MAYRHOFEN, AUSTRIA - For keen skiers, the last resort.

Mayrhofen is a British favorite that wears two distinctly different hats. Many young or youngish visitors like it for its lively nightlife. But it's also an excellent family resort, with highly regarded kindergartens and a fun pool with special children's area. Fortunately, the liveliest of the nightlife is confined to a few very popular places, easily avoided by families in such a large village.

We've at last been able to include a slope map (over the page). The slopes may look extensive, but do a few calculations with the altitudes and you'll see that most of the runs are very short - typically 300m to 400m vertical.

Despite lift improvements, this is still an inconvenient resort. On the plus side, it's fairly easy to explore other resorts in the valley, including the excellent glacier up at Hintertux. But if you plan to spend a lot of time at the glacier, consider staying in Lanersbach, described in the Hintertux chapter.

What's Great	What's Not-So-Great
+ Excellent children's amenities + Lively après-ski - though it's easily avoided if you prefer peace + Wide range of off-slope facilities + Snow sure by Tyrol standard, plus the Hintertux glacier nearby + Various nearby areas on the same lift pass, and reached by free bus	? Slopes are on two widely separated mountains and there are no runs back to the village itself ? Ahorn sector is still served by a slow cable-car and is a bus ride from town, the Penken gondola is more convenient but neither is queue-free ? Confined local slopes, with mainly short runs ? Little to challenge experts ? Sprawling, commercialized village