Ski Trips
Innsbruck
Set in the heart of the Tyrol region, Innsbruck is conveniently placed for accessing some of the best resorts in Austria, from Mayrhofen to Solden. Just over an hour away is Kitzbühel and the famous Hahnenkamm downhill racecourse with its steep pistes suited to intermediate and expert skiers. Thrills of a different variety can be sought out at the Bergisel ski jumping facility on the outskirts of Innsbruck, where you can enjoy the incredible views of the Inn valley from its top-floor panorama restaurant.
Friedrichshafen
Near to the Swiss and Austrian borders, Friedrichshafen is in close proximity to many of the Alps’ most famous resorts, from Klosters to St Anton. The fashionable town of Lech may be best known as a home from home for the Royal Family, but it also has a dedicated terrain park for boarders and freestyle skiers and some of the best off-piste terrain on the continent. A word of advice: Lech has a ‘skiers per piste’ limit, so it’s best to hit the slopes as early as possible.
Munich
The city renowned for its annual Oktoberfest beer festival (which is confusingly held in September) is also a popular travel hub for out-of-season skiing and snowboarding. The Stubai glacier – around an hour and a half’s drive from the airport – provides excellent snow year-round thanks to its high altitude, and its Top of Tyrol viewing platform at 3,210m provides awe-inspiring 360-degree views of the Alps. Slightly further afield is the Austrian resort of Obertauern which, thanks to its similarly lofty position, is a reliable destination for early and late season snow.
Grenoble
In summer, the historic city of Grenoble plays host to cultural festivals, hikers and mountain bikers, but in the winter it becomes a stop-off for several world-class ski resorts including Val d’Isere, Tignes, La Plagne and Meribel, all of which are around two to three hours away by car or bus. Closest to the airport is Alpe d’Huez, which not only features a 16km ski run – the longest anywhere in the Alps – but an array of other mountain activities including ice skating and a large heated outdoor pool. On a clear day it is said that a fifth of France can be seen from the top of the mountain.
