Where to stay in Mayrhofen: the areas compared

If you arrive without a car, stay in the centre of Mayrhofen, near the train station and within walking distance of the Penkenbahn; if you only ski the glacier, stay up the valley in Hintertux; if you have small children learning to ski, look at Schwendau near the Horbergbahn. Below is how the areas compare, what an apartment gives you over a hotel, and when our own house is the wrong choice.

The areas in one table

The areas, one by one

Mayrhofen centre. The train station, the bus stops and the valley stations of both local mountains are within walking distance. Measured from our door at Einfahrt Mitte 422b, a few minutes' walk from the centre: the station is 244 m (3 min), the bus stop for Hintertux 214 m (2 min), the Penkenbahn 710 m (10 min) and the Ahornbahn 1,160 m (15 min). These are routed on OpenStreetMap data, not yet walked. If you fly into Innsbruck, about 70 km away, and come on by public transport, this is the area where you will not need a car.

Near the Penkenbahn. The Penken opens first, on 4 December 2026, together with the Horbergbahn. Staying right by its valley station means the shortest walk in ski boots. The Penkenbahn runs until 11 April 2027.

Near the Ahornbahn. The Ahorn opens later, on 12 December 2026, and closes earlier, on 4 April 2027. Besides skiing it has the PistenBock sledging run. Choose this side if the Ahorn is your mountain; for the Penken you then cross the village.

Schwendau and Hippach. The Horbergbahn valley station is in Schwendau, a second way into the Penken ski area; from our door it is 3.4 km by car, about 5 minutes. The KinderLand Horberg children's area is at the valley station, open daily from 9:00 to 16:00. Families with small children who start each day there are well placed on this side.

Finkenberg. The Finkenberger Almbahnen run from 840 m up to 2,095 m, with the last descent from the Penkenjoch, from 4 December 2026 to 11 April 2027. Finkenberg is a further way into the Penken ski area.

Hintertux. The glacier is open every day of the year, from 1,500 to 3,250 m. If you come in October, November or late spring and want only the glacier, a bed in Hintertux saves the drive. From Mayrhofen it is 19.7 km, about 25 minutes by car, and until 17 December 2026 a free autumn ski bus runs from Mayrhofen for anyone with skis or a snowboard (mayrhofen.at).

Apartment, hotel or guesthouse?

The type of stay often matters more than the area. Four questions:

• Do you want meals included? Hotels and guesthouses can offer breakfast or half board. A self-catering apartment gives you your own kitchen, and you eat in the village when you like.
• Do you want a reception? In a hotel someone is at the desk. In an apartment house like ours you let yourself in with a door code and message the hosts.
• How many are you? Families and groups of friends often fit better into one apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms than into two hotel rooms.
• Do you want a pool or spa in the building? Then look at hotels that list one.

When Black Eagle is the wrong choice

We are eight apartments a few minutes' walk from the centre of Mayrhofen, plus BASE N°1 and N°2 from December 2026. Book somewhere else if:

• you want ski-in, ski-out: the Penkenbahn is a 10-minute walk from us;
• you want breakfast or half board: we serve no meals;
• you want daily cleaning: we clean once after the third night if you stay longer than three nights and ask;
• you need a washing machine: there is none;
• you are seven or more in one apartment: we take up to six per apartment, and combine two apartments for larger groups;
• you come in July or August and need air conditioning everywhere: only BASE N°1 and N°2 have it, the others have ceiling fans;
• you want to sleep with the windows open in a street-facing apartment: you will hear traffic.

Questions