Ski vacation: tips for an unforgettable winter sports trip

Adventure and relaxation during your ski vacation

A ski holiday is a great opportunity to enjoy the winter while practicing a sporting activity. Enjoy impressive mountain scenery and sporting challenges on the slopes. Then relax in luxury hotels or chalets. The ideal ski vacation combines adventure, comfort and special moments in nature. In this article, you'll learn everything you need to know to enjoy a relaxed and safe stay in the world's best ski resorts. We offer a comprehensive overview of the best ski resorts and accommodation, as well as useful tips and a packing list for your ski vacation. Your stay in the mountains and valleys will be unforgettable!

How to make your skiing vacation a special experience? 

• The best resorts for an exceptional ski vacation: world-famous resorts such as St. Moritz, Gstaad, Sölden, Ischgl and Aspen offer perfect slopes, first-class gastronomy and exceptional accommodation for your ski vacation.
• Comfortable accommodation for exclusive ski vacations: choose between stylish luxury hotels and private chalets. You'll find spacious living areas, direct access to the slopes, wellness offers and concierge services.
• Stay safe on the slopes: follow the FIS rules of the road. Secure the scene of an accident, react quickly and cautiously in an emergency. And always take avalanche warnings seriously.
• What to pack for a ski holiday: weatherproof clothing, ski or snowboard equipment, sun protection and safety equipment such as helmets and protectors. 

The best resorts for exclusive ski vacations 
 

Do you dream of luxurious ski vacations and unique experiences? Here we present the most beautiful and popular ski areas in Austria, Switzerland and the USA: perfectly prepared slopes, first-class restaurants, luxurious accommodation and exclusive wellness offers. The perfect combination of sporting challenge and first-class service. 

St. Moritz, Canton Graubünden, Switzerland 

With its 87 slopes, St. Moritz is one of the largest winter sports regions in the Alps. The four main ski areas of Corviglia - Piz Nair, Corvatsch - Furtschellas, Diavolezza and Lagalb and five smaller areas offer unlimited fun for beginners, experienced skiers and families. In the upper Engadine valley, beginners can learn to ski and snowboard and rack up their first kilometers of piste. The Salastrains piste in the Corviglia ski area is ideal for this. 

Gstaad, Canton Bern, Switzerland

The Gstaad ski area boasts a total of 200 kilometers of slopes. Along with Glacier 3000, the only glacier ski area in the Bernese Oberland, Gstaad is one of the region's top ski destinations. At La Videmanette, the longest downhill run in the region awaits you, with its 7.5 kilometers of varied terrain down to the valley and a vertical drop of 1,160 meters. The run is suitable for experienced and less experienced skiers alike. The Gstaad snowpark in Saanenmöser offers snowboarders a wide range of terrain in three different areas. 
 

Sölden, Tyrol, Austria

Sölden is one of Austria's best-known ski areas. Thanks to its altitude of between 1,350 and 3,340 meters, the two glaciers Rettenbachferner and Tiefenbachferner and state-of-the-art snowmaking technology, you're sure to enjoy an extraordinary skiing vacation here. 144 kilometers of prepared slopes offer beginners and experienced skiers alike the best conditions for winter sports. Sölden also impresses with its leisure highlights: the James Bond discovery universe 007 ELEMENTS and the BIG 3 Rally, which allows you to discover three impressive peaks over 3,000 meters in height in a single day.

Ischgl, Tyrol, Austria

Ischgl's Silvretta Arena is one of Tyrol's largest and most varied ski areas. Covering an area of 515 hectares, the 239 kilometers of pistes will delight skiers and snowboarders of all levels. The ski area reaches altitudes of up to 2,872 meters and links the Tyrolean side of Ischgl with the Swiss side of Samnaun in Graubünden. Downhill runs of up to 11 kilometers in length, special trails and exciting snow parks guarantee great diversity. 

Aspen, Colorado, USA

If you want to leave European ski resorts behind and head for the USA instead, Aspen offers a special alternative for your winter vacations. This charming little Colorado town attracts many celebrities and high-net-worth individuals with its four first-rate ski areas and almost 300 runs. With a total of 280 kilometers of slopes, Aspen is a paradise for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. The Face of Bell is a real challenge, while Buttermilk is ideal for relaxed descents. Powder fans will find plenty to do at Aspen Highlands.

Luxury accommodation for your ski vacation

Luxury hotels in exclusive ski resorts offer a first-class location right on the slopes, or with a private shuttle service. Winter sports enthusiasts can also expect spacious rooms and suites, often with panoramic views of the snow-capped mountains. Other amenities such as gourmet restaurants offering fine cuisine, wellness areas with saunas, steam baths and massages, and personalized concierge services make a ski vacation in a luxury hotel an exclusive experience.

Are privacy and exclusivity important to you on your ski vacation? Then private chalets are the ideal accommodation for you. They offer generous living space, often with a private spa, sauna and cook. What's more, they offer direct access to the slopes or a shuttle service. When booking many chalets, 24-hour butler service and amenities such as guided off-piste tours or private ski instructors are included.

Safety rules on the slopes 

To make the most of your skiing vacation, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules of safety on the slopes. The International Ski Federation (FIS) has established clear rules of behavior to prevent accidents on the slopes. Here are the most important rules for skiers and snowboarders:

• Respect other skiers.  
• Adapt your speed and riding style to your own abilities and to terrain conditions.
• Choose your trajectory so as not to endanger anyone.
• Only overtake if you can maintain sufficient distance.
• Drive only if you have a clear view of the traffic upstream and downstream of the runway and are not endangering anyone.
• Stop only at clearly visible points at the edge of the runway.
• Only walk up or down to the edge of the runway. But don't obstruct the descent of other skiers or snowboarders.
• Respect signs and markings.  
• Help in the event of an accident  
• As a witness or person involved in an accident, leave your contact details at the scene of the accident.  

Emergency or accident on the ski slopes: What to do?

Accidents on the slopes can happen at any time. So it's important to act quickly and correctly:

• Secure the accident site: Warn other skiers by planting your skis or ski poles in the snow up the slope, crossing them. In the event of an accident on a difficult-to-see bend, place the warning sign at a sufficient distance. This will make the danger zone visible.
• Give first aid: give first aid immediately if someone is injured. Ideally, you'll have a small first-aid kit in your backpack.
• Call for help: Call the mountain rescue service (Switzerland: 144, Austria: 140) or the European emergency number: 112. Indicate your location, the accident and the condition of the injured person. 
   

Avalanche danger: what to look out for when skiing

Avalanches are not uncommon. So always check the latest avalanche bulletin before planning a day's ski tour. These reports are usually posted at the mountain and valley resorts in your ski area. You can also find the report online by typing the name of your ski area and “avalanche report” into a search engine.

If you suddenly find yourself in an avalanche situation, act quickly and correctly: stay calm and try to get out sideways from the avalanche path. If you're buried by the avalanche, a switched-on avalanche detector can save your life. Make sure all members of your party are familiar with the use of these devices.

European Avalanche Danger Scale

The European Avalanche Danger Scale helps you to correctly assess avalanche risk. The scale has five levels:

1 (low): Favorable conditions, avalanches very unlikely.

2 (moderate): Dangerous areas outside secured pistes, caution on steep slopes.

3 (marked): Avalanches likely on steep slopes.

4 (important): Dangerous conditions, avalanche starts are frequent and possible even on moderately steep slopes.

5 (very important): Very dangerous conditions, large spontaneous avalanches likely. 

Packing list for your ski vacation

With our packing list, you're perfectly prepared for your ski vacation in different weather conditions and know exactly what you need to take with you. In addition to important travel documents, you'll need waterproof clothing, comfortable boots and safety equipment. After all, the right equipment is crucial to your skiing and snowboarding enjoyment. If you're traveling by car, you can transport your ski or snowboard equipment without any problems. If you arrive by train or plane, you can rent the equipment on site.

• Ski clothing and equipment
• Ski or snowboard
• Ski poles
• Ski or snowboard boots
• Helmet (essential for your safety on the slopes)
• Protective gear (back protectors for extra protection)
• Ski goggles with UV protection
• Ski jacket (breathable and waterproof)
• Ski pants (warm and weather-resistant)
• Thermal underwear
• Ski gloves or mittens (insulating and waterproof)
• scarf or multifunctional scarf (protection against wind and cold)
• hat or headband (for moments without a helmet)
• Useful accessories
• Rucksack
• Thermos jug
• Snacks (e.g. energy bars)
• Sunscreen with high protection factor
• Lip balm with UV protection
• Tissues
• First-aid kit
• Avalanche search device (for off-piste)
• Travel documents and insurance
• Identity card or passport
• Ski passes
• Booking confirmations
• Travel insurance 

How can you make your skiing vacation exceptional, relaxed and safe?

A ski holiday offers many opportunities to enjoy winter nature, do sport and relax at the same time. Whether in the exclusive ski areas of St. Moritz, Gstaad, Sölden, Ischgl or Aspen, each of these resorts combines first-class slopes, quality service and a luxurious ambience. For a trouble-free winter sports vacation, remember the luggage list and the rules of conduct on the slopes. And protect yourself with ski insurance.