Essential Life Hacks for Skiing in Europe
INTRO
Skiing in Europe can be different: lift line flow, ski insurance, ski rentals, boot warmers, ski pass deposits, week-long vacations, resort signage, the tourism office. It can be confusing for first timers. For the uninitiated, this is your essential life hack guide to European skiing.
TLDR
Lift lines: cut everyone (politely). It’s not only allowed, it’s encouraged.
Ski insurance: insurance is mandatory in some regions. Fortunately, you can often purchase what you need at the ski pass counter.
Ski rentals: generally, it’s wiser to rent at your resort rather than bring your own. Less hassle, less cost, better equipment for the conditions and terrain.
Boot warmers: a standard European luxury - just do it correctly.
Ski pass deposits: return your ski pass and buy a beer.
Resort signage: like European road signs, once you learn the system it’s actually simple. If it’s still hard, hire a ski sommelier who knows where to go.
Tourism office: your English-speaking friends who will open surprisingly awesome doors.
Vacation duration: Europeans get more vacation than us (by law); do yourself a favor and invest in at least a full week.
Booking lodging: travel aggregator sites work, but your best results come from local online resources and e-mail.
Communications: save coin by downloading an e-SIM; T-Mobile offers free unlimited 4G data in Europe, but other US carriers charge $10 per day or more.
House Shoes. It’s rude to wear ski boots in the hotel and to wear outdoor shoes throughout the hotel. Use the ski/boot room for boots and wear designated “house shoes” in common areas.
Ski Busses. Europeans are champions of public infrastructure and transit. Ski busses can take you everywhere, but know the local rules. Usually they are free, but in some regions a small fee is required.
Cut the Line. Seriously.
“I’ll never ski in Europe again. Everyone steps on your skis and nobody stands in an organized line.” - Chad, a North American skier who has never felt the giddy thrill of cutting off a disorganized family of four.
The scene: you arrive at a ski lift in the Arlberg. It’s high season. There are 100 people jumbled together in a mass of tangled humanity. There is no “line”. What do you do?
Give up? ‘Course not.
Complain/Whinge? Please don’t.
Merge into the middle of the mass like a rugby player? It’s one technique.
Quietly slide around either the left or right side of the mass, cutting in front of half the people in line, and gracefully merge into the first couple ranks organizing themselves to fill the seats. Yes!
I am not joking. Ski culture is different in Europe. Please embrace it. Nobody will be angry with you for being efficient (especially in Teutonic cultures, including northern Italy). If you’re not alert, someone will definitely cut you. Don’t take it personally. Cut someone else.
The principle is simple. The objective of a lift is to carry as many passengers as possible to the top of the mountain as quickly as possible. That means act like water. Fill every seat.
Again, fill every seat! Especially when a line actually forms, which in Europe is rare - usually only during peak days and times. You do NOT need to keep your group together. Meet new people. You are unique - a North American skier in Europe! You might find your next business partner, best friend, or spouse.
Life Hack
The left and right sides of a European lift line usually move faster than the center of the human blob.
Life Hack
When getting on a gondola, work your way to the edge of the crowd on the side where the gondolas are entering the lift station. You will slip to the front of the line, staying wide all the time, and end up getting an empty egg/bubble.
Etiquette
Shame and ridicule to any selfish group that arrives at the front of the lift line only to balk at the last minute, resulting in only a single rider or couple to occupy a 4 or 6 passenger lift, just so that they can keep their entire group of 5 or 6 intact. Everyone will hate you. You can hang out with Brutus, Cassius, and the other 9th Circle traitors when this life is over.
Etiquette
If you are riding solo, or as a couple, please aim to load at the far left or right, enabling a threesome or double to join you. Don’t hog the chair.
Etiquette
It is common for ski instructors of young children to assign one or two pupils to the next available lift rider. A designated ski school line shuttles students directly to the front of the line, where cute little munchkins need your help. Yes, strangers are obliged to help kids on and off the chair. It is called civilization.
Etiquette
People will step on your skis and it’s OKAY! Skis are pretty tough! You may find yourself on top of someone else’s skis at some point. Oopsie! Just be humble, kind, and smile. As recommended below, this is a good reason to rent skis and boards in Europe. Leave your expensive, immaculately preserved, platinum coated powder skis at home. Rent piste skis and switch to big rocker pow pow planks only on the days that you actually need them (probably 10% or less of the time).
Ski Insurance: Sometimes Required; Always Good Sense
Ski insurance in Europe is pretty damn inexpensive, and in some resorts - like those in the Dolomites - personal liability insurance is obligatory. If you get into a serious crash and you must be assisted off the mountain, resources are used and costs are assigned. In very bad crashes, a helicopter is required. That’s big money.
Fortunately, there are several easy ways to get covered:
When purchasing at the ski pass window, they will likely ask if you have insurance. If they don’t ask you, you should ask them. 7 to 10 days of full ski insurance including a helicopter ride to the nearest hospital is around 30 Euros. Usually this also includes loss/theft of equipment and your ski pass. Worth every penny.
When purchasing your ski pass online (which may be less expensive), you can purchase insurance online. I have used DSV for years (Deutsche Skiverband). 135 Euros covers a family for a year (parents and all kids under 18), or about 55 Euros for one person per year. I recommend the Classic Plus. This covers a whole range of useful stuff, like:
Theft, breakage and damage of equipment (including rentals)
Accident insurance (rescue costs, including helicopter)
Liability, legal and health insurance
Travel and sojourn risk
Valid for all vacation travel
Travel health insurance
Additional equipment
Rent Skis. Save Money. Have More Fun.
This is a common question in ski fora: “should I bring my skis or rent at the resort in Europe?” The answer is rent - 99% of the time, it works every time.
Why Rent?
Save Money
Most airlines charge at least $100 each way to check sports equipment on international flights (unless you have privileges or status).
Most weekly ski rentals in Europe cost $100 - $200, depending on the quality level of the ski.
So, usually you’ll save money or break even by renting, and you’ll have much less stress and hassle.
Moreover, when you rent in Europe you can switch skis as frequently as you like (in most places). In Austria I once changed my skis three times in the same day. No extra charge. It’s like a week long demo, and it’s a great way to discover new skis and hone in on the skis you love.
Have More Fun
The snow and conditions are different in Europe. Most European skiing is focused on piste skiing. Ergo, piste skis are what you’ll enjoy the most.
But most skiing in North America focuses on our lovely powder. Different skis.
Additionally, the rental equipment in Europe tends to be brand spanking new. You’ll be skiing on either the latest model skis or last year’s. This has not been my experience in the US.
In the end, you will derive far greater enjoyment skiing on planks that are optimized for the local region you’re skiing. Moreover, the skis will be prepped, waxed, and edged for the current conditions (cold, medium, warm). This makes a huge difference in your enjoyment.
Boot Warmers: Why Don’t We Have This in the US?
The modus operandi in the US is to drive to the resort. Once you’ve paid $40 for parking, you find your frozen brick of a ski boot and spend 20 minutes grunting, sweating, and cursing, trying to insert your foot into a block of plastic ice.
The MO in Europe is to begin the day with toasty warm boots. This is accomplished through the use of purpose built boot heaters located in every ski room across the continent. The heaters click on in the evening and each morning, both drying out your boots and then warming them right before you head to the slopes. It’s not a luxury. This is standard practice.
Of course, this is really only possible because in Europe you rarely ever drive to the mountain. You’re already there.
Life Hack
Never, ever stay in an apartment, hotel, or any other lodging in Europe if it lacks a serviceable ski room with functioning boot heaters. We stayed in a chalet in Meribel one Christmas that had a dysfunctional boot heater. It was miserable. We demanded some money in return. There are too many high quality, good value lodging options with excellent ski room situations - don’t settle for less.
Life Hack
Be mindful of how the hot air blows into your boot when placed on the warming rack. Most boot warmers require the boot toe to be pointed upward toward the ceiling. But some boot racks have a curve that optimizes warm air downward, so you’ll want your boot toes pointed down toward the ground.
Ski Pass Deposits - Beer Money
Our European friends are professional recyclers. This translates to deposits on things they want to reuse, like beer glasses at street festivals, glühwein cups at Christmas markets, and ski passes at resorts.
Sure, you can keep your plastic ski pass as a souvenir. But there are better souvenirs. Hint: go steal a beer glass or a cool Christmas market mug.
Life Hack
When I return my ski pass in the Arlberg, I get 5 Euros. That’s about the price of a delicious German beer. I’d rather drink 17 ounces of golden nectar than carry around a plastic card for the rest of my life.
Resort Signage
Green, Blue, Red, Black, Orange
In Europe the slopes are called “pistes”, and where we Americans assign cute names to ski slopes, the Europeans usually reserve names only for legendary World Cup slopes (e.g., the Gran Risa, the Hahnenkamm, or Kandahar). Instead, European pistes are assigned numbers, like any road.
The color assignments are also different. And these colors occasionally cause confusion. Green is universally the easiest - you don’t see green often in Europe, but if you do (sometimes in France), you can rest assured it’s a bunny slope.
Blue is intermediate in North America, but it’s just an easy slope in Europe.
Red is intermediate in Europe and doesn’t exist in North America.
Black is black. Europe has no “Double Black”. Instead, you’ll find “ski routes” and “extreme ski routes” in Europe, which are also designated by diamonds, though they’re orange. Sometimes the ski routes are groomed. Sometimes they are not. Fun!
It’s important to also note that the blue and red designations are prone to significant variation. If it’s the easiest way down the hill, the trail will be marked blue, even if it’s pretty steep at the end. This may be irritating. It is just a fact.
The chart below illustrates the North American and European signage.
Differences between North American and European ski piste signs.
Where the Hell Am I Going?
Navigation on the mountain is generally easier in North America. Usually, you’re skiing on a single range of mountains. There is one main village. Maybe two. Most trail signs direct skiers and riders to a lift name (“Silver Queen Gondola”) or a central collection point (“West Buttermilk”).
In Europe, on the other hand, you find yourself skiing between actual villages. Signs on the mountain will direct you to either numbered pistes (“Blue 8”), specific lifts (“Col Alt”), or legal municipalities (“Corvara”).
Because European ski resorts tend to be so much larger, the perspective on a single two dimensional ski map can be confusing. It takes a bit of skill and experience to figure out what is up from down. The overview of the Sella Ronda area is a good example. There is just so much going on. Consequently, each quadrant of the Sella Ronda produces its own more detailed map (Alta Badia, Arabba, Val di Fassa, and Val Gardena). Even here, there may be scores of lifts in each sector, and many more trails. So it’s an adventure!
Life Hack
This may seem a little too military, but I recommend using terrain association if you can. Definitely read the map, but also look up. The verticals are very big in Europe, and mountains don’t move - you move. You try to recognize the unique shape of certain peaks. If you know where you started, it should be intuitive the direction you must travel to return.
Don’t freak out. This is good advice for any situation on a ski slope. You will never be on a red or blue slope and be forced to take a black slope to get home (okay, except in very, very rare circumstances like when that avalanche eviscerated the blue 50 piste in St. Anton in 2018). But seriously, if you are on a red or blue run, you will generally be able to descend to the valley floor on a similar or easier slope.
Many people struggle with land navigation. So, ski with people who are familiar with the area. Ask directions from fellow skiers. And maybe hire a guide or ski sommelier to ensure you seamlessly traverse the best pistes and enjoy all the best flavors along the way.
The Tourism Office - They Know Everything
While customer service can be challenging in the US, my experience with the tourism offices in European alpine villages has been excellent. Of course they speak English. And they know every local event and experience that you haven’t heard of.
Once you’ve selected a destination in Europe, I recommend reaching out to the tourism office to introduce yourself and ask what events and activities might be available. A creepy Krampus march on December 6? A Christmas market tucked away in a cute village or in the woods (Kitzbuhel Advent and Mayrhofen Advent)? A carnival/Fasching parade for kids?
The Tourism office can also help you with local restaurant recommendations and activities like snow shoeing, cross country skiing, ice skating, spa and wellness days, helicopter rides, horse-drawn sleigh rides, snowmobile tours, and more.
Vacation Duration - At Least One Week
Fact: on average, workers in Europe have more time off than US workers. Under EU law, all workers must enjoy at least four weeks of paid holiday per year (EU annual statutory leave). In fact, the US is one of the only countries in the world that does not mandate a minimum annual paid leave.
EU workers who have been working for more than a decade accumulate more time off. Some senior managers can enjoy as much as 8 weeks of paid vacation per year (not including statutory federal and regional holidays). Quality of life is okay.
As a result, it’s easy for many to budget an entire week for skiing if you’re working in Europe. Many people take two weeks - one at Christmas and New Years and another in February around Carnival/Fasching. Consequently, most lodging providers during these times require a one week stay. It’s just practical.
If you are traveling from North America, you’ll want at least a week anyway so that you have time to adjust to living 6 hours in the future. Additionally, lift ticket prices are reduced if you buy a 6-day pass. For example, Ski Arlberg offers a 6-day pass for 401 Euros rather than 450 Euros.
In March in Alta Badia, many hotels offer seven night stays for the price of only six - an enticement to come skiing later in the season.
In short, if you can’t spend an entire week, your best options for finding lodging are before Christmas, the mid-season January time period, and then March and April.
Booking Lodging
I love using travel aggregator sites for last minute travel, but they are not your friend for booking ski holidays in the Alps. You will not get the best deal.
Lodging in the Alps is unique in its own right, and it deserves a more detailed discussion.
Quality is extraordinary while prices are a fraction of what we pay in North America. Self-catering apartments and “pensions” (bed and breakfasts) are the best value. There are no dull, dingy hotels - competition and pride are too fierce. If you want to go big, those options are always there, from five star hotels to privately catered chapters. But average people can afford very beautiful and convenient lodging that is ski in/ski out, walking distance, or a short free bus ride away.
This is my simple process. It woks.
Life Hack
Identify the resort you want to stay in (e.g., Lech am Arlberg)
Research available lodging using the official resort accommodation website (e.g., https://www.lechzuers.com/en/booking/accommodations)
You can either book through the resort website (easy, you’re done), or contact the hotel directly via e-mail
Often, if you contact the hotel directly, then you may find a slightly better price
As always, these transactions can be made in English.
Communications & eSIMs
e-SIM Life Hack
Unless your US cell carrier is T-Mobile, which offers free unlimited 4G data while roaming in Europe, other US cell phone carriers will charge you $10 per day or more. This is an unnecessary rip off.
The market for e-SIMs is thriving and saving people a great deal of money.
MobiMatter is an aggregator app that helps you find the best e-SIM deal for the location where you plan to travel. For example, you can download an e-SIM plan for 30 days that provides 12GB of data: total cost is $12. For most people, that will be sufficient for a week long ski trip to Europe.
Another provider that I have personally used is Airalo. Great local data coverage but Airalo tends to be a little more expensive.
Things to consider:
Your phone must be new enough to support e-SIM;
These plans are for data only - they will not enable you to make normal network phone calls.
Local Messaging Life Hack
While we Americans still love using SMS texting and Facebook Messenger, the rest of the world uses end-to-end encrypted messaging platforms like Signal and WhatsApp.
The most secure and best way to securely communicate across the globe is Signal. Signal is a non-profit based in Switzerland. They collect minimal information about you (a fake name and your real phone number, that’s it). All messaging is completely encrypted and can’t be shared with governments or any other third parties. Calls, texts, video chats are all free.
WhatsApp is the most ubiquitous, and you can often communicate with local European businesses. The downside of using WhatsApp is that it is owned by Facebook/Meta, and while the content of your communications is encrypted, everything else is hoovered up into the Facebook brain and used to track you and advertise to you.
To use either platform, download the app to your phone. As you add people and businesses to your contacts/address book on your phone, they should automatically appear in these apps.
House Shoes
In the Alps, it is considered appropriate, respectful behavior to avoid wearing your outdoor shoes all over the hotel (usually from the front door to your room, where there is likely a rubber mat or area for wet snow shoes).
People wear “house shoes” (Hausschuhe auf Deutsch). These house shoes are worn when you go to breakfast or dinner, or visit the wellness areas and other amenities within the hotel. Birkenstock in Germany has an entire line of Hausschuhe - some of these are making their way to the US market).
Ski boots are not work in the hotel. Please don’t do this. European construction is very solid, usually concrete, and very few shoe types actually can be heard by neighbors (stiletto heels and ski boots). Boots also cause damage to tiles and wood floors.
So, get some house shoes! They can be flip flops, sneakers, or anything designated only for interior use. Again, you can wear your outside shoes to your room, but then remove them and place them on a mat or designated place to dry.
Ski Busses
Ski infrastructure and public transit are world class in the Alps. This applies to ski busses.
Austria and Switzerland
Generally, ski busses are free in Austria and Switzerland. The cost is subsidized by your ski pass or hotel tourist tax. Busses come frequently and most lodging will be close to a bus stop (by design). Locals are usually the only ones who drive to the resort. Guests from out of the area are staying in the area, and unlike the US, most lodging is located on or near the slopes, or close to a bus stop that connects you to the resort.
Note that in Zermatt, the electric ski busses are not as convenient as they should be. For example, there is no bus stop at the bottom of the Sunnegga funicular. You will be greeted only by taxis that charge a 25 Franc minimum to go anywhere in the village. You must walk several hundred meters to the nearest free bus stop - yet another reason why Zermatt sticks in my mind as a Swiss resort that is more concerned with extracting rents from visitors than providing a truly pleasant guest experience.
Italy
Local Village Ski Bus
In the Dolomites, skiers need a bus pass for the local ski bus. This is usually provided by your lodging host. The fee is included in your lodging cost. Sometimes it’s a paper card, sometimes it’s a lanyard, and sometimes its a little brass token you can attach to a zipper. Don’t lost these! The fee for replacing them is usually about EUR 25.00.
Bus Transit Between Villages
Regional busses in the Dolomites are not free, but the cost is low - usually EUR 1.50 per person. These can take you to the next village (La Villa to Corvara - 6 minutes), or to the end of the line (e.g., Corvara to Bruneck, 50 minutes away).
CONCLUSION
I hope you found these essential life hacks for skiing in Europe useful. If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you. If you have any additions to this list of life hacks, please send me an e-mail or DM me on social media - info@eatdrinkfun.com or @eatdrinkfun.
If you are interested in skiing in Europe, especially Austria, Italy, or France, please reach out. Consider designing a Custom Adventure with Eat Drink Fun or scheduling an afternoon with a ski sommelier.
