Thinking of skiing in Austria?
Since the 60s and 70s, Austria has been a favoured destination for British skiers, and for many discerning winter sports enthusiasts, it still reigns supreme.
Austria’s resorts are an attractive thing indeed, marrying traditional Alpine charm with a state-of-the-art lift infrastructure and what is often considered to be the best après ski scene in Europe. When you factor in the world-class quality skiing and the snow surety of many of the pistes, every box on the dream ski destination checklist is ticked.
And that’s not all, it's also great value, with everything from your lift pass to your post-ski pint typically cheaper than in the likes of France or Switzerland.
Book your ideal ski trip to Austria through igluski.com. We have loads of fantastic package and non package deals available to book online and with our ski experts, including chalets, apartments and hotels in all the most popular Austrian resorts.
Austria Ski Resort Advice
First time skiing in Austria? Whether you’re looking to get knee deep in powder or you’re on your first family ski trip, here’s where you should go.
Après enthusiasts should look no further than St Anton or Mayrhofen, where you’ll not be short of steins, shots, or oompah bands. If you prioritise great conditions, venture up to the snow sure peaks of Obergurgl or Solden. Or if you’re hankering for a picture perfect trip, you won’t find many places prettier than Alpbach or Kitzbühel.
Below, we go into more detail about which resorts are best for snow surety, beginners, groups and more.
Where to go for snow surety
Austria’s mountains are a little lower lying than its Alpine neighbours, but there are still plenty of snow sure, high altitude resorts.
By far your best bets are Obergurgl or Solden. Way up at 1,930m, and with lifts going up to 3,082m, Obergurgl is Austria’s most snow sure resort. It enjoys consistent snowfall throughout the season, which typically runs from November to May, and is often the first non-glacier resort in the Tyrol region to open.
Hot (or we should say cold) on its heels is Solden, the highest resort in Austria (3,340m), which enjoys a healthy snowfall and boasts not one, but two glaciers, meaning it can often open as early as September.
Read more:
Take a look our guide to the most snow sure ski resorts in Austria for more ideas on where to go for reliable conditions all season long.
Where to go for a family ski holiday
Austria has plenty of resorts that are great for a family-friendly ski trip.
The linked ski areas of Zell am See and Kaprun are really popular among families. Zell am See is a picturesque Austrian ski town overlooking the lake that gives the resort its namesake. There are lovely long winding, cruisy blues on the south side, while those ready to advance will love the friendly reds winding down to the lake.
Zell has loads on for the kids, including one of the longest fun slopes in the world, a dedicated kids' slope, and Schmidolin the dragon's adventure park. While the kids are in ski school, adults have the hugely expansive and newly connected Saalbach Ski Circus to explore.
As well as being snow sure, Obergurgl is also a great resort for families. It has a nice balance of pistes to suit skiers of all ages and abilities, and kids of up to 8 get to ski for free. The quality ski schools and childcare facilities also make it a big winner for families, especially if the parents want to be able to venture off alone.
Finally, the beautiful resort of Alpbach is a great destination for a family ski trip. As well as a host of kid-friendly hotels, there are great schools, nursery slopes and facilities for young skiers. And make sure to check out the Alpbachtaler, an alpine rollercoaster that everyone will enjoy.
Where’s best for beginners
Whether you're looking for a laidback ski resort to ease you into your first ski holiday or looking to experience the full throttle of one of Austria's biggest apres resorts, beginners have the pick of the bunch when it comes to suitable resorts.
Alpbach’s family-friendly credentials also make it a perfect beginner resort. There are a number of dedicated learner areas and a high proportion of its 145km of runs are beginner level, particularly the gentle blue pistes on Wiedersberger.
Mayrhofen is another great resort for early-stage skiers, especially those that want to start progressing onto more challenging terrain, while Lech’s nursery slopes and many long, wide blues are sure to delight beginners.
Read more:
For beginner ski resort inspiration, take a look at our guide to the top Austrian ski resorts for beginners - compare stats from lots of Austrian ski resorts to find the best resort for your beginner ski holiday.
Where to go for partying
There's no shortage of resorts if you're looking to party in Austria.
Ischgl is widely regarded as Austria’s premier party resort, and it certainly deserves that reputation. But if you consider yourself an après aficionado and you’ve never clambered onto a table in your ski boots for the daily drop of The Final Countdown at the Mooserwirt in St Anton, are you really?
St Anton’s legendary mountain bar is a paragon of the resort’s renowned après scene, but is just one of many establishments that make it the ideal destination for those who want to ski hard but party harder.
Mayrhofen also deserves top billing in Austria’s list of après icons. Lively piste-side parties are par for the course, and the young ski crowd can generally be found in the club all night and on the slopes all day.
Where to go for a group ski holiday
If your group is looking to go all out, these resorts are top choice.
Needless to say, Mayrhofen is also great for a group holiday. It’s not just the après bars that will forge some great group memories (or lack of), the resort also offers a diverse and expansive ski area, meaning groups of mixed abilities will be well catered for. Mayrhofen is also the host of the Snowbombing music festival and the Altitude comedy festival, which are wonderful events for a group getaway.
For similar reasons, Ischgl is a prime Austrian ski resort for groups, offering up a lively atmosphere, pumping nightlife, a range of ski slopes, and loads of group-friendly accommodation.
Where to go for a cheap ski holiday
Prices in Austria’s ski resorts are typically lower than in France or Switzerland, especially if you go a bit off the beaten track.
For cost-conscious skiers, in particular, we’d recommend Soll, which is in the SkiWelt area. It’s smaller and less well-known than some of its neighbouring resorts, allowing you to enjoy this expansive ski area at a very affordable price.
The Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis also represents good value for money, making it a good option for a family ski trip on a budget.
Read more
Still not sure on where to go? Read our guide on Austria's best ski resorts for more inspiration.
The Biggest Ski Areas in Austria
Austria has a number of vast interconnected ski areas, and the following are the four best and biggest:
The Arlberg
The Arlberg ski area spans 305km of pistes and over 1,500m in altitude, connecting the hard charging party town of St Anton with the calmer climes of Lech, as well as St. Christoph, Zürs, Oberlech, Stuben, Warth-Schrocken, and Sonnenkopf.
SkiWelt
Ellmau, Söll, Scheffau, Hopfgarten, Westendorf are the five villages that make up SkiWelt, Austria’s second biggest ski area, with 279km of pistes between them. The region is known for being great for families and intermediate skiers, and as a very affordable destination for a ski trip.
Ski Circus
Third place goes to Ski Circus, which has something for everyone from freeride fanatics to first timers across its 270km ski area, which links up the resorts of Saalbach, Leogang and Fieberbrunn.
Silvretta Area
The Silvretta area, Austria’s fourth biggest, is made up of just two resorts, Ischgl and the duty-free village of Samnaun in Switzerland, but it still packs in 230km of skiable slopes, as well as some fun snow parks and a wealth of freeride opportunities.
Read more
You can find out more on Austria's largest ski areas in our dedicated guide.
Snow conditions in Austria
Like many Alpine countries, the Austrian ski season typically runs from December to April.
And while it doesn’t reach the heights of France or Switzerland, there are still many high altitude resorts that are blessed with great conditions right from the start of winter and into spring.
The country enjoys very reliable snowfall, with a current ( April 2024) depth of over 375cm of snow in Lech, St Anton, and St Christoph, 403cm in Solden, and over 500cm in Neustift.
It also has a number of glaciers, including 5 in the Tyrol, helping resorts to hold their snow even on warm days and allowing some resorts to open very early and remain open into the summer.
Ski Accommodation in Austria
Austrian ski resorts have a fantastic range of accommodation, from beautiful and traditional Tyrolean chalets to the grandest 5-star hotels.
Check out our selection of Austrian ski chalets if you’re looking for somewhere stunning to call your own for the week, or find a great deal on one of our many conveniently located hotels.
We also have a large choice of apartments across dozens of popular Austrian resorts, with budget-friendly, bed and breakfast, and self-catered options all available.
How to get to Austria's ski resorts
One of the great things about Austria is that transfer times from the airport to the resorts are generally shorter than in France.
The most popular resorts to fly into are Innsbruck or Salzburg. From there, you’ll travel around 1 hour 15 minutes to places like Ischgl, Mayrhofen, St Anton and Sölden, and around 1hr30 to Kitzbuhel, Lech, or Obergurgl.
Austria Ski Holidays FAQs
Can you ski in Austria in April?
Yes, many Austrian resorts stay open into April, particularly snow sure places like Obergurgl, Solden and Kuhtai.
Where’s good to go skiing in Austria in December?
Obergurgl is usually snow sure enough to open in November, meaning there should be plenty of snow for a December ski trip.
Is Austria expensive for skiing?
Austrian ski holidays are generally considered to be cheaper than in France and Switzerland and a bit more expensive than in Italy.
Is it safe to ski in Austria?
Austria’s quality lift infrastructure, expertly maintained pistes, and mandated helmet wearing for under 16s make it a safe country for skiing.
How much can you expect to spend on a lift pass in Austria?
An adult will spend anything from €350 to €420 for a 6 day ski pass in Austria.
How much is a pint of beer in Austria?
Your post ski pint will probably cost you around £4.80 in an Austrian ski resort.