Questions about Ischgl

[esky]

We are agroup of 2 and are planning to ski at Ischgl in late January 2011. How best to go to the resort from HK? Any ski-in and ski-out hotels worth-recommending. Thank you.

[saikee]

Ischgl is approximately on the opposite side of St Anton/Lech/Zurs (Arlberg) of the Austrian motorway S16.

Lech is of course the most up market resort in Austria and so St Anton enjoys the Mecca status. St Anton is not linked to Lech which is connected with Zurs providing a total of 280km piste. One can ski Lech/Zurs by taking a short bus ride from St Anton.

Ischgl shares the similar status as St Anton/Lech and is a place famous of the 5 and 4 star hotels. It is also famous of holding a rock concert at the resort frequently. Ischgl is full linked to Samnaun which is in switzerland and offers a total of 235km piste. There are two gondolas from Iscghl into the skiing area which is approximately "one" valley away from Ischgl. Iscghl isn't very big so staying in Ischgl is the nearest ski- in and ski-out you can get. Austrian (or Swiss or most of the Italian) skiing resorts are not permitted to have accommodation up the mountain of a skiing resort. The hotels are typically spread in the town or village close by with free short bus ride to the chairlifts. Large purposely built high density apartment blocks like those seen in the French or Spanish resorts are not permitted even in the village.

So get use to the traditional Alpine charm of skiing if you go to Austria or Switzerland..

Ischgl is a "high class" skiing resort and so the infrastructure, mountain restaurants and hotels are among the best you can find in Austria. It is equivalent skiing the Zermatt in Switzerland.

Hotels in Ischgl are therefore expensive as they are dominated by 4-star. Seasonal skiers will find more affordable accommodation within 5 miles of Ischgl by staying in Kappl and Mathon and taking a short bus every morning to avoid the high cost. Kappl has it own skiing facilities of about 40km and has more hotels.

As far as I known the train doesn't get to Iscghl of this part of the Silvretta Valley which is very narrow. Driving is the easiest. Like every Austrian skiing resort there are several huge car parks in Iscghl. The road to Ischgl from the motorway is also easy, flat and has no haorpin bend.

The Silvretta valley entrance is in a place called Landeck. From Landeck it is 12 miles to St. Anton and 24 miles to Lech.

The Silvretta Valley is closed at the middle. From Landeck it is 8 miles to See. See is a small beginner resort with 33km piste. It is 5 miles from Kappl which is 6 miles from Ischgl. Therefore from Landeck the driving distance to Ischgl is only 19 miles. Beyond Iscghl the valley leads to Mathon which is 3 miles away but it in only accommodation area. A further 3 miles will be the dead end at a place call Galtur which has a small skiing area of another 40km. Galtur has suffered a huge avalanche and has been a famous research centre for avalanche.

Landeck is 50 miles from Innsbruck or 170 miles from Munich (Germany) or 140 miles from Zurich (Switzerland). So if a HK skier travels to Zurich it is a relaxing drive to Ischgl under 3 hours. Specifying the hired car and you can get from Zurich to any hotel in the entire Western Europe virtually door to door.

I would recommend driving because that is what the Austrian resorts are arranged for. You can be rest assured free parking in any skiing resort. Also the Austrians don't stay right at the resorts to get hammered by the expensive hotels. They drive the short distances and also visit the neighbouring skiing attractions.

I stayed in Mathon before in 2008 and paid 365 Euro for a week of B&B for two of us in a en-suite room skiing the entire valley, the Serfaus/Fiss/Ladis which is a sizable fully linked resort with 185km piste only 36miles from Mathon but in the next valley. St Anton is only 40 miles from Ischgl. I also went as far as Malbun, a small and only resort in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, approximately 85 miles via Landeck.

A trip from HK, with a hired car, is not demanding to ski St Anton and Iscghl which are the two premium skiing resorts in Austria.

You can have a very idea of the neighbouring areas around Ischgl by browsing the Google map. Just remember the Silvretta Valley is closed in winter after Galtur and so the only way in is via Landeck.

Hope the above help.

[Mike]

Ischgl is also infamous thanks to the avalanche in 1999 where 30 people were killed and many many houses were wiped out. :icon_cry:

I went skiing in Ischgl / Glatur in 1982, so my memory is a bit faded. As Saikee said - Ischgl and Samnaun are connected, one can ski from Austria to Switzerland freely. In those days, the 4 and 5 stars hotels were scarce, mostly pensions along the main road.

Driving is the easiest & probably the best mode of transport.

[esky]

Thanks Saikee and Mike. Very informative indeed. It looks like driving would be a better option. I'll do some more researches on accommodation and car rental. Many thanks indeed.

[saikee]

The Ischgl stands in my memory of an up market resort where I found the best mountain restaurant. Austrians take pride in serving their clients. The toilet facilities were the best I could remember too. It is rare to see a man room but the chairlift station at the top has a huge underground toilet with sofa in the middle like a hotel! This may be due to the place being a popular venue for the annual concert in the snow.

I also saw a convoy of 10 to 12 snow grooming machines travelling in formation to re-groom the resort in the middle of the day.

Samnaun is one of the rare resort where you can find double-decker cable cars. It is a famous duty free zone.

Eating dinner in Ischgl in the 4 star hotel is only marginally more expensive than the rest of Austria but the service and the food are top notch.

[Mike]

It looks like driving would be a better option. I'll do some more researches on accommodation and car rental. Many thanks indeed.

If you are looking for some place convenient, look for a hotel close to the Silvrettabahn lift in the centre of town. There is a moving walkway from town to the other two lifts, the Fimbabahn and Pardatschgratbahn, and where there are also some good apres ski bars.

Car rental is simple, take you pick. Personally I prefer Aviz to Hertz.

[esky]

Is there any grocery store or supermarket in Ischgl to buy food for self-catering? Thanks again.

[Mike]

Is there any grocery store or supermarket in Ischgl to buy food for self-catering? Thanks again.

http://www.ischgl.com/en-shopping.htm

[giligulu]

Is there any grocery store or supermarket in Ischgl to buy food for self-catering? Thanks again.

there is only one supermarket towards the end of the main road on the fimbabahn end.

I was there in Jan 09 and stayed at an apartment called Chesa Monte which was right in the middle of the supermarket and the fimbabahn. 5 mins to either location. Very convenient.

[saikee]

I haven't shopped in Ischgl but I have passed at least one supermarket a few times. Although it isn't a big place but neither is it small. I would say the main two large car parks can hold about 300 cars and so the supporting facilities will have to be very good. It is about 20 to 25 minutes to walk around the place in the evening. The two pubs at the centre run loud music through the evening just like Ahorn, Zillertal Arena, Mayrhofen, Saalbach and Hiterglemm.

Self catering is quite common among the Austrians and Germans.

[Mike]

Even locals have to do their shopping. :drunk:

[ttttt]

I also booked skiing in Ischgl this mid Dec. For car, I booked Avis which is cheaper.

[Yogi]

I also booked skiing in Ischgl this mid Dec. For car, I booked Avis which is cheaper.

Generally Avis is always cheaper than Hertz for the same class of vehicle.