British Airways launched an all-new route to the Alps this winter, making accessing some of the best resorts in Austria and Switzerland much easier, and I was lucky enough to be on the inaugural flight on behalf of InTheSnow.
The new direct flight is from Gatwick to Friedrichshafen Bodensee Airport in southern Germany.
“Where?” you may ask – well, Friedrichshafen is actually superbly placed for skiers, just a few kilometres from the Austrian and Swiss borders, making resorts like St Anton, Davos Klosters and Ischgl much easier to reach. It’s also a small, efficient, friendly and well-connected airport once you arrive – so say goodbye to traffic congestion outside and changeover-day chaos inside, and fly into Freidrichshafen 90 minutes after you’ve taken off from Gatwick.
Sadly, one perk we enjoyed on that inaugural flight – a bag of local cookies that came out on the baggage conveyor for each of us in arrivals shortly before our bags did – was probably a one off.
My first duty after checking out the new flight (tick), and Friedrichshafen airport (tick), was to see how easy it was to get to St Anton. Around 90 minutes later – or a little over 3 hours from leaving Gatwick – I was able to confirm that.
Unfortunately, our early season arrival coincided with one of the worst season starts for over a decade, so the full huge extent of the Arlberg was not open to test. However, the ski guide did manage to find some good places to ski and a great lunch spot at the Verwallstude restaurant serving the most delicious mountain food – beautifully presented with stunning views thrown in for free.
But less skiing did mean more time to see just what a beautiful village St Anton is once you forget its powder-snow reputation and look instead at the beautiful painted buildings and friendly central square with its lovely cafes, restaurants and shops.
In December the village is also home to a small traditional Christmas market where highlights include a local punch to sample, served from what looked like a witch’s cauldron bubbling over an open fire and laced with amaretto (delicious). We enjoyed browsing the stalls looking at the handcrafted goods for sale.
With St Anton playing such a crucial role in the development of downhill skiing during the early decades of the last century, a visit to the museum here is a very worthwhile experience too, before moving onto the museum for a quick look at the history behind St Anton and how alpine skiing was developed mainly by this region.
The next stop was Davos where we stayed in the new InterContinental Davos Resort and Spa which has a great top-floor restaurant with panoramic views, Studi Grigio, where the sea bass and apple coulis is a particular forte.
There was no time for skiing in Davos, and after trying a bit of curling and watching some of the local pro ice hockey teams in training, our final stop was Lake Constance, which we crossed by catamaran, and the German Market in Konstanz.
The market itself is a feast for the eyes with so much to see and do you immediately feel immersed in all things Christmassy, with twinkling lights and the smell of mulled wine everywhere. Everything from hand-carved treasures to Christmas decorations and food treats were available, and it’s so big it takes a couple of hours to walk around with a glass of mulled wine to keep you warm.
Needless to say, the return trip through Freidrichshafen airport was as simple and straightforward as the inbound experience – exactly what you want when you are only staying for a few days and need to maximise every minute!