How to prepare for a Ski Trip (I)

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

Because we are in full winter season we have chosen an interesting topic that raises many questions. How do we plan a ski trip? Where are we going? How much does it cost? How much does the skipass cost? What accommodation are we looking for? How much would it cost? Are we going by car or by plane? These questions are natural and occur when you decide to plan your trip.

Once you have determined where you want to go, you can take all these and analyze them. Collect all the necessary information, without haste, if you want your trip to be successful and give yourself time to set all the details.

For this season we chose to go to the Stubai Valley in Austria. We are talking about a traditional tourist area and the famous „Top of Tirol” with an altitude of over 3000m, where you can enjoy an absolutely sensational panorama. Personally I prefer car excursions, but of course it depends on everyone’s convenience. I like to stop on the road, have a cup of coffee, maybe even stay overnight in a small and cute little village in Austria, or, why not, make a shopping session if we are not on a tight schedule.

If you choose to drive, you need to consider the fact that you will need vignetes valid for at least a week for both Hungary and Austria. In addition, you have to calculate your fuel requirement and see which variant is most convenient for you. If you choose the plane, you need to search for tickets early and see which is the closest airport to the resort you choose to go, if you need a car and what would be the luggage costs or costs for the sports equipment.

I can tell a lot of things about the Stubai Valley, it is not the first time we choose this place. The destination is about 1200km from our hometown, which will mean a journey of at least 12 hours by car. This requires adequate rest before this long journey.

The Stubai Valley is about 15 kilometers from the Tyrolean capital Innsbruck and is easily accessible on the Brenner motorway. It stretches on 35 kilometers deep in the Stubai Alps with 80 glaciers and 109 peaks over three thousand meters. The atmosphere is quiet, outlined by the five main cities Neustift, Fulpmes, Telfes, Mieders and Schoenberg. Those who choose to spend a holiday here have all chances to relax and spend a nice vacation. The clean air and the spectacular panorama to the glacier turn a stay here in unforgettable moments. Due to altitude and infrastructure, the region is the ideal holiday destination for winter sports enthusiasts as well as for active people in general.

Regarding accommodation, the suggestion would be to find one located between the mentioned cities in the valley. I chose an accommodation in Neustift, which is about 15 minutes from the glacier. You can use the ski bus that runs regularly. You do not have to drive yourself and you can enjoy a mulled wine or a cold beer at one of the apres skies. Safety comes first!

For accommodation, I strongly suggest using the www.stubai.at site. (Https://www.stubai.at/en/accommodations/). I did this at the suggestion of a very nice lady from Fulpmes who owns a holiday home and where we were guests in 2014. We received lots of offers from Stubai Touristik and we managed to choose the best option for us, a beautiful and perfectly equipped apartment belonging to the Gleirscher family. In addition, after paying the advance, we received the confirmation of the reservation from the owner by phone.

If you want to check the condition of the slopes, I suggest you visit the same website. Here you will find all the slopes in the area and you can choose where you want to spend more time on the piste: https://www.stubai.at/info-service/anlagen/

About the Stubai Glacier • The largest ski area on a glacier area in Austria • 45 minutes from Innsbruck • Snow guarantee from October to June • 26 cableway installations • 35 posibillities of descent for maximum experience • The longest 10 km descent with an altitude difference of 1500 m from the Wildspitz Upper Station (3,210 m) to the Talstation Valley at 1,695 m • family ski camp BIG Camp: child care from 3 to 15 years old • Stubai ZOO snowpark area for pro, intermediate and light • Powder department: 13 GPS Tracked Runs • Stubai Ice Cave where you experience the fascinating experience of the glacier • TOP TOP TYROL platform at 3,210 m • Culinary diversity at the highest level: a variety of restaurants • INTERSPORT Glacier Stubai Shop, Rent, Service, Depot 4x directly in the ski resort • Children under the age of ten travel free of charge if they are accompanied by a parent who has paid a skipass To be continued Text Ileana Bocu   Foto source: TVB Stubai © Andre Schönherr / © eye5.at Christoph Schöech / © Stefan Eigner Information was provided by www.stubai.at