Grossglockner more expensive for 2012

I have just checked the Grossglockner website, they have increased the price for 2012 to 22 Euros per bike. The Nockalmstrasse (owned by the same company) remains at 8 Euros and the Malta Hochalmstrasse also stays at last years rate of 9 Euros.

Obviously for our guest these prices are mearly accademic as we provide a special card which covers the cost of these roads and much more. For the rest of the world though this is a significant rise. Still a must do if you are in the area and as Austria's second most visited tourist attraction I expect people will pay the new price. Does make me wonder why they chose to keep the Nockalmstrasse price the same as last year. It's a better biking road I think although not as long or so spectacular. If the Grossglockner is worth 22 Euros the Nockalm ought to be at least 15 Euros. Funny world, I would like to think they know what they are doing but experience of how tourism is managed here (badly) suggests otherwise.

Only 4 months until the high roads open again- can't wait.

John

Happy New Year John,
Will try and make it to yours this year, but short on time off, due to the games. john

The Grey One said:

I Does make me wonder why they chose to keep the Nockalmstrasse price the same as last year. It's a better biking road I think although not as long or so spectacular.

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It's a nice road for sure and often overlooked by its bigger and steeper brother

Quite a nice website, too:

http://www.nockalmstrasse.at/en/nockberge/

Nockalmstrasse is lovely



Handy having John as a tour guide too

Always willing to oblige

Bryn said:

Nockalmstrasse is lovely

Handy having John as a tour guide too

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Yes please tell Ros that it is absolutely essential that I ride with you guys

John

Hi John,

Good to hear from you, thanks again for sending my bike camera after I forgot it on the bed

And you're right, Nockalm is a great ride, maybe the GG is more impresive if you're looking for a great view, but the Nockie Mountains are still impressive too.

Folks, If you're ever around that area, do pass the hight (or more than one) at John's place, it's just perfect

Grtz, Philip!

Hi John,

Good to hear from you, thanks again for sending my bike camera after I forgot it on the bed

And you're right, Nockalm is a great ride, maybe the GG is more impresive if you're looking for a great view, but the Nockie Mountains are still impressive too.

Folks, If you're ever around that area, do pass the hight (or more than one) at John's place, it's just perfect

Grtz, Philip!

P.S: In the meantime, my brother bought himself an F800GS, so next time, I can enjoy mine and leave the big GSA at home.

Wapping said:

It's a nice road for sure and often overlooked by its bigger and steeper brother

Quite a nice website, too:

http://www.nockalmstrasse.at/en/nockberge/

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Added to our trip to Dalmatia rather than the GG.

I agree the Nockalm is better value now!

Problem with the Glockner is traffic, unless you get there at opening time for a good blast to the top it's very slow going ( ok, depending on time of year before anyone says otherwise ) and at €22 there are much better roads for free if you do your homework and look around.

So go stay with John and Ross, it's like getting a free night if you do both!

2012 prices

The Nockalmstrasse has always been better value and at 22 Euros the Grossglockner certainly is not cheap. The GG can be very busy and often hosts events such a push bike races and rallies for almost any form of transport. Most of these events are only listed on the German version of their website-they can't be bothered to translate the info. We get details of such events via Email but often not until 10am on the day of the event, a bit late when a lot of people have been out on their bikes since breakfast time. Having said that I have been over plenty of times when we have had a clear road with light (by UK standards) traffic. My experience is that the worst days for traffic are when there have been a few poor weather days followed by a good day. Everyone staying in the area has been checking the forecasts and when the good day dawns they are out like flies. If you have to ride the GG on these days get up early and get there before the crowds.

As Balders says if you stay with us you will save almost the cost of one night if you ride both the GG and the Nockalmstrasse. The National park card we give guests covers these roads and lots more. We do expect you to spend at least part of your savings in our bar though!

Sadly,due to the National park tourist authority not telling us until two days before Christmas that the cards will cost us twice last years rate, we are not able to offer discounts this summer. To be fair to them they did not even know if they would still exist in 2012. There was a new tourism law which came into force on 1st January this year and as we left in November for the NEC bike show the politicians still had not confirmed what was to happen. This is fairly typical of how they forward plan here. We went to the show not even knowing if there would be a national park card scheme. Obviously we had to set our prices and have our leaflet printed before the show. Faced with this unexpected rise in costs the logical thing to do would be to raise our prices by the same amount. It might be logical but that would not make in right. We have set our prices, handed out 5,000 leaflets with those prices and taken bookings at those prices. Our 2012 prices remain as advertised but I hope that most of you will understand that giving discounts on these prices would be crazy for us.. Hopefully most will agreed that our prices offer good value anyway.



John

Anyone doing the Grossglockner make sure that you get there early ie before 10am, after that it is clogged up with buses, camper vans and Dutch/ Belgian registered cars doing 15mph mixing it with German registered bikes attempting to travel at warp speeds.

Have done the GG at least twice every visit for the past 12 years on the two occasions I've been misfortunate to be coming back north in the afternoon there have been serious bike accidents (involving collisions with cars).

Being based in Zell when I'm there I tend buy a roundtrip ticket (covers the Glockner and the Felbertauern tunnel) , do the Glockner north to south then down to Lienz and into Italy and back over Staller Sattel (well worth it ) and through the Felbertauern north

From 11€ up to 22€ - wow that's one hell of a jump. Think I've done this road enough times to keep me satisfied well into the next lifetime so now is probably a good time to discover something new.
You're right Neil, travelling North > South and leaving it too late in the morning can make the ride a real pain in the backside. Here's a video of my ride going South > North at something like 10:30 in the morning and you can see that towards the end the traffic is slowly starting to increase. http://youtu.be/8MHJPTDpGII?hd=1

Some time ago then

AlanI said:

From 11€ up to 22€ - wow that's one hell of a jump. Think I've done this road enough times to keep me satisfied well into the next lifetime so now is probably a good time to discover something new.
You're right Neil, travelling North > South and leaving it too late in the morning can make the ride a real pain in the backside. Here's a video of my ride going South > North at something like 10:30 in the morning and you can see that towards the end the traffic is slowly starting to increase. http://youtu.be/8MHJPTDpGII?hd=1

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Don't know when you were last there if you paid 11 Euro! It was 18 last year so it is a significant increase but not that big. And as I have said if you are staying with us you get a free pass anyway.

Traffic on the Glockner varies from day to day, I find the busiest days are when there has been a few days bad weather and then you get a good day forecast. Everyone wants to go that day but unless it's August traffic will still be not busy by UK standards. On a bike it is rarely a problem just don't follow cars too closely-they have a nasty habit of stopping mid hairpin to take in the view!

John

In 2004 it was £12 / €17 if that helps, my lot grumbled about it then lol

You really can have a fantastic day out on the Grossglockner if the suns shining!

Hairy Bikers did it on last night show

The Grey One said:

Don't know when you were last there if you paid 11 Euro!

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Oops - typo - meant to say 19€

I just wish I'd paid for the five day pass when we spent four nights in Kaprun in 2010

It's one of the best biking roads in Europe

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2927760&postcount=6

This is definitely on my list of places to go this year.

For a first time I would definitely recommend doing it North to South, stop at the Edelweissspitze (bikers viewpoint) and the Kaiser Franz Josefs Hohe cafe/restaurant (coffee and cream cakes ).
Then go down via Heilingenblut down to Lienz , the run South down the valley is superb.
After that either turn round and do it in reverse, try the Staller Sattel route or head east from Winklern towards the Hohentauern tunnel or the Nockalm Strasse.
Another little know one but a nice run if you are in the area of Zell is travel from Saalfelden via Maria Alm and Dienten towards Bischofshofen and finish with a visit to Hohewerfen (the Where Eagles Dare castle).

Neil W said:

For a first time I would definitely recommend doing it North to South, stop at the Edelweissspitze (bikers viewpoint) and the Kaiser Franz Josefs Hohe cafe/restaurant (coffee and cream cakes ).
Then go down via Heilingenblut down to Lienz , the run South down the valley is superb.
After that either turn round and do it in reverse, try the Staller Sattel route or head east from Winklern towards the Hohentauern tunnel or the Nockalm Strasse.
Another little know one but a nice run if you are in the area of Zell is travel from Saalfelden via Maria Alm and Dienten towards Bischofshofen and finish with a visit to Hohewerfen (the Where Eagles Dare castle).

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Does not really matter which direction you do it in. Just pick a good day and enjoy. The B106 from Winklern makes a change from the tighter bends on the Glockner, it has many fast open sweepers. Not sure what you mean by the "Hohetauern tunnel" the Tauern tunnel linking Gastein and Mallnitz in train only, vehicles have to be loaded onto motorail type carriages-this catches people out as they assume there is a road tunnel. The Tauern tunnels further east are on the A10 autobahn and the alternative B99 route is much more fun on a bike!

The Nockalmstrasse can be reached by the L19 off the B99 at Kremsbrücke, the L19 being itself a great biking road.

The last road you mention is only little known to Brits. It's known as the Hochkönigstrasse and is indeed a fine road, I used it today. Reminded me how much fun you can have in an inappropriate vehicle (had to use the car)

Just some of the possibilities around here

John