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If you or someone in your group is new to skiing then it can be tough knowing which ski resort to visit, given just how many there are out there. One thing’s for certain, though: Austria is one of the best countries in the world to learn how to ski.
Austria is home to lots of beginner-friendly ski resorts, with many tending to have more of the charm factor than some of their purpose-built counterparts in France. In fact, many of Austria's best ski resorts were actually former farming towns that gradually adapted and modernised to welcome keen ski tourists - with a handful also purpose built for the sport.
Beginners are safe in the hands of Austrian ski instructors who have undergone rigorous training, while there are also designated areas for beginners to practise (you won’t be the only one falling over!) and pistes which are beautifully looked after.
Nevertheless, some Austrian ski resorts are better than others for beginners. We’ve done our research into it all and sorted the top 10 into a list so that you don’t have to. Factors we’ve considered include the number of blue runs (these are the most gentle), whether there are any free lifts, the cost of lessons and the cost of lift passes.
From glitzy Kitzbühel to sensible Saalbach and the lively town of Mayrhofen, we’ve got you covered if you’re a beginner heading to the Austrian Alps for the first time.
Jump to: Top 10 beginner ski resorts in Austria
First, what makes a ski resort beginner friendly?
According to our specialists, there are 7 key factors that should be considered when deciding on the ideal ski resort your first ski holiday:
Number of blue slopes
Blue slopes are the easiest (red and black are the next levels up) thanks to their gentle gradients, meaning you can practise all your new moves without the stress of hurtling down at speed.
Remember, Austria doesn’t have green slopes - these are exclusive to France (and Scandinavia and Spain), and signal the absolute easiest runs, with blues the next hardest.
Average ski lesson cost
We’ve done some digging and averaged the cost of an hour’s private lesson for an adult from the top Austrian ski school names. Child and group lessons are typically cheaper.
Number of free lifts
Some ski resorts allow beginners free access to their small lifts. While these don’t go very far up, they are perfect for absolute newbies to get to grips with skiing.
After a day or two you can then buy a lift pass to venture further out, meaning you’ll save some money at the start of your skiing journey.
Day rate for a local lift pass
Beginners won’t need to worry about buying a lift pass for full ski areas (at least not at the start of your holiday). Instead, the local area will do - and we’ll tell you which are the cheapest.
Free child lift passes
The majority of Austrian ski resorts offer free lift passes for children - although the age limit varies with resort. We’ll break it down below.
Transfer times
If you’re new to skiing (and particularly if you have young children) then the last thing you want is a three-hour coach journey from the airport to the ski resort. Shorter transfer times are ideal, and we’ll tell you the best ones.
Austria's most beginner friendly ski resorts are:
- Söll
- Saalbach
- St Johann in Tirol
- Lech
- Kitzbühel
- Mayrhofen
- Alpbach
- Zell am See
- Ischgl
- Obergurgl
Compare the beginner stats for each of the resorts:
| Resort | Blue Slopes | Adult private lesson (hour) | Number of free lifts | Local lift pass cost (day) | Free child lift pass | Transfer time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Söll | 63 | Around €70 | 2 | €69 | Under 8 | 1h |
| Saalbach | 40 | Around €90 | 1 | €72 | Under 8 | 1h 30 |
| St Johann in Tirol | 10 | Around €80 | 3 | €58 | Under 8 | 1h |
| Lech | 34 | Around €75 | 0 | €75 | Under 10 | 1h 30 |
| Kitzbühel | 29 | Around €140 | 7 | €72 | Under 9 | 1h 30 |
| Mayrhofen | 43 | Around €85 | 0 | €73 | Under 8 | 1h 30 |
| Alpbach | 24 | Around €85 | 0 | €63 | Under 8 | 1h |
| Zell am See | 31 | Around €95 | 0 | €72 | Under 9 | 1h 30 |
| Ischgl | 23 | Around €100 | 0 | €72 | Under 8 | 1h 15 |
| Obergurgl | 16 | Around €100 | 0 | €70 | Under 10 | 1h 30 |
Please remember that this research is based on the 2023-2024 season, with all stats subject to change.
Find out more about these top resorts in the next section.
Read more:
Compare even more beginner ski resorts - this time in France - with our top ski resorts in France for beginners.
Or... if Italy is more your style, then check out the top ski resorts in Italy for beginners.
1. Söll
Blue slopes - 63
Cost of adult ski lesson - Around €70 per hour
Free lifts - 2
Lift pass cost - €69 per day
Free child lift pass - Under 8
Transfer time - 1 hour
Söll comes out on top in our ranking of top beginner resorts in Austria. This is thanks in large part to its extensive network of blue runs, with at least 63 for you to potter about on.
This is a much bigger number than most other Austrian ski resorts, and there are also a couple of free lifts to higher ground in the Hexenwiese area of Söll, meaning you can get some practise in without the expense of a lift pass, until you’re ready to progress. There are also some other practise areas dotted about the overarching ski area, called SkiWelt.
Lift passes and ski lessons are relatively cheap in Söll compared to other Austrian ski resorts. Once those have been sorted out, beginners should head to the Hochsöll area where there are several introductory blues to really build confidence. A nice blue takes you back down to the base area, too.
To top it off, under 8s get a free lift pass, and the resort is just a quick hour’s drive away from Innsbruck Airport.
2. Saalbach
Blue slopes - 40
Cost of adult ski lesson - Around €90 per hour
Free lifts - 1
Lift pass cost - €72 per day
Free child lift pass - Under 8
Transfer time - 1 hour 30 minutes
Saalbach is ranked highly, again due to a really healthy number of blue slopes for beginners to get stuck into - about 140km of them. After learning the ropes in the dedicated starters’ area which is just off the main street, newbies can try their stuff on a spacious piste under the Bernkogel gondola.
After this, they can take the H3 chairlift to piste 152, which is a gentle blue with gorgeous sweeping views of Saalbach town and beyond. After you’ve mastered these, the mountain is your oyster.
While lift passes are relatively cheap in Saalbach, ski lessons seem to be a bit more expensive, which is a factor to be considered if you’re on a budget. Meanwhile, a short transfer time from Salzburg Airport and free lift passes for under 8s are bonuses.
Saalbach is part of the SkiCircus area, meaning you can easily get to other skiing places like Hinterglemm, Leogang and Fieberbrunn. There is an excellent beginners’ area at Hinterglemm, too, featuring a fairly lengthy button lift (on a gentle slope, don’t worry!).
3. St Johann in Tirol
Blue slopes - 10
Cost of adult ski lesson - Around €80 per hour
Free lifts - 3
Lift pass cost - €58 per day
Free child lift pass - Under 8
Transfer time - 1 hour
Don’t be thrown off by the number of blues in St Johann in Tirol - it is a much smaller resort than most other big names in Austria, so it is especially suited to absolute beginners who might be a little intimidated by something bigger.
At the bottom of the Harschbichl gondola there is a lovely nursery area, while the Rueppen practise lift (located near the ski school area) is free to go on, as are two others. After this, lift passes are very cheap by Austrian standards at just €58 a day for adults.
Once on the lifts, you can potter around the pretty tree-lined slopes, gradually improving your skiing ability. Lessons are certainly not a bad idea, and are available for a fairly average price of about €80 an hour.
If you end up being a natural, you could nip over to nearby Kitzbühel, which has many more slopes to offer. Nevertheless, St. Johann in Tirol shouldn’t be overlooked for its size - especially as it’s only an hour from Salzburg Airport.
4. Lech
Blue slopes - 34
Cost of adult ski lesson - Around €75 per hour
Free lifts - 0
Lift pass cost - €75 per day
Free child lift pass - Under 10
Transfer time - 1 hour 30 minutes
Lech is a very pretty village and a great choice for beginner skiers - it's a fairly upmarket resort, with a reputation for various European royals (including the late Princess Diana) choosing it for their winter breaks.
If this is right up your street though, then (snow)plough on. There are a good number of blues for you to practise on, including over in the connected Zürs region. While there aren’t any free lifts, there are dedicated beginners’ areas for you to cruise about on and test your new skills - although once you’re up and running you should approach the blue between Oberlech and Lech with caution, as it’s unusually steep for newbies.
Apart from this though, there are plenty of easy runs to tackle - and children under 10 get to use the lifts for free, which will save a handy wad of money. If you’re a particularly quick learner or already have a bit of experience under your belt then you can explore the whole Ski Arlberg area, which links you all the way to the lively resort of St. Anton - where Chalet Girl was filmed!
5. Kitzbühel
Blue slopes - 29
Cost of adult ski lesson - Around €140 per hour
Free lifts - 9
Lift pass cost - €72 per day
Free child lift pass - Under 9
Transfer time - 1 hour 30 minutes
Similarly attracting an affluent crowd, Kitzbühel made the list despite its slightly hefty price of ski lessons for one key reason - the amount of free lifts. In Kitzbühel itself free magic carpets and drag lifts will help you enormously to gain the skills needed to progress onto more challenging stuff.
In addition to this, there are free practise lifts in other easily accessible areas of the valley - specifically Aschau, Jochberg and Reith. You can get there in about ten minutes on the free bus that the valley puts on for skiers.
We always recommend some form of teaching for beginners, and while prices might be a bit steep here, the vast array of free lifts means you shouldn't be too out of pocket. Meanwhile, 8 year olds and under go free on the lifts, and the transfer time from Innsbruck Airport is relatively short.
6. Mayrhofen
Blue slopes - 43
Cost of adult ski lesson - Around €85 per hour
Free lifts - 0
Lift pass cost - €73 per day
Free child lift pass - Under 8
Transfer time - 1 hour 30 minutes
Mayrhofen is another decent choice for beginners thanks to an extensive network of blue slopes. The only downside is that there aren’t any free lifts, and because the town is relatively low compared to the actual skiing area, a huge cable car is needed straight away - meaning you can’t really potter about before buying a lift pass.
That being said, there are plenty of practise areas with moving carpets and drag lifts, and gentle blues can take you to pretty much every corner of the overarching ski area. Meanwhile, lessons are fairly reasonably priced compared to a lot of other Austrian ski resorts.
If you’re brand new to skiing then Mayrhofen might provide a sense of comfort to you in that it’s party scene is very popular with Brits, meaning you’ll certainly enjoy your evenings if you’ve picked up a few bruises during the day.
7. Alpbach
Blue slopes - 24
Cost of adult ski lesson - Around €85 per hour
Free lifts - 0
Lift pass cost - €63 per day
Free child lift pass - Under 8
Transfer time - 1 hour
Alpbach is another smaller Austrian resort, but certainly not a bad choice for beginner skiers. Its lift pass price is relatively cheap at just €63 a day, while ski lessons aren’t too bad either.
Beginners can get some practise in right at the bottom of the mountain, but then it’s worth getting the Wiedersbergerhornbahn gondola with everyone else, as there is a dedicated beginners’ zone when you get out at the top.
Alpbach’s other drawing points are its short commute from Innsbruck and the fact that children up to the age of eight can get on the lifts for free.
8. Zell am See
Blue slopes - 31
Cost of adult ski lesson - Around €95 per hour
Free lifts - 0
Lift pass cost - €72 per day
Free child lift pass - Under 9
Transfer time - 1 hour 30 minutes
Zell am See is a very pretty village nestled against a lake (‘See’ means ‘lake’ in Austrian) and is another good shout for beginner skiers. If you’re there at the right time, you could even go ice skating on the lake, which freezes over during the coldest months.
Ski lessons are marginally more expensive than most Austrian resorts, although there are a healthy number of blues to show off your new skills. Lift passes are reasonably cheap and can connect you to the nearby resort of Kaprun with a 10 minute bus journey.
You’ll start your skiing journey in the Schüttdorf and Schmittental beginner areas, then we’d recommend going up the Areitalm 1 cable car where there are easy pistes for you to tackle - with the added bonus of incredible views over the lake. After that there are plenty of tree-lined trails and wide runs for you to enjoy over and over again.
If you’re a quick learner and feeling particularly adventurous you could even catch a quick half hour bus to Saalbach, although there should be more than enough to keep you busy in Zell am See.
Read more:
Find out all the reasons why Zell am See is good for beginners in our beginner's guide to skiing in Zell am See.
9. Ischgl
Blue slopes - 23
Cost of adult ski lesson - Around €100 per hour
Free lifts - 0
Lift pass cost - €72 per day
Free child lift pass - Under 8
Transfer time - 1 hour 15 minutes
Ischgl is lower down on our list for one key reason: its beginner areas are located right at the top of a hill (Idalp), meaning that, while the effort put into the area's infrastructure is brilliant, you’ll need to wrap up warm in case the temperature drops and cloud descends.
That being said, the facilities and ski school are excellent (magic carpets and drag lifts) and the location means there will always be a healthy snow cover. In addition, the important Sonnenbahn chairlift has heated seats which can provide a bit of respite.
Once you’ve learnt the key skills, there are a good variety of runs to tackle for the rest of your holiday. An added bonus is that the lift pass is relatively cheap - although there aren’t any free lifts so you'll need to buy it from the very first day.
Nice runs for beginners include under the Velillbahn (B1) chairlift and the Viderböden (B7) practice lift. Ischgl also provides a lot of intermediate skiing, so it’s a great choice for mixed-ability groups.
10. Obergurgl
Blue slopes - 16
Cost of adult ski lesson - Around €100 per hour
Free lifts - 0
Lift pass cost - €70 per day
Free child lift pass - Under 10
Transfer time - 1 hour 30 minutes
Obergurgl is another fine choice for beginners thanks to its snow-sure conditions and easy slopes. There are 60km of gentle blue slopes for you to explore, and the lift pass prices aren’t too steep either.
Although there are no outright free lifts, anyone in ski school is given free access to a couple of them, while three other beginner lifts are covered by a special day pass just above Hochgurgl.
A button lift called the “Wiesenlift” is a good one to try as it opens out onto a broad downhill section, while the Number 6 run off from the Hohe Mut 1 gondola’s middle station back down to the village is a lovely one for beginners.
Obergurgl is a great shout for families, given children up to the age of 10 can have a free lift pass. Obergurgl does have a decent selection of bars, but it's nowhere near the likes of Mayhofen and Ischgl, which is something to consider if you were hoping for a strong party scene.
Read more:
Make sure to check out our beginner's guide to skiing in Obergurgl for all the reasons why Obergurgl is a good ski resort for beginners.
It's not just its beginner scene that makes Obergurgl a fantastic option for your ski holiday. Discover lots more reasons why you should choose Obergurgl in our guide to why Obergurgl is a great ski resort.
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