Probably the most important savings measures are those that you make before your trip: namely the "when" and the "where". Even if you might not feel like it in summer, if you already know in July that you want to carve your turns on the slopes in winter, you should book as early as possible. Many hotels and ski resorts offer early booking discounts - and these can be considerably cheaper than regular bookings. So sit down at your laptop, book your accommodation and enjoy the discounts.
It's clear: vacation resorts are full at Christmas, New Year or during the carnival vacations. If you are not tied to school vacations, you can save considerable sums when traveling in the off-season. Prices for accommodation and ski passes are often much cheaper outside these periods. And the slopes are less crowded. So why not spend New Year at home and strap on your skis a little later?
Everything is organized on site, but the question remains: How do I get to Tyrol? Instead of spending a lot of money on fuel, tolls and parking, you can save money on the journey there. For example, by booking a train or bus early enough. Here, too, there are often discounts for groups or early bookers. So: download podcasts, collect some cards and make yourself comfortable on public transport.
Once you have decided on a location and organized your journey, the big question arises: how do you get skis, ski boots and helmets to Tyrol? Renting locally saves space on the journey, but is also correspondingly expensive. If you ski more often, you could invest in your own equipment in advance. Instead of buying new ski equipment, for which you can quickly spend a four-figure sum, we recommend numerous second-hand stores or online platforms with used skis, poles, helmets and ski clothing. These are often in good condition and cost a fraction of the new price. If you live in Munich, you can let off steam at the DAV ski flea market, for example: Here you can sell and buy used equipment twice a year. In addition to inexpensive equipment and clothing, you can also find alpine mountain sports literature and maps to get you in the mood for your vacation.
St. Anton, Kitzbühel and Sölden - a popular ski resort with great slopes naturally drives up the prices of the surrounding hotels and huts. One option is to choose accommodation in a smaller, less well-known resort close to a ski area - and then commute. Sure, it's convenient to get to the slopes quickly. But you can also romanticize a morning journey together: for example, with a shared playlist, a deck of cards or researching the best huts for a Kaiserschmarren.
It doesn't necessarily have to be an alpine luxury hotel: Hotels with food and spa are of course convenient, but also have a price tag to match - especially if meals are included. How about a self-catering hut? Shopping together, cooking in the kitchen and eating dinner at your "own" dining table in front of the fireplace adds an extra dose of hut romance. Self-catering huts are not only a lot cheaper, you also feel much more like a local and less like a tourist.
All in one go: many ski resorts offer special combined offers where ski passes, equipment and accommodation are cheaper as a package. This is great for the ski resorts, as they generate more revenue when bundled together, and practical for guests who don't have to search for their equipment in different places. Such deals are often cheaper than booking all components separately. For example, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser offers packages with accommodation, ski pass, accommodation and meals, staggered according to the number of nights.
The more the merrier - at least when it comes to discounts. If you apply for ski passes with a group of 20 people or more, for example, you can save a lot. Many ski resorts and accommodation providers reward the purchase of passes in bulk and offer discounts for larger groups or families. For example, in Sölden you get 12% on groups of 20 people or more, in Zillertal 10% from 11 people. Some ski resorts even offer groups additional benefits, such as special access to the lifts, guided ski tours or even discounts on ski hire, ski courses or food and drink. What's more, skiing in a group is much more fun than skiing alone!
The little things add up - such as a lavish lunch at the hut. Another schnapps, a dessert, a side dish - that's easily 30 euros per person. If you don't feel like forking out money for food every day, you can prepare a winter snack. It doesn't always have to be bland bread and cheese. Many dishes can simply be taken up the mountain with you. For example, stuffed tortilla wraps with chicken breast, salad, avocado, omelette with nut butter, jam or cream cheese. Or a warm meal such as lentil soup, vegetable stew or chili in a thermos flask - this provides soothing warmth and energy during cold mountain breaks.
Don't fancy crowded slopes and expensive ski passes? In some smaller ski areas or around individual, serviced huts, there are marked routes for ski tourers where you can climb and ski down the mountain without a ski pass. This is not only environmentally friendly, but also much cheaper than ski passes. These routes are often accessible free of charge, or you only have to pay a small parking fee. In contrast to open mountain terrain, however, the routes are secured against alpine dangers - and often they also allow you to use the groomed slopes for the descent. If you have never done a ski tour before, you can take advantage of one of the many offers in the ski resorts, where you are led up the mountain and back down again by a guide on secured ski tours.
Attention frequent skiers: Tirol offers the Tirol Snow Card for all those who want to regularly jet down the slopes. 970 euros (for adults) sounds like a proud price at first. However, a regular day ski pass in larger Tyrolean ski resorts costs an average of 60 euros per day. This means that the Tirol Snow Card is worthwhile from around 16 ski days in the season. So if you are planning to spend more than 16 days in various ski resorts in Tirol, you can save money with the Snow Card.
Yes, there are certain days of the week in Tirol when skiing can be cheaper. Some ski resorts offer special discounts or concessions on certain days of the week. Special ski pass offers are often advertised on Wednesdays or Thursdays to attract more locals and day visitors. These days are often considered "locals' ski days" and prices for ski passes can be lower on these days. Of course, these offers can also be booked by guests - who also enjoy lower prices.