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Voykit pocket guide · Austria
Montafon
Spend 3–4 days for skiing in winter or hiking in summer; base in Schruns for easy train and bus links.
Montafon is a 39‑km Alpine valley in Vorarlberg with 8 ski areas (295 km slopes) and over 1 000 km of summer trails. The regional train from Bludenz to Schruns connects all villages, and frequent buses reach the lifts. A short stay lets you sample the local Sura Kees cheese, après‑ski bars and mountain museums.
- Country
- Austria
- Best months
- Dec–Mar for ski; Jun–Sep for hiking and mountain biking
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb extreme cold in high areas (check lift opening dates)
- Stay
- 3–4 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 €50–70 excl. bed · Mid €80–120 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
- Police 112 · Fire 122 · Ambulance 144
- 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.
Get in
By air
- ZRH · Zurich Airport
- —
- MUC · Munich Airport
- —
- STR · Stuttgart Airport
- —
- FMM · Memmingen Airport
- —
- FDH · Friedrichshafen Airport
- —
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Montafonerbahn regional train (Bludenz‑Schruns) runs hourly; local buses link villages to lift stations. In winter, ski‑bus shuttles operate from Schruns to the main ski areas. Car is optional; motorways are well‑signed and a vignette is required.
See and do
Known for
- skiing and snowboarding
- extensive hiking network
- Montafon Sura Kees cheese
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bludenz | Regional train from Schruns to Bludenz, about 20 min | ≈30 min total |
| Bregenz | Train to Bludenz then ÖBB Railjet to Bregenz, about 1 h 10 min | ≈1 h 30 min |
| Feldkirch | Train to Bludenz, then regional train to Feldkirch, ≈45 min total | ≈1 h |
| Dornbirn | Train to Bludenz, then ÖBB to Dornbirn, ≈1 h 20 min | ≈1 h 45 min |
Sleep
- Schruns
- Main town, train station, many hotels and guesthouses; good base for ski lifts.
- St. Gallenkirch
- Close to Hochjoch lifts, quieter evenings.
- Gaschurn
- Near Golm adventure mountain and rope park.
Language
Austrians speak German with their own accent and vocabulary: Grüß Gott for hello, Servus between friends, Paradeiser for tomato and Erdäpfel for potato. English is common in tourism and among younger people; dialect in the Alps can be hard even for Germans.
- 'Grüß Gott' is the standard greeting in the west and in shops; 'Servus' is casual.
- Menu words differ from Germany: Schlagobers (whipped cream), Topfen (curd cheese), Marillen (apricots).
- Use 'Sie' with strangers; titles (Doktor, Magister) still appear on doorbells and business cards.
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
- Lift tickets are often time‑restricted; check opening hours on the official Montafon site.
- Winter weather can close high passes; verify road status before driving.
- Some mountain huts close early in the off‑season; confirm opening dates.
Montafon is generally safe for tourists; main risks are mountain weather changes and occasional avalanches – check local forecasts before heading to high passes.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Montafon yet. Suggested stay: 3–4 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- skiing and snowboarding
- extensive hiking network
- Montafon Sura Kees cheese
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Montafon: www.wikidata.org/wiki/QXXXXX
- Wikivoyage: Montafon, revision 5212826 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5212826
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/montafon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.