HOW TO PLAN YOUR PERFECT HOLIDAY IN THE ALPS
Sports or no sports?
That's the first question you should be asking yourself when planning a trip to the Alps. Sports, like alpine skiing, define the place you should go. Also, your accommodation should be located as near the ski lifts as possible so you don't have to carry your skis a long distance. Of course, in some places, there are skiing buses that take you from other villages to the ski lifts. This is working really well in for example St. Anton, Austria. The sports also define the timing.
If you are interested in winter sports, the best time to travel is around November-March. Though you should check out the usual snow situation from ski resorts pages. One of the resorts with the longest snow period is Cervinia, Italy. If you prefer hiking, the optimal time is to go from May to October. Christmas fans should travel in December and explore the beautiful Christmas markets and enjoy the amazing atmosphere.
Where will you stay?
First, you should choose the country or countries you want to visit. Typical countries are Switzerland, Austria, France, and Italy. If you want something different, you can try Liechtenstein, the small country between Switzerland and Austria. We stayed in its capital, Vaduz, for one day. You could also spend a day or two skiing in there though the skiing resorts aren't that big. Another option is to spend a few days skiing in the Alps and a few days in some city, like Zürich or Vienna. Therefore you get two different holidays in one.
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| Liechtenstein |
What's the budget?
The budget depends a lot on what country you go to since it's a well-known fact that Switzerland is way more expensive than Italy for example. If you want to make as cheap trip as possible, I recommend Italy. The budget comes together from flights, accommodation, ski rental, food and possible rental car or additional activities. For example, I calculated that a four-night stay in Cervinia, Italy with a rental car and tickets from Finland costs about 750-850€.
TOP FOODS TO TRY
1. Fondue
2. Wiener schnitzel
3. Cheese
4. Goulash soup
5. Raclette
I hope these things will help you to create the holiday of your dreams!
-TH
The Alps are near the top of my travel list!!! This is a great, general guide. I know that Switzerland is super expensive, but I still want to go there!
ReplyDeleteSuper. I've been wanting to do either a ski trip in the winter or a big hiking trip in the summer, so this is really great. And yes, fondue is certainly a food to try.
ReplyDeleteQuite informative. I didn’t know much about Tuscany earlier to this
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Saving this for later. I hope to make it to the alps in the next two years. Great tips! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAlps is definitely one of the places we would like to visit and this information helps make the right choices. Thanks for also highlighting the budgeting considerations and food to try. A good reference guide!
ReplyDeleteI love the Alps! I studied abroad in Switzerland for eight months, so they are near and dear to my heart. As original a Hawaii girl though, I was much to afraid to do any of my first winter sports in some place as challenging as the Alps lol.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time in my not so distant past when skiing was my #1 drive for traveling. Aging has changed that; my husband is afraid I will now break if I ski, but he still intends to ski. If we go, sounds like Cervinia, Italy for him to ski towards the end of the season and then off to warmer parts for hiking, or Liechtenstein where he can ski and I can see the sights.
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