FAQs
Who is Alpin Luxe?
Alpin Luxe is a luxury travel company focusing on ski, golf, mountain bike and wellness trips to Europe. We focus on the “details” of each trip so that every guest can simply relax, have fun and begin a new journey by discovering the Alpine Lifestyle.
What is the Alpine Lifestyle?
The Alpine Lifestyle is a way of life that begins with a positive attitude towards changing old (and sometimes) unhealthy habits. Embrace movement through daily exercise, eat healthy (farm to table cuisine) whenever possible, learn to hydrate properly, become more focused through mindfulness practice, activities in nature, and learn to implement better sleep habits. Europeans are some of the longest living humans on the planet, so it’s our goal to pass this way of life on to others.
What does an Alpin Luxe trip include?
A lot. European hotel properties differ from America in that they offer Half or Full pension. Half Pension includes breakfast and dinner and Full Pension includes a breakfast, lunch and dinner – with fresh, farm to table cuisine, prepared by Michelin chefs. We do have a couple hotel properties that only include a gourmet breakfast and therefore, lunch and dinners are not included in our packaged price. This means you get the opportunity to dine in some very cool restaurants in many locations. However, we do include a number of amenities like, hand-selected spa treatments, transportation during your stay, coaching, guiding, lift passes, greens fees, ski, bike and golf club rentals, wine tastings, and cultural activities. We DO NOT arrange flights or ground transportation to and from hotels.
What is the Alpin Luxe difference?
Alpin Luxe focuses on providing lifetime experiences, and an immersive introduction to the Alpine Lifestyle. We carefully select only coaches, guides, resorts, and partners who share our vision and passion for life and the outdoors. We curate the best experience for each one of our clients by providing the highest quality food, service, and amenities in one amazing package. We are not simply a tour company to ferry guests around. Instead, we facilitate your adventures and memories that last a lifetime!
Why not choose more famous destinations?
We always strive to avoid crowds, so we select resorts that historically don’t have them. It’s all part of the unique cultural experience that makes Alpin Luxe so special. We believe that the Alpine Lifestyle is best explored off the beaten path. We also stay clear of holiday weeks and weekends. Most ski resorts are either large enough to accommodate the number of skiers, or they (intelligently) begin spinning the lifts at 8:00a to gradually feed skiers onto the mountain to avoid overcrowding. And some resorts even limit the number of skiers per day.
Why International?
If you’ve ever been out of the country, you’ll know that the experience is life changing. There are so many positive and enlightening facets of other cultures, and we select our destinations to provide the most authentic local experience possible. From the coffee you’ll enjoy, to the farm-to-table food you’ll savor, to the hospitality you’ll receive… your eyes will be opened to a whole new world! The United States is a huge country and we often believe we’re the only island on earth. We don’t notice what we’re surrounded by every day, and most of us live a relatively unhealthy daily lifestyle. Consuming fast, processed foods and forgoing exercise or being outdoors because we’re too exhausted from work to do anything but flop in front of the television. If you want to change the way you live – look no further than Alpin Luxe, where we’ll help you embrace the joy of the Alpine Lifestyle.
What about the ski resorts – doesn't North America have better snow?
Perhaps that was true 30 years ago when Colorado and Utah could boast the “greatest snow on earth,” but winters have changed significantly over the past few decades. With the exception of northern Japan and most Heli destinations, nearly every ski resort worldwide has to augment Mother Nature with machine made snow. And, contrary to popular belief, nobody does snowmaking and grooming better than the European resorts!
What is special about the ski resorts you choose?
Over the years, we’ve seen skiing in the United States become a victim of capitalism, a sport driven by profit and controlled by massive conglomerates which own the majority of resorts. The costs are prohibitively high, with the service and amenities mediocre at best. But it’s not like this everywhere!
Over the past decade, European ski resorts have gone through a renaissance period of spectacular upgrades: New lifts with heated seats and windscreens, ultra-modern lodges with incredible “farm to table” cuisine, multiple ski areas linked to provide hundreds of miles of groomed slopes, RFID lift passes that can also access free lockers and “walk up to the window” $65 – 75.00/per day lift tickets. And to top it off, having lunch at numerous different mountain huts where the melding of the modern architecture with centuries old grazing huts come together – not to mention affordable farm to table cuisine!
Isn't it expensive to ski in Europe?
No, quite the opposite! The cost of skiing in America is literally out of control. We provide some of the most affordable ski-in / ski-out options in the world. It’s our secret sauce. Americans deserve the opportunity to enjoy wonderful ski vacations, at world class resorts, without taking out a second mortgage. We have affordable trips for individuals and families. Our hotel properties are a fraction of what American ski resort hotels charge and include at least a gourmet breakfast and most often a Michelin starred dinner. Add affordability to the experience of another culture, and your trip becomes priceless.
How do you pick your coaches?
We believe elite level coaching can benefit ANYONE, at any skill level, and everyone deserves the opportunity to spend a week skiing with the most talented athletes in their sport. Imagine hitting the slopes, trails, or links with your sports role models. We’ve partnered with celebrity skiers and champions like Dan Egan, Marcus Caston, Kristen Krone and more. We choose athletes who are not only exceptional at their sport, but who are passionate about the outdoors, and helping others experience everything the destinations of the world have to offer!
Going on a trip with a celebrity is intimidating!
For some of you, this might initially seem like more than you can handle, however, we’ve designed trips that are accessible to athletes of any level. Consider this: If you’re a business person, what would you give to spend a week with the most successful CEO on Earth? Would you be intimidated or would you embrace a rare opportunity to learn from the best in the world? Our coaches are regular people, like us! They all have families, hobbies, and jobs, and are eager to pass on the little tips that made them great. More importantly, they are so much fun! So, don’t shy away from them – embrace them and you’ll make a new friend for life.
What’s different about the golf courses in Europe?
In general, European golf courses are tighter and require more emphasis on iron play and the short game. If you’re a “bomber” off the tee box, we guarantee playing in Europe will improve your overall game. In many instances, the courses are not nearly as manicured as in America, but the way they’ve been designed and melded into the countryside is something to behold. Where else can you play next to incredibly dramatic mountains, beautiful meadows and lakes, next to castles from the Middle Ages? Remember, it’s the short game that has kept the European Ryder Cup Teams in front of the Americans when they play overseas.
I want to go on a cycling tour, but I don't think I could keep up!
At Alpin Luxe, we embrace cycling as a lifestyle, and a way to experience the vast beauty that our world has to offer. We’ve made our cycling trips accessible to riders of all skill levels, by incorporating both regular and E-Bike offerings into all our bike trips, both Mountain and Road. At each of our destinations, you’ll experience breathtaking scenery and expert instruction from elite-level athletes and coaches. Immerse yourself in the landscape and culture, while experiencing the joy of getting active in the fresh air. And after a long day in the saddle, relax in our luxury spa facilities with a glass of wine. What could be better?
Why and how do you choose your hotel properties?
First the why: We choose 3, 4 and 5-Star resort hotels depending upon the location and their amenities. In general, and of these resort hotels in Europe are a much better value than in America. Their spas are some of the best in the world and most provide at least half-pension, which means an absolutely incredible breakfast and dinner that is often prepared by either Michelin or Gault et Millau chefs.
And the how: We visit and carefully evaluate each property before they become an official hotel for Alpin Luxe trips. Photos and websites never do justice, so by visiting each hotel property, we can also approve the staff and atmosphere. We choose only properties who share our passion for quality service and a luxury experience.
What separates Alpin Luxe from the average travel provider?
Our trips are designed to replicate the incredible experiences only world class athletes and coaches have seen throughout their careers. Our founders have been fortunate to have traveled the world and seen some amazing locations. So, we put our heart and soul into providing you, our guest, with the same experiences that only a few people on earth can ever realize. Do you dream of a bucket-list adventure? Something you’d regret not doing before you die? Why wait! With Alpin Luxe, you have the chance of a lifetime to truly experience the BEST that life has to offer and not break the bank.
How do you determine skill level for your trips?
We’ve developed a set of skill level ratings for each sport: Ski, MTB (technical skill), and general Fitness. This system ranks participants into one of 9 different levels based on ability.
These levels are approximate benchmarks to help you decide which trips might be right for you. However, if you have concerns about something being too difficult (or perhaps not challenging enough!) Please reach out, and we’d be happy to provide more details about that particular trip. Our goal is always to create the ultimate tailored Alpine Experience, and we strive to accommodate all skill levels as best we can.
Learn more about each of the rating systems here: