 Poster: A snowHead
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Snowheads,
This coming Winter I'm looking to do a 3-4 day break to supplement my usual week in the snow. As I can avail of hotel loyalty points for free accommodation with both Hilton and Radisson I am thinking a trip to Innsbruck might be on the cards, due to the availability of a Hilton hotel and the short transfers. Has anyone done a short break in Innsbruck before? Which ski areas would be best both in terms of proximity to Innsbruck City and mileage of piste? How steep is the Nordkette area?
I will be accompanied by two other intermediate skiers, all of us are comfortable on most reds and the more timid blacks, with 7-8 weeks experience each. Also if anyone knows of any other Hilton, Radisson or Marriot in or within close proximity to a ski area?
Thanks in advance 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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debtors#2, good choice 
The main couloirs and upper faces at Nordkette are steep - min 35 degrees, and topping 45 degrees in some places depending on entrance. Further along the ridge and and off the back was enough for Jeremy Jones to film anyway! Great ski area, and absolute tits on a pow day (though its super busy on a deep day). Forget it if you want to ski pistes though; Nordkette's ALL about the ungroomed stuff.
Axamer Lizum is great, and so is Schlick2000. Both easily reached on a bus. On the same liftpass you also have Kuhtai and the Stubaier Glacier, both of which have some great skiing but take a little bit longer to get to (still simple with public transport though).
Check out my last two season report threads for more idea of the skiing around here:
http://www.snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=91998
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=102362
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3 of us are doing something similar this winter (shorter though: Friday to Sunday, 2 days skiing). We will be based in Innsbruck (with car) and we'll decide at very short notice where to ski, depending on snow conditions. Can anyone recommend a ski rental shop in the valley, open reasonably late (6pm ish) with good prices? I know Die Boerse in town, but I was wondering if there were other ones?
This way, after picking the skis up, we are still flexible on where we go. And on Sunday at 5-6pm, we could stop and return them en-route to Munich airport...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Cedrick, If you want to return them on Sunday, I think you'll have to hire form one of the real resort hire shops - normal shops are closed on Sundays (inc Die Börse, though I don't know if they have a ski drop off facility).
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Ah yes, I forgot how Austria shuts down on Sundays... My mate last year paid 70€+ on the spot for 1 set of skis/boots (Intersport Fiss I think) for literally 4hrs of skiing...not sure he can swallow this pill twice...
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You can also take the bus (from the free ski bus departure point) to Kuhtai.
I have done your trip before and we did 1 day Stubai (furthest travel but worth it once), 1 day Kuhtai (less distance but it is slow bus - maybe takes 50 mins but again great skiing) and 2 days Axamer Lizum (closest "largest area" and we didn't find it a bind revisiting the same runs - it was mid week and lovely and quiet and the snow was in great condition).
The only thing I would say is that if you are a first lift out last lift in type then you might get a bit frustrated losing all that ski time on a bus. If so, Axamer is probaly the closest area with a reasonable variety of runs. Some of the smaller, closer areas that the bus serves do not have much skiing at all so be careful to look at the piste maps before you jump on a bus....however, if you are happy to think of the trip as a mix of town and sking you'll have blast. sH:
sue c :
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It always strikes me that especially people from overseas tend to see Innsbruck as a good ski-destination, whilst so many much more attractive spots are within 1 to 1'5 hours by car or train.
You might save some money on your hotel, but is'nt that actually penny wise, pounds foolish, especially on a weekend trip, when you would like to make the most of your time instead of transferring everyday to and from mediocre ski-resorts?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Langerzug, LOL you couldn't be more wrong! It's the locals and Austrians who know IBK is a good ski destination, it's people from overseas who write it off when they see the small number of piste km's.
The areas around Innsbruck have some of the best skiing I've found anywhere and re in no way mediocre - I'll take a powder day in Nordkette, Axamer Lizum etc over Ischgl, Arlberg, Montafon etc every single time.
The benefit of the larger famous resorts is there's more variety and options when conditions are poor (or if you're a piste skier and want lots of mileage), but they're not better in terms of pure quality, especially when it comes to offpiste and touring terrain.
I say that having lived/worked/done seasons in St Anton, Montafon and Saalbach, and skied most of the other major resorts in Tirol, btw. There's a reason so many pro skiers and boarders live or spend winters in IBK!
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It's not really the money tbh. In my view, Innsbruck offers a good all-round experience of Tirol. You get to meet "real" and diverse Tirolean/Austrian crowd, the "outside of ski" stuff are also more diverse, and for the skiing itself, depending on where the snow comes from, u are never too far from good spots. As u say within 1hr.
Committing myself to Mayrhofen for instance if it snowed like crazy in Obergurgl would be too frustrating for me!
On a more personal note, I also spent a winter there, so it's a good reason for me to go back and say hi to people. One day, I actually hope to settle down there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@clarky999, and Cedric,
You clearly have an "off-piste focus", and you are talking about seasonal skiing.
The topicstarter is not looking for off-piste, and is coming for just a weekend.
That's what I'm talking about.
I would not want to travel for 1 hour (x2) each day of my precious weekend to get to the good spots.
I would want a hotel at 5 minutes walking from the lift in a pretty, snowy village like St.Anton, Lech, Mayrhofen or Kitzbuhel, and maybe some nice apres around 4pm....
And not the greyish gloomy capital-125.000 inh.-city of the Tirol (i know the old centre is quite nice, but still:no)
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Hi, skied resorts around Innsbruck many times. Normally take early Easyjet flight from Gatwick, stay at the Hilton and on the slopes (Axamer Lizum) by mid day - need Taxi or minibus. We normally book minibus from local ski hire shop.
There is a free bus service between the main hotels (including Hilton) and most resorts so take bus back to Hotel.
Check with hotel for bus timetables. Nordkette can be reached by tram but I wouldn't bother as it is very limited.
Other slopes we have tried are:
Stubai Glacier - largest resort and snow sure. About 1hr coach, but most coach drivers sell beer on the return journey  if weather is bad, probably avoid as there is no tree cover.
Schlick 2000 - lovely small resort, great tree cover so good for poor visibility. Interesting bar at the base, playing oompah music to disco beat!
Kuhtai - slopes on either side of the main road - used for channel 4 'The Jump'. As said, this is a slow bus as it stops in the villages on the way.
There is plenty of different places to eat in the evening, as most visitors are Austrian, the prices are reasonable in both the ski resorts and in town. Personally we didn't find the bus trips a bind, and last bus leaves fairly late so you do get plenty of skiing. Only bind is the ski passes are not joined so if you want to ski at 3 resorts you have to buy 3 passes. Ques aren't long though.
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| Langerzug wrote: |
@clarky999, and Cedric,
You clearly have an "off-piste focus", and you are talking about seasonal skiing.
The topicstarter is not looking for off-piste, and is coming for just a weekend.
That's what I'm talking about.
I would not want to travel for 1 hour (x2) each day of my precious weekend to get to the good spots.
I would want a hotel at 5 minutes walking from the lift in a pretty, snowy village like St.Anton, Lech, Mayrhofen or Kitzbuhel, and maybe some nice apres around 4pm....
And not the greyish gloomy capital-125.000 inh.-city of the Tirol (i know the old centre is quite nice, but still:no) |
You don't have to travel an hour though. You can be sitting on a chairlift at Axamer Lizum within 20 mins of leaving the city, or standing at the top of Nordkette in the same timeframe. While having all the benefits of city nearby in the evenings.
Also, the thread was started in 2014 - the OP has been and gone. Cedric - who already knows IBK and the skiing around - re-opened it looking for rental shop recommendations. As he knows the area and is coming back for a weekend trip, you could say you're wrong 
Grey and gloomy? Guess you haven't spent much time there!
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You know it makes sense.
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@500 m atltitude Innsbruck does'nt have snow that often in the valley. Have been using the airport for the last 7 years. Only once there was snow in the valley. The area -inneralpine- does'nt get much snow anyway.
And the Christmas tree, well, is for Christmas....
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Langerzug, at ~600m (same as Mayrhofen which you recommended), no snow doesn't always sit around in the valley bottom. It probably only snows properly to city level 8-10 times a year. However, that area to the north of the main alpine ridge (where Innsbruck is, it's hardly inneralpine!) gets plenty of snow. The Nordkette wall blocks and catches any system coming through and gets a lot more snow than many other nearby resorts - including Ischgl and Kitz IME. Being south-facing the snow does get baked quickly from March onwards, but the terrain is world class, and there's WAY more to ski than the lift map suggests.
No poo-poo, the Christmas tree is for Christmas...  However you might notice the colour of the buildings - hardly "grey and gloomy."
The fact you've flown into the airport 7 times doesn't mean you know the city, which is also pretty clear from your words!
It's fine if Innsbruck isn't your thing, obviously you're welcome to your opinion, just try and avoid stating things as fact when they're not - especially when you don't know the place you're talking about!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I do know Innsbruck-city, been there, and not only the airport.
It is a city with 150.000 inh, low altitude, and some small skiing areas at quite some distance. (Nordkette is nice but small and only for powder afficionados)
I still think it is very unwise to want to stay there for a precious weekend when just as easy you could drive for one hour and sleep and ski some days in snowy, atmospheric St.Anton, Lech, Ischgl or Kitzbuhel, with worldclass skiing, apres and pretty village at the doorstep, without having to use a two times daily bus including a busdriver selling beer....Yikes!
Innsbruck airport is famous for fog. The city is not?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Innsbruck is exactly where I stay for precious cheeky weekends. Planning exactly that again this coming season.
But then I tend to arrive at midnight on a Friday, and city centre hotels there are geared up for arriving at that kind of hour, and also for 1-2 night stays. Then I pop 45 minutes down the road to wherever grabs my fancy. Who cares if Innsbruck City or Mayrhofen village are at 550m ASL? The skiing's up a mountain. I tend to choose Zell am Ziller, but have been meaning to pop up to Stubai and some others at some point. Depends on the snow. If it's dumping I choose Kaltenbach, and park in the multistorey - means no clearing the snow off the car at the end of the day.
Only time I've been there when flights had to be diverted due to fog, we (myself and talltone) were in Innsbruck thinking "what a glorious sunny morning", and watching all the Lufthansa, Austrian, and SAS and Norwegian flights landing.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Langerzug wrote: |
I do know Innsbruck-city, been there, and not only the airport.
It is a city with 150.000 inh, low altitude, and some small skiing areas at quite some distance. (Nordkette is nice but small and only for powder afficionados)
I still think it is very unwise to want to stay there for a precious weekend when just as easy you could drive for one hour and sleep and ski some days in snowy, atmospheric St.Anton, Lech, Ischgl or Kitzbuhel, with worldclass skiing, apres and pretty village at the doorstep, without having to use a two times daily bus including a busdriver selling beer....Yikes!
Innsbruck airport is famous for fog. The city is not? |
1. The altitude the city is at is irrelevant, you're not skiing in the city. Kitz is about 60m higher than IBK - if there's snow in Kitz village, there's snow in IBK too. Other advantage of IBK is you can drive 30 minutes towards Brenner and pick up snow coming from the south at Bergeralm (and others) when the resorts you mention are getting ravaged by Föhn.
2. Nordkette is waaaay bigger than you think, but yes, only worth it if you like offpiste (or park). There are 3 areas within 20 mins on public transport and several others on the same lift pass close by. Variety is the spice of life etc...
3. If you're based in Innsbruck on your last day you can ski until 1 hour before your flight goes, without stopping early as you have a long transfer ahead that might get longer with weather/snow/traffic. You can also be on skis within 1 hour or landing. In terms of maximising time on snow it's a no brainer - you can be at any resort you choose before the lifts on on (normally free) public transport.
4. Innsbruck is plenty atmospheric - more so than most of those resorts in low season (i.e. January). I don't know what your definition of atmospheric is, but 120k people generate more of it than 10k. No, it doesn't have nightlife, but it has better restaurants/nightlife/etc than most resorts.
5. IBK does have world class skiing. Jeremy Jones made a film there, LOS filmed a lot around there, Shaun White trains at Kuhtai, all the top freestylers train at Stubai in October, a bunch of other pros and film crews/photographers are based in Innsbruck all winter every winter (some from as far away as NZ), and so on. Why? 'Cos the skiing is rad!
6. Unfortunately the bus drivers don't sell beer. It's a nice idea though! (Edit: turns out I'm wrong, though the public busses don't sell beer!)
7. No Innsbruck is not famous for fog. I've never found it foggier than, for example, St Anton and Montafon, where I've also lived/still live.
Hell, I live in Montafon and drive through St Anton every weekend as I prefer the skiing around IBK, as well as the atmosphere and nightlife.
If it's not your thing then fine, but stating stupid things like the above, and the fact that it's always "grey and gloomy", and the "ski areas are mediocre" is just wrong. There are many reasons why it makes a great base for a weekend - lots of hotels willing to offer short stays rather than try and book while weeks for one (also you can get a full ski day on your last day whatever the weather rather than skiing 'til lunch and then travelling 1-2+ hours to the airport), though I quite understand why some people would prefer a 'proper' resort.
I'm not trying to persuade YOU that it's for you - clearly you know what you want, and wanting lifts by the door to a large ski area is perfectly valid! - but the idea that Innsbruck is generally miserable, grey, gloomy, foggy and a poor base for skiing is just such total cowdoo (hint: I didn't actually write cowdoo) that it needs correcting. So stop making stuff up and just accept that - whether it's the right place for you or not - your misconceptions about the place are wrong!
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 1-12-15 22:01; edited 1 time in total
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@clarky999, I was surprised to read some of @Langerzug, comments too.
I have travelled through Innsbruck many times without fog related difficulty and also had many excellent times skiing in the surrounding areas. I have experienced many drivers of passenger carrying vehicles (transfer or long distance drivers) selling beer (which does not bother me unless they were drinking the stuff at the same time)
Innsbruck is a great place to be, perhaps testament to this is that it has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, the most recent of only three places to have ever done so, a fact Tirol people are very proud of. Often when travelling great distances I will stay overnight before flying from the airport, the Hilton has great views of the whole valley and is fairly central to most things in the city.
I am not going to accuse a poster 'making stuff up' or that they are 'wrong', I think it will become clear to the future reader and they will be able to make up their own mind.
Innsbruck probably is written off by many foreign wintersport visitor perhaps because they want to fall out of their bed and onto the slopes of a big resort, but if this type of enthusiast is wanting more of an adventure and to ski more than a handful of great resorts in a short space of time then Innsbruck is amazing.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@mayr, well - and rationally  - said.
Seriously though, I've never come across bus drivers selling beer. Do you mean special long distance ski coach trips, rather than 'normal' public transport?
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| Seriously though, I've never come across bus drivers selling beer. Do you mean special long distance ski coach trips, rather than 'normal' public transport? |
Every time we took the coach back from Stubai to IBK (drops off at main hotels) the driver had a cooler filled with bottles of beer for sale 👍🏻 So, not a public bus but free for everyone who wanted to get back to IBK.
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Ah ok, I've only ever used the normal busses. Next time I'm using one of those!!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Innsbruck. Intriguing. But can a short break there accommodate a child that needs ski lessons and an intermediate level dad?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Innsbruck is absolutely flipping brilliant!
After 20 years of package holidays to French/Austrian mega-resorts, I went there for the first time in 2009 and have been back every winter since (sometimes twice per season).
You can get your own room in a lovely old hotel for £30, beers are 3 Euros, and a tasty meal is 15, you get to mingle with locals and students rather than gap yah Brits, the city has amazing architecture, the airport is 3 Euros 12 minute bus ride, you can access 3 local resorts by tram (how cool is that!), you can access tons more by train, and you can walk 5 mins to the Nordkette funicular (even the on-piste skiing at Nordkette is great fun despite being limited - skiing directly above a city is an incredible buzz).
All the friends I've taken there since 2009 have returned for more, including two who actually got married there! Just about to book my latest trip there this Jan. Can't wait to go back.
For an added novelty element we often fly home from Munich on the late Easy Jet flight, and spend the day skiing at Garmisch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Neil Neige,
| amps wrote: |
| Innsbruck. Intriguing. But can a short break there accommodate a child that needs ski lessons and an intermediate level dad? |
It could, but probably not ideal. Really you'd want the kid to have lessons with he same instructor for the sake of continuity (rather than a new instructor having to re-asses their ability and progress each day), which means you'd have to ski the same resort each day.
Which isn't necessarily a problem, but you lose one of the bits parts of a trip to IBK in that you don't get a different resort each day. So unless you specifically want the stuff that goes with being in a city, it's probably better to just base yourself in a resort.
If you just want one or two days lessons for the kid then two days skiing together in different resorts, then it would work better. Is your kid old/big enough to carry skis on/off busses etc?
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Clarke,
I was looking at IBk and the resorts are really accessible from the airport (I live in london). It looks entirely feasible to fly in Saturday morning ski the weekend and back Sunday night or Monday morning.
Perhaps I should take a second trip without the kid to innsbruck.
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You know it makes sense.
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Rent car in Innsbruck.
Drive to St Anton.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Whitegold wrote: |
Rent car in Innsbruck.
Drive to St Anton. |
What for?
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Poster: A snowHead
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The kid is 7, so moving around too much with skis will get whiney. Perhaps I should look into innsbruck with the child in a couple of years. Unfortunately she's not good enough to ski with me yet, but once that happens innsbruck sounds great.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi realise this is a bit of an old thread but looking for some info re Innsbruck, my son and i are going to St Anton beginning of March but we thought we would stay in Innsbruck for 2 or 3 days and ski Nordkette and maybe elswhere depending on the weather, my question is .... is Nordkette still good for freeriding in March?? Hes a boarder me on skis both reasonabley okay he can jump higher than me but thats somehing to do with age!!
Any help woould be useful
cheers
| Quote: |
1. The altitude the city is at is irrelevant, you're not skiing in the city. Kitz is about 60m higher than IBK - if there's snow in Kitz village, there's snow in IBK too. Other advantage of IBK is you can drive 30 minutes towards Brenner and pick up snow coming from the south at Bergeralm (and others) when the resorts you mention are getting ravaged by Föhn.
2. Nordkette is waaaay bigger than you think, but yes, only worth it if you like offpiste (or park). There are 3 areas within 20 mins on public transport and several others on the same lift pass close by. Variety is the spice of life etc...
3. If you're based in Innsbruck on your last day you can ski until 1 hour before your flight goes, without stopping early as you have a long transfer ahead that might get longer with weather/snow/traffic. You can also be on skis within 1 hour or landing. In terms of maximising time on snow it's a no brainer - you can be at any resort you choose before the lifts on on (normally free) public transport.
4. Innsbruck is plenty atmospheric - more so than most of those resorts in low season (i.e. January). I don't know what your definition of atmospheric is, but 120k people generate more of it than 10k. No, it doesn't have nightlife, but it has better restaurants/nightlife/etc than most resorts.
5. IBK does have world class skiing. Jeremy Jones made a film there, LOS filmed a lot around there, Shaun White trains at Kuhtai, all the top freestylers train at Stubai in October, a bunch of other pros and film crews/photographers are based in Innsbruck all winter every winter (some from as far away as NZ), and so on. Why? 'Cos the skiing is rad!
6. Unfortunately the bus drivers don't sell beer. It's a nice idea though! (Edit: turns out I'm wrong, though the public busses don't sell beer!)
7. No Innsbruck is not famous for fog. I've never found it foggier than, for example, St Anton and Montafon, where I've also lived/still live.
Hell, I live in Montafon and drive through St Anton every weekend as I prefer the skiing around IBK, as well as the atmosphere and nightlife.
If it's not your thing then fine, but stating stupid things like the above, and the fact that it's always "grey and gloomy", and the "ski areas are mediocre" is just wrong. There are many reasons why it makes a great base for a weekend - lots of hotels willing to offer short stays rather than try and book while weeks for one (also you can get a full ski day on your last day whatever the weather rather than skiing 'til lunch and then travelling 1-2+ hours to the airport), though I quite understand why some people would prefer a 'proper' resort.
I'm not trying to persuade YOU that it's for you - clearly you know what you want, and wanting lifts by the door to a large ski area is perfectly valid! - but the idea that Innsbruck is generally miserable, grey, gloomy, foggy and a poor base for skiing is just such total cowdoo (hint: I didn't actually write cowdoo) that it needs correcting. So stop making stuff up and just accept that - whether it's the right place for you or not - your misconceptions about the place are wrong!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Innsbruck has better nightlife than Wien (Vienna) imo
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@clarky999, Thanks for that, ive booked flights, not anxious to get out or anything, but new flights fm Heathrow to IBK so got them now while they are cheap as Heathrow next door to us. anyway thanks for info just need to decide how long to spend in St Anton and how long in IBK, but I guess if we really luckout on the weather we can always go up to Stubai, would that be an option? Or are there better places to go if the weather / snow is poor ?
Always best to ask a local.
Thanks 
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@clarky999, Picture could be worse could have soft edges!!
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