IT IS ENOUGH TO LEAVE YOUR MARKS IN THE FRESH SNOW. It is not necessary to produce a large (CO2) footprint. Public transport options are available, and the train journey to winter sports in particular could be used more often. Even if new ideas and financial investment have hardly been discovered recently. The region can be considered to be a pioneer. Vorarlberg's ski areas are easy and convenient to reach by bus and train. Winter sports enthusiasts also benefit financially when travelling by public transport. With the public transport ticket, many ski areas offer discounts when buying a day ticket. And for those who already have a ski ticket, the ski pass often becomes a ticket for trains and buses.
EVEN AT THE LIFT TICKETS of many Vorarlberg ski areas, people who have traveled by public transport benefit. With a valid ticket (single journey through to the climate ticket), there is a discount of around 10 percent on the day ticket (Ski Arlberg). In the Bregenzerwald there is a 3 euro discount per ticket, in the Bödele ski area, all you have to do is present your bus ticket for a 2 euro discount on the day ticket. Finally, there are the Green Tickets from Silvretta Montafon and Brandnertal. These, as well as day tickets from almost all ski regions in Vorarlberg, also provide free travel to and from the entire state. The offer from the Salzburg Hochkönig is similar. Skiers from all over the state can travel to the ski area for free (bus and train).
TRAIN TO TRAIN. Overall, the number of mountain railways that are located directly next to a large train station is manageable: Bad Gastein, St. Anton am Arlberg, Zell am See, Schladming, Mayrhofen, Semmering are among the larger areas where you can trudge from the train station to the lift. Others are located at small train stops such as Kitzbühel-Hahnenkamm or Annenheim Gerlitzen. Most other regions offer transfers with free buses. In addition to the ÖBB, day connections from eastern Austria can now be used more frequently by the Westbahn, which passes the most important "ski hubs" on the way to Feldkirch. But there are also small, local railways. For example, the "Stairway to Heaven" for the Mariazell region. The Salzburg region is currently focusing most intensively on emission-free travel to ski holidays. Deutsche Bahn, which is not exactly highly praised due to infrastructural deficiencies, has landed a coup with "WinterRail". Of the total of around 100 travel destinations on offer, the majority are in Austria. Almost all of the major ski areas in Tyrol and Salzburg can be found in these packages, but Upper Austria, Styria and Carinthia are also represented. The direct ICE from Hamburg to St. Anton am Arlberg is popular with families. Overall, the rail journey to winter sports has improved significantly, especially from Germany. Not least because of the ÖBB night trains.
Austrian ski freaks come to the snow on the NIGHTJET. What WinterRail is for guests from Germany, "To the snow on the Nightjet" is for ski fans from eastern Austria. With these combination tickets, Railtours is concentrating on connections to Tyrol. In addition to the train journey on the ÖBB Nightjet including seat reservation, the packages include a ski pass for three to six days. Transfers to and from the accommodation are also included. Of course, you can pay extra for a 4- or 6-bed compartment in a couchette. Provided you get there in good time during peak travel times.
The Zell am See-Kaprun region generally offers a SHUTTLE directly to the hotel. The ÖBB360° shuttle service takes rail passengers from Zell am See train station to one of the region's 600 or so accommodations. From this winter, it will be operated by electric cars. The shuttles can be booked up to 48 hours before the desired journey, both online and at the ticket counter. For decades, mountain railways and regions have been using free ski bus systems to encourage people to leave their cars in the hotel garage at their holiday destination. The free ski buses were invented to deal with the increasing shortage of parking spaces at the ski lifts. They are usually financed in varying proportions by the municipalities, tourism organizations and mountain railways. Today, they primarily serve to calm traffic - and they are attracting ever larger circles. The 241 kilometers of ski bus network in the Salzburger Sportwelt probably represents the record. On the other hand, Kitzbühel is convinced that it has "the largest ski bus network in the Alps." Werfenweng offers another form of alternative, local mobility. The municipality, which is one of the "Alpine Pearls" and has won multiple awards, offers the SAMO Card (for SAnfteMObilität). The W³ shuttle, which is free of charge, takes you directly to the cable cars during operating hours. This also runs from Bischofshofen train station. SnowSpace Salzburg offers everyone who buys a ticket in the online shop free travel from all over Salzburg. The most original in terms of its name is certainly the "Streifzug". It offers free travel on the ÖBB between Westendorf or St. Johann in Tirol and Kitzbühel every day until April 1st. An innovative alternative was introduced on the Wildkogel in the winter four years ago in Neukirchen am Großvenediger: for the first time, the e-Liner brought skiers from the end of the valley run back to the valley station of the Wildkogel cable car in a "green and quiet" way.
E-MOBILITY is not only an issue because of the E-Liner and electrically powered ski buses in other regions. For many travelers, it also applies to the supply of e-charging stations on site. In order to at least increase the proportion of e-mobility, several lift companies are relying on e-charging stations in the lift garages. For example, Ischgl, Pitztal, Obertauern or Hintertux. Almost all main stations of larger gondola lifts in the valleys now have numerous e-charging stations. Probably the most spectacular of these can be found in Montafon. 50 charging stations have been installed in the garage of the Valisera valley station in St. Gallenkirch, the central entry point to the Silvretta Montafon. There are around 40 in Nassfeld, as in the Gasteinertal and Kitzbühel regions, but the special feature here is the FRED e-car sharing system. The partnership with BÄM Mobility GmbH has been running in a similar way in Gasteinertal since last winter. The Gastein mountain railways offer electric car sharing with vehicles at three locations.