Summer holiday in Austrian Alps?

[swanriver]

My dh speaks german fluently and has euros, we want to walk, enjoy views, without car, in school hols with 3 kids aged between 6 and 8 who quite enjoy walking but are not seasoned hikers. Any places recommended?

kinderhotels ? St Anton/Lech, Zell am see and Kitzbuehel may be good places to start.

We stayed in Ellmau in the Tyrol a couple of years ago, it's a little further out from Salzburg than Soll. Ellmau has a funicular type railway up into the mountains, and a fabulous swimming pool/leisure complex.

Are you planning to drive or are you flying? If you're coming to Salzburg I have lots of information/advice

oops - just saw that you want a holiday without car. We have quite a few guests who travel by public transport. Have you seen this Salzburgerland card It gives you free admission to loads of places, we live here but we've bought one the last 3 years as they are such good value. Plus your 3rd child is free.

Thanks everyone for advice. Will investigate and come back with further queries after ht.

We have just booked 2 wks in Kaprun, nr Zell am See, with Esprit. But you probably don't want so much handholding (my two are 3 & 6 and Esprit runs Kids Clubs).

The train goes as far as Zell am See, its about an hr from Salzburg. Kaprun is 8km further but we are driving from Munich. There appears to be lots to do and see, you can go up to the glacier, view and walk around the dams, do day trips to Salzburg, etc

If not this area the Carinthia region is also supposed to be very nice.

Have a look at www.kinderhotels.com. We've stayed at several of them in both summer and winter and our kids (now 6 and 5) and we loved it! Great combination of outdoor pursuits (bicycling, hiking etc), great childcare, lovely spa facilities and excellent food. Overall a lovely, healthy holiday!

We found Austria to be very child/family friendly. You could fly into Munich or Salzburg and take the train and/or taxi to your resort. (Kinder)Hotels have free bicycles, buggies etc. so you won't need a car.

evamummy, did you use the childcare at the Kinderhotels you stayed at and for how long each day etc?

I have been looking at them for a couple of yrs now but have not yet taken the plunge mainly because of a couple of points i read which concerned me:

a) If you go during school holidays (which we do) most of the other children are german-speaking which makes english-only speaking children feel a bit left out, even though the staff might speak english

b) they don't have the same sort of staff-to-child ratios in particular with the younger children (ie 1 per 3 children under the age of 5) so the staff may have many more children to look after than normal in the UK, making it harder for them to keep track of them and I've heard stories or some children wandering off out because of this and because there also wasn't good security either.

Since I have a 2.5yo I'd be reluctant to risk putting her in such a situation, and I have a 6yo who may now feel left out if she was in a Kids Club situation where none of the other children speak english.

What do you think?

kiwinyc, yes, we've stayed at the Kinderhotels during the UK holidays and yes, there were a lot of children, mainly German speaking but also some English and French families. The staff all spoke English very well and my children generally felt 'included'.

Depending on what activities/excursions were offered at the kids club, we left our kids there either in the morning or the afternoon and spent the rest of the day together (cycling, walking, swimming). We also sent them back to the kids club after they had eaten in the evening so that we could enjoy a quite dinner together .

Regarding the security, I would say it was VERY good at the hotels we've stayed at. The children get a 'security tag' attached to their clothes which beeps if they attempt to leave the childrens club (if that is what the parents want - the older ones come and go as they wish). I don't know about the staff-to-child ratio, but this will probably depend on how busy they are.... also the baby club will probably have a higher staff ratio than the kiddies club.

Actually Kiwinyc, I've just booked a week at the Hagleitner Kinderhotel in December. Never been to Zell (well, the hotel is next door in Schüttdorf), but heard its very nice..? We are hoping to take the train from Munich (as the flights to Salzburg are much more expensive). When are you going to Kaprun?

Hey evamummy, thanks for that! I know someone thats been to and recommends the Hagleitner, they went last Summer and said they really enjoyed it, esp. the Spa in the attached hotel next door? They liked the area too, thought it was the perfect holiday, their children were similiar ages to yours. We're going to Kaprun in the Summer - in August - flying to Munich because as you say, flights to Saltzburg are more expensive.

Good to know about the security tags they put on the kids though, that is more reassuring - Do you mind telling me which Kinderhotels you've stayed at? its great to get personal recommendations!

We had a lovely holiday two years ago in the Bregenzerwald, in the very west of Austria. We were in a self-catering apartment (www.tourist-paradise.com/holiday-apartment-o570.html) in a village called Au-Schoppernau. We had a car, but there is a train line, so you should get there OK. They were desperate to boost their summer trade as they can no longer rely on the snow in winter, so we got free use of the municipal swimming pool and the cable-car up the local mountain, where a sunset was put on specially every Thursday evening - plus a model cow for you to indulge your inner dairymaid. The village is in a nice flat valley for non-masochistic walking or cycling. Further afield (an hour down the valley, so quite a trek on public transport) there is the Zeppelin air museum at Friedrichshafen and an Iron-Age museum with houses on stilts on the lake (Constance).
I'd certainly go there again. Have fun!

Kiwi, sorry it took me a while to get back to you but my son had a tonsillectomy last week (all went well ).

We've stayed at the Alpenrose in Lermoos and the Sporthotel Alpina in St Johann in the summer and the Baer in Serfaus for skiing. The Alpenrose was the 'best' hotel although the location wasn't that good, while the Alpina had a great view down the valley and was right next to the gondola.

I've never been to Zell am See but it looks beautiful... Hope you have a great time in Kaprun! Good to hear of your thoughts on the Hagleitner - am looking forward to it.

Thanks evamummy (and StayingZen!) you've both been v. helpful, and informative.

I hope you enjoy the Hagleitner! I'll report on things to do in the area (in the summer at least!) after our trip to Kaprun!

And hope your DS makes a swift recovery from having his tonsils out! (When i was little I used to wish to have that done so I could eat jelly & icecream afterwards, which is what i what I was told you get to have...)