Thanks for that, exile. I've fixed that broken link.

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A schoolgirl answered the question 'In what countries are elephants found?'
'Elephants are very large and intelligent animals, and are seldom lost.'

Question about the combined steam railway/boat ticket - or more specifically about the boat ticket... What restrictions are there as to when/how many times you get off the boat? I was think about taking it to Scholastika and then back as far as Pertisau and stopping off there for a bit before going back to the railway terminus.

Sorry, exile - I don't know the answer to that. I've only ever used the Erlebnis Card, which means I can just hop on and off everything as much as I want. Maybe, someone else who has been can help.

Or you could try e-mailing either the boat company or the train company. There are links on their websites. My experience of doing that, is that you get a reply from the train people, but not the boat people - I had to telephone to check that we had tickets for the special winter lake cruise last December, but a fairly random query to the train company about one of their engines produced a very quick reply.

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A schoolgirl answered the question 'In what countries are elephants found?'
'Elephants are very large and intelligent animals, and are seldom lost.'

Thanks Lottie I might try that. If all else fails Pertisau to Seespitze sounds like a fairly easy walk

Pertisau to Seespitz is quite an easy walk around the lake shore along a tarmacked path. I think it probably takes about half an hour - ish. Or there's always the bus.

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A schoolgirl answered the question 'In what countries are elephants found?'
'Elephants are very large and intelligent animals, and are seldom lost.'

Thanks again Lottie

I've stayed in Pertisau twice overall with my family, during 2 February half terms in consecutive years (guessing 2009 and 2010). We went with Inntravel, I think, and stayed at the Hotel Wiesenhof both times. There's a link to a similar holiday option here

Recommendations?

There's quite a lot of cross-country skiing available if you like that, although the downhill runs are more limited. It's a really good resort for beginners though, with a ski school that uses an area near the bottom of the Karwendelbahn and the Pommer/button lift at the top of it. Achenkirch has a wider range of pistes.

The Hotel Wiesenhof offered sleigh rides, which did cover a bit of CS history, but it's better known as a spa, with a wide range of treatments available.

There's also some good winter walking on the valley floor, plus snow shoeing and tobogganing.

I agree there are good facilities for beginners. Once we'd mastered the two beginners' slopes we struggled though, as there was a gap between the ski school and the runs on the Karwendelberg was truly terrifying - although lots of Austrians were skiing there quite happily. It is a lovely 'family' ski resort, without the loud music, alcohol and party-atmosphere some of the other ski resorts have.

I made a whole train of children scream - there is a ski school for children, operated by a 6' penguin (possibly a man in a suit, seems more likely) and they have a train pulled by a snowmobile (the penguin can drive, again more evidence it's a bloke in a suit) but I went out of control at the bottom of the slope where it was icy and nearly hit the train. Ooops.

Oh, agreed. I'm still not convinced that one of the other runs was a "blue" difficulty and the majority of the downhill skiers I saw were either learners or family groups.

I can report that the combination train/boat ticket allows you two stops on your ride round the lake.

Is there a current map online anywhere that matches EBD names to actual names/locations at the Achensee? I tend to get quite muddled between real/imaginery.
I've seen photos marked up with names of mountain but would like to see then on a map as I can get my bearings from that much easier.

Caty, this is from the Achensee Handbook by Sally Dore:

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The writer's credo: 'Sometimes you've got to sacrifice the things you like' (Delta Goodrem - Born To Try)

Thanks KB. I have created a Google Map to plot EBD locations.

It's editable and more than happy for others to add to it.

Ooh clever stuff Caty, thank you.....

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Cestina's dolls houses - Curtain Up!

Just a note that there are no longer overnight trains between Paris and Munich. But you can just about get from London to Jenbach by train in one day, it takes 12-13 hours depending on route.

Try http://www.seat61.com/Austria.htm#Salzburg

I'm writing this from my hotel bedroom at the Furstenhaus (aka Kron Prinz Karl) listening to the sound of the lake water lapping around the landing stage/swimming place. I chose the Furstenhaus because it has its very own swimming entrance to the lake, and it's great - you access it through the hotel so it's convenient for early morning swims. Other than that, the Furstenhaus is a pretty standard, modern smart-ish hotel - and I'm on a late season rate so it's very good value for what you get. It has indoor and outdoor pools and a gym if you like those.

Both of the Spar shops in Pertisau seem to have closed, at least I couldn't see any sign of them. A couple of larger hotels have newsagents, and there's a clothes/souvenir shop just up from the tourist information office and another one down by the lake next to the landing stage, but that's it for shops.

Hilda and Nell's blog was full of useful information, I consulted it often! It's my last day here. sigh, already planning the return trip.

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"Great Caesar's bathmat!" Nancy exclaimed. "I hadn't thought of that!"
(Changes for the Chalet School)

Oh how lovely - lake swimming is the very best kind for me. Well other than the English Channel on a day when there are rough waves

Enjoy your last day and thank you for sharing. I need to go back there one day.....

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Cestina's dolls houses - Curtain Up!

Give my regards to the Achensee! I will be there in a month as well!

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The writer's credo: 'Sometimes you've got to sacrifice the things you like' (Delta Goodrem - Born To Try)

Oh no! We rely on the Spar shop next to the Tourist Information office when we're there, and we fill the car with essentials to come home.