The Best Resorts For Apres Ski In Europe

At Stoke, we LOVE Winter, about as much as we love Summer, okay fine, we love every damn season as every season brings with it new adventure and amazing experiences just waiting for you. But Winter means snow, it means friends, laughs but best of all, it means APRES SKI.

So, given the fact that you are probably heading into work, looking out the window or aggressively scrolling Instagram for the most epic ski or snowboard themed images, you need to start thinking about booking your next getaway.

This is a public service announcement, its good for the soul. This way you can daydream about all the next level experiences you are going to have. Because we aim to please, we have compiled a little list of the best resorts in Europe for Apres ski.

After all, there is literally nothing better than a long days riding with your crew, then riding directly up to the bar, slamming your wallet down and yelling “GARCON, DOUZE JAGER BOMB GRACIAS”, perhaps we adhere to basic social normals and leave the slightly xenophobic undertones at the door, but nether the less, the premise remains!

Let’s kick off!

1.) St Anton

And we are off, outta the gate with quite possibly the home of apres ski.

St Anton is home to world-class powder, excellent snow parks, proximity to a whole host of cool areas and it has beaconed internationals from all over the world to enjoy the atmosphere. Make sure you are there on a Thursday, this is the locals massive apres ski blowout. Prepare to stay in your salopettes until you literally pass out at 10 pm.

– Nearest Airport: Innsbruck, Zurich

– Where to stay: Edelweiss Pettneu Lodge

– Where to Party: Krazy Kanguruh, Das Basecamp and MooserWirt

2.) Meribel

Ah, Les 3 Vallees <insert French accent here>, you see what we did, it’s like “Ah Paris” but more relevant.  Meribel maybe be known as Blackpool with snow but that’s offensive to Blackpool, snow and France so we are going to ignore that and just tell you that Meribel is super fun. Yes, the Brits have claimed it as their own, but you have an awesomely eclectic mix of people from all over the world with French alpine charm mixed with the Brits never faltering love to party.

– Nearest Airport: Chambery, Genere, Grenoble

– Where to stay: ChaletArc – Riders Hostel – Maison des Quatre Balcons

– Where to Party: LE ROND POINT  “The Ronnie”, Le pub, Jacks bar

3.) Ischgl

Now we are getting real with it. This one is for those of us who like to be challenged in the day, work for their first apres ski beer. You want a day of challenging tough world-renowned slopes, great off-piste then you can land yourself in a fake sheepskin-covered chair at 4 pm with a rum-laced hot chocolate in hand and ignore the weird muscle twitch in your thighs and the sweat on your forehead!

– Nearest Airport: Innsbruck airport

– Where to stay: Hotel Madlein

– Where to Party: Freeride Aprés Ski Bar Ischgl, Schatzi Bar Khustall

4.) Andorra La Vella

Now to Andorra, Spain and France’s higher, non-EU neighbour. Just a cheeky three hours from Barcelona (and we know how cheap the flights are YASSS) so snap a cheeky early finish on Friday, jump on an afternoon flight to Barcelona and be in Andorra by late evening. The pistes are impeccably groomed which makes this a heaven for beginner and intermediate riders plus an absolutely bustling nightlife. The apres is no different, oh and did we mention Andorra is entirely tax-free? This lesser-known paradise is a must, plus it’s where we have our all-inclusive Snow Weekenders leaving Barcelona every Friday from Jan 18 – March 11, so all you need to do is meet us in Barcelona and let us do the hard yards for you.

• Nearest Airport: Barcelona
• Where to stay: With us! Check out our 2 night package with return transport here.

Where to Party: Temple Bar, Pub Corinthia, L’Alternativa

5.) Cervinia

On the Italian Swiss border, perhaps standing in the shadow of the more famous Chamonix, Cervinia is just a two hour drive away, bordered with Zermatt and is an up and comer. The vibe in this town is totally undeniable. The slopes are great fun and after an awesome day riding, you ride literally directly into Plan Torette, then you ski down, a red run no less, barely knowing your own name, as the sunsets so its still classy and into Principe (still on the slopes) and down to town, a real mountain pub crawl.

• Nearest Airport: Turin or Milan
• Where to stay: Hotel Dragon
• Where to Party: Principe Delle Nevi, Plan Torrette, Dragon Pub

6.) Sauze D’ Oulx

A really picturesque resort, chocolate box chalets, pretty streets and a raucous apres-ski scene. Those poor Italian locals, trying to keep their resort chic, then as soon as the afternoon hits, the awesome array of bars welcome you in with a classic “Bombardino” which is eggnog, brandy and whipped cream- yum and apres ski, Italian style. Talk about the “Dolce Vita”.

• Nearest Airport: Turin
• Where to stay:  B&B Ico’s Lodge (Villa Toesca)
• Where to Party: Village Cafe-bar,  The New Scotch Pub, Paddy McGinty’s

7.) Val Thorens

The first word in apres ski is Folie Douce, the French invented apres ski and no one does it better. Val Thorens is a great all-round resort, take your beginner mates and they can potter around and take your keen adrenaline junky friends and shred the harder slopes and the off-piste, then in the afternoon, you can all meet on the slopes at Folie Douce. Get there early as this place going crazy.

• Nearest Airport: Chambery
• Where to stay: Ho36 Les Ménuires
• Where to Party: Folie Douce, Bar 360

8.) Åre

Sweden I hear you cry, 10€ a beer, er no thanks. It’s not as bad as everyone says, yes Sweden is objectively more experience but the atmosphere on the mountain in Åre is nothing like anything you have experienced. The Swedes are so effortlessly cool and relaxed, pair that with really great skiing (amazing powder in the trees) then a trip to Åre is an absolute must. Plus, they know how to party!

• Nearest Airport: Åre Östersund Airport
• Where to stay: STF Hotell Åre Torg
• Where to Party: Fjällgården, Tott

9.) Mayrhofen

Mayrhofen is an absolute must visit. It’s on everyone radar. Well, stop sitting around talking about going and get to booking. Just a hop skip and a jump from Innsbruck, you will be hitting the slopes in a matter of hours. It’s a bit of a challenging resort but that just means that first Jagaer bomb will be worth it! Again, another resort full of internationals so gets ready to make some cool new mates.

• Nearest Airport: Innsbruck, Salzberg
• Where to stay: Blue Bird Mountain Lodge
• Where to Party: Mo’s, Brueckenstadl, River Side Bar

10.) Zermatt

I know what you are thinking, excuse me, sorry, did you think we were investment bankers, hedge fund managers, er no, Zermatt is out. Don’t be so sassy, simmer down and listen, Zermatt can be done on a budget. There are 2 awesome hostels, plus some absolutely bargain happy hours. Plus the mountain is incredible, such insane slopes and next level backcountry. If you really must eat on the hill, hop over to the Italian side for a hot plate of delicious pasta. Then hop back over and enjoy the super apres ski, shoulder to shoulder with the upper echelons of society, but 5 colourful shots deep, we are all the same. Aww that’s kinda nice isn’t it, how deep and meaningful.

• Nearest Airport: Geneva, Milan
• Where to stay: Jugendherberge Zermatt
• Where to Party: Hennu Stall, Paperla Pub, Harry’s ski bar

E voila, are you stoked? Thought so. So stop moping around thinking about the mountain and just book, you will feel so much better knowing you have a totally stupendous adventure just around the corner.

For the ultimate mix of shots and slopes, make sure to check out our Barcelona to Andorra winter adventure! Join us for €260 every weekend from Jan 18 – March 11, with return transport, 3* hotel accommodation, one dinner, two breakfasts, 2-day lift pass, ski equipment (snowboard hear €15 surcharge), and guaranteed good times with the Stoke Travel party crew.

Either way, may the snowfall fast and thick wherever you choose to ride this winter.

This article was written with our pals at Thrillism.com, they have some thrilling winter adventures too. #YourAdventureIsNext.

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Hace unas semanas, pudimos disfrutar del surfin de Troy en el norte de España en su viaje por Europa. Como muestra de ello, os traemos este pequeño vídeo de un minutito, grabado y editado por Miki Astorga: ”Estaba en el agua y vi acercarse a Troy con un single pequeño, le dije si quería coger […]
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Este pasado mes de septiembre conocí en persona al protagonista de esta peli, pedazo de surfista, lo pudimos comprobar en la jornada que pasamos con él. Un tío encantador, nos abrió las puertas de su casa y surfeamos con él y sus amigos, fue muy especial. A continuación os dejamos su última peli firmada por BIRDMAN […]
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Population: Klein aber oho! (small but selective)

Language: some weird kind of German

Nationality: Austrian (no kangaroos!)  

Cookie-cutter must sees: feeling serious? Here are the serious sights:

Schloss Schönbrunn – it’s a fancy ass castle, once built for a former Austrian emperor. Don’t forget to bring some wine and cheese to pretend to be fancy too.   

Wiener Rathaus – city hall of Vienna. There are wine festivals in the summer and Glühwein in the winter, so mostly a socially acceptable place to get drunk.

Museums Quartier – Nice open spaces to chill out, surrounded by museums. Perfect location to play the game: Hipster or Hobo?

Wiener Naschmarkt – Vienna’s belly. This market offers you a wide range of food to build a solid foundation before a night out.

Wiener Prater – Outdated amusement park in the middle of Vienna, where you can ride on the famous Riesenrad which London copied with its London Eye.

The alternative stuff: feeling avant-garde? Here are the insider tips:

Donaukanal – aka the “living room of Vienna”. Step by step guide on how to be a real Viennese: get some supermarket beers, bring your speakers, gather your friends and get wasted at the edge of the Danube canal. Don’t fall into the water!

Dachboden at the 25 hours hotel – Super nice rooftop terrace. You’ll feel like home when you read the big letters over the entrance saying, “We are all mad here”. Plus it has a five-star rating on TripAdvisor for best Tinder date spot!  

Pratersauna – Once a brothel, now a techno club. One of the best venues for electronic music in town!

Tel Aviv 210 – Fancy beach bar located at the Danube Canal (told you it’s a good spot). Watch in the summer the half-naked girls running by while you enjoy an ice-cold beer. Best alternative if you don’t have a TV at home.  

Under no circumstances does Stoke recommend….nudge nudge, wink wink

Eating at the Wiener Deewan when you’re not hungry. Three things to convince you: all-you-can-eat buffet, pay-as-you-wish concept and lots of left-winged girls and hippie guys.

Going to Loco during Sober-October. The happy-hour starts with 50¢ per cocktail. Everything’s cheap and easy here: the entry, the alcohol and the girls/guys.

No seriously, Stoke does not recommend:

Buying weed at Schottenring – if you’re a passionate lover of expensive oregano, go ahead!

Calling an Austrian, German – equals your death sentence.

Being greedy – when it comes to tipping a waiter, better be generous or go and find a job!

 

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Pamplona’s San Fermin, with its infamous bull run, has been falling in favour in recent years. Once an essential stop on any European summer jaunt, the event has seen numbers dwindling because, well, not so many young travellers are keen on torturing animals.

But neither are young Pamplonans! For the youth of Pamplona the idea of bullfighting couldn’t be further from their idea of having a swell time and celebrating their city. This antipathy towards this aspect of the famous fiesta is reflected in how few young locals participate in the encierro – and not coincidentally how many stay partying in the streets right up to the bull runs 8am beginning, leaving themselves in no state whatsoever to tempt maiming in front of the bulls and, more pointedly, their horns.

We tell you this not to change your opinion on bull runs and bullfights, you really have to come to Pamplona and witness the traditions to make your own mind up on that, but to illustrate that there is so much more to the festival than those five minutes every morning.

The other 23 hours and 55 minutes of each day of the fiesta are filled with street parties, live music, ancient traditions, making out with strangers and good food, wine and that wonderfully Spanish mix of the two – sangria.

But if a week and bit of bacchanal isn’t convincing enough for you, here are some other reasons why you’ve got to slide the Running of the Bulls into your Euro trip bucket list.

1. It’s Spain’s biggest fiesta

   This one is difficult to really quantify, but it’s definitely the biggest in terms of how many foreigners visit. This means that the locals are more accommodating of our ignorant ways, and are accustomed to holding out-of-town hands through some of the celebration’s more confusing traditions. And don’t worry about the event being inauthentic – if you find yourself surrounded with foreigners and need more local flavour simply walk one street this way or that and find yourself immersed in a sea of grandmas eating snails, or young punks drinking kalimotxo (more on what that is, later).

2. Pamplona becomes a party

   Like, pretty much all of it. And all of the inhabitants, too. The aforementioned grannies and punks, their husbands and grandfathers, young families – everybody gets suited up in their whites and reds and hits the streets during San Fermin. And you’ll find something throughout the city, from the packed street-drinking streets through the old town, to the amazing carnival outside the old city walls, the numerous parks that turn into huge, free outdoor concert spaces, and, if you smile a lot, maybe in somebody’s apartment for a tasty, traditional festival lunch.

3. You’ll be in the Basque Country

   Well actually Navarra, which is a part of the Basque Country, or it’s own place, or simply Spain, depending on who you talk to. That’s the thing with Spain, it’s not one homogeneous country, but instead a collection of largely autonomous regions, and few are as interesting as the Basque Country, of which Pamplona is, or isn’t, a part, depending on who you talk to. The Basques have their own language, one which isn’t related to any other on earth, their own customs that have stemmed from the mountains from which the people seemingly sprung, and their own gastronomy – including pintxos, the local tapas that leave a lasting impression on absolutely every traveller who passes through, and kalimotxo, the traditional drink of Europe’s oldest people, a heady mix of cheap red wine and Coca Cola, which is way less gross than you’d think.

4. You’re so close to everything!

   Being in the Basque Country you can quite easily combing your Running of the Bulls trip with visits to the region’s food and partying playground, San Sebastian, or to the culture-thick city of Bilbao. You can visit the red wine hunting grounds of La Rioja within a couple of hours, or take a few hours and finish up in Barcelona, Madrid, France, the Spanish north coast, Ibiza… you name it! A trip to the Running of the Bulls needn’t be a destination, but a waypoint in a much grander Spanish/southern European adventure.

5. Stoked In The Park

   As if that wasn’t enough, Stoke Travel also throw their Stoked In The Park music festival during the San Fermin festival. Included in your accommodation price, the event features international bands and DJs (last year Australia’s Art Vs Science headlined), sporting events, pool parties, cooking classes, wine tasting, and general merrymaking inside the campsite where Stoke live for the event. Stoked In The Park is where travellers enjoy themselves when not in Pamplona city centre, either meeting other adventurers from around the world, chilling out on the amply shaded grassy areas, floating down the river, or raging to the provided music, all powered by Stoke Travel’s famous €10 open beer and sangria bar. That’s bucket list worthy on its own.
   

It’s time to put the Running of the Bulls back on your bucketlists — not because we think bull running is an especially clever or morally sound concept, but because the party is world-class, particularly Spanish and when combined with the Stoked in the Park music festival gives travellers the ingredients for the best times of their euro trip. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Para comenzar, antes de nada, comenzaremos presentando de nuevo a nuestros buenos amigos de Toma Goma Surfboards. Hace ya un tiempo fueron protagonistas en la entrada que les hicimos titulada ‘Toma Goma Surfboards. Corazón de Surfing’. Y es que Toma Goma, por si hay alguien que aún nos los conoce, son dos hermanos, Ricardo y […]
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It’s almost Halloween time and you’re finding yourself far from your traditional trick-or-treating grounds. This is foreign territory – fun territory – but you are informed by the distinct lack of pumpkin spice in the air that this isn’t Kansas. Heck, it isn’t even Canberra, but Catalunya, and with All Hallows just around the corner we figured it’d be best to inform you of the best things to do in Barcelona this Halloween.

This year Halloween falls on a Wednesday, and the Thursday is a public holiday. Many locals will take the Friday off work and enjoy a four-day weekend, while the rest will use the Thursday as a hungover day before returning to work on Friday.

Tourists, students and committed party monsters will pay little to no attention to the party falling mid-week, and get ghoulish until the wee hours of the morning – we can confirm that.

So what are we doing in Barcelona this Halloween?

Spanish and Catalan Halloween traditions

Halloween’s roots are in pre-Christian pagan rituals, and there are plenty of local traditions. The big day for Spaniards and Catalans is the 1st of November, Dia de todos los santos, or All Saints Day. Locals spend the day honouring the dead, visiting cemeteries, lighting candles and laying wreaths. There are some cool graveyards around Barcelona, in particular the south-facing hillside of Montjuic.

Also on this day locals will eat roasted chestnuts and eat pan de muerto. If they’re feeling frisky they might even have a mulled wine. If you’re a bit of a culture vulture, come and pick the flesh out of this article devoted to Spanish Halloween traditions.

The 2nd of November is El dia de los muertos, which is a Mexican tradition, but you’ll find plenty of people celebrating it in Barcelona, particularly in the city’s better taco and burrito joints. Check out Azul Frida, an underground favourite with spectacular food and mescal cocktails.

Halloween Parties In Barcelona

The night before All Saints Day is El dia de las brujas, witches day, which takes more of a Halloween-as-a-party form. On this night we’ll see the streets fill up with people in costume and bars and nightclubs offering special themed parties. The beach clubs will have special events, where the spookiest things are the drink prices, and it will all seem a bit forced, because this isn’t a traditional way to celebrate Halloween here in Barcelona.

But Barcelona is an unbelievably spooky city. Can you even begin to imagine how many people have died in the city over its 1000s of years in existence? And how many of those deaths were horrific? And how many of those terribly killed individuals still inhabit the city’s buildings and boulevards, unhappy that they can’t take place in the fun that goes down here every goddamn day?

If you believe in that kind of stuff.

Ghost Hunt Halloween Barcelona

But no matter your position on the existence of ghosts, Barcelona has some truly horrific stories, which you can read about here, or you can learn about on the night of the 31st of October, with Stoke Travel’s Halloween Barcelona Ghost Hunt. This interactive party is part self-guided tour part treasure hunt, that will see you solving clues and running around the city from spooky spot to spooky spot, discovering the city’s scary secrets and being entertained by the party-hungry Stoke Travel crew.

The evening begins with a pre-party so we can channel the ghost realm via shots of spirits, and there are also big prizes on offer for the team that completes all the tasks and solves all the mysteries first. Once it’s all done all ghost hunters head to the biggest and best Halloween party in Barcelona.

The only thing is that if you want to play you have to dress up. Luckily we’ve got all the Barcelona costume shop information you need.

The Barcelona Halloween Ghost Hunt is a popular yearly event, so if you’re looking for a plan this Halloween, make sure you lock your spot in. Your plans for Halloween in Barcelona are spookily sorted.

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To live, laugh, love, pray, eat, drink and sometimes pass out in Barcelona

Have you got a passion for words? For the moving picture? For likes? Stoke Travel, Europe’s — and maybe the world’s — number one choice for festival travel and all-round questionable behaviour is looking for creative interns to join it’s winter team.

We’re ready to take on some new Stokies, to teach what we know and learn some things from you too. We’re a young, vibrant and creative company that definitely knows a few things about the work/life balance (we’ve got an open bar in our office, for heck’s sake), and we see the value in having fresh faces and new ideas around the office at all times.

We’re looking for…

Keyboard jockeys

Our content writing internships offer practical experience and university credit to talented junior writers. You’ll be working with an experienced print and online editor and working on creating written content about Stoke Travel trips, travelling in general, and pretty much anything you want to write about. You’ll be an integral part of our online marketing strategy and create collections of words that boost Stoke Travel SEO, online branding content through the Stokepedia blog and informative content for our backpackers’ guide to Europe. You’ll also participate in the scripting, production, and perhaps starring in some of Stoke Travel’s amazing videos.

You: passion for reading and writing, an avid storyteller, are interested in the correct use of semicolons

We: will build you into a lean, mean content making machine and send you on as many Stoke Travel trips as we can

Junior Video Editor

Are you a director in waiting? Do you have one of those eyes that sees beauty in light when everybody else simply sees 4pm? Are you at your happiest sitting in front of your favourite editing program making sure the cuts are perfect down to the millisecond? Do you have huge ideas for film and video projects that are looking for somewhere to be born? Stoke Travel is committed to putting out as much high-quality moving-picture storytelling as we can, from our hero product videos, to our online guides and social media live streams. We’re looking for somebody to help the team, learn the craft, and have a tonne of fun along the way.

You: want to make videos

We: want to help you

Social Media Intern

Do you live for the meme? Are you happiest getting likes? Can you tell the difference between Instagram feed content and content destined for the story? Why we should use Pinterest? Is there any point in using Facebook? And how can we go viral from time to time? This is a great opportunity for an engaged social media user to get experience with a company that relies heavily on the platforms, and is always looking for new ways to engage with our audience. We need your help in making us famous, and maybe along the way get yourself a few more likes.

You: live inside your phone

We: won’t get mad when you spend most of your work day on your phone

University credit for all internships, ongoing positions offered to the cream of the crop, free Stoke Travel while you’re with us, staff parties almost seven nights a week, and the chance to explore Barcelona while building on your CV and experience and, above all, having as much fun as you humanly, or inhumanly, can.

Message gravy@stoketravel.com if you’re even slightly curious about any of the positions (or some positions that maybe we haven’t even considered yet).

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Hoy os traemos un pequeño vídeo de elaboración propia, filmado y editado por Miki Astorga, con el que queremos aportar nuestro pequeño granito de arena en la difusión del longboard femenino nacional. Es fácil entrar en internet y encontrar vídeos de grandes surfistas internacionales, como Erin Ashley, Karina Rozunko, Kassia Meador, Lola Mignot  y un […]
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