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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
July 02, 2012
Mia from
New Zealand
Mia from
New Zealand
March 14, 2012
Tirolerhund from
United Kingdom
Tirolerhund from
United Kingdom
To another reviewer: your comments about the quality of snow and off-piste in the Rockies is valid. The problem for us Brits is the distance and jet lag (8 hours) is generally too much, especially for 4 or 7 day trips.
If you want it really steep and deep in the Alps and with top comfort go and ski the Arlberg area, but stay in Lech or Zurs rather than St Anton. The off-piste is simply awesome throughout the whole area, especially off the back of Valluga and Albona. Enjoy!
Personally I'm back to Ischgl this weekend for some more cruising, with a few blacks off the Palinkopf and Greitspitz which offer enough challenge for most, and the best apres-ski in the Alps! St Anton eat your heart out! Read More
March 08, 2012
RB from
United States
RB from
United States
To another reviewer: you sound like a skier after my own heart. I, too, go skiing mainly for the skiing. You make excellent points about lack of challenge at Ischgl but I have to admit as I get older, it is nice to have the amenities also. An ideal area would offer both. That's where I think the Rockies have the edge over the Alps. OK, the verticals aren't quite as large there as in the Alps but the snow is better (20 meters last year in Utah) and most of the skiing is below tree line. I can't overemphasize the value of the latter. Trees give character to the slopes and offer an endless array of lines. Anyone who has skied Moran Woods or Saratoga Bowl at Jackson Hole after a big dump understands what I am saying. Also, trees provide the shadows and contrast needed to ski on cloudy or snowy days. There is nothing quite like being able to ski the trees when the falling snow fills in your tracks behind you. Snowy (or even just cloudy) days in the Alps relegate skiers to feeling their way from marker to marker down groomed pistes, or worse yet, waiting out the weather in the lodge. That's not how I want to spend my precious vacation days! Read More
March 08, 2012
JC from
Singapore
JC from
Singapore
To another reviewer:
Some of your points are indeed valid, Tignes and Val have fantastic skiing. I have been skiing for 30 years now since I was a kid. I learned to ski in France and went there year in year out for more than 15 years. However, I discovered Austria, and nowadays I don't bother with France for all of the reasons another reviewer mentioned. I am a fanatical skier, I am up early, I ski all day off-piste with guides wherever the snow is best, but I also enjoy a beer, I don't like cold spag Bol from rude French waiters, and I like to go out in the evening too.
[note from editor: text edited for the sake of relevance] Read More
February 27, 2012
RB from
United States
RB from
United States
Just returned from a week skiing holiday in Ischgl. We normally ski in the Rockies and it has been over a decade since I last skied in Europe. My observations about Ischgl and comparisons to my experience in the U.S.:
High points:
Lift system is unparalleled. Nothing like it in the U.S. All chairs are detachable, high-speed and many accommodate 6 or more people. All have plexiglass bubbles and some even have heated seats and conveyor systems to ease entry.
On mountain restaurants and many and quite good. Still tough to find a seat at lunchtime, though (see comment below about crowds).
Town of Ischgl is very charming and also quite lively. Apres-ski doesn't involve a drive into town like at many U.S. ski areas. Good, reasonably priced restaurants abound. Fun bars are everywhere.
Scenery in Austria, like in most of the Alps, is stunning. Jagged peaks as far as the eye can see.. Huge vertical relief between peaks and valleys. The U.S, has a few areas that can compare, but not many.
Snow: The Alps have had a great year (unlike most of the U.S.), so no issue here in 2012 However, to be fair, conditions in the Alps are far less dependable, on average than in the Rockies. Nine years out of ten, you will be better off going to Utah or Wyoming than France or Austria.
Low points:
Terrain: Most of the terrain in Ischgl was beginner to intermediate. Very little expert terrain, at least compared to my favourites: Jackson Hole and Snowbird. Also, all of the good skiing is above tree line. This means no tree skiing and, as importantly, very poor visibility in cloudy conditions. On the former point, I was dismayed to find that tree skiing is sometimes prohibited in Europe due to questionable environmental concerns (how can it be more harmful to ski through the trees than over fragile Artic tundra?).
Crowds: Isghl made Vail look deserted. Lift system can handle holiday traffic ok (excepting 30-minute lines on gondolas out of town), but that just puts masses of people on the pistes. At times reminded me of skiing in Vermont. The good news is that Ischgl's skiers don't seem to venture off-piste, leaving untouched or lightly skied powder days after a storm. The bad news is that skiing off-piste is dangerous to impossible when light is flat, meaning you are stuck negotiating a limited number of boring marked runs with hordes of other skiers.
Bottom Line: If you are a serious skier who looks for steep terrain, tree skiing, and powder, you are better off heading to the Rockies than skiing in Ischgl or other European resorts. If you prefer comfort, ambiance, scenery, and after-ski variety, head for the Alps. Or, better still, mix it up and try both. Read More
February 14, 2012
Victor from
Estonia
Victor from
Estonia
@Tirolerhund, no i am not a sale rep from Val/Tignes. Just a guy who understands skiing in a different way than you.
I do agree with most things you say - food, drinks, accomodation, hospitality - it is all cheaper or better in Ischgl than Val/Tignes. But once again - I go skiing for the skiing itself. Nothing else matters to me. A miserable flat in an ugly appartment block in Tignes is perfectly fine by me - I never go to hotels when I go skiing. I have my comfort at home and if I wanted to have the same during my holiday then I can just stay home. Also, I ski hard all day and then I am in bed by 10 pm and it does not make a difference to me if I am in a 4 star hotel or an ugly flat. The only skiing-related comment you make is about queues in Val/Tignes during half-term - well, the solution for me is simple - I do not go there at half-term. Maybe I am just lucky that I am not one of those people who take their holidays when 95% of Europe's population does. Read More
February 10, 2012
Tirolerhund from
United Kingdom
Tirolerhund from
United Kingdom
I believe another reviewer is so wrong and sounds like a rep from the tourist office of Val d'Isere/Tignes.
Yes the Espace de Killy has more skiing, including some that is more challenging than Ischgl, as do many French resorts, but who cares? With nearly 240 km of marked pistes how much more do you want for a weeks skiing?
If you want surely French hospitality, second rate hotels at rip off prices often with no atmosphere or third rate apartments, a second class lift system and extortionately priced lunches then carry on going to France but spag bog and a beer at 140 euros for a family of four in a tatty hut with third world toilets soon gives you a wake up call.
Ischgl, by contrast, is stuffed with affordable 4 star hotels, 28 to be precise, hundreds of high quality appartments at 50 - 70 euro per person per night, value for money mountain restaurants and hospitality that puts the French to shame.
Try going to Espace de Killy or any of the mega French resorts at February half-term and you spend too long queueing for the lifts having taken 6 hours to get there from Lyon or Geneva. Austria, by contrast, is a revelation with virtually no lift queues. Why? because all their top resorts are designed to run at full capacity through out the season, with spare capacity in the lift systems, something the French simply don't get in their service offer.
As regards the nightlife, Feuer und Eis and Kuhstal attract the younger set as do Pascha and the Trofana Arena later at night. Also better value with large beers typically 5 euro and entry to clubs 5 - 10 euro inc complimentary drink and beer at 5 euros thereafter.
If you still think Ischgl is too old, then go to St Anton. It has skiing to match the Espace de Killy, an apres-ski scene that is mental, a state of the art lift system and as with all Austrian resorts high quality accommodation, at all cost levels, that is genuine value for money.
Sorry if I sound like a rep for the Austrian tourist office but have skied for over 30 years including all the major french resorts, except Les Arcs and Alpe d'Huez, I see nothing in the French Alps to entice me back in the foreseeable future. I finally fell out of love with French skiing in January 2005, when we paid 200 euros per person per night for a standard twin room in a soulless 3 star hotel at Courcheval 1850. Yes, it was ski in / ski out, but so what. God only knows what it would cost today?? 7 years on you can stay in every 4*/4*s hotel in Ischgl/ St Anton/ Soelden and Saalbach etc for less, often substantially less....I rest my case!! Read More
January 31, 2012
Victor from
Estonia
Victor from
Estonia
Went to Ischgl the week of 21 Jan. I had read a lot about it and mostly good things but I have to say that I expected more. I was by no means disappointed, though. In fact it is a good resort with lots of pistes and good facilities.
Some comments compare it to Val D'Isere and Tignes. You have to be joking. Val/Tignes are on a completely different level. Why? Plenty of reasons:
1. In Ischgl some of the pistes are marked in a funny way. They are marked read but in fact it is a ski road in most parts. This can be very annoying given that it happens rather often.
2. Overall, Val/Tignes (especially Tignes) is much sportier - pistes are wider, harder (some blues in Val/Tignes are like Ischgl reds) and longer.
3. The quality of skiers - oh my god. Ischgl is a freak show in that respects. Idiots who barely manage wedge turns go down on blacks or hard reds is a beautiful sight. On one occasion I got hit by someone coming from behind and all he said was "I was going straight, it is your fault". No comment. We were a group of 15 and everyone said that this is the worst resort in terms of quality of skiers they have ever been to. And none of us had seen so many bad accidents in one week.
4. I really do not understand why Ishgl has a reputation of a party town. If your idea of partying is 50-year olds drinking snapps with beer all afternoon/night then you have to get a life. But this is a minor point for me since I go skiing....(surprise) - for the skiing.
5. Overall, Val d'Isere/Tignes or Val Thorens (again especially Tignes) just feel that people are there for the skiing and for the sport in general. Yes, Tignes is an ugly purpose built resort but it is so practical. You go out of your ugly concrete appartment block on skis and 5 minutes later you are on the top of the mountain. No nonsense, no car or bus ride to get to the lifts, no distractions, no waste of time.
Ischgl has of course some positives too, even if it is more expensive that other ski resorts in Austria food and drinks on the pistes remain much cheaper than in France where you can easily pay 7 euros for a coke or 20 euros for some miserable burger. The lift system is indeed rather new. The facilities (piste restaurants, toilets etc) look amazing. But come on - is this enough? What do we really go skiing for? For the "accessories" (like cheap goulash soup and beer, good toilets and heated lift seats) or for the real stuff (pistes, snow, off-piste, beautiful mountains)? Val/Tignes beat Ischgl hands down in those departments. Whoever says the opposite goes skiing for a different (not necessarily wrong) reason than me.
So about Ischgl - decent resort but if you really want to ski there is way way way better (not just Val/Tignes). Would I go there again? I do not see a reason why I would. Read More
March 07, 2011
DP from
United Kingdom
DP from
United Kingdom
Fantastic resort with great lift system. However, Ischgl is only suitable for good intermediate and above. Beginners will struggle. Far too many very fast skiers on lowers slopes. During the week there was helicopter after helicopter picking up injured skiers who had bumped into each other every few hours. I saw lots of nasty accidents. Read More
December 16, 2010
GB from
United Kingdom
GB from
United Kingdom
The beauty of Ischgl is that the lift system is owned by a town co-operative and they just keep pumping the money back in to more slopes and more and better lifts. (Compare that to the 3 Valleys and Tignes where I seem to ride the same lifts I was sitting on 20 years ago).
Two years ago they put in a new black to rival some of the best in the world (well not quite a Triftji, Le Herse or Sudan Couloir but p.d. good) but it was a 3 lift journey to go around. This year they have a brand new direct lift to service that and 3 other runs slapped on the side of the mountain in 08. Ski area also includes Samnaun. Probably most extensive interlinked "quality skiing" resort in Europe other than 3V and other than Whistler/Bc on the other side of the water.
Lots of excellent accom but not cheap but then it never is in the best resorts is it (eg Zermatt, Whistler, Chamonix), supply and demand and all that. Cheaper accom available in outlying villages with excellent valley bus service and huge underground car park if you drive over. Good variety of after ski from party bars with table dancers (clad) to small bars and cafes. Similar range of price and variety later on. The only slight negative is that the number of in-town restaurants has not grown at the same pace as the accommodation and none are cheap by Austrian standards but, both in town and on the mountain, a bargain compared to 3V and most of France. Ski pass c £200 for a week.
Even more of an early season snow pocket than St Anton/Lech. Extensive powder options after a dump.
First visited 1977, now firmly established as my early season favourite just before the crowds arrive at Xmas. Roll on Friday! Read More
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