@HerbertVonDoodlebug it was here https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/17412118

We stayed in Hinterglemm a couple of years back and loved it! So much for kids to do in the area and immediate area was very accessible on foot (as opposed to having to drive/catch a bus). We hired a car after flying into Munich, but public transport was also fab if not driving. Staying in the area you get a joker card which gets you access to all the local lifts/gondolas and entry/discount to many local places/attractions. We also stayed in Germany for a couple of days, went up the Jennerbahn, took a boat ride on the lake below, visited a salt mine. We all had a fab time, it's an amazing part of the world. We stayed in Seefeld more recently which was also lovely, but we preferred Hinterglemm for activities nearby.

Seconding Saalbach-Hinterglemm and also Zell am See - look at Hotel Stadt Wein. Amazing for kids, has sandpit/swings/kids room with ball pit and table tennis/ bikes to borrow/goats and donkeys to feed…

I knew I'd find something here about Austria! I'm looking at Zell am See for August next year.

For those that have been, did you book a package holiday, or go DIY?

We're 2 adults + 2 teenagers. Recommendations welcome!

(And edited to add apols to the OP for this mini hijack ... )

@JoanThursday

Zell am See is beautiful but in August it can get very busy and is in danger of being a victim of its own success.

Saalbach-Hinterglemm is just 15 minutes from Zell am See and has many more activities for teenagers than Zell am See has. It is one of the main mountain bike centres in Austria, has miles of hiking trails with stunning views and has Europe's largest high-ropes park, as well as zip wires and an open-air lido.

Both Zell am See and Saalbach-Hinterglemm feature in the tour operator holiday programmes, but DIY is really easy too. Flight to Salzburg, then either the train or the 260 Postbus (which leaves from outside the airport) to Zell am See. Zell to Saalbach involves a free bus from the railway station. There are also numerous car rental companies at the airport if you want more flexibility, but public transport is very good and for tourists, it is free of charge throughout the State of Salzburg using the Mobility Ticket that is supplied by the hotels and apartment owners.

We have had several holidays in Switzerland and would recommend Grindelwald as a stunning resort. The Austrian Alps are also beautiful but not as stunning as Switzerland. This year we visited the Dolomites, staying in Ortesei. The scenery, easily accessible mountains, the food etc were exceptional. We have visited mountains worldwide-Andes, Rockies, Blue Mountains etc. The Dolomites stunned us and we will return. They are to be recommended. Inn Travel were brilliant. Larger companies have the Dolomites on offer too.

You could consider Annecy in France. It’s a lake surrounded by mountains and is beautiful. We’ve been there twice in the last five years. I think it will definitely suit you.

Ortisei

Really helpful..thank you so much! 🙏

Dublassie, I know I'm resurrecting an old thread here but would you be happy to share where you stayed etc? I'm mid planning for this summer and this sounds exactly what we want to do!

Of course !! Would you like to DM me an email address and I’ll send you on a document I prepared with all the info ?

The jungfrau area in switzerland. Incredible mountains and amazing playgrounds.