Samnaun Ski Resort Switzerland
Samnaun ski resort is a remote Swiss mountain enclave linked to the popular Ischgl in Austria to form the Silvretta Arena. Famous in Switzerland for its long cross-border ‘Smugglers Run’ & weird duty-free shopping status, the skiing at Samnaun is rather good too! Sunny slopes, easy cruising, adventurous off-piste and a fun town combine to provide a more family friendly ski destination than Ischgl.
Pros and Cons for Samnaun Ski Resort
Pros
- Huge ski area spanning two countries (linked to Ischgl Austria).
- Consistent and quality snow.
- Long ski season from November to May.
- Variety of on & off-piste terrain to suit all abilities & sense of adventure.
- Modern & efficient lift infrastructure.
- Several excellent restaurant areas to soak up the sun & views.
- Good value lift pass.
- Multiple return valley ski trails & lifts back into the villages.
Cons
- Busy during peak periods.
- Few challenges on-piste for advanced skiers & riders.
- Flat sections on the valley runs may be unpleasant for some snowboarders.
- Accommodation can be expensive.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Samnaun’s terrain is sun-drenched and south-facing, which is great some days, not so on others (luckily Ischgl’s terrain is generally cold north-aspect).
- You can ride up in the world’s first double decker cable car (if that’s what floats your boat)(there are now a few more in the world now!).
- The villages have a diverse ‘vibe’ - ranging from tourist tacky to authentic & traditional.
- A daily influx of skiers from Ischgl via the Smugglers Run will not please some people staying in Samnaun Dorf. Luckily, they are all gone by mid-afternoon!
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
As the Swiss counterpart to Ischgl, skiers & snowboarders at Samnaun have access to a huge amount of lifts & terrain. The 238km of groomed runs, 45 modern lifts & over 1500m of skiable vertical make it a serious proposition for any snow lover. Ooodles of easy access off-piste on powder days add to the attraction as does the prospect of the 11km long longest runs.
Check out the ski trail map for Samnaun-Ischgl below.
Samnaun’s link with Ischgl is an absolute boon for the Swiss ski resort. Samnaun ski slopes (with three very notable exceptions (i.e. the Smugglers Run), whilst fun, are generally of a shortish vertical & limited difficulty, but wonderful for beginners & intermediates. Perfect for many, mundane for others! Ischgl ski resort terrain has some big vertical advanced terrain off the Palinkopf & Piz Val Gronda that make it all worthwhile.
The Samnaun off-piste & backcountry has some serious descents to contemplate heading back into the valley but inbounds is limited to rolling terrain of only moderate difficulty. Head to the Greitspitze for the best of the lift accessed off-piste. Much of the terrain is south-facing so can get sun affected quicker than in neighbouring Ischgl. Powder hounds will appreciate the smaller crowds amongst the off-piste brigade at Samnaun, so fresh tracks are easier to achieve than across the border.
Where is Samnaun Switzerland?
The Samnaun ski area extends up from the village of the same name in far-eastern Graubünden Switzerland, near the borders of Italy & Austria. Samnaun is off the Inn River, only 117km by road west of Innsbruck & 206km (3hr) south of Munich. The wonderful & relaible transport hub city of Zurich is 270km (3½hr) to the west.
Despite Samnaun being in Switzerland, the best gateway airports for the resort are Innsbruck (INN) Austria & Munich (MUC) Germany. From the airport, rent a car, get a private transfer or tackle a convoluted, but doable, train & bus journey to get to Samnaun.
Typical for a Swiss village, regardless of its relative remoteness at the end of a valley, bus transport to Samnaun is good via the small village of Martina (located 19km/25min away). 12 services a day (route 921) link the two locations. Three bus services (variations of the route 921) converge on the ‘Kajetansbrücke’ bus stop from Austria (Landeck Zams), Italy (Mals/Malles) or Switzerland (Scuol). Coincidentally, train stations at Landeck Zams & Scuol allow access via rail, with trains met by the bus. Bus tickets can be purchased from the bus driver.
Search & book train tickets to train tickets to Landeck Zams or Scuol.
Samnaun Accommodation
The village of Samnaun is spread along the valley floor & just like the ski resort above it is in two halves, so is the village below in two parts. At the terminus of the Smugglers Run, the ‘duty free’ village of Samnaun Dorf is a cluster of hotels, bars restaurants & shops. Further down the valley past the main cable car is the more traditional Samnaun Plan village. Plan is located at the end of the other valley runs. Too confuse matters further, above Samnaun Plan is a small group of hotels called Samnaun Laret & in between it all, at the cable car base are numerous chalets called Samnaun Ravaisch. Further down the valley still is Samnaun Compatsch. All are connected by free local buses which take 15min to travel end to end, so it matters little where one stays.
Search & book Samnaun ski accommodation.
Ski Rentals & Lessons
Ski rentals are available from our partners in the two main Samnaun village bases near the ski lifts. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Samnaun Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
On or off-piste ski lessons & mountain guiding are available via our local partners. For more info & options, compare, search & book via our Samnaun Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Review
The Powderhounds reviewed Samnaun (& Ischgl) in 2019. We returned for a brief visit in Feb 2022 and still found it a strange ski resort village that you will either love or hate! Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how Samnaun compares to the rest of the Swiss ski resorts on the Switzerland ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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