Samnaun?

A snowHead

I am wondering if anybody has first hand experience staying/skiing in Samnaun? I am thinking about going to Ischgl first week of Jan, but would prefer staying in a quieter place (something like Stuben in the Alberg region). Samnaun looks pretty spread out, or rather a series of small hamlets. Any advice which one would be a better place to stay? Any recommendation on hotels or apartments?

A snowHead

I can't comment on Samnaun, but I would recommend Kappl as a quieter place to stay whilst skiing Ischgl. It's about 10 minutes up the road by free ski bus. Definitely not a party town but has a few restaurants - mainly but not all associated with a hotel. There's a little apres ski hut where you can get a Gluhwein, but that's very quiet/family orientated. We stayed at Hotel Dorfstadl (lovely), and also at a couple of small guesthouses which were also nice though I can't remember the names now.

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Samnaum's a proper village not jut a collection of hamlets but smaller and quieter than Ischgl. A few bars and restaurants, number of duty free shops. It shares its ski area completely with Ischgl. You'd need to make sure you're in time for the last cable car back as its an expensive taxi journey back. I've not stayed there but have often skied over for lunch, intending to do so again this season. Kappl's certainly an alternative, probably a cheaper option given the strength of the swiss franc. It has is own ski area as well, small but reasonably interesting.

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The lively part of Ischgl is concentrated in the centre, the rest of it is pretty quiet. If you pick a hotel out of the centre, it should be fine if you did want to stay there. Except for the church which starts bonging at 6.45am. But I think all the villages have those?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Samnaun is definitely quieter..
Skied there many times. Alp Trida / Alp Bella are really the parts of the ski area on the Swiss side. with a skiable route down. And of course one skiable route down from Palinkopf on the Austrian side (bad weather can close access to the connecting lift for this). To be honest from an access to the slopes perspective I don't think it makes much difference whether you are in Samnaun or Ischgl. A bonus of staying on the Austrian side would be relatively quick and easy access to other local resorts such as Galtur, Kappl which are a short bus ride away.

Like you I looked at it a couple of years ago as a lower cost alternative to Ischgl, but didn't really make much sense to me. the transfer was longer, and more of a challenge and the hotels didn't really seem massively
different in price.

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alex_sauvage,
I have skied this area quite a few times and stayed on both sides of the mountain, there is not anywhere that quite corresponds to Stuben, ie a place that you can ski to and from but is a relatively quiet hamlet.

Samnaun as you have correctly observed is really a series of villages rather than a single place. Highest up the valley is the main bit of Samnaun which is basically a collection of reasonably comfortable hotels and lots of duty free shops, fairly well presented but a bit soulless. There is a ski run back to this bit that is generally a straightforward red though it can get icy as most return runs can and there is a section that is prone to very flat light at the end of the day. To get back to the skiing (other than a village nursery lift) you have to either take a short bus down to Ravaisch or pole along the rather flat valley bottom.
Ravaisch is where the cable car goes from the cable car is actually separated from the hamlet and a bit of a walk or a ski bus Skiing back down to Ravaisch is either the pole along the bottom and then a short walk uphill or off piste. It looks a somewhat dull spot though I have not stayed there.
Further down the valley are Laret and Compatsch both of which are easily skied back to on piste given adequate snow and there is a regular skibus to the cable car. These are very pleasant hamlets Compatsch being quite rustic and where we have stayed in the past, but they are not lively.

On the Ischgl side of the hill, Ischgl is clearly the main bit it is very lively and access to and from the skiing is pretty straightforward though the runs back at the end of the day are notoriously crowded and icy, though pleasant at other times. Quite a pricey place to stay
Mathon is a small hamlet just outside Ischgl. Though you need the bus to get to and from the lifts.
At the top of the valley Galtur is a very pleasant little village in an open but cold setting it has its own small but interesting ski area, You have to get the bus to access the Ischgl skiing in both directions.
Down the valley Kappl occupies a more enclosed spot but also has its own skiing and is probably the cheapest close place to stay, we have stayed there many times it s possibly somewhat less rustic then Galtur but not unpleasant though the bottom of the valley will be very dark in January. You need to use the bus to access the Ischgl skiing it is possible to ski back to from the Samnaun ski area though as it is well away from the avalanche protected main ski area local guidance is recommended for the inexperienced.
All the bus journey can be avoided if you have your own car as the main lift stations all have free parking close by though the closest at Ischgl fill up early and the alternative is a slightly longer walk or paid for underground parking (fairly cheap).

If you are only intending skiing the main Ischgl area then the Ischgl / Samnaun pass is available to people staying in Ischgl, Samnaun (All parts) or Mathon. If you are staying in Galtur, Kappl or elsewhere you have to buy the full valley pass which includes See, Kappl, Ischgl/Samnaun and Galtur even if you only wish to use the Ischgl Samnaun lifts it is about 15% more expensive from memory

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T Bar, Quality post Smile

I've always thought Samnaun an odd place - what is it with those duty free places? Are they expecting skiers to take 200 bifters back over the border into Austria to save €1.50 or whatever?

Hard to see why anyone (non Swiss) would choose to stay there rather than Ishcgl

After all it is free

red 27,

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T-bar, thank you, it is a great review!!
If you don't mind, I have a few more questions. I have noticed that almost all skiing is done above 1800 m (which must be great for snow conditions). We usual ski Alps in the middle of March, when low temperatures are normally not a problem. But this year we have go first week of Jan. How cold does it get in Ischgl that time of a year?? I (or my wife actually) sort of draw a line at -20C as far as skiing is concerned ' Very Happy

' Also, does that famous "tax-free" status of Samnaun has any effect on regular prices, like in bars and restaurants? In other words, are they similar to ones in the rest of Switzerland or more along with ones in Austria? One would think that most of their supplies are coming from Austria probably. And the last one: is it possible to drive from Samnaun to St. Moritz or Davos for a day of skiing? The road (at least to St. Moritz) seems to be open in winter according to the map.

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alex_sauvage,
I have only visited once at New Year, the rest of the time being in February. The cold has not really been a problem on my visits to Ischgl/Samnaun though the slopes at Galtur are noticeably colder. There are no guarantees at this time of the year though, I would guess that a real cold spell is not much worse here than elsewhere, in my experience during very cold weather temperature inversion often makes the valleys colder than the slightly higher slopes.
Stormy weather can be more of a problem there are really no sheltered slopes in Samnaun and only a few in Ischgl. Kappl is a little better in this respect.
Prices on the mountain are a bit above the Austrian norm and a bit more in Samnaun from recollection, but better than some of the French Tarentaise resorts.
I can't say I have traveled towards St Moritz though it is marked on the roads and I would imagine the roads are decent but it is a bit of a distance over the Reschenpass, I have never skied there. Davos is a great place to ski but I wouldn't go for a day from Samnaun when there is so much locally.

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As a Skibum in the 80's I used to do contraband traficing from Samnaun (Cigarettes/cheap skis) to to the locals in Ischgl in return for a room & shower .
Was a great time. Very Happy

You know it makes sense.

alex_sauvage,

0.5M at 2000metres

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I've stayed in Ischgl and I quite liked it, albeit it was a few years ago, Samnaun was a strange place and I'd definitely not choose to stay there......it's got a sort of chavvy duty free type vibe, loads of day trippers by non-skiing locals and reminded me of car boot sales on a Sunday! Went for the day from Ischgl and couldn't wait to get away. Best thing about it was the huge double decker lift car.

Skiing in Ischgl great, loads if cruisy reds, not sure if I'd like it these days, don't recall much off piste but I'm sure it's there if you know what your doing - at the time I was happy motoring about on piste.

All the above said - Ischgl is a hard partying town and has a serious German drinking scene, very busy in bars and lunch stops with Babarian glitterati. If that's you thing you'd love it. Too many Russians apparently nowadays too. Hope they never open the Kappl link to Rendl. wink

A snowHead

A snowHead

red 27, blooming heck, spellcheck! rolling eyes

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Einari78, agreed, lets keep it that way eh? wink

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I have driven to Davos and St Moritz before. It could be done in a day trip from Samnaun to Davos because it is about 46 miles. However one has to go through the Klosters/Susch tunnel which is by a transporter train so you might waste 30 to 45 minutes in loading and unloding from the train. It is like the Euro tunnel but the train is a lot older and has no cover. The road from Samnaun to St Moritz is open in winter and the distance is 53 miles so it can be done in a day trip too. I have done Livigno from St Moritz and it was about 39 miles using part of this road which is the main thoroughfare to St Moritz from Austria.

The best way to ski Ischgl is to stay in the Austria Silvretta Valley. You can ski the 4 areas within this valley and still able to do day trip to St Anton and Serfaus-Fiss-Landis.

Although I did Davos and St Moritz in the same trip I stayed at both places and both resorts are actually collections of several unlinked areas. Davos has 5 and St Moritz has 3 so a day trip has little scope to explore enough of each resort.

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Samnaun?

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