Snowsure: 4.8
- Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
- Is often closed due to a lack of snow
- Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
- Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
- Ischgl is snowsure even in the poorest seasons
Visitor reviews for Ischgl Ski Resort
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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
March 22, 2010
millsy from
United Kingdom
millsy from
United Kingdom
Just returned from Ischgl having last visited half a dozen years or so ago and it's still a great place. There has been huge investment in the lift system, with few queues out of town and plenty of high speed detachable chairs. Piste maintainance is generally very good with artificial back up on the home slopes. Most runs are reds and suit confident intermediates with a number of steepish blacks looking at you as you ride the chair to start the duty free run down in Samnaun in Switzerland. There are mountain restaurants aplenty from self service and pizza to waiter service at Alp Trida. Off the hill the apres throbs from early on starting at around 3ish at Idalp and carrying on into town at the Schatzi /Hotel Elizabeth Bar at the foot of the slopes or in the village centre under the funitel at the Khustall or outside at the Fire and Ice. Later on the Arena in the Trofana, downstairs in Fire and Ice, the Hotel Post, Pacha, and Coyote Ugly provide the entertainment. We stayed at the Apartwolf apartments where the standard of accomodation was good, clean and reasonably well appointed. Go to Ischgl and enjoy.....
May 20, 2009
Andreas from
Norway
Andreas from
Norway
After a few seasons in Ischgl (07/08 and 08/09) I thought I'd give the resort an honest review, seen as there doesn't seem to be much decent, accurate info out there.
First I'll start with the good:
Ischgl sits just over the mountain range from St Anton in Arlberg, so along with its infamous neighbour, it is a magnet for powder. Lucky for us, unlike St Anton, Ischgl attracts most people for the apres-ski and are just there to be 'seen' not to ride, so hang out on the piste all day in shiny Versace jackets, or in the local bar/restaurant with the rest of their 'apres ski-team'. In other words, the general standard of skiers/snowboarders is low; perfect for those who love back-country.
Many areas stay untouched for days after a dump. Very surprising, considering most of the off-piste is easily accessible by the lifts. Expect perfect, untouched, challenging powder runs, all day long with very minimal crowds. This is the #1 reason I returned to Ischgl.
For the days between powder, there is a novice/intermediate park,. However, this is nothing to write home about. There is a fun kicker line (3 x 10-15 meter tables), a few nice little 'muck around' barrel bonks, 5 or so boxes/rails, a spine, and a dodgy airbag for the punters.
The facilities at Ischgl can't be faulted, everything is so fresh and so clean. Along with perfect lift placement, I can guarantee you'll be smiling with surprise while your bum is being slowly warmed on the gondola up. When paying 45 Euro for a day pass I guess a warm buttock is expected anyway.
Now for the bad (or I guess the good depending on who is reading this):
Life off the mountain: I'd like to dispel a huge myth that "Ischgl is the Ibiza of the Alps". Now, I've never actually been to Ibiza, but going by the tourist brochure, I'm pretty sure the majority of tourists there are not 35-45 year old drunken, mid-crisis men dancing on tables to German sing-a-longs, stumbling home feeling sorry for themselves or Russian gold-digging women with more fur draped over their bodies than a whole herd of the near-extinct animals that it came from. Ischgl is a far cry from Ibiza, but for middle aged men with a love of Deutsch apres-ski 'favorites' with a German DJ singing on the mic over every song, I would have to say this is the place for you.
The main problem with the off-mountain scene in Ischgl is there is no cheap accommodation, which makes the average age there significantly higher than nearby resorts, St Anton for example (S.A is not cheap by any means but is if compared to Ischgl). So for the likes of me (25 years old), there aren't a lot of similar aged people around Ischgl, and with the prices soaring in all popular bars (4-5 euro for a small beer), it's not the kind of place where you can call a bar your 'local'. Expect a large age gap in the 'clubs' with the locals being 16-18, and the tourists ranging from 35-45 years old.
So to conclude:
Pros:
Untouched powder to play in with your friends
Perfect facilities
Big resort, plenty of runs for all levels
Can cruise to cool little Swiss town on the other side of the mountain.
Cons:
Expensive
No cheap accom = not many young seasoners or tourists
Middle aged men everywhere
No train in the valley
In final, if you want to go to a resort to ride and have the cash then Ischgl is for you. If you would like to include partying to your holiday then shop around.
September 17, 2008
ERLA from
Iceland
ERLA from
Iceland
Went to Ischgl last February on my fourth time and enjoyed it a lot. Prices have gone up a lot !!!! and where did all those people come from ???
To my surprise the Sammnau slopes were better looked after than on the Ischgl side - Strange discovery. Even though I m an expert skier and love the black runs on the Ischgl side, I preferred to ski on the Sammnau slopes this time.
Next year I'm going somewhere cheaper and where there are fewer people.
April 25, 2008
Vilius
Vilius
I were there 3 times and all of them were just cool. The story started 8 years ago, when I was only 9 years old and I was just a beginner and it was amazing. We liked this place so much that we got back here and it was maybe 4 years ago. Last time was the best and that was this year. Slopes were just amazing, it helped me to learn snowboarding easier and of course, very nice thing was it's a special place where you can learn jumping. Night life and people who go to Ischgl is also very friendly and nice. We lived near a first "bahn", strategically best place. Clubs: ammmm, when I was there, pacha wasn't working yet, but fire&ice is also good, nice girls, tasty obstler. Now it is 25th April, after two days I will go to Ischgl for another time this year. And I think that I will enjoy my trip. Last skiing week in Ischgl must be great.
February 08, 2008
JM from
United Kingdom
JM from
United Kingdom
There's no two ways about it - Ischgl is just absolutely fantastically brilliant. Amazing ski area, fast and efficient lift system, no queues at all, great food and drink up the mountain (not on the Swiss side though - expensive).
The apres-ski and night life, my friends... legendary, out of this world. Why anyone would ever go skiing in France is utterly beyond me - not a clue. At the end of the day, come down on the Fimba side of town and go to the Schatzi Bar - "Apres Ski mit Go-Go-Girls". It is MAD in there! Indoor fireworks, girls dancing on platforms, great tunes... Everyone has a fabulous time. In the evenings, head for Pacha. Brilliant.
The bottom line is, there are no bad points. Ischgl is just about perfect, which is proven by the fact that it's virtually impossible to get a room. They must be doing something right!
January 22, 2008
John Bauer from
USA - California
John Bauer from
USA - California
Revised from earlier review:
Visited Ischgl from Jan 5 2008 to Jan 12, 2008. The slopes are magnificent and you can go to Switzerland to visit from the top of the mountain. Prices, in general, are expensive compared to the dollar but that is due to Bush and can't be helped. Altitude is around 1400 meters or 4620 feet, which is not too high. However, you can easily get out of breath if you're not in shape. The ski slope starts at 7200 feet. If you get a multiple day pass, don’t forget to return the pass to the machine and you get 5 Euros back. Beats me why they would want it back but the cards is an RFI card so they probably re-use it. The lifts are mostly chairs. However, there are quads, sixes and even an 8 person chair. There are only a few T-bar lifts and Poma lifts on the beginner slopes.
If you are in town go to the Hotel Sonne and ask for Iva, the blond Czech bartender. She's very friendly and can chat with the best. She speaks 4 languages. The food was also great. They had a two piece band with Dagmar the singer from Slovenia and a keyboard player, didn’t get his name. They sing all the German oldies and some Motown too, pretty fun entertainment. The Russians dance like crazy when a Russian song comes on.
This time period coincided with the Russian Christmas and the town was 80% full of Russians. They were very friendly and out to have good time. They bring the whole family, including grandma.
The main discos are Fire and Ice and Kuhlstahl (cow stall?). They are packed with kids, so if you want an older crowd the restaurant bars are the better places to be. The apres-ski is great at Trofana, but you have to get there early at around 4:00 pm straight from the slopes because it gets so crowded that you cannot walk, but have to body swim. Ask for Heinz, he is the only guy in town that knows how to make a decent vodka martini. However, you have to bring your own olives because he does not sell enough martinis to stock olives, he’ll have onions though. If you let him know that you’ll be back the next day, he will reserve a place at the bar for you, which is where you want to be instead of upstairs. They throw everybody out at 6:50 pm to clean up and get ready for dinner because it's also a restaurant.
We stayed in Galtur, the site of a massive avalanche in Feb 1999 and the room was 28.00 Euros per night at Frau Niedermeier's Pension ([email protected]; tel: 004354438322). The single room was small but included a bathroom, but don't forget to bring soap and shampoo because it is not included. The cab ride from Galtur to Ischgl is 20.00 Euros for a 10 minutes ride and cabs are available at all hours. We also skied at Kappl and they had the best slopes because they faced south and were sunny the entire day until 4:00 pm when the lifts closed. We skied Galtur also but this was not as nice because it was in the shadow the entire day.
All in all, I would not hesitate to come back because everyone was so friendly. The food was great and the skiing was outstanding with 3 separate areas that can be skied on the same ski pass. Of course, Ischgl is the biggest and best but if you want to avoid the crowds try Galtur and Kappl.
January 09, 2008
KKS from
France
KKS from
France
Dec 2007 2nd week: Ischgl off-piste skiing rocks and is now on my list of top 2 ski stations in Europe - 5 continuous days of 1-3ft consistent pow. Freshies nearly every run.....500m tree lines to carving GS turns in 2ft of powder down classic 1000m big mountain open terrain. And, though usually not a hindrance for accessing the goods, unbelievably NO hiking for our turns the whole week. Our crew of 10 hombres enjoyed the hospitality and service of the Wolf family and staff at the Olympia Hotel - what a great value (Euro70/night x 5 nights for xlnt full buffet breakfast and consistently delicious 4-course dinner; spacious, clean, well appointed rooms, 200m from tram and main village. Must take the pleasant and scenic backside piste down to Samnaun for lunch......especially charming if with a family. Great on slopes dining for all budgets. Euro15 also buys you a single entry to the must-go-to wellness spa facility at the Madelein Hotel. Can't comment on the nightlife and apres-ski, but a good time was had by all. (By the way, the other top pick of overall ski stations with heavy weighting on the off-piste skiing quality are in the Engadine Valley/St.Moritz area.) Peace, love, and powder!
December 23, 2007
Andrew from
United Kingdom
Andrew from
United Kingdom
Having just returned from a week's fantastic skiing at Samnaun / Ischgl, I'd just like to say what a brilliant ski area it is. A brand new Fimbabahn up from the town, no queues at all and great snow accompanied by 6 days of sun-filled skiing. Enough piste and off-piste to satisfy anyone, and stunning views from the new Pardorama restaurant and Trida Sattel.
My only grumble is the prices in Samnaun's restaurants are on the steep side - €9.40 for 2 sausages and chips in the Alp Trida is a bit cheeky in my opinion. However, I got the impression there are plenty of people willing to pay it, as well as go into Samnaun Dorf itself and pay €750+ for ski wear...
April 06, 2007
Rod Grinsted from
United Kingdom
Rod Grinsted from
United Kingdom
Ischgl is a hidden gem. We were there in the 1st week of April and the snow conditions were amazing, especially given that 2006/2007 has been no better than average. The lift system is very efficient with fast 4/6/8 seater chairs that get you away from the main gondola stations quickly. The apres-ski and clubbing is every bit as good as some other reviews have indicated, with the Khustall at the centre of the action from 4:00pm. One draw back is the late night noise when the clubs close. If you aren't there and want to get some sleep, make sure to take ear plugs!! Having said that, Ischgl is a great ski resort and one we will definately be returning to.
March 14, 2006
jc from
United Kingdom
jc from
United Kingdom
Whilst the off-piste is not as good as its near neighbour St Anton, the on-piste skiing is as good and off the slopes in the bars Ischgl is definately 5 star. The lift system is very efficient, the views great, especially on the long run down into Samnaun. Not many cosy little restaurants on the pistes though. Ischgl also is one of the most snow sure resorts around, usually open from the end of November to the beginning of May, and no glacier skiing. Only negative with the skiing is the two runs from the middle station back to the village often icy, narrow in places and full of those who would be better off getting the gondola down from the mid station.
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