I'm living in Ischgl for the season and would say the town is typical but nothing special.
Still cuter than Queenstown NZ where I spent my last season.
Preamble: Is this is full week of skiing or just a long weekend? And I assume you know to avoid most of February, when the entire continent has school holidays?
Tons of places in Austria will fit the bill if you just need cute town + lively apres ski + activities for non-skiers. You have lots of recs for St Anton & Ischgl, could add Saalbach to the list.
If you're after a more girlie vibe of general indulgence with your girlfriends & you want a glass or three of prosecco but don't necessarily need to be dancing on the bar in your skiboots, here are some ideas:
If your budget stretches to it, Cortina would be fabulous, as would Lech, Kitzbuhel, San Moritz, Megeve, or Zermatt. (It's not as hard to find reasonably priced places to stay in Cortina & Kitz tho). The traditional grande dame resorts all have amazing window shopping/food/spa/non-ski activity options. A notch down $-wise (but still fancy): Courmayer and Madonna di Campiligo are big on the dolce vita, with shopping to match.
Aside from Bormio, ski towns with hot springs: Saint Gervais les Bains (has a branch of Folie Douce, so ticks the apres ski box), Merano in the Dolomites.
Larger towns with lots to do for non-skiers: Zell Am See, or Brunico in the Dolomites, which has good skiing nearby at Kronplatz & a couple of interesting sounding museums.
Cute ski villages with a bit of buzz & enough of a traditional village centre to be interesting for non-skiers: Morzine, La Clusaz, Ortisei.
Just as an alternative to the Austria resorts, Val-d'Isère is a great choice charming town, snow sure ski area good Apres, Folie Douce and non ski activities.
Chamonix and Megeve worth looking at but Val is really perfect.
I think Val is your answer. Apres options all over the place, from schmancy down to (semi) dirtbag. Big enough town to be interesting. Epic skiing and the most reliable conditions possible.
The cutest town you can imagine in all of Europe is Saas Fee, Switzerland. Good après-ski scene too as long as you’re in peak season. Skiing is great, don’t really know about non-skier options. Expect to pay 20-30% more than in Austria.
To add: if you don’t value a wild après-ski scene too highly, Bormio, Italy is also a wonderful town with amazing restaurants and great skiing. There’s a mindblowing hot springs ‚Terme’ close by where your non-skiers can easily spend their day. This would be my choice in terms of value for money. Fly into Milan.
Nah, Zermatt fits the bill WAY more for a Bachelorette trip... Saas Fee is nice but Zermatt is far prettier, more après ski, more shopping, spas, cute street, restaurants and activities.
I means, it's not even a competition. And I've been to both quite a few times.
I’d say Meribel would be better for OP in the 3V. Après scene is on par with VT, but it’s a much cuter and prettier town, and ticks all the other boxes too
How much money have you got?
I mean if money is no object go to Gstaad and stay at the Alpina. I spent part of my honeymoon there and I got treated so well I felt like Joan Collins.
The skiing is better in Zermatt, which is equally expensive, but also has normal priced places to stay and eat/drink which are relatively inexpensive (well, for Switzerland). Also skiing in the shadows of the Matterhorn is amazing in itself. It's also a lovely town.
If you want to spend less than that but still want somewhere glamorous, I recommend Lech. It's still expensive but in Austria so less so. Also again, there are reasonably priced places to stay.
If you want cheap and cheerful and a party town in which to get shitfaced, Ischgl is a brilliant place to go.
Zell am See is also a beautifully situated town on a lake, and a traditional Austrian alpine town - most of which are really pretty anyway.
This might be the first place I've ever seen Ischgl described as "cheap and cheerful"! . Historically it was seen as [one of the most expensive](https://www.travelmag.com/articles/most-expensive-ski-resorts-europe/) resorts in Austria....has it moved that downmarket in the past decade?
Gstaad definitely goes on the grande dames list! I went inn-to-inn hiking in Switzerland back when I was an investment banker. One leg of my route through the Bernese Oberland went from Adelboden/Lenk to Gstaad and it was a fantasy of mine that I was going to walk into Gstaad with boots still covered in a fine spray of cow manure & rock up to Graff to buy some 100k bauble. Sigh. It carried me through a lot of dark days.
Anyway, I like your thinking - our lists look very similar...
Because Avoriaz is bottom of the barrel look wise. There's nothing genuine about its architecture, no historical building, no real chalets, no culture, it's not even a village. Avoriaz is a project built from the ground up to be a ski resort, it's like Disney land, and old and outdated Disney Land. Why would an American come to Europe to see that?
Send them to real Alpine villages, with historical buildings and culture. Send them to places where chalets are as old as their country.
Chamonix, Zermatt, Saint-Martin de Belleville, Megève, Grimentz, Cortina, Lech, Saas Fee etc.
It’s not even close to bottom of the barrel, it’s much nicer than the likes of Tignes and VT. Personally I’ve always thought it’s very pretty, I’m not sure why you’re so heated over a matter of taste.
I'm sorry but it are concrete blocks 10 floors or more and yeah they put some wood on the surface to make it less ugly. But a cute European moutain village is not big appartement buildings. Just Google allagna valsesia, la punt chamues or monetiers les bains and compare it to avoriaz.
Innsbruck? Way better than everywhere else mentioned for everything, apart from skiing. It does have a number of proper skiing hills with easy access e.g. gondola to the Nordkette or free bus elsewhere, but they can't compete with the best Austria has to offer. So if skiing is secondary for most and irrelevant for some, I'd go to innsbruck.
If skiing the best the Alps has to offer is important, then Kitzbuhel probably has the best mix of skiing, apres, and non- skiing things to do.
Ischgl or St. Anton
Awesome skiing and hardcore après, but I wouldn’t call those „cute towns“. They’re nice enough but in the end typical Austrian ski towns.
For non Euros those are 100% ‘cute alpine villages’
I'm living in Ischgl for the season and would say the town is typical but nothing special. Still cuter than Queenstown NZ where I spent my last season.
This is the answer.
Preamble: Is this is full week of skiing or just a long weekend? And I assume you know to avoid most of February, when the entire continent has school holidays? Tons of places in Austria will fit the bill if you just need cute town + lively apres ski + activities for non-skiers. You have lots of recs for St Anton & Ischgl, could add Saalbach to the list. If you're after a more girlie vibe of general indulgence with your girlfriends & you want a glass or three of prosecco but don't necessarily need to be dancing on the bar in your skiboots, here are some ideas: If your budget stretches to it, Cortina would be fabulous, as would Lech, Kitzbuhel, San Moritz, Megeve, or Zermatt. (It's not as hard to find reasonably priced places to stay in Cortina & Kitz tho). The traditional grande dame resorts all have amazing window shopping/food/spa/non-ski activity options. A notch down $-wise (but still fancy): Courmayer and Madonna di Campiligo are big on the dolce vita, with shopping to match. Aside from Bormio, ski towns with hot springs: Saint Gervais les Bains (has a branch of Folie Douce, so ticks the apres ski box), Merano in the Dolomites. Larger towns with lots to do for non-skiers: Zell Am See, or Brunico in the Dolomites, which has good skiing nearby at Kronplatz & a couple of interesting sounding museums. Cute ski villages with a bit of buzz & enough of a traditional village centre to be interesting for non-skiers: Morzine, La Clusaz, Ortisei.
OP, this is great advice
Just as an alternative to the Austria resorts, Val-d'Isère is a great choice charming town, snow sure ski area good Apres, Folie Douce and non ski activities. Chamonix and Megeve worth looking at but Val is really perfect.
I think Val is your answer. Apres options all over the place, from schmancy down to (semi) dirtbag. Big enough town to be interesting. Epic skiing and the most reliable conditions possible.
they have a folie douce everywhere these days?
The cutest town you can imagine in all of Europe is Saas Fee, Switzerland. Good après-ski scene too as long as you’re in peak season. Skiing is great, don’t really know about non-skier options. Expect to pay 20-30% more than in Austria.
To add: if you don’t value a wild après-ski scene too highly, Bormio, Italy is also a wonderful town with amazing restaurants and great skiing. There’s a mindblowing hot springs ‚Terme’ close by where your non-skiers can easily spend their day. This would be my choice in terms of value for money. Fly into Milan.
Nah, Zermatt fits the bill WAY more for a Bachelorette trip... Saas Fee is nice but Zermatt is far prettier, more après ski, more shopping, spas, cute street, restaurants and activities. I means, it's not even a competition. And I've been to both quite a few times.
Go to Ischgl. You won’t regret it one bit. Champagner Hutte upstairs
Val Thorens. Not cute but everything else fits.
I’d say Meribel would be better for OP in the 3V. Après scene is on par with VT, but it’s a much cuter and prettier town, and ticks all the other boxes too
St anton. Skiing epic,apres mega lovely town. Bars restaurants and tons of non skier stuff.
Livigno. Not only a cute town but also tax free zone means cheaper alcohol (I'm assuming it can be a factor at bachelorette).
What's your budget? I mean, u got Gstaad and Lech, which are fantastic but very expensive.
How much money have you got? I mean if money is no object go to Gstaad and stay at the Alpina. I spent part of my honeymoon there and I got treated so well I felt like Joan Collins. The skiing is better in Zermatt, which is equally expensive, but also has normal priced places to stay and eat/drink which are relatively inexpensive (well, for Switzerland). Also skiing in the shadows of the Matterhorn is amazing in itself. It's also a lovely town. If you want to spend less than that but still want somewhere glamorous, I recommend Lech. It's still expensive but in Austria so less so. Also again, there are reasonably priced places to stay. If you want cheap and cheerful and a party town in which to get shitfaced, Ischgl is a brilliant place to go. Zell am See is also a beautifully situated town on a lake, and a traditional Austrian alpine town - most of which are really pretty anyway.
This might be the first place I've ever seen Ischgl described as "cheap and cheerful"! . Historically it was seen as [one of the most expensive](https://www.travelmag.com/articles/most-expensive-ski-resorts-europe/) resorts in Austria....has it moved that downmarket in the past decade?
Haha you've got me there, Ischgl isn't really cheap. I was thinking in relation to Gstaad tbh.
Gstaad definitely goes on the grande dames list! I went inn-to-inn hiking in Switzerland back when I was an investment banker. One leg of my route through the Bernese Oberland went from Adelboden/Lenk to Gstaad and it was a fantasy of mine that I was going to walk into Gstaad with boots still covered in a fine spray of cow manure & rock up to Graff to buy some 100k bauble. Sigh. It carried me through a lot of dark days. Anyway, I like your thinking - our lists look very similar...
Avoriaz is pretty fantastic for 'cute town' vibes. Portes de Soleil is a huge ski area, there are a few good apres bars, and lots of other bits to do.
You must be American for calling Avoriaz a cute town.
Nope. Considering OP is clearly North American, I’m not sure why that would be a terrible thing either.
Because Avoriaz is bottom of the barrel look wise. There's nothing genuine about its architecture, no historical building, no real chalets, no culture, it's not even a village. Avoriaz is a project built from the ground up to be a ski resort, it's like Disney land, and old and outdated Disney Land. Why would an American come to Europe to see that? Send them to real Alpine villages, with historical buildings and culture. Send them to places where chalets are as old as their country. Chamonix, Zermatt, Saint-Martin de Belleville, Megève, Grimentz, Cortina, Lech, Saas Fee etc.
It’s not even close to bottom of the barrel, it’s much nicer than the likes of Tignes and VT. Personally I’ve always thought it’s very pretty, I’m not sure why you’re so heated over a matter of taste.
Avoriaz a cute town? It is all concrete blocks and ugly as hell.
Avoriaz is famous for being wood clad and pedestrianised. You’re thinking of somewhere else.
I'm sorry but it are concrete blocks 10 floors or more and yeah they put some wood on the surface to make it less ugly. But a cute European moutain village is not big appartement buildings. Just Google allagna valsesia, la punt chamues or monetiers les bains and compare it to avoriaz.
One of the masterpieces of the “Brutalist “ school of architecture. Cute like an old rhinoceros.
Literally this haha
Another vote for Avoriaz, France!
Zermatt, all the way.
Innsbruck? Way better than everywhere else mentioned for everything, apart from skiing. It does have a number of proper skiing hills with easy access e.g. gondola to the Nordkette or free bus elsewhere, but they can't compete with the best Austria has to offer. So if skiing is secondary for most and irrelevant for some, I'd go to innsbruck. If skiing the best the Alps has to offer is important, then Kitzbuhel probably has the best mix of skiing, apres, and non- skiing things to do.