Ski shipping service to Austria?

A snowHead

I never enjoy travelling with skis at the best of times but for this winter I'm considering using public transport to get from the airport to the resort, which involves a bus-train-train journey, which is somewhat daunting. So I'm wondering about getting the skis shipped to the resort and thus saving all the hassle. I would hope that it wouldn't work out massively more expensive than the flight carriage charge anyway. Has anyone here used such a service to Austria from the UK and can recommend it?

A snowHead

Take a look at Interparcel, it's basically a shipping marketplace, it'll give you loads of options to have a look at, prices are right there as well to compare.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I know it is a boring subject but, Brexit. If you ship goods from the UK to the EU there will be customs charges & formalities in both directions. Hiring, even top end new skis, will be far cheaper.

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@munich_irish, yes, good point. I hadn't thought about that. The issue with hiring skis is that we tend to do a mix of piste and off-piste skiing and have our own all-mountain skis which work for us. We have been to a number of places where such skis aren't easy to hire - all that's available are piste skis and occasionally powder skis for the powder days, but not so often good all-rounders. Besides which, I have touring bindings on mine, for occasional skinning.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@J2R, you’ll need rather a lot of paperwork in both directions to avoid paying local VAT and import duties in both directions.

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As long as you don't have too much extra clart, carrying skis around on public transport is not a biggie. I've done it on the London Underground and the Paris Metro. And even slept with my skis in a top bunk on an overnight sleeper. You need to pack the skis round with lightweight stuff, so the bag is not too heavy, then just have the rest packed round your boots in a well designed backpack. Leaves you with one hand free for strap-hanging.... Wear walking boots to travel and pack a super lightweight pair of slippers.

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@J2R, how many pairs do you need to carry? Two pairs aren't too bad, more than that and the bag starts getting heavy and awkward. But realistically if you're changing bus to train (or vice versa) a couple of times, it's not that difficult. If you have to trek a long way up and down stairs etc, it gets harder.

After all it is free

As some have suggested, carrying skis on public transport is not too hard if you are moderately fit and have a decent ski bag, eg one with rollers, like a Douchebag. Having the rest of your gear in a backpack leaves a hand free.

The only time it got a bit cumbersome was going out to Munich airport during commuter time. The train was packed and I had to stand pretty much the whole way. I just leaned the ski bag against me.

There is rarely problem finding a good place to put a ski bag on the long distance trains, eg Zürich to St Anton. Sometimes there is space to stand the bag in a corner. It is also easy enough to put the bag on the racks above the seat, as long as the carriage is not too crowded when you get on.

I wouldn't want to use one of those socking great coffin bags on rollers - I wouldn't be strong enough to carry it up and down steps and would find it very cumbersome except rolling round a nice flat airport. But it's easy to travel with just one pair of skis and adequate stuff for a week, even for somebody not particularly fit or strong.

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Each to his/her own. I get that a DB or similar might be overkill for 1 person for a short trip, although some people might be able to get away with just that ski bag and a small carry-on bag. Personal preference and needs dictate the best choice.

We usually stay in St Anton for 8 - 10 weeks; 10 weeks for the coming trip. The “great coffin bag” comfortably holds 2 pairs of skis, plus overflow from our backpacks. It works for us.

I will concede the DB can be a handful on stairs. Fortunately, the mainline European stations we mostly use have lifts servicing the different levels.

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I'm wondering about a rationalisation of the luggage my partner and I take. We normally have a suitcase and a single ski bag each, as well as hand luggage (small backpack). But if I get a double ski bag, we may well be able to fit everything else we need into one large suitcase, so I could handle the skis while she wheels the suitcase. Makes it more manageable, if it's viable.

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It's stairs which can be the killer unless you're very strong. I had a backpack as cabin luggage to and from Gva recently and was very glad of it, and to have two hands free for producing the passport, boarding pass etc when needed. And especially when having to walk down a long staircase at Gatwick Station. There might have been a lift alternative but the station was crowded and I was short of time to catch the train, and was glad not to have to faff around. I'm simply not strong enough to carry heavy bags up and down stairs. It's a great incentive to pack light!! When going to the Alps for long periods I always drove, I'm afraid, as I needed the car in resort, and threw in everything but the kitchen sink including a couple of hundred pounds worth of groceries, usually.

@pam w, fortunately, I'm pretty fit and reasonably strong, so I would hope it would be manageable. I think I may even try the packing out in the next few days, having ordered a double ski bag (old one needs replacing anyway), to see how viable it is before even booking the holiday, because the practicality or otherwise of using public transport to get to the resort as opposed to a tour operator coach influences what holiday we book.

You know it makes sense.

You're going to practice hopping on and off the few busses which are to be found in the frozen wastes of Norfolk, @J2R? Splendid. snowHead

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

@J2R, assuming you’re flying into Munich? The trains from MUC > Austria are no problem with skis and you certainly won’t be the only one; it’s not like in the UK where it feels like you’re in everyone’s way and doing something odd.

A snowHead

@pam w, ha, I'd have to be waiting a long time here before many buses came along! I was meaning merely the packing...

@clarky999, actually I had only been thinking of Innsbruck. But Munich would obviously open up more opportunities, albeit at the expense of a rather longer transfer time, I imagine.

A snowHead

@J2R, whatever you choose, a bungee cord or short piece of rope (or two) is invaluable. No luggage space? No problem, just tie your ski bag vertically to a pole (on the bus) or in front of the 2-level suitcase rack (on a train). There's almost always something you can loop it round to stop the bag falling over.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@mgrolf, resourceful, I like it!

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Ski shipping service to Austria?

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