About us
Our history
Simply better travel. This guiding idea has accompanied our company since the very beginning. With the right amount of courage and foresight, we grew from a private transfer service in the Ötztal valley into West Tyrol's largest bus operator with several pillars of business.
1929/30
First merger, still operating under a private concession at the time. The aim was to transfer guests from the railway track (Ötztal-Bahnhof) to their accommodation in the Ötztal valley.
11 June 1947
Founded by Angelus Scheiber, Dr. Valentin Falkner and mayor Georg Fiegl. The focus was on scheduled services. Transfers of guests from Munich and Zurich into the Ötztal, to the Rettenbachferner glacier and on to Hochsölden and Obergurgl.
1964
Founding of the travel agency in Sölden.
1977
Capital increases and construction of the premises in Ötztal-Bahnhof.
1980
Largest carrier in Tyrol's Oberland region. Up to 250 guests transported daily, with regular trips to the Dolomites, Lake Garda and Venice.
1995/96
Land acquisition and construction of premises with workshop in Sölden. Continuous renewal of the fleet.
1 October 2004
Ing. Franz Sailer is appointed Managing Director.
2005
First bus operator to voluntarily introduce digital tachographs for passenger safety.
2011
Purchase of 6 new buses meeting the latest emissions standards. Ongoing investment in the fleet means it now ranks among Europe's youngest with an average age of 3.7 years. The strictest environmental standards are met voluntarily. As West Tyrol's largest bus operator, Ötztaler covers around 2 million kilometres a year. Establishment of an in-house travel agency in Ötztal-Bahnhof. The Regio Ötztal II contract enters into force, introducing 30-minute frequencies through the valley. Expansion of ski and hiking buses in the upper Ötztal with denser timetables: capacity +25%, on the main line in peak season up to +75%.
2012
Full coverage for bicycle transport in summer. Acquisition of a state-of-the-art coach (Van Hool). The cross-border connection between Moos in Passeiertal (South Tyrol) and Obergurgl (North Tyrol) becomes a runaway success – more than 18,000 guests use the service. Smooth handling of the World Cup opening on the Rettenbach glacier under difficult conditions due to heavy snowfall. Expansion of bus services between Sölden and the glacier ski area (Rettenbach- and Tiefenbachferner). Launch of a limousine service for comfortable transfers between the airport and holiday accommodation. First travel cooperation with Tiroler Tageszeitung.
2013
Acquisition of RS Reisen to strengthen the outgoing travel segment. Successful trips to St. Petersburg, the Störtebeker Festival and a hiking week in Sicily. Greater comfort on the scheduled service between Obergurgl and Innsbruck thanks to a new Van Hool vehicle with top equipment. First multi-week real-world test of a hybrid bus in regional service. Contract from the State of Tyrol to operate the scheduled service between Innsbruck and Lienz. Push for shuttle services: vehicle purchases, development of a mobile app and bespoke booking software.
2014
Comfort upgrade for the Regio Ötztal and refinement of scheduled services between Innsbruck and East Tyrol. The shuttle service is also offered in summer and expanded with a Mercedes Super Sprinter. Further fleet modernisation: as the first Tyrolean operator, Ötztaler puts a state-of-the-art Euro VI scheduled bus into service. Continued testing of alternative drives (electric bus, etc.) according to specific requirements.
2015
An Ötztaler first: a Volvo with modern hybrid technology enters service in the fleet. Alongside significant CO₂ savings, fuel consumption drops by an average of 30%. The traditional company celebrates five long-serving employees with a combined 115 years of service. At the annual Ski World Cup opening in Sölden, Ötztaler coordinates shuttle traffic with its own vehicles and partners – saving nearly 12,000 car trips.
2016
Expansion of the company headquarters in Sölden in timber construction with passive-house components. New office and staff facilities are added on top of the workshop. Ötztaler is awarded the Tyrolean state coat of arms by Governor Günther Platter and Deputy Governor Ingrid Felipe. Premiere of the spa shuttle Sölden/Längenfeld. Free Wi-Fi in all Ötztaler buses.
2017
New bus stop on the Ötztaler Höhe for greater safety and comfort for all passengers. Renewed investment in the Sölden headquarters to upgrade the technical department. The new wing built to passive-house standards houses paint booths, body shop and bus garages.
2021
Ötztaler steps up bicycle transport with a full-service offering of bike trailers and innovative technical solutions. Today 14 bike trailers are already in service on scheduled routes. During the summer season Ötztaler and its scheduled-service partner ÖBB Postbus AG transport almost 15,000 bicycles between Imst/Haiming and Obergurgl.
2022
Trial deployment of an 18 m articulated electric bus in ski-bus service between Längenfeld and Sölden.
2023
Awarded ISO 9001 certification in recognition of modern quality management and advanced digitalisation across the company.
2024
Conclusion of the four-year nationwide flagship project ULTIMOB ("Ultimate Integrated Mobility Solutions") funded by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK). Ötztaler Verkehrsgesellschaft was one of the implementation partners in Tyrol for solutions that contribute to sustainable tourism mobility and less traffic in the region. Introduction of multimodal hubs at the Postamt stop in Sölden and at the Gaislachkoglbahn cable car in cooperation with the municipality and the mountain railways.
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