Your first ski trip to the Alps: how to plan it
Anyone going skiing in the Alps for the first time usually starts by asking about dates and ends with a packing list. In between come the journey, the ski pass, the choice between hiring and taking your own skis, piste colours in the Alps and in Poland, altitude and sun; we cover them in that order.
Dates and a resort for your first time
Sölden is due to open first, on 12 November 2026. Ischgl starts two weeks later, on 26 November 2026, and Ski Arlberg waits until 2 December 2026, although some of its lifts may not run at the start and end of the season. Ski Arlberg closes on 18 April 2027. In Sölden that day marks the end of skiing across the whole resort, and only the glacier keeps running, until 2 May 2027, the same day Ischgl ends its season.
- Resort. For a first trip two things matter: plenty of blue pistes and a ski school on site. Pistes, altitudes and lifts for each resort are on our ski resort pages.
- Accommodation. A hotel by a lift or a ski bus stop saves you carrying skis and boots every day. Also check the altitude of the village; we come back to altitude below, under altitude sickness.
Getting to the Alps
We cover vignettes in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria, winter tyres and tunnel tolls in more detail in the guide Driving to the ski slopes.
Ski pass: the card and discounts
- A chip card. Your ski pass comes on a chip card, which you hold up to the reader at the lift gate. Resorts often charge a deposit for it. You get the deposit back when you return the card, so do not throw it away after your last day of skiing.
- Children and young people. Some resorts count age by year of birth. For winter 2026/27 Sölden treats children born 2012 to 2018 as children; the youngest, born 2019 to 2022, pay €2 a day. In Ischgl children under 10 ski free with a parent on the Ischgl/Samnaun ski pass, and on the Silvretta ski pass for the whole Paznaun valley the limit is 8. Keep your child's ID document to hand, as without it there is no discount.
- Opening hours. In Ischgl the main lifts run from 08:30 to 17:00, with the last ride up at 16:00. Smaller lifts close at 16:00 or 16:30.
For what ski passes cost in Alpine resorts, see the page ski pass prices 2026/27.
Hire or take your own skis?
Good rental shops in the Alps replace their equipment every year, and if the skis do not suit you, you can swap them for others during your stay. For a first trip that is usually enough (and it leaves more room in the car). We wrote about this in more detail in the article Ski equipment: hire or buy?
Hired skis
- Equipment in a good rental shop is replaced every year and set up on the spot to suit how you ski.
- You can change model during your stay, if the rental shop offers this.
- Less luggage on the journey.
- Servicing is done for the average skier, without individual settings.
Your own equipment
- Your own boots are fitted to your feet; in a rental shop you would have to try on several pairs.
- Your own helmet fits your head better and matches your goggles.
- Skis have to be transported and serviced.
Of all your equipment, your own boots and helmet are the most useful; after all, a helmet has to fit both your head and your goggles (more on what to buy and what to hire). For ski length, try the ski size quiz. There is a separate guide on helmets and goggles, Helmets and goggles, and what to do with your own skis before the season is explained in the guide Ski service.
Piste colours in the Alps and in Poland
Poland, Italy and Austria mark pistes with the same three colours. Gradient limits are set in Polish and Italian regulations; in Austria piste classification is described in the ÖNORM S 4611 standard.
| Colour | Poland | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | easy: average gradient up to 21%, maximum up to 30% | easy: gradient up to 25%, except for short sections |
| Red | difficult: average gradient up to 29%, maximum up to 40% | intermediate: gradient up to 40%, except for short sections |
| Black | very difficult: average gradient over 29%, maximum over 40% | difficult: gradient over 40%; ungroomed pistes are also black |
On paper a red piste in the Alps is no steeper than a Polish one. A Polish blue, on the other hand, can have short sections of up to 30% (although its average does not exceed 21%). How hard the skiing is depends in the end on the resort itself: the length of the runs, the altitude, the weather. So look at the piste map before your first run and start with the blues. Green, incidentally, still appears in the FIS commentary; Polish and Italian regulations do not use it.
Altitude, sun and weather
- Altitude. According to the NHS, altitude sickness usually occurs above 2,500 m above sea level. The CDC counts differently and looks mainly at where you sleep: the risk applies to people staying overnight at 2,450 m or higher. So check the altitude of your hotel before booking, not after you arrive.
- Sun. According to the WHO, UV radiation increases by 10 to 12% for every 1,000 m of altitude (and fresh snow reflects as much as 80% of it). Clouds? According to the WHO, up to 80% of UV gets through thin cloud. So goggles with a UV filter and high-factor sun cream are useful on a cloudy day too.
- Weather. The snow forecast and current conditions at your chosen resort are in the section skiing conditions. When fog comes in and you can see very little, do not leave the marked pistes.
Safety in the mountains: the key rules
- The FIS rules apply on the slopes. In short: the person below and ahead of you has priority. All ten are covered in the guide FIS code of conduct.
- In Italy helmets are compulsory for all skiers and snowboarders; on alpine pistes you also need third-party liability (OC) insurance.
- The emergency number 112 works throughout the European Union (in Austria mountain rescue, the Bergrettung, also has its own number: 140).
- Not a single step off-piste without avalanche knowledge and avalanche equipment. In Italy, when there is avalanche danger, a transceiver, shovel and probe are compulsory off-piste (Art. 26 of Decree No. 40/2021).
What to pack for your first trip to the Alps
Documents and money
Sun protection
For the slopes
Small items
Going by car? There is a car equipment checklist in the guide Driving to the ski slopes.
Questions and answers
Is a red piste in the Alps harder than in Poland?
Under the regulations, no, because in both Poland and Italy a red piste can have a gradient of up to 40%. Blue is different. In Poland the average is at most 21%, with short sections up to 30%; in Italy up to 25%, except for short sections. The Austrian ÖNORM S 4611 standard does not publish its limits. The piste map of the resort itself will tell you the most, so look at it before you go.
Do children ski free in the Alps?
It depends where. In Ischgl children under 10 ski free with a parent on the Ischgl/Samnaun ski pass, and on the Silvretta ski pass for the whole Paznaun valley, children under 8 do. The youngest pay €2 a day in Sölden and €11 in Ski Arlberg. As some resorts go by year of birth, you need to have your child's ID document with you at the ticket office.
Can you get altitude sickness in the Alps?
Yes, you can. According to the NHS, altitude sickness usually occurs above 2,500 m above sea level, and symptoms appear after 6 to 10 hours. The CDC looks more at the altitude where you sleep (the risk applies to people sleeping at 2,450 m or higher, sometimes lower). So check the altitude of your hotel before booking.
What does the EHIC cover when skiing in the Alps?
According to Poland's National Health Fund (NFZ), the patient pays for mountain rescue and air transport in Austria, as well as for any transport home from Austria, Italy and France.