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3 Middle-Aged blokes : Ischgl v St Anton

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
2 skiers / 1 boarder.

Piste only, very strong intermediates.

Tired to death of alternating between Zermatt and Val d-Isere for our annual long (5 days) weekend in March. So much so that we have booked flights to Zurich this time round.

We have all been to St Anton separately but more than happy to go again. But we've always fancied Ischgl too.

Are the 2 very similar in terms of :

- extent of skiing
- town ambience
- quality of accommodation (we normally stay in small / boutique hotels)
- eating / nightlife

On the accommodation point - I know that it's relatively hard to find something (particularly 3 single rooms) for less than a full week in St Anton, I presume this is true for Ischgl too?

Any recommendations on hotels greatly received too.

Thank you!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@franga, I've always found the austrian tourist office websites really good when looking for accomodation
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Ischgl's what St Anton wants to be when it grows up.
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Both have similar vibes in town (can get as rowdy or classy as you want in either; maybe a slightly more youthful crowd in St Anton), both have plenty of really great hotels, both have great restaurants, nightlife and apres ski.

Both also have great and extensive skiing. Arlberg has the edge for offpiste/freeride, Ischgl has the edge onpiste. Arlberg is a bit bigger but Ischgl has more than enough.
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@franga,
Both are great, I think Ischgl has the edge for piste skiers locally but Lech Zurs are marginally more attractive alternatives than Kappl Galtur for an away day.
If you find accommodation difficult you can sometimes go elsewhere in the valley. Both Davos and Flims would be good alternatives from Zurich.
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Think the 3 single rooms will determine where you will go.

St.Anton was already grown up when Ischgl wasn't born yet.

Like to think that atmosphere wise St.Anton is more like Zermatt and Val d'Isere.
Haven't been to Ischgl for a long time, but Ischgl still has the "new money" image.
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@Langerzug, St Anton is pretty bling these days too...

But back on thread... both great places. I'd toss a coin to choose, if the 3 single rooms thing doesn't help you decide
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@franga, there are lots of small boutique hotels in Ischgl and in the valley. You will struggle with the 5 days over a weekend thing, but maybe not *quite* as much as St. Anton. It depends whether you want to be in Ischgl proper or are happy to be in one of the several villages of varying size along the valley and linked to Ischgl by ski bus. I haven't been for about 5 years but used to go regularly for weekends, and we generally ended up in Kappl having booked a few days before when places stopped holding out for a full week booking. I think the piste skiing is significantly better at Ischgl than at St Anton.
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Piste skiing and lift system definitely better in Ischgl. Accommodation for 5 days is difficult but not necessarily impossible but you need to look soon. On Ischgl's website you can submit a booking enquiry and the local tourist will search availability for you. Personally I prefer the après ski in Ischgl and the town in general.
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Ischgl and St. Anton are both brilliant resorts. If you've got 5 full ski days and a car then consider doing both! I'd do 3 days in St. Anton/Lech/Zurs, then round to Ischgl/Samnaun for 2-days.
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They are both full of fat old people and tragic students dancing on tables.

But St Anton has far better skiing.

Go to St Anton.
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I've done 4 long weekends in St Anton and one in Ischgl, so St Anton has the edge for us (boarder+skier).

All accommodation was booked fairly last minute as no one wanted to take a booking for less than a week till the last minute.

The best hotel we stayed in in St Anton was the www.schwarzeradler.com/
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I love St Anton, I'm going for a third time in January, staying at Mark Warner's Rosanna hotel. However I'd go back to Ischgl in a heartbeat. Both great resorts with excellent, extensive skiing and fantastic apres.

The only downside to St Anton is you might find Whitegold there..
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Thank you very much for taking the time to respond everyone.

A tough choice - accommodation will be the deciding factor by the sounds of it. I'll get cracking on that front ...

I'm leaning towards Ischgl personally but either would be great - not skied in Austria for 4 years now, long overdue.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
St Anton = proper skiers having proper friendly apres
Ishgl = Aggressive Germans shoving €20 notes into strippers nickers at 4.30pm

Take your pick.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Have been to Arlberg around 9 times or so and Kappl twice - skied and partied in Ishcgl a few times each visit. For me St Anton has a better vibe - too many blingy types in Ishcgl for my liking BUT I could not fault the skiing in Ishcgl. Piste skiing better in Ischgl but overall experience better in St Anton for me
Totally agree with Dr John's comments - spot on
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Given that you state that you are strong intermediates and piste only then Ischgl is the best bet. Both are fabulous resorts with great hotels, restaurants, apres ski and skiing.

Using your criteria I would score them as follows :

- extent of skiing SA 9 / I 8 : With access to the whole of the Arlberg then SA is the winner here but the real fun is off piste. Ischgl will be thoroughly enjoyable for a week or less and definitely wins for piste only skiing.
- town ambience SA 8 / I 8 : Both are pretty much one street villages. Not out and out chocolate box but really nice functional villages. Ischgl is slightly easier to get around with the tunnels.
- quality of accommodation (we normally stay in small / boutique hotels) SA 8 / Ischgl 9 : Again both are excellent with a huge choice of quality hotels, apartments etc. Ischgl just has the edge in my opinion.
- eating / nightlife SA 9 / I 10 : Hotel food is both is very good to excellent and both have alternatives. SA probably has more cheaper alternatives. Nightlife is legendary in both villages and as good as it gets in the mountains. They are probably 1 and 2 in the world for apres ski. SA probably a little younger.

I would recommend looking at Mathon for the small boutique hotels that you like purely as you may find that they are more willing to do less than a week. There are 2 or 3 really nice options there. Less than 5 minutes on the free ski bus that runs every 5-10 minutes.
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You asked for A vs. B, but I'm going to throw out C given your preference for small boutique hotels have you given Lech consideration? Certainly less nightlife than St. Anton, but perhaps enough for "middle aged blokes"? I think the slopes around Lech are better for intermediate piste skiing than SA also.
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@franga, pretty simple for me.

- St Anton = Off Piste heaven
- Ischgl = On Piste heaven (still has some decent off-piste)

- Top Apres Ski the pair of them
- Great access to the Arlberg at St Anton (great on piste too)
- Ski to Switzerland at Ischgl for some lunch and duty free shops
- Ischgl has the Alp Bella Chicken Very Happy


- You have never been to Ischgl before so give that a go!
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Ischgl is cool! You have to try it! And I found fewer people there than in hyper-gentrified Sant Anton. Ischgl is also very popular - I was there during Carnival week, and there was a 20-minute queue just to get the first gondola each morning - but the slopes, wow, I still remember them after years and I'll definitely go back, while Sant Anton.... Mmmh, the skiing can be great but there's so many people it gets inconvenient.
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I've been to both a number of times in the past 4 years.

They are the best two resorts that I have been to. Given you've not been to Ischgl, then I would certainly recommend it. I'm more piste orientated and therefore I would say I preferred the skiing in Ischgl. Until you get out of the St Anton ski area, I felt that you always have to follow certain routes and it got a touch repetitive. Whereas I found Ischgl far more simple to randomly ski around.

In terms of the towns, Ischgl is in its own little self contained bubble. Not really a town in its own right and for me had a sort of Disney feel. We've always stayed near the church (watch out for the early bells!), which is by the tunnel. I guess the reverse of that is that you can feel a bit hemmed in sometimes.

As others have said, avoid the Silvretta as it takes all the skiers from that end of town. The new Panda lift is where the busses stop, so tha'ts now quite busy leaving the bliss of the Fimba.

Personally, I preferred the night life in St Anton, but the apres in Ischgl is certainly fun. Kuhstall was a bit too intense for me, but the Trofana Alm was good when you get a table.

The Ischgl ski show is immense btw. Not really something I would watch, but it's in a great location between the Fimba and Panda lifts so you can sit in the bars and observe. We reserved some seats on a balcony.

The toboganning is also extremely good fun as it brings you all the way down from the top Idalp station back to the resort.

Enjoy whatever you choose.
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Dr John wrote:
St Anton = proper skiers having proper friendly apres
Ishgl = Aggressive Germans shoving €20 notes into strippers nickers at 4.30pm

Take your pick.


Much as I love the Arlberg, this is actually one of the benefits of Ischgl. I can't think of anywhere in the Arlberg where you can ski untracked powder all day without anyone else coming to poach the party - or seeing anyone else on fat skis come to that.
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@franga, similiar situation to you, I've skied the Arlberg many times so am going to try Ischgl this year for a change.
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St Anton .... Off Piste

Ischgl ...... More woman
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downhillalltheway wrote:

- extent of skiing SA 9 / I 8 : With access to the whole of the Arlberg then SA is the winner here but the real fun is off piste. Ischgl will be thoroughly enjoyable for a week or less and definitely wins for piste only skiing.


I would agree, but saying that I saw LOADS of untracked lift-served off-piste during my week in Ischgl, and people in our hotel were raving about it. I imagine St Anton has generally gnarlier off-piste though. I only ski on piste and think St Anton is great, if you consider all the different areas (Lech, Zurs, Rendl etc).

OP - if you've never been to Ischgl, go. It's fantastic.
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@franga, If fine dining is important to you then bear in mind that Ischgl has a Burger King

If I had a choice of 2 great resorts - one I'd been to, one I hadn't - then it would be the novelty and excitement of the new one every time
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Your are friends - get a three bedded room and save some money...!
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HoneyBunny wrote:
downhillalltheway wrote:

- extent of skiing SA 9 / I 8 : With access to the whole of the Arlberg then SA is the winner here but the real fun is off piste. Ischgl will be thoroughly enjoyable for a week or less and definitely wins for piste only skiing.


I would agree, but saying that I saw LOADS of untracked lift-served off-piste during my week in Ischgl, and people in our hotel were raving about it. I imagine St Anton has generally gnarlier off-piste though. I only ski on piste and think St Anton is great, if you consider all the different areas (Lech, Zurs, Rendl etc).

OP - if you've never been to Ischgl, go. It's fantastic.


I agree to some extent and there are some lovely areas off Val Gronda that take a while to get tracked out but I'd guess that even with recent improvements Ischgl probably has conservatively less than 20% of the Off Piste area that St Anton and the connected area has.
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You know it makes sense.
albob wrote:
Your are friends - get a three bedded room and save some money...!


That's what we do, we could afford not to but it's part of the fun. Remember that Austrian doubles have single mattresses and duvets, if that sort of thing bothers you.

I recall a couple of years ago, we stayed in La Tania. Usual triple room with a double and a single bed. Being the eldest, I bagseyd the single and my mates shared the double. It was only after we got back that it occurred to me that they could've asked for single duvets.

Mind you the room can smell a bit nasty in the morning so we have to sleep with the windows open.

Resort wise, we prefer Saalbach.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Ahhh -- forgot about the dread Austrian twins...
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albob wrote:
Ahhh -- forgot about the dread Austrian twins...


Real men don't mind sharing with their mates Smile
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I keep telling everyone Ischgl is a horrible place especially the week we go
No one ever seems to listen
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
PeteMan wrote:
albob wrote:
Ahhh -- forgot about the dread Austrian twins...


Real men don't mind sharing with their mates Smile


Even when one of your mates thinks it's perfectly acceptable to sleep in the nude - even when sharing an Austrian twin?

We keep telling him he's wrong and that man-rules state that to be a pants on situation but thankfully the hotel we use in Ischgl has triple rooms so he just gets sent to the single bed - and will again from 7th-14th Jan Smile
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downhillalltheway wrote:
HoneyBunny wrote:
downhillalltheway wrote:

- extent of skiing SA 9 / I 8 : With access to the whole of the Arlberg then SA is the winner here but the real fun is off piste. Ischgl will be thoroughly enjoyable for a week or less and definitely wins for piste only skiing.


I would agree, but saying that I saw LOADS of untracked lift-served off-piste during my week in Ischgl, and people in our hotel were raving about it. I imagine St Anton has generally gnarlier off-piste though. I only ski on piste and think St Anton is great, if you consider all the different areas (Lech, Zurs, Rendl etc).

OP - if you've never been to Ischgl, go. It's fantastic.


I agree to some extent and there are some lovely areas off Val Gronda that take a while to get tracked out but I'd guess that even with recent improvements Ischgl probably has conservatively less than 20% of the Off Piste area that St Anton and the connected area has.


I was agreeing with you Very Happy
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Very Happy
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For something a bit different .. try the Hotel Enzian in Landeck.

They do ski safaris in the winter and take you to both Stanton & Ischgl and a couple of other places you will have never been to.

I think they do it for 5 days and its a guided session.

I'm sure its a middle aged man type thing as they run Motorbike Safaris in the summer.
You pick up a BMW of your choice in Munchen and then drive down to Landeck where you have the choice of other BMW bikes off road as well.

I've always wanted to go ... but have never got round to it.
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The comments about sharing a room / bed made me laugh - 2 of us (we've known each other since uni / the other one in our party is a grumpy old fart ...) shared twins, doubles, triples etc over the years until a horrid long weekend at the Les Bruyeres in Les Menuires 3 seasons ago. Tiny room, tiny window overlooking the service yard, no fan in the toilet and an Eastern European couple at it very loudly in the adjacent room every bloody night. NEVER AGAIN.

Back to my OP - we've decided on Ischgl (webcams looked tasty this AM) and will look at accommodation options this week.

Thanks again.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
franga wrote:
The comments about sharing a room / bed made me laugh - 2 of us (we've known each other since uni / the other one in our party is a grumpy old fart ...) shared twins, doubles, triples etc over the years until a horrid long weekend at the Les Bruyeres in Les Menuires 3 seasons ago. Tiny room, tiny window overlooking the service yard, no fan in the toilet and an Eastern European couple at it very loudly in the adjacent room every bloody night. NEVER AGAIN.

Back to my OP - we've decided on Ischgl (webcams looked tasty this AM) and will look at accommodation options this week.

Thanks again.


I'm interested to know how you knew they were Eastern European ?

Puzzled
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Quote:

I'm interested to know how you knew they were Eastern European ?


We saw them at breakfast every morning.
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Have been to Arlberg 50+ weeks, 1x Ischgl and that was 15 years ago, in no desperate rush to go back, Ischgl is a piste paradise but that's not me right now. That said i'll go back one day.

Like a few others have said above, if you like Spyder, Kjus and Bogner, boozed up Germans falling over at 11.30am and eastern European strippers dancing on your bar at 4.30pm then go Ischgl. If you want serious skiing and good lower key après choose Arlberg. Its a simple choice I'd say. For a lads trip you'll be fine though wink @franga,
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