Travel to Alpbachtal with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Located between Innsbruck and Kufstein, Alpbachtal ski resort is set on a plateau in the beautiful Alpbach Valley that runs south from the Inn Valley.

Known as Austria’s most beautiful village, Alpbachtal has lots of charm, great scenery, friendly locals, pretty buildings and a good ambience. Facilities are extensive and the towns of Rattenburg and Brixlegg have particularly good shopping services, with sports shops, boutiques and supermarkets.

The slopes offer intermediates and beginners the best choice, making Alpbachtal an ideal family venue. There is some off-piste powder for experts, while snowboarders have much to amuse them, with two parks and two half-pipes. There are 45kms of pistes, the longest of which is eight kilometres, and all are served by two gondolas, seven chairlifts and 13 surface lifts that move 20,000 people per hour.

There is plenty of opportunity for alternative skiing in the neighbouring Ziller Valley, with 700kms of fantastic pistes available on the Kitzbuheler Alpen Pass. Those interested in crystal blowing and cutting should head for the nearby villages of Rattenberg and Brixlegg farther down the Alpbach Valley. Innsbruck is one of the most attractive cities of Alpine Europe and offers great sightseeing away from the slopes.

The ski season at Alpbachtal ski resort runs from December to April, with special rates in mid-December and spring. The most convenient means for getting to Alpbach is to fly to Innsbruck and hire a car.

Skiing in Alpbachtal

Situated to the east of Innsbruck, in the Tyrol province, Alpbachtal is a family-friendly ski resort with extensive beginner and intermediate level runs over 45kms of fantastic ski and snowboard terrain. There is also plenty of challenging off-piste for experts and thrill-seekers.

Alpbachtal’s slopes stretch across 1,100m of vertical mountain and its 45kms of pistes are divided into 25 per cent for beginners, 65 per cent for intermediates and 10 per cent for advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders. Twenty-two lifts have an hourly capacity for 20,000 people and service all pistes, the longest of which is eight kilometres. Additionally, there are 74kms of superb cross-country trails.

Alpbachtal is both charming and picturesque and was once voted Austria’s most beautiful Alpine village. Friendly locals and pretty buildings create a wonderful ambience and lodgings are offered in hotels and guesthouses, some of which are slope-side, with a total of 7,000 beds available.

The December to April ski season at Alpbachtal has its best snow conditions in February and cheaper weeks at the beginning and towards the end of the season. Munich is the gateway airport and there are regular trains to Worgl, from where buses go to the villages.

Après-ski in Alpbachtal

There are 7,000 beds in mostly hotels and guesthouses, many of which are family-run and very welcoming; the more expensive lodgings are near the slopes. Childcare is of a high standard and non-ski activities include ice-skating, hiking and swimming. There are many old-fashioned eateries up the mountain, but a more limited choice in the resort, where the après-ski is lively, but not excessive.

Alpbachtal also offers the snowboarder two snow parks with two half-pipes, while other non-ski traditional off-snow activities and facilities include: 40kms of winter hiking paths, ice-skating, snowshoeing, two sled runs, and horse-drawn sleigh rides.

Transportation in Alpbachtal

Alpbachtal ski resort is located in the province of Tyrol, 55kms east of Innsbruck, and is only directly accessible by road. The quickest way here is to fly to Innsbruck and hire a car; while flying to Munich and using public transport is more practical. Self-drive is also popular, as is international rail travel.

Alpbachtal is 440kms from Vienna, 130kms from Munich and 770kms from Paris, and is serviced by the (A-12) Innsbruck autobahn, part of the European network. If driving from the UK, the quickest route from Calais goes via Reims, Metz, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Munich and Rosenheim. The A-93 and A-12 go south from here towards Innsbruck, where exit 32 takes you to the B-171 and L-5 for Alpbachtal (1,100kms; 10 to 11 hours).

If you are coming by train, the Internationaler Schnellzug goes to Mulhouse from Paris (gare de l’Est), from where a regional train goes on to Zurich. From Zurich, take the Innsbruck-bound train and then the regular service to Jenbach (nearest station to Alpbachtal). Eurostar trains from London to Paris go from Waterloo station and terminate at Paris, Nord.

Innsbruck Airport is the nearest, but limited flight options make Munich-FJ Strauss Airport a better option. Trains go from Munich Airport to the city, from where services go to Worgl and Jenbach. Take a bus from either of these stations to Alpbachtal ski resort. Alpbachtal is a two-hour drive (170kms) from Munich Airport, via the Munich bypass, then the A-8, A-93 and A-12 autobahns.

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