ALL ABOARD THE ALPEN EXPRESS TO AUSTRIA
19th January 2020 | James Cove, By Train to the Ski Welt
Last modified on May 16th, 2021
PlanetSKI takes a new rail route to the Tirol as we head to the mighty Ski Welt. Check out the ride & our first day on the slopes.
This one is an overnight train from Amsterdam in Holland to the heart of the Tirol.
First it’s the Eurostar train from London to Amsterdam.
Alpen Express to the Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI.
A late morning train from St Pancras, arriving in Amsterdam late afternoon.
4-hours of relaxation sitting on a train travelling at speeds in excess of 200mph – chilling, reading and a bit of surfing on the internet.
Followed by a fabulous meal at the 1Klass restaurant by the platform in Amsterdam as we awaited the sleeper train.
The romance of rail travel.
Alpen Express to the Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI.
Alpen Express to the Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI.
And then we’re off.
The couchettes are plenty comfortable enough once you are bedded in.
Alpen Express to the Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI.
And if you fancy a drink (or two, three, four…) there is, of course, the party carriage.
Alpen Express to the Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI.
And in the morning coffee is served.
Morning coffee. Image © PlanetSKI.
“The Alpen Express has a variety of quality couchette accommodation and a bar-disco on board,” says Daniel Elkan, founder of the independent rail-ski guide Snowcarbon.
“It’s a fantastic way to reach superb Tirolean ski terrain and a real step forward for sustainable travel to the slopes; making the journey part of the holiday”.
And as dawn breaks we speed through the Tirol.
Alpen Express to the Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI.
Arriving at 8am with fresh snow on the ground.
Alpen Express to the Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI.
See here for an earlier PlanetSKI story on the Alpen Express with links to our other journeys to the mountains by train:
New sleeper train to Tirol ski resorts
So, what awaits us?
3-days in the SkiWelt with its resorts of Söll, Westendorf, Hopfgarten, Itter, Ellmau, Going, Scheffau and Brixen im Thale.
We skied it last winter and loved it.
And have posted about all that is new for this winter.
And now we are back for more.
Fresh snow was falling as I headed up to the slopes after the rail journey.
Check back over the next few days as we report from the 284kms of the SkiWelt.
UPDATE:
It was a bit of a murky old day, but the forecast for the rest of the week is blue sky all the way so I could put up with a bit of fog.
SkiWelt, Tirol, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI.
And I had the place pretty much to myself.
SkiWelt, Tirol, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI.
Here are a couple more images from the day as the snow fell in Austria.
SkiWelt, Tirol, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI.
SkiWelt, Tirol, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI.
And as darkness fell it was time for a bit of this.
Night skiing on the pistes above Soll in the SkiWelt.
It is Austria’s largest night skiing area.
Be rude not to really….
The resort offers it from Wednesday to Saturday.
The slopes are open from 6.30 – 9.30.
Worth every cent in my opinion.
Night skiing in the SkiWelt. Image © PlanetSKI.
And tomorrow?
The sun is due out and from what I saw today when the clouds lifted it should be rather special
SkiWelt, Tirol, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI.
Do check back as PlanetSKI takes a tour and an in-depth look at the SkiWelt.
All 284kms and 90 lifts of it.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
See here for more about the SkiWelt.
And here for the Austria National Tourist Office
Eurostar
Tickets from London St Pancras to Amsterdam start from £35.00 one way
This journey takes four hours and seven minutes
Alpen Express
Tickets from Amsterdam to Wörgl start from €90 one way
The train departs at 18:59 from Amsterdam on Friday evening and arrives at 07:47 at Wörgl on Saturday morning
The full Alpen Express journey time is 12 hours and 48 minutes
The service runs every week, with the first departure on Friday 20th December 2019 and the final inbound journey on Saturday 14th March 2020
See the full details here.
Accommodation was in Hopfgarten at the Das Hohe Salve Sportresort
During the winter (when the Alpen Express runs), prices start at €160 per person per night.
