Hi,
My friend and I want to plan a trip to a ski resort in Austria. I have looked at old posts here about this and appreciate all of the information I gleaned. However, I am left with some questions about which place would be better for us. These are the considerations:
- My friend really wants to experience the "high life"/lifestyle of the rich and famous who ski every year and are high-level athletes. This part of the experience is the main point of the trip.
- My friend has never skied before but wants to try, so would need lots of beginner slopes, as well as a place to rent skis. Can you rent ski clothes (at least pants) as well? I understand that "rich and famous" people maybe don't ski where there are a lot of beginner slopes (and certainly those who are high-level athletes don't) but is there a compromise somewhere?
- I do not have any desire to ski, so I would like a resort where there are a lot of shops or lodges or cafes. I have been to some ski places in the US that are family-friendly and great for beginners, but for non-skiers all there is is a paltry bar with lukewarm hot chocolate. I am looking online at the places recommended in the old posts, but it is hard to tell which places are posting a staged photo of their one interesting spot or do they actually have a lot of these "extras".
- The resort needs to be accessible by public transport.
Would Garmisch fit this description? I went there once in the summer, from Salzburg and it was VERY difficult to reach by public transport (had to take a crowded bus from the train station [bus was difficult to identify] and on the way back the trains stopped working, so had to take a taxi). But that might have been a temporary situation. How is it in general?
Thank you and I appreciate any tips!