Recently, I was invited by the Paznaun-Ischgl Tourism Association to experience a fabulous 4-day skiing package to Ischgl, one of four alpine towns in the Paznaun region of Western Austria.

I’ll admit, I was apprehensive. I hadn’t skied in a good long while, but I was assured that Ischgl had everything I needed to rediscover the long lost skills I’d developed some 17 years ago, whilst also being a world-class resort for skiers of all abilities.

The Paznaun region boasts over 350km of slopes and snow parks, 239km of which are found in Ischgl. The season opens in November every year, and there is guaranteed snow all the way until the beginning of May, when the season ends.

What exactly is Ischgl?

As a leading winter destination in the Alps, Ischgl offers everything from skiing to snowshoeing to mountain biking to hiking. Plus, its season is marked by incredible opening and closing concerts, previously headlined by the likes of Rihanna, The Killers and Elton John.

Once I knew I was going, I set about acquiring all the necessary clothing I would need – ski socks, a ski suit (or jacket and trousers), goggles and proper gloves.

I hired all of my actual ski equipment from a local sports outlet (Bründl Sports) in the town, which was much easier than flying it over. I was also able to store my skis, poles, helmet and boots in a locker provided by the hotel, which is a standard feature for most hotels in Ischgl.

What airport do you fly into for Ischgl?

The season hadn’t quite started when I flew over from London, so I ended up flying into Munich and driving to Ischgl, which took three and a half hours.

There are several nearby airports to Ischgl including Innsbruck, Munich and Zurich. The former is only open during the ski season, and the latter two will necessitate a few hours of driving to the resort.

You don’t need a........

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