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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
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
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.