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Voykit pocket guide · Austria
Igls
Base in Igls for 2 nights if you want quiet and the Patscherkofel; otherwise sleep in Innsbruck and ride tram 6 up for a half-day.
Igls is a village of about 2,000 people on a terrace above the Inn Valley, 20-25 minutes from Innsbruck by tram 6. It is a summer hiking and winter ski base rather than a sightseeing town: the draw is the Patscherkofel cable car, the alpine garden at 2,000 m and the Olympic bobsleigh track. Two nights covers it; a half-day covers the village itself.
- Country
- Austria
- Best months
- Jun-Sep for hiking and the alpine garden; Dec-Mar for skiing
- Avoid
- Nov and mid-Apr to mid-May (lift and garden closures, thin snow)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely taken, but some cafés, huts and small shops are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60-90 excl. bed · Mid €90-150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A1, Magenta and Drei are the networks; prepaid SIMs from shops and supermarkets (registration with ID).
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Police 133 · Ambulance 144 · Mountain rescue 140
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Same plugs as Germany; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or 5–10%, told to the server when paying.; Café: Round up to the next euro.; Taxi: Round up or about 10%.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: €1–2.; Ski instructor or mountain guide: €10–20 a day for a good lesson, optional.
- Water
- Tap water is excellent. Ask for 'ein Glas Leitungswasser'; coffee in a café comes with a free glass of water.
- Toilets
- Public toilets in cities cost €0.50; cafés and museums have free ones for guests.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and a pastry | €4-7 |
| Pizza or pasta in the village | €10-16 |
| Tyrolean main course (Knödel, schnitzel) | €14-22 |
| Beer, 0.5 l | €4-6 |
| Tram 6 single, Igls to Innsbruck | €3-4 |
| Patscherkofel cable car, return | €28-34 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €8-15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- INN · Innsbruck Airport
- About 20-25 min by taxi to Innsbruck, then tram 6; check connections
Typical fares
- Tram 6, Igls Bahnhof to Innsbruck Bergisel
- about €3-4, about 20 min
- Bus J, Igls Ortsmitte to Patscherkofel Talstation
- about 10 min; free with a Patscherkofel ski pass
- Taxi, Innsbruck Airport to Igls
- about €35-45
Get around
The village is walkable end to end in about 15 minutes. Tram 6 links Igls Bahnhof to Bergisel in Innsbruck through pine forest; bus J runs from Igls Ortsmitte to the Patscherkofel Talstation. A guest card from your accommodation may cover local buses; ask at check-in.
See and do
Known for
- Patscherkofel cable car and ski area
- Olympic bobsleigh track (Olympia Eiskanal)
- Alpengarten Patscherkofel
- Heiligwasser pilgrimage church
- Goldbichl Bronze Age site
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Innsbruck | Tram 6 from Igls Bahnhof to Bergisel, then tram 1 or a 20-min walk to the old town | About 35-40 min |
| Wattens (Swarovski Kristallwelten) | Bus or train to Wattens, then a local bus or 20-min walk | About 45-60 min |
| Hall in Tirol | Tram 6 to Bergisel, then tram 1 or train toward Hall | About 50-60 min |
| Stubaier Gletscher | Bus or car via the Stubai Valley to the base station, then the cable car | About 1.5-2 h |
Sleep
- Igls historic centre (Hilberstrasse / Bilgeristrasse)
- Hotels, bakery, Spar and the tram stop within a 5-10 min walk; best for a car-free stay.
- Patscherkofel Talstation area
- Next to the cable car base station and Intersport; 20 min walk or a short bus ride from the centre.
- Innsbruck old town
- More choice, nightlife and rail links; tram 6 reaches Igls in about 25 min.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Entschuldigungent-SHOOL-dee-goong |
| Thank you | DankeDAN-kuh |
| Please | BitteBIT-tuh |
| How much is it? | Wie viel kostet das?vee feel KOS-tet das |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit KAR-tuh TSAH-len |
| Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette?voh ist dee toy-LET-tuh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Grüß Gott' or 'Guten Tag' entering shops and huts; handshakes; avoid: Walking in without a greeting
- Titles: Use Herr/Frau and academic titles in formal settings; avoid: First names with older strangers
- Coffee houses: Linger; call the waiter 'Herr Ober'; avoid: Expecting fast service
- Punctuality: Be on time; avoid: Arriving late to concerts: doors close
- Quiet: Keep voices down on public transport; avoid: Loud phone calls in trains and trams
- Mountain trails: Greet other hikers with 'Servus' or 'Grüß Gott'; avoid: Leaving gates open on pastures
Scams and watch-outs
- The Patscherkofel cable car base station is no longer in Igls: reach it by bus J or a 20-min walk.
- Snow cover is unreliable in recent winters; check the lift and slope status before booking a ski week.
- The alpine garden and some mountain restaurants close outside Jun-Sep and the ski season.
- Mountain weather changes fast above 1,500 m: carry a shell even on a clear morning.
Very safe for tourists; the real risks are mountain weather, unmarked trail junctions above the tree line and thin snow cover in a warming climate. Tell someone your route and carry the mountain rescue number, 140.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Igls yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Patscherkofel cable car and ski area
- Olympic bobsleigh track (Olympia Eiskanal)
- Alpengarten Patscherkofel
- Heiligwasser pilgrimage church
- Goldbichl Bronze Age site
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Innsbruck region official tourism site: www.innsbruck.info/en/
- Patscherkofelbahnen: www.patscherkofelbahnen.at/
- Olympiaworld Innsbruck — Olympia Eiskanal: www.olympiaworld.at/arenen-angebote/die-arenen/olympia-eiskanal/
- IVB Innsbruck transport (tram 6, bus J): www.ivb.at/
- Wikivoyage: Igls, revision 5202877 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5202877
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Igls
Zu dieser Adresse, bitte
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Vienna; the US, UK and several other countries have consulates or honorary consulates in Innsbruck (check before you travel).
Igls is a village: cash is still useful at small mountain huts.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/igls). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.