It’s not a proper ski holiday without a few rousing après-ski sessions. There’s a reason droves of skiers and snowboarders in the Alps eagerly start pouring off the slopes and into the mountain-side umbrella pubs at the end of the afternoon, still clad in their clunky ski boots and sweaty base layers. But how do you go about ensuring the most legendary après-ski session ever? From choosing the right après-ski bar and the right DJ, to ensuring you’re still in tip-top shape for skiing the next morning, here are our tips for making sure you have an successful après-ski session. Cheers!
The most important aspect of any après-ski session is the location. If après-ski is important to you, try to choose a ski resort that’s known for its nightlife – think St. Anton am Arlberg, Ischgl, Val Thorens, etc. In these ski resorts you’re likely to find a lively drinking scene, even during low season. Stumped for ideas? Check out our list of the top ten resorts for après-ski in Austria.
Most people start thinking about après-ski around 4pm, near the end of the ski day. You don’t have to cut your ski day super short, but you’ll still have light and you might be able to snag a bar stool if you’re lucky. Of course, you start later if you’re reluctant to stop skiing, but by this time the bars will be more crowded.
Après-ski usually starts at the end of the afternoon (Photo: © Paznauner Taja, Ischgl)
It helps to do a bit of research on après-ski bars at your ski resort before you go, and ask the locals for tips when you get there. Often the best bars to start at are the ones on the slopes themselves. When evening falls, you can move the party down to the village level.
Well, it might be a little late for this one because you’re already stuck with the people you came on holiday with. But try to choose people you know you like to party with! Then again, après-ski is also a great excuse to start chatting with the people around you. Endorphins are flowing and we all share a common hobby!
Don’t leave it too late before you start thinking about food – I think we all have experience with this one! Try to eat a late lunch and consider indulging in a quick bite before the evening really gets underway. You don’t want to be the first in bed at 8pm.
Tucking into a delicious après-ski kaiserschmarrn (Photo: © Metzgerwirt Fieberbrunn)
Après-ski is first and foremost an excuse to stuff as many types of alcohol as you can down your gullet. Frothy pints of beer, steaming mugs of glühwein, chilled glasses of Apérol Spritz, everything is fair game. Don’t forget to partake in some alpine classics: Jägerbombs and Schnapps will make your evening complete.
This is one night out where you don’t have to worry at all about your outfit! The classic après-ski bar will be full of sweaty people still in their ski outfits and boots. You might consider changing into comfier shoes after the first round, but don’t even think about taking a shower – you’re going to smell worse by the end of the night anyway.
The bar and the people can be top-notch, but you won’t have any fun if the DJ is lousy. Choose a bar that’s playing the classic après-ski hits, though, and you’re pretty much guaranteed a fun evening with everyone in the bar singing along. Get in the mood with our favourite après-ski songs of 2018.
Nobody wants to be a wet blanket, but you do need to have a tiny bit of discipline. After all, you’re supposed to be on a ski holiday, not an après-ski holiday! Remember where you left your skis, keep an eye on your mates and go to bed at a reasonable-ish hour so you can still be first on the slopes the next morning. A tall order, I know.
If you didn’t quite manage all the steps in #9, you can still reduce your suffering the next morning by sleeping through breakfast, covering your face in a balaclava and convincing your friends to take an early coffee break. You’ll survive!
It’s not a proper ski holiday without a few rousing après-ski sessions. There’s a reason droves of skiers and snowboarders in the Alps eagerly start pouring off the slopes and into the mountain-side umbrella pubs at the end of the afternoon, still clad in their clunky ski boots and sweaty base layers. But how do you go about ensuring the most legendary après-ski session ever? From choosing the right après-ski bar and the right DJ, to ensuring you’re still in tip-top shape for skiing the next morning, here are our tips for making sure you have an successful après-ski session. Cheers!
The most important aspect of any après-ski session is the location. If après-ski is important to you, try to choose a ski resort that’s known for its nightlife – think St. Anton am Arlberg, Ischgl, Val Thorens, etc. In these ski resorts you’re likely to find a lively drinking scene, even during low season. Stumped for ideas? Check out our list of the top ten resorts for après-ski in Austria.
Most people start thinking about après-ski around 4pm, near the end of the ski day. You don’t have to cut your ski day super short, but you’ll still have light and you might be able to snag a bar stool if you’re lucky. Of course, you start later if you’re reluctant to stop skiing, but by this time the bars will be more crowded.
Après-ski usually starts at the end of the afternoon (Photo: © Paznauner Taja, Ischgl)
It helps to do a bit of research on après-ski bars at your ski resort before you go, and ask the locals for tips when you get there. Often the best bars to start at are the ones on the slopes themselves. When evening falls, you can move the party down to the village level.
Well, it might be a little late for this one because you’re already stuck with the people you came on holiday with. But try to choose people you know you like to party with! Then again, après-ski is also a great excuse to start chatting with the people around you. Endorphins are flowing and we all share a common hobby!
Don’t leave it too late before you start thinking about food – I think we all have experience with this one! Try to eat a late lunch and consider indulging in a quick bite before the evening really gets underway. You don’t want to be the first in bed at 8pm.
Tucking into a delicious après-ski kaiserschmarrn (Photo: © Metzgerwirt Fieberbrunn)
Après-ski is first and foremost an excuse to stuff as many types of alcohol as you can down your gullet. Frothy pints of beer, steaming mugs of glühwein, chilled glasses of Apérol Spritz, everything is fair game. Don’t forget to partake in some alpine classics: Jägerbombs and Schnapps will make your evening complete.
This is one night out where you don’t have to worry at all about your outfit! The classic après-ski bar will be full of sweaty people still in their ski outfits and boots. You might consider changing into comfier shoes after the first round, but don’t even think about taking a shower – you’re going to smell worse by the end of the night anyway.
The bar and the people can be top-notch, but you won’t have any fun if the DJ is lousy. Choose a bar that’s playing the classic après-ski hits, though, and you’re pretty much guaranteed a fun evening with everyone in the bar singing along. Get in the mood with our favourite après-ski songs of 2018.
Nobody wants to be a wet blanket, but you do need to have a tiny bit of discipline. After all, you’re supposed to be on a ski holiday, not an après-ski holiday! Remember where you left your skis, keep an eye on your mates and go to bed at a reasonable-ish hour so you can still be first on the slopes the next morning. A tall order, I know.
If you didn’t quite manage all the steps in #9, you can still reduce your suffering the next morning by sleeping through breakfast, covering your face in a balaclava and convincing your friends to take an early coffee break. You’ll survive!
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
