# European Mountain Holidays: Readers Share Their Alpine Secrets
The Guardian Travel section launches a reader competition this week seeking the best tips for non-ski mountain holidays across Europe. Winners gain £200 vouchers toward stays at Coolstays, an accommodation platform featuring over 3,000 properties globally.
The call invites travellers to share experiences from Alpine activities, hiking routes, via ferrata climbs, cycling adventures, spa retreats, and regional gastronomy. Mountain refuges, cabins, and boutique lodges feature prominently in the types of accommodations readers can highlight.
Tom Hall, editor at Lonely Planet, serves as judge for the competition. Hall brings decades of experience evaluating travel destinations and authentic experiences across the globe. His selection criteria likely emphasize authentic discovery, accessibility for typical travellers, and genuine value beyond mainstream mountain resort tourism.
Coolstays, the prize provider, operates an alternative accommodation network spanning 3,000+ properties. The platform focuses on distinctive stays rather than standardised hotel chains, making it particularly relevant for mountain travel where character-driven lodges and rural properties dominate bookings.
This initiative reflects a broader travel trend away from traditional skiing holidays toward year-round mountain experiences. Summer and autumn mountain tourism in the Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians, and Dolomites continues expanding as travellers seek active holidays combining fitness, culture, and scenery. Via ferrata routes, particularly popular in the Dolomites and Swiss Alps, offer guided climbing experiences for non-technical mountaineers. Regional cuisine tourism drives many European mountain trips, with Bavarian restaurants, Swiss Alpine cheese routes, and French Savoyard food attracting dedicated food travellers.
Mountain spa breaks represent another growth segment, especially in Austria's Tyrol region and Slovenia's Julian Alps, where thermal springs meet Alpine landscapes. Wellness retreats combining hiking with spa treatments appeal to post-pandemic travellers seeking rejuvenation alongside physical activity.
Budget-conscious mountain travellers increasingly book mountain refuges (refugios in Spain, rifugios in Italy, hüttes in Austria and Switzerland) offering dormitory and private room options. These traditional Alpine accommodations provide authentic experiences at £30-80 per night, far below luxury lodge pricing of £150-400 nightly.
E-bike tourism expands mountain accessibility significantly. Electric bicycles enable travellers of varying fitness levels to tackle Alpine passes and valley routes previously requiring advanced fitness. Companies like Coolstays increasingly feature properties catering to e-bike tourists with secure storage and route planning.
For readers planning European mountain holidays, this competition reveals emerging preferences. Summer crowds concentrate on well-known destinations like Chamonix, France; Interlaken, Switzerland; and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Submitting lesser-known alternatives provides advantage, suggesting tips involving emerging destinations in eastern European mountains, smaller Swiss valleys, or underrated French ranges like the Massif Central.
The £200 voucher value suits week-long budget mountain stays or short luxury escapes at boutique Alpine properties. Coolstays' global reach means winning vouchers apply to mountain properties worldwide, from the Scottish Highlands to New Zealand's Southern Alps.
Submission details remain available through the Guardian Travel website. Competition closing dates typically run one week from publication, making prompt entries essential for interested travellers. Previous Guardian reader competitions have generated hundreds of submissions, ensuring competitive selections for Hall's judging.
Participants should emphasize genuine discovery, practical logistics, seasonality, and cost-value propositions. Judges reward specific recommendations featuring named locations, operators, and accommodation details over generic mountain endorsements.