Scuol Ski Resort Switzerland
The Scuol - Motta Naluns ski resort in the Engadin region of Switzerland is an expansive skiing area, largely unknown to the rest of the world. Deep in the canton of POWbueden (otherwise actually known as Graubünden or Grisons), Scuol should be on any good powder hound’s radar. It is certainly on ours…...
Scuol is one of THOSE places. Deep in the Swiss Alps at the end of the railway line, the gondola to the resort departs from just near the train station. In a high snowfall region of Switzerland, Scuol has luscious ski terrain, huge skiable verticals, modern lifts & fittingly, the 11th century Castle of Tarasp castle nearby. And it is so remote in winter that anyone driving there from the rest of Switzerland will need to put their car on a train transporter for a portion of the journey due to high alpine pass road closures!
Before we get there & review the resort, check out the Scuol ski trail map below.
Where is Scuol Switzerland?
The Scuol ski resort is set above the town of the same name in the southeast Swiss canton of Graubuenden (a.k.a. POWbuenden!). Situated deep in the mountains at the terminus a railway line, Scuol is easily connected to the rest of Switzerland & Europe by train. However, if not taking the train, the region can be best accessed via Austria.
Scuol is located 87km (1¾hr) by road east of the Graubünden capital of Chur. It is a 177km (<3hr) drive from Zurich to Scuol (including the train transport section!), and fabulous Innsbruck Austria is only 131km (1¾hr) drive in the opposite direction (NO train transport section!).
The best airports from which to begin a journey to Scuol are Zurich (ZRH) (for all international travellers) & Innsbruck (INN) (for UK/European based travellers). Rental cars & private transfers are readily available from each airport, but the recommended mode of travel from Zurich is by train.
By train, Landquart station is the main link to the regional line to Scuol-Tarasp. From Zurich airport, trains to Landquart usually require one change at Zurich main station & take from 1½ to 2 hr depending on time of day. From Landquart, the Rätische Bahn (Rhaetian Railway) service makes the fascinating journey to Scuol via Klosters in less than 1½hr.
Rail links to the region’s other major ski areas are excellent. St Moritz is only 1½hr via Zernez & the aforementioned Klosters a mere 45min away. Davos is a shade under 2hr by train, but way more fun to ski too from Klosters!
Search & book here for train tickets to Scuol.
Driving to Scuol in winter is quite the adventure in winter …….. well at least from the Swiss side! Due the seasonal closure of the 2,383m Flüela Pass, loading the car onto the local train to transit underneath the mountain via the Vereina Tunnel is required near Klosters. A smooth process of loading and unloading can be expected. The journey time is only 18 minutes on the train but comes at a cost of 39CHF/car (2021 winter tariff) one way. Assuming one starts at Innsbruck, it is actually simpler & quicker getting to Scuol by car via Austria & Landeck-Zams, hence Innsbruck is one of the recommended airports.
Scuol Accommodation
Scuol is a pleasingly authentic Swiss Alps village gloriously surrounded by high mountains. It has an excellent range of hotel, apartment & chalet accommodation, though little of it is ski-in ski-out due to the location of the town in relation to the slopes. Near the train station & main gondola (to Motta-Naluns), four excellent (& affordable) options are incredibly close to it though! The Hotel Bellaval Scuol, Scuol Youth Hostel, Hotel Garni (Guesthouse) Panorama & Hotel Altana should be at the top of your list if wanting the ultimate convenience between the train, gondola, ski slopes & accommodation.
The main town is around 700m from the gondola valley station, a distance easily done on foot or by local bus. High quality lodgings are all clustered around the town centre. Numerous wonderful hotels include the Engadiner Boutique-Hotel Guarda Val, Hotel Gabriel, Hotel Engiadina, Hotel Chasa Sofia & Hotel Belvedere Scuol.
Scuol also has a multitude of beautiful apartments for holiday rental, many in delightful historic buildings. All are fully self-contained and best for larger families & groups looking to self-cater.
Search & book here for all Scuol ski accommodation.
Beyond Scuol, three other options exist in the immediate vicinity of the ski resort. All are connected by free ski bus (for lift pass holders) provided ease of access regardless of where one rest your head. One is on the opposite side of the valley to the ski slopes & lifts in the village of Tarasp. Overlooked by its gorgeous castle, the exceptional Schlosshotel Chastè provides a Swiss Alps snow experience of which dreams are made. Back near the ski lifts, the village of Ftan is the highest in the region at around 1,680m elevation. It has a small number of hotels & apartments, plus a nearby chairlift & valley trail. Hotel Bellavista Swisslodge and Hotel Restaurant Engiadina are the pick of them, along with numerous apartments. At the other end of the resort, Sent is a quiet, traditional cluster of dwellings on the mountain side above the valley floor at 1,430m elevation. Sent is the end point of Scuol’s 10km long 'Traumpiste' valley trail. Hotel Pension Aldier in the centre of the village is the absolute best choice of lodgings.
Review
The Powderhounds will review Scuol this season. We will add more info, our photos & reviews after the visit. Stay tuned for our sparkling repartee, new photos & insights.
See how Scuol compares to the rest of the European ski resorts on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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