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Innsbruck

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We have booked a hotel close the main railway station in Innsbruck for a week on the 26th December.

Has anyone had experiance of using the ski buses to the nearby resorts ??
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Yep, I spent 3 weeks there the Jan just before covid hit. I wasn't as central and found them very slow, often involving a change, but if you're better located you might not need to change. I'm not sure if an express exists, I always seemed to get on one that stopped every minute or so which slowed the journey a lot. As soon as some friends arrived I hired a car.

There's a good app though that would let you see timings - OBB, or OBB Scotty possibly.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
You can take the train to Kaltenbach. It doesn’t take long despite needing to change onto the little valley railroad.
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Yes. However, I never took any of the express busses.
https://www.innsbruck.info/en/skiing/service/free-ski-bus/free-ski-bus-in-innsbruck.html

Staying at the AC Hotel (Marriott), the bus stop is around the corner, outside a rental store (but prob better to rent in resort).
Bus stops a lot - 1st bus out for example has kids on there going to school!
Takes about an hour to an hour 15 to Stubai which is one of the furthest (Kuhati is a different bus & direction, so not tried that one), schlick & axamer are much shorter..
However, I guess if near the train station, then you can get a train just as quick further out. Seefeld is only about 30mins.
Kitzbuhel, St Anton & Mayrhofen can prob be done under 90mins.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Thanks for your help. Need to find if the express bus stops at the railway, not clear from the information on the web site !!
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Thought some of the express buses started from somewhere near the river rather than at the station, but then I've never used them.
Some stop right outside the station... always seem people fully togged up having a coffee and pastry in the der Backer Ruetz before clomping to the bus.
There's a tram to one of the local hills too, but I think it takes an hour to get there.
I know that the F bus to the airport doesn't stop at stop F outside the station, judging by the number of (mostly Brits) that have stopped me to ask if I know where it goes from.
Whenever I'm there, it's just an overnight stop normally, and I have the car (either en route to/from Dolomites or driving to Kaltenbach/Zell am Ziller for the day).
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Looking at the list for the express bus, the “former Hotel Europa” is near to the main station (search Hotel Europa on Google and it will still come up), or depending on where you are staying, the Liepziger Hof, Cafe Central and Triumphpforte are all quite close by.

If you want to use the public buses, download the transport app (VVT or I think ÖBB also works) and it will give you the stop locations as well as the timetables.

Nordkette and Patscherkofel are easily accessible on the J line (or use the Nordkettebahn if you're in the area). The bus for Kühtai goes from the main station and doesn't take too long, same for Axamer Lizum. J line is free for skiers/snowboarders in ski gear, the other ones seem to depend on who the driver is as to whether you have to pay, although they might still be app/advance ticket only (corona) – I'm not sure, it's almost 2 years since I got on a bus! These buses also pick up in several places around town if you're not at the station.
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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!
As mentioned by Tom Doc and Scarlet, the ÖBB Scotty app is excellent across all forms of public transport. Not only for forward planning but also on a ‘just in time’ basis.
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We stayed 2 nights in Innsbruck in March 2020 - one night before and one night after a ski tour. We used the ski bus for a warm up half day at Muttereralm and for a full day at Patscherkoefel. Both were easy enough to get to by bus.

Mutteralm is small but has some nice cruising runs and a decent vertical. It was fine for a few hours. Patscherkoefel is excellent - we really enjoyed it there and would love to go back. Some nice, more-challenging runs.

On a cautionary note, only some hotels participate in the Innsbruck guest card scheme that allows free use of the ski buses. While the first hotel we stayed at - a small place up towards Nordkette - gave us a guest card, we were a bit surprised to find that the Hotel Europa (which we booked as a treat after our ski tour) did not participate. As a result we had to pay for the bus to Patscherkoefel.

I wrongly thought that all accommodation would give you a guest card... rolling eyes If we were booking any length of time in the city for future skiing, I would definitely book somewhere that provides the guest card and access to the free transport.
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@mountainaddict, or you can get the public bus to Patscherkofel which is free to anyone in ski gear...
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Is the “Guest Card” the same as the Welcome Card (provides, amongst other things free buses etc)?

If so, it’s also available from the tourist office (or should be).

We have a similar “discount” holiday card in our region (OO) for Summer and Winter, administered by the tourist office. We, along with some of the hotels/accommodations provide them direct to guests. Many don’t. It’s really up to each accommodation provider as to whether they wish to or not. Essentially, here, the cards are provided via the Kurtax (local tourist tax) collection for guests staying longer than 3 nights in the Summer season or 2 nights in the Winter season.
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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.
Quote:
Is the “Guest Card” the same as the Welcome Card (provides, amongst other things free buses etc)?
If so, it’s also available from the tourist office (or should be)
Yes, same thing. Couldn't remember the official name of the Innsbruck card but I've known it as a guest card elsewhere in Austria.

Europa Hotel definitely told us they weren't in the scheme and I was unaware re. the tourist office providing it. It is linked to booking accommodation, so not sure how you would verify your stay with the tourist office if you had already booked.

Interestingly, the Innsbruck website now says you need to stay 2 nights to get a welcome card (and therefore qualify for free transport). We got one in 2020 for a one night stay.

Quote:
Or you can get the public bus to Patscherkofel which is free to anyone in ski gear...
Didn't know that. Assumed we had to pay as we had no welcome card... Although we were dressed in ski clobber and carrying skis, the bus driver happily let us pay Shocked

Dozy tourists eh?? Laughing
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mountainaddict wrote:
Quote:
Is the “Guest Card” the same as the Welcome Card (provides, amongst other things free buses etc)?
If so, it’s also available from the tourist office (or should be)
Yes, same thing. Couldn't remember the official name of the Innsbruck card but I've known it as a guest card elsewhere in Austria.

Europa Hotel definitely told us they weren't in the scheme and I was unaware re. the tourist office providing it. It is linked to booking accommodation, so not sure how you would verify your stay with the tourist office if you had already booked.

Interestingly, the Innsbruck website now says you need to stay 2 nights to get a welcome card (and therefore qualify for free transport). We got one in 2020 for a one night stay.

Quote:
Or you can get the public bus to Patscherkofel which is free to anyone in ski gear...
Didn't know that. Assumed we had to pay as we had no welcome card... Although we were dressed in ski clobber and carrying skis, the bus driver happily let us pay Shocked

Dozy tourists eh?? Laughing


Again, there are regional/local differences in terms of the forms, but all tourists are required to fill in a gästeverzeichnisblatt (guest registration). The accommodation provider should provide you with a copy. Take that to the tourist office and they then provide the Welcome Card. Alternatively, book with a hotel/accommodation provider who does all this for you wink Smile

Incidentally, here, production of a ski pass entitles free bus journeys. Usually, though, if you’re wearing ski clobber and lugging skis etc, it’s not usually asked for!
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I would think if you are being charged the tourism tax, then you are entitled to the welcome card Skullie
Rock up to the Tourism place with your passport & proof of hotel booking.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Yes, they love a bit of post-colonial British sense of entitlement in Austria…good luck Skullie
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Train to St Anton just over 1 hr; book here: https://www.oebb.at/en/tickets-kundenkarten/online-mobile-ticketing/oebb-app and cost about 10 Euro
The app is excellent, on IOS anyway

Bus (590) to Schlick 2000 - about 30 mins to Fulpmes or tram to Fulpmes and then about a 10 min walk to Schlick 2000. If you decide to drive, pay the small fee to park in Schlick 2000 in the undercover carpark as the lift from the carpark opens next to the gondola. If you have a car, then its only another 20 mins or so to the main Stubai Galcier car park as well.

Igls/Patscherkofel by tram or bus - about 30 mins. If you drive, carry on to the chairlift carpark above Igls.

Again if you have a car, Azamer Lizum also.

Plenty of options and a lovely city.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:
Yes, they love a bit of post-colonial British sense of entitlement in Austria…good luck
Colonised by Britain Puzzled As opposed to taken over by one of their own after he moved next door... wink
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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?
mountainaddict wrote:
Quote:
Yes, they love a bit of post-colonial British sense of entitlement in Austria…good luck
Colonised by Britain Puzzled As opposed to taken over by one of their own after he moved next door... wink


Laughing
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@ptex, Thanks great info
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Lots of good info here, but a few points:

1. New info re. ski busses is still pending, but probably there will only be small changes (if any)
2. Innsbruck has two 'guest cards', the Welcome Card (free from participating accommodation providers; if your accomm doesn't participate then you won't get it) and the Innsbruck Card (which you have to buy but still saves you a fair bit of money depending on what you want to see/do). There are different versions of the Welcome Card for winter and summer; the new winter version is not yet online and I'm not sure what changes, if any, will be made. See last winter's version for an idea: https://www.innsbruck.info/en/destinations/accommodation/welcome-card/welcome-card-winter.html
3. If you are staying for a week you will probably want the Ski + City Pass (https://www.innsbruck.info/en/skiing/ski-plus-city-pass.html), which is actually pretty cool and covers a bunch of city attractions - and public transport - as well as skiing.
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We got the Innsbruck Card (which you pay for) and found it good value for visiting tourist attractions and using public transport.

Careful which you get as they seem to have a Light version now. Which is for short stays and doesn't include going up the Nordkettenbahn which was a highlight.
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