In this article
Ischgl sits high in the Paznaun valley, and every road to it ends the same way: off the Arlberg expressway at Pians and 23 km up the valley on the B 188. From Innsbruck Airport, the nearest, that is 96 km and about 1 hour 15 minutes on a clear road. From Munich Airport, where most of the guests we drive to Ischgl land, it is 238 km and about 3 hours 20 minutes. Zurich Airport is 234 km and about 3 hours away.
How far and how long
| From | Distance | Clear-road drive | The way in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innsbruck Airport | 96 km | about 1 h 15 min | A 12 west to Landeck |
| Zurich Airport | 234 km | about 3 h | Rhine valley and the Arlberg tunnel |
| Munich Airport | 238 km | about 3 h 20 min | Garmisch and the Fernpass |
These are driving times with no traffic, from the airport to the village. They are the floor, not a promise. Snow, a busy changeover day or a slow valley road all add to them, which is why we plan every transfer with time in hand and follow your flight, so the driver is in the arrivals hall when you have landed and not when the timetable said you would. At the airport, 60 minutes of free waiting are included from the time your flight lands.
The last 23 km: the Paznaun road
Whichever airport you fly into, the drive ends on the same road. All four routes come to Pians, just west of Landeck, on the S 16, the Arlberg expressway, and leave it there. From there the B 188 climbs into the Paznaun, past See and Kappl, to Ischgl at 1,377 m. It is about 23 km.
Above Ischgl the same road goes on to Galtür and, in summer, over the Silvretta High Alpine Road into Vorarlberg. That pass road is closed in winter. For the ski season the Paznaun is a dead end, and the only way in or out is the road back down to Pians.
We take you to the address on your booking, whether that is a hotel, a chalet or an apartment, so the drive ends at your door and not at a bus stop in the village.
From Munich Airport: Fernpass or motorway
The drive starts in the arrivals hall, where your driver waits with a sign carrying your name. We have driven guests to Ischgl since 2019, and from Munich Airport there are two ways to get there.
- Through Garmisch and over the Fernpass, the shorter way: around Munich on the A 99, south on the A 95 to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, then through Grainau to the Austrian border at Griesen. The road passes Ehrwald and Lermoos, crosses the Fernpass and comes down to Imst in the Inn valley, where it joins the A 12 west to Landeck. This is the 238 km route in the table.
- Through Kufstein and Innsbruck, all motorway: east on the A 8, the A 93 to the border at Kufstein, then the A 12 the whole way west past Innsbruck and Landeck. It is 305 km and about 3 hours 35 minutes on a clear road, longer in distance and in time, but motorway as far as Pians.
Distances measured from Munich city are shorter, because the airport lies to the northeast of the city.
From Innsbruck Airport: the nearest
Innsbruck Airport is the closest airport to Ischgl. The drive is the A 12 west up the Inn valley to Landeck, a short stretch of the S 16 to Pians, and the Paznaun road. That is 96 km and about 1 hour 15 minutes on a clear road, motorway for most of the way, and the only one of the four routes that crosses no border.
From Zurich Airport and Memmingen: through the Arlberg
From the west the road comes through the Arlberg. From Zurich Airport the route runs east on the A 1 past St. Gallen, crosses into Austria between Diepoldsau and Hohenems, and follows the A 14 up the Rhine valley and the Walgau. The S 16 then takes it through the Arlberg road tunnel, out at St. Anton am Arlberg and on past Flirsch to Pians. It is 234 km and about 3 hours on a clear road, and it never touches Germany.
From Memmingen Airport the A 96 runs southwest to Lindau and crosses into Austria at Hörbranz, where it joins the same A 14 and the same tunnel.
Tolls and the vignette
German motorways are free for cars. Austrian motorways and expressways need a vignette, and every route to Ischgl uses some, at least the A 12 and the S 16 around Landeck. Two stretches at the border are exempt: the A 12 from the border at Kufstein to Kufstein Süd, and the A 14 from the border at Hörbranz to Hohenems, which is where the Memmingen route comes in.
The routes from Zurich and Memmingen also pay the Arlberg road tunnel’s own section toll, charged on top of the vignette between St. Anton and Langen. From Zurich the first part of the drive is on Swiss motorways, which carry their own charge as well.
On a transfer none of this is yours to arrange. Our prices include all tolls, and the price quoted when you book is the price you pay.
Is the road to Ischgl ever closed in winter?
Yes, occasionally, and when it is there is no way around. In winter the B 188 is the only road into the Paznaun. On the evening of 21 January 2018 the whole of it, from Pians to Galtür, was closed in both directions because of acute avalanche danger, and Ischgl could not be reached by road.
Austria also has a winter equipment rule. From 1 November to 15 April, cars must be on winter tires on all four wheels whenever there is snow, slush or ice on the road. It applies to every vehicle on these roads, ours included.
Good to know
If a closure or avalanche risk makes the journey unsafe, we may cancel the transfer, and you receive a full refund. We are not liable for onward costs such as a missed flight, so on a day of heavy snow a pick-up with extra margin is worth more than any refund.
The drive back to the airport
From Munich and Memmingen the way home crosses into Germany, and Germany checks vehicles entering from Austria. In September 2026 the German motoring club ADAC reported that the checks are planned to continue until 15 March 2027, and named Kiefersfelden, the crossing on the Kufstein route, as one of the three on the Austrian border most prone to queues. The Fernpass route crosses at Griesen and the Memmingen route at Lindau. There are no systematic checks on the way into Austria, so the arrival leg is not the one to worry about.
So the pick-up time for a departure matters more than the one for an arrival. Road transport in the Alps is affected by weather, traffic and road closures, and we recommend a comfortable margin before a departing flight. Count the 23 km of valley road and, for Munich and Memmingen, the border in when you choose the pick-up time for your flight home.
On the morning itself the driver arrives about 15 minutes before the booked time, and 15 minutes of free waiting are included from the agreed time. Keep passports or identity cards within reach in the vehicle, not in the luggage.
Common questions
Which airport is closest to Ischgl?
Innsbruck Airport. It is 96 km from Ischgl, about 1 hour 15 minutes on a clear road, by the A 12 west to Landeck, the S 16 to Pians and the Paznaun road.
How long is the transfer from Munich Airport to Ischgl?
About 3 hours 20 minutes on a clear road, for 238 km by way of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Fernpass. The all-motorway route through Kufstein and Innsbruck is 305 km and about 3 hours 35 minutes. Snow and busy changeover days add to both, so we plan the transfer with time in hand.
How long is the transfer from Zurich Airport to Ischgl?
About 3 hours on a clear road, for 234 km. The route runs past St. Gallen into Austria at Hohenems, up the A 14 and through the Arlberg road tunnel to Pians, then up the Paznaun to Ischgl.
Do we need to buy a vignette or pay the tunnel toll?
No. Alp Roads prices include all tolls: the Austrian vignette, the Arlberg tunnel toll on the routes from Zurich and Memmingen, and the Swiss motorway charge from Zurich.
Is the road to Ischgl closed in winter?
Only rarely, for avalanche danger, and then there is no way around: on 21 January 2018 the whole Paznaun road from Pians to Galtür was closed. The Silvretta High Alpine Road beyond Galtür is closed every winter, so in the ski season Ischgl is reached only from Pians.
Is there a border check on the way back from Ischgl?
On the way back to Munich or Memmingen, yes. Germany checks vehicles entering from Austria, at Griesen on the Fernpass route, Kiefersfelden on the Kufstein route and Lindau on the Memmingen route. Allow for it when choosing a pick-up time and keep your travel documents within reach. The drive to Innsbruck Airport crosses no border.
Do you drive to Kappl, See and Galtür as well?
Yes. See and Kappl are on the Paznaun road below Ischgl and Galtür is above it, and we take you to the address on your booking. Enter the address on the booking page to see the price.
