Ski Trip in Fiss, Austria
In this blog post, I’ll be writing about my journey to Fiss, Austria, part of the Serfaus–Fiss–Ladis ski resort in the Alps. Serfaus, Fiss, and Ladis are three individual villages that together make up this resort area.
I flew into Zurich and drove to Austria, which took approximately three hours by car.
While it is possible to take a train near Serfaus–Fiss–Ladis, you can’t travel directly to the villages themselves. The closest station is Landeck-Zams, from which you’ll need a regional bus or taxi for the final 30 km journey into the resort. There are connections from cities like Innsbruck, Zurich, and Munich.
That said, renting a car is strongly encouraged.
If you’re staying at a hotel lower in the village, you can drive up to the parking area near the base station. There are parking spots both directly at the base station and slightly before it, allowing for a shorter walk. Please note parking does seem limited.
There’s also a noticeable incline leading up to the ski station, so I highly recommend renting a locker if you don’t want to carry your skis uphill every day. Lockers can be rented at the Intersport rental store for a very reasonable price. In my case, I rented both skis and storage. Storage is available for single, double, or four-person use.
Driving from Zurich to Fiss, Austria
After landing at Zurich Airport, renting a car, and getting onto the expressway, you’ll pass many rest-stop gas stations. Most include small convenience stores—and surprisingly, many of them also have Burger King, which I found pretty funny.
The rest-stop bathrooms cost 2 CHF to use, which is still amusing to me. The restrooms aren’t particularly special, but Switzerland is an expensive country, so who am I to complain?
About halfway through the drive, you’ll reach the Austrian border. To drive on Austrian expressways, you need a vignette, which is a toll sticker proving you’ve paid the road tax.
You can buy a physical vignette at Swiss gas stations before entering Austria or purchase one digitally online.
Here’s a helpful resource explaining both options and proper placement:
https://www.austria.info/en-us/planning/toll-vignette-and-go-box/#the-vignette
Click “ASFINAG Vignette folder” to access the PDF.
I heard from our rental car company that buying online is slightly cheaper, though I’m not sure it’s worth the extra hassle.
Additionally, you’ll pass through a toll booth further into Austria, which accepts cards. The toll was around €6.
Overall Experience at Serfaus–Fiss–Ladis
This resort is very family-oriented and best suited for beginner to intermediate skiers.
As a fairly advanced piste skier, many trails felt narrow and congested, especially with beginner skiers and snowboarders. I also noticed people renting ski bikes and sleds, some even taking private lessons which was actually unique compared to other resorts I've been to.
Much of the congestion came from ski school lessons, which seemed to be happening all over the mountain—across Serfaus, Fiss, and Ladis.
The lower section of Fiss was the most enjoyable for me. Especially piste 64. After getting off the Möseralmbahn lift, it's located on the right-hand side. It offers a simple terrain with an optional orange section, and a nice mix of steep and flat areas. It's great for practicing both carving and shredding.
Side Notes
The Bergdiamant Schönjoch, near the top after taking the Schönjochbahn lift from Fiss, didn’t make much sense to me. Some trails (like pistes 21 and 26) face away from the sun and remained constantly in shadow. While manageable at my skill level, it wasn’t the most enjoyable experience. I did also come at a time where there was a shortage of snowfall, so until about the last two days, the pistes were for the most part relatively icy. There were also many trails that felt like gliding rather than skiing. I’m talking about those trails where you just glide on a piste that is relatively flat. Additionally, many of these pistes were cutting it close to how narrow they were. Even for someone like me with good control, it did feel like a tad much. Might I say, there’s nothing from stopping you from going over a relatively steep mountain, plus a random hair pin like turn on piste 52 which creates extra weariness.
Views
Honestly, every mountaintop at this resort offered stunning views. I highly recommend taking photos—but also taking the time to simply stand still and appreciate what’s in front of you.
If you take the Almbahn lift, it will take you to Zwöflerkopf peak. Located there is special dining place called the "Crystal Cube". It's located right at the edge of the cliff!
Next to the cube is a nice pathway with rails that takes you to see the beautiful mountain horizon. There is a small map of the different mountain peaks you can see from a distance, each labeled with a name. In general, many stations had viewing decks similar to this.
People & Culture
Fiss mostly attracted German families and travelers, though toward the end of our stay, many Dutch visitors arrived.
I was surprised by how many staff members at restaurants and around the resort barely spoke English. That said, everyone was friendly and polite.
I highly recommend knowing basic German, especially for ordering food and checking into hotels.
Pricing
Food prices were about 10–30% higher than what I’d consider standard. While it adds up, I understand that ski resorts operate differently, and as a regular vacation skier, I didn’t mind paying a bit extra.
If you’re looking to save money, I suggest shopping at local grocery stores in the villages. The MPREIS grocery store came in clutch. Most of the days of the ski trip I went there for dinner and grabbed their turkey ham sandwiches for dinner!
Food on the Mountain
Restaurants near pistes and lifts had a decent variety of food, including vegan options, though these were mostly simple (pasta or pizza with sauce).
While vegan food often substitutes protein, that didn’t seem to be the case here. However, there was an excellent salad bar with beans, seeds, oils and dressings, and colorful vegetable choices.
I tried to avoid fried food when possible—and surprisingly, I was successful. While much of the regional cuisine is fried, there were options like roasted chicken, grilled meats, steamed vegetables. Fries could often be substituted with a baked potato, which I appreciated. They also had a lot of different bratwurst options that usually come with a curry sauce and fries, although I’m not sure if you could have substituted the fries.
Dining in the Village of Fiss
Down in the village of Fiss, it was mostly traditional Austrian/German food (sorry for not yet knowing the difference) and choices seemed to be all relatively the same. There were many pizza places in Fiss. My family and I went to a pizza restaurant our first day and ordered a calzone and fish with risotto. This was probably the healthiest out of all the village restaurants and the service was solid. The following day we ate at our hotel’s restaurant. I had red Thai curry with chicken but it had risotto with a bit of a cheesy taste in the curry which overpowered the curry itself a tad bit. I supposed otherwise it would have been too spicy for the average German or Austrian. It was moderately heavy after eating (most likely from the cheese and carbs), but alles war gut!
Refresh & Relaxation
One of the best parts of this trip was the mental refresh.
Our hotel played a huge role in this—it had comfortable lounge beds, a great swimming pool, and clean, refreshing saunas.
Morning and afternoon walks, fresh mountain air, and beautiful village views made the experience incredibly calming. Our hotel was located higher up the mountain at the edge of the village, so a short walk outside of the hotel and you would see a the mountain without the buildings obstructing the views.
Out of all my ski trips so far, this one was the most refreshing and relaxing.
Traveling Back to Zurich
On my second-to-last day, I stayed in Zurich. Although I’ve been there twice before, this was the first time I experienced snowfall in the city.
And I highly recommend visiting the streets of Altstadt which means old town.
I stopped by a vegan bowls spot called Wild Bowls, which delivered bold, excellent flavors.
Tofu “Pork” Bowl
Mexican "Chicken" Bowl
Acai Peanut Butter Bowl
I also visited Max Chocolatier and H. Schwarzenbach AG for chocolate shopping. H. Schwarzenbach has two connected shops—one for jams and snacks, the other dedicated to chocolate. All of the shops had excellent customer service.
Later, we stopped at the famous Cabaret Voltaire known for its historic Dada movement, Zurich’s anti-war art movement during World War I. An artist’s gallery inside cost a few euros to visit. Below are some videos of the second floor of the cafe with the seating areas. The first video is the Holländerstübli which was rented by the Dadaists. The second video is another chill area where you can enjoy some drinks.
European café culture is deeply integrated into daily life—and honestly, I love it.
🫕 Fondue Night
Yes, even if you’re trying to eat healthy, you must try fondue in Switzerland.
Fondue typically includes:
A blend of cheeses
White wine and liquor
Bread, potatoes, and pickled sides
You can also ask for chicken for added protein.
It’s a great way to top off the night, and you really can’t go wrong with any of the restaurants offering fondue. If you aren’t used to the taste of alcohol, I would kindly ask to have the alcohol reduced if possible, as it can leave a bit of a strong bitter taste. The waiter also asked us if we wanted espressos after eating dessert. It was already almost 7pm and by far too late, even if I was a coffee drinker. However, it seems to be a common trend that Europeans as a whole tend to stay up later in the day and through the night.
After exiting the fondue restaurant and on our way back to the hotel, we heard multiple church bells ring at 7 pm which took place for 5 minutes.
Along the Limmat River, you can see the beautiful glow of the building lights and the smooth river water. It’s a perfect spot for a little romantic walk alongside the river.
Places I Want to Visit in the Future
While walking near a bus station in Fiss, I noticed transportation to nearby towns like Prutz. There are many villages and ski areas nearby worth exploring.
I also learned about the Ski6 Pass, which covers interconnected ski areas in the Tyrolean Oberland: Nauders, Fendels, Kaunertal Glacier, Serfaus–Fiss–Ladis, and Venet.
More info here: https://www.tiroler-oberland.com/en/Your-Tyrolean-Oberland/In-Winter/6-ski-resorts-Tyrolean-Oberland
Outside of skiing, I’d love to visit Vienna in the future because it's another city close to the mountain range, a common theme I seem to love–city integrated with nature.
Conclusion
Overall, this experience was splendid. What draws me back to this region is the cleanliness, history, and respect for nature woven into everyday life.
Returning home to the NYC metropolitan area has made me reflect on the importance of fresh air and the environment. I’m still thinking through whether I want to prioritize natural surroundings or the energy and opportunity of a bustling city. What if I had both?
In my next blog post, I’ll be discussing ideas I want to apply for a better start to the Spring 2026 school semester, along with lessons learned from this trip.
Tschüss!