Q: Do I need to know how to ski before I join the club?
A: Absolutely not; the IAEA Ski Club is an excellent place to learn to ski. We offer novice (absolute beginner) lessons on 4 of the first 5 trips. After that, you need to be able to ski blue (easy) runs and ride a chair lift.
Q: What is included in the trip price?
A: Hotel, dinner Saturday (and Friday for the 3-day trips), breakfasts, bus travel, 2 (or 3 for 3-day trips) half-day ski lessons.
Q: How do I sign up for a trip?
A: First, you must register online to become a club member for the current season. Then, signup will be done online on the date listed on the trip schedule.
Q: How does the website allocate sign-up access?
A: Good question. Access to tickets on Ticket Tailor is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Q: Can I become a member of the ski club at trip registration?
A: No. You must join the club first through online registration.
Q: Can I bring a guest?
A: Priority at sign-up is given to members. After all members have signed up for a trip, if there are still free spaces, members may sign up one guest per membership. If there are still free spaces after that, extra guests may be added. Guests pay a €15 surcharge and are required to share a room with the member inviting them.
Q: Do children pay full price?
A: Hotels offer discounts for children when they share a room with two adults. If you register children with one parent, please pay the full price initially. Rest assured; the Ski Club will reimburse you if we can successfully negotiate a discount with the hotel.
Q: Can I rent skis/snowboards/boots when I arrive at the ski resort for 2- and 3-day trips?
A: No. You must bring all skiing/snowboarding equipment with you on the bus. (Equipment can be rented in St. Anton for the weeklong trip). The reason for this is that the club often skis at multiple areas over the weekend and that the lessons begin first thing in the morning.
Q: Is there a place at the VIC where I can store my ski/snowboard equipment?
A: Yes. The ski club has an equipment storage room in the VIC that is located near where the bus departs from. This storage room is opened regularly before the bus departs from the VIC and after it returns. The storage room can also be accessed at other times upon request.
Q: What should I bring on the bus beside the obvious, i.e., ski/snowboard equipment, clothing?
A: When the bus leaves the VIC, you should bring cash to pay for a lift pass, approximately 45 euros/day. You may also wish to bring snacks and water and/or wine (beer and sports drinks sold on the bus)
Q: What time does the bus leave the VIC?
A: For all trips leaving Vienna, please note the following:
- Departure time: The bus will leave the VIC sharp at 17:00. It will not wait for late arrivals. Please be on the bus at least 15 minutes before departure.
- Luggage Loading:
- The bus will be open for luggage loading from 16:00.
- Please arrive early enough to load your gear and be ready for departure.
Q: How do the lessons work?
A: We usually have classes in 6 different levels. The instructors will assign you to a half-day class depending on experience and ability.
Q: Is there off-piste skiing?
A: Almost always. Avalanche equipment is highly recommended. Sometimes an instructor-led group will require at a minimum, a beacon/beeper.
Q: Can I have a single room?
A: On some trips, there are a few singles available at an extra charge. On very full trips, it can be difficult. It's first-come, first-served on registration day.
Q: I don't ski, but I snowboard. Are there others?
A: Yes, lots.
Q: What time do we get back to Vienna on Sunday?
A: Usually between 19:30 and 20:30; later for farther away destinations, such as Nassfeld.
Q: I don't have a VIC pass – how does that work?
A: Members are responsible for signing in guests at Check Point 1. When leaving the VIC on the bus at the start of the trip, individuals without VIC grounds passes surrender their visitor passes. This means that they will not be able to re-enter the VIC when returning on Sunday evening and will have to disembark outside the VIC, while holders of VIC grounds passes continue inside.
Q: How does drop off work at the end of the ski-trip?
A: The bus parks inside the VIC beside the ski room on the Sunday.
Drop-off outside of the VIC: Members without VIC access must get off the bus outside of the VIC, in front of the U1 underground station. The bus will stop for only a few minutes for these people. For logistical reasons, members with valid VIC access cannot leave the bus at this stop.
- Luggage Handling:
- If you belong to this group, hand your luggage to the driver for placement in the designated compartment.
- For safety reasons, all other compartments will be locked and will not be opened when the bus is at the underground station.
- Luggage not placed in this area will be unloaded at the VIC and stored in the ski room for collection on Monday.
- No exceptions will be made to these rules. Safety comes first.
Q: What is the WhatsApp community channel?
A: The IAEA Ski Club WhatsApp Community allows us to share general announcements and trip-specific updates instantly.
- Main Channel IAEA Ski Club Community: A read-only channel for general announcements.
- Trip Groups: Each trip will have its dedicated group where members can chat, share photos, and connect with fellow participants.
- Events: Are used to schedule and manage group activities, such as trips, sign-ups, meetings, parties, etc.
Please do not share any photos in the group chat unless you have the permission of all people in the photos.
Q: Can I use the ski club mailing list to sell my old equipment?
A: Nope.