What’s a good resort in Austria or Switzerland to try after spending time in Val d’Isere/Tignes?  We love Val’s mountains/lift system/village but we’d like to go somewhere new in the 2007-2008 season.  Any suggestions?

I guess it depends what really matters to you. It seems you like big ski areas and a fair bit of nightlife so in Switzerland you might like Verbier or Zermatt while in Austria you could try Ischgl or St Anton.
 
None has quite the lift system of Val/ Tignes but they do offer stunning scenery, a very different atmosphere and great skiing.
 
For me, it has to be Zermatt but I have to confess to being a bit of a Swiss addict.
 
John

A point to make about Verbier though, is that the Four Valleys might disappoint after the convenience/ variety of Val d’Isere: old lifts at key connections make travel time-consuming and frustrating. You may also find the piste skiing easier / limited after VDI ? I was surprised anyway. Still, had a great time there though.
 
If fast lifts are not a priority, check out Davos/Klosters: a fair-sized area, with long runs for all levels.
 
As you obviously enjoy the French experience: what about staying on the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil (eg: Champéry) and skiing both countries? Ok, so it is much quieter and better-suited to intermediates; but the whole area (Avoriaz is just over the main ridge) gives a vast and varied amount of skiing. We had a great time covering the miles.
 
Austria:
The Arlberg is best for experts/ snow reliability: St Anton, if you love a challenge! Lech for a more refined stay. And the après-ski in St Anton? No doubt that will be quite a revelation after France…it’s great.
 
Otherwise, there are some big areas but I’d rate Austria better-suited to intermediates overall. Really depends on what you want out of your slope-time.
 
Wendy

Yes but Wendy, the snow reliability of the PDS is definitely suspect. It doesn’t matter how much you like that area (and I’m very fond of Chatel), you can’t ignore the fact that in a bad winter, the impressive statistics of the size of the area count for nothing. The circuit is only as good as the weakest links!

Agreed John. The Portes du Soleil doesn’t have the best snow record generally - although I had some of the best powder ever when I stayed in Chatel a couple of years ago.
 
But A Carroll didn’t express a particular preference for only a high resort, and it seems a shame to limit oneself to high glacier areas purely on that basis (the choice narrows considerably if you do!). I was also considering their preference for France - but with a Swiss twist included.
 
A bad winter this year saw Val d’Isere cancelling World Cup races (moved to a low Austrian resort instead) - so there are no guarantees even among the best of them.
 

Yes Wendy you make a good point. The skiing world would be a poorer (and crowded!) place if we all stuck to high altitude ski in-ski out resorts. Also the PDS is very beautiful and the main resorts (Avoriaz, Morzine, Morgins, Champery and Chatel) are all really different. Don’t miss a diversion to Abondance either!

Thank you for the responses!  It looks like Zermatt, St. Anton and Ischgl are our top possibilities this upcoming season.  The Jungfrau Region though might be worth considering as well though it seems to be more susceptible to low snow conditions. 
 
Both Zermatt and St. Anton, according to what I’ve read, are pretty much a straight shot from Zürich via train.  Contrast that with the bus ride needed to get to Ischgl. 
 
Transfers aside, Zermatt’s lift system seems to be heavy on the trams and light on the high-speed chairs.  As much as I love being herded onto a tram to stand in ski boots with 50+ of my newest and closest friends who may or may not have brushed their teeth that morning, I much prefer riding a detachable chairlift. 
 
Anthony

I would recommend Solden in Austria, it might not have the mileage potential of St Anton with its links into Lech and Zurs. Solden does have two glaciers which more or less guarantee a degree of skiing. And the night-life is only a tadd below that of Ischgl.
 
One good thing about Solden is that there are reasonably priced hotels within close walking distance of the gondolas -even in ski boots (one at either end of the resort) so no need to press up against someones’ armpit (never understand why Austrian ski buses don’t adopt the Swedish system and have the skis placed in slots outside on the back of the bus - so much safer. The more luxourious hotels are mid-way between the gondolas.

Update:
 
After much back and forth debating, I got my group to reach a consensus - Flims/Laax/Falera. 
 
My travel agent was able to arrange for a self-catered chalet in Laax and we’ll be spending 7 nights at the resort with an additional day in Zürich on our way back to the States. 
 
After reading the resort review on WTSS and watching a resort review podcast online of Flims, we were sold on the snow reliability, ease of access and multiple villages which adds an element of exploring

Good choice. I was there last year, on a short break, and really enjoyed it.
 
The skiing felt surprisingly larger than first appearances suggest on the map; quiet slopes and long runs. Some good mountain restaurants too (Alpenrose Startgels was my favourite). We were staying down the valley in Chur, so didn’t experience much of the resort itself, though there are some good apres-ski bars at close of play.
 
There are several smaller ski areas in the same valley, which you may fancy visiting if you have a hire car.
 
Have a great time - and please do send us a report on your experiences.
 
W

Hello Anthony,
Did you go to Flims/Laax/Falera afterall? There’s a strong possibility that our group will go there this year and would really like to hear your overall report.
Thanks
Lesley

Great information thanks, I will read that review. I would do DIY if I wasn’t spending other peoples time and money! I think Alpine Answers go there also.  I will let you know what we do.
Lesley