Travel to Kitzbuhel with travel insurance from Essential Travel

Ski resorts in Kitzbuhel

Kitzbuhel is a world-renowned ski resort situated 86kms east of Innsbruck, in the province of Tyrol. The resort is famous for its fabulous intermediate slopes and its wild nightlife, and is widely known as the country’s winter entertainment capital, with an enormous range of après-ski venues on offer.

Kitzbuhel town is a picturesque Tyrolean village, complete with cobbled streets and attractive architectural façades. The central area of town is partially surrounded by a 12th century stone wall, evidence of Kitzbuhel’s ancient legacy. The town is divided into two main sections – the historical area, with a charming, romantic atmosphere, and the modern area, which is buzzing with vibrant activity.

Kitzbuhel boasts a vast ski area, with 56 runs spread out over 158kms of pistes. Of these, 30 per cent are allocated to beginners, 30 per cent to intermediates, 30 per cent to advanced skiers, and 10 per cent to experts. The longest run in the resort is just under seven kilometres, and the slopes are serviced by six gondolas and 27 chairlifts.

Kitzbuhel is famous for its fantastic après-ski programme, drawing visitors to the ski resort from far and wide. A multitude of bars and discos provide entertainment until the early hours of the morning, and for many guests the nightlife is as important as the skiing itself.

In addition to party venues, Kitzbuhel offers a vast range of alternative activities to fill off-slope hours, including hot air balloon trips, ice-skating, sleigh rides, curling, hiking, indoor swimming and tennis, squash, saunas and snowshoeing. Accommodation in town is plentiful and diverse, ranging from top-class hotels to affordable guesthouses.

The ski season in Kitzbuhel runs from early December to mid-April. The cheapest rates are offered at the beginning of the season until December 19, and after March 15. The most convenient way to reach Kitzbuhel is to fly to Salzburg, Innsbruck or Munich airports and complete the journey by road or rail.

Skiing in Kitzbuhel

Kitzbuhel ski resort is located in the Austrian province of Tyrol, 86kms east of Innsbruck. The resort is valued by visitors for its quality intermediate slopes and its vibrant nightlife, with a vast array of restaurants and bars providing one of the most happening après-ski scenes in Austria.

Kitzbuhel’s slopes are diverse, providing skiing opportunities for all levels of expertise. There are 158kms in total, distributed amongst 56 well-groomed pistes. Thirty per cent of ski slopes are geared for beginners, 30 per cent for intermediates, and 30 per cent for advanced skiers. The remaining 10 per cent of pistes are testing black runs designed for extremely experienced skiers.

In addition to the downhill runs in Kitzbuhel, there is a decent amount of trail skiing catering chiefly to intermediates, with a few scattered expert routes. Snowboarders are also well looked after in Kitzbuhel, with a permanent 450m boarder cross-course with 100m of vertical, 100-metre half-pipe, and 14 competition obstacles on Brunellenfeld.

The season for skiing in Kitzbuhel extends from early December to mid-April, with optimal conditions between mid-February and mid-March, and lowest rates offered before December 19 and after mid-March. There are a number of practical options for transportation to Kitzbuhel, the most convenient of which is to fly to Innsbruck and take rail transportation to the resort.

Apres-ski in Kitzbuhel

The après-ski scene in Kitzbuhel is nothing short of legendary - the resort has an international reputation as the winter entertainment capital of Austria. There are a huge number of restaurants, bars and dancehalls in the town, and even a casino, providing electric nightlife until 02:00. Accommodation ranges from luxury hotels and lodges to modest guesthouses to suit the more restrictive budget.

The skiing in Kitzbuhel is just the tip of the entertainment iceberg – the resort offers a wealth of winter activities to delight and amuse visitors. There is a cinema in town, and a huge variety of potential pastimes, including hot air balloon trips, ice-skating, sleigh rides, curling, hiking, indoor swimming and tennis, squash, saunas and snowshoeing.

Sightseeing opportunities abound in the Tyrol region, which is permeated with quaint hamlets and spectacular scenery. The Heimatmuseum, in Kitzbuhel town itself, is built on the site of a former medieval castle, and traces the history and culture of the area through the ages. Farther afield, the neighbouring ski resort of Kirchberg provides good skiing on usually uncrowded slopes, and has a striking church that is worth visiting.

Transportation to Kitzbuhel

Kitzbuhel is located close to three major cities (80kms from Salzburg, 90kms from Innsbruck, and 125kms from Munich), making it easily accessible. The resort can be reached by road or rail, or by a combination of air transportation and one of the former options.

If you opt for taking your car all the way from the UK, you’ll first need to transport your vehicle by car ferry to the French port of Calais. Kitzbuhel is located just over 1,100kms (about a day’s drive) from Calais, along high quality motorways.

An alternative option is to fly to Salzburg or Innsbruck and hire a car to complete the journey to Kitzbuhel. From Innsbruck, take the A12 motorway east, as far as the junction with Route 312 heading to Ellmau. After bypassing Ellmau, continue east to the junction with Route 342. Take Route 342 south to Kitzbühel. From Salzburg, take the E-60, B-312 and B-161 motorways to access the resort.

The European rail network is efficient, affordable and comfortable, and there are train connections all the way from London to Kitzbuhel. The Eurostar leaves Waterloo station daily for Paris; from gare de l’Est in the French capital, you can take an overnight train to Munich. Regular Eurocity trains travel from Munich to Innsbruck. From here, several trains daily make the one-hour trip to Kitzbuhel.

Salzburg International is the closest airport to Kitzbuhel; from here there are regular transfers into the city. Numerous trains and buses go direct from Salzburg to Kitzbuhel. Trains take approximately 2 hours, 30 minutes to reach the ski resort; buses are quicker but less comfortable.

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