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If you prefer a ski village to be attractive rather then high, then look no further than Austria. Attractive
onion-domed churches; village squares and great mountain restaurants are what best sum up the skiing in
Austria. Unlike some Austrian resorts the locals are friendly too. Many of the hotels have been in the same
family for generations and these families take great pride in the service they offer. Skiline's clients seem
to fall in to two main camps when it comes to where best to ski: those who prefer Austria to France and vice
versa. Those in the Austria camp tell us that it's the quality of hotels, service and the après ski that make
the difference for them. Many of the 4* and even some of the 3* hotels have very smart spa areas, although
in true Austrian style bathing costumes are not worn. Catered chalets are not so widely available although we
can offer a good choice in St Anton. The energy and vigour of the alcohol fuelled après ski in many resorts
starts mid afternoon and carries on well after most skiers' legs can take it and together these make Austria
a natural choice for many; in fact for many nothing else will do.
Unlike France, the ski fields of Austria are mainly on meadows that in summer are - well, we have all seen the
Sound of Music! Huge depths of snow are not so necessary when it's covering grass rather than the huge rocks
of the rest of the Alps. Gentle wooded valleys are far more appealing than craggy mountain peaks to beginners
and timid intermediate skiers. The cold weather from the East ensures that Austria gets more than its fair
share of the snow particularly evident in recent years when Austria has had some of the best ski conditions
in the Alps. When the snow is at its best, Austria really takes some beating!
We would recommend any skier who has not yet skied in Austria to give it a try, if you are a keen skier who
likes to cover lots of miles each day and like your resorts high, you may find some of the resorts a little
small and on the low size when compared to the huge linked areas in France, the only exception to this is the
Arlberg ski area which incorporates St Anton, Zurs and Lech. This is a huge ski area that in resent years has
had some of the very best skiing conditions. St Anton is at 1305m with the highest skiing at 2811m we think
best suited to advanced and intermediate skiers, but the nursery slopes are right in the town for beginners.
Self drivers have an easier time than many Austrian ski resort travellers, the roads are fast and the approach
the ski resorts are always on the valley floor, so no steep climb up to the ski resorts. It's funny, clients
always seem happy to drive to France, but not Austria? Why I don't know, it take about 10 to 11 hours to drive
from Calais to Val d'Isere, yet Calais to St Anton in Austria is just over 9 hours.
Cheap flights are now available to several airports in Austria, Germany and Switzerland via the UK. Skiline
has lots of contacts with hoteliers so call us to help you match a cheap flight with a hotel. We can also
arrange private transfers from many arrival airport to the resort (and a stretched limo if you want to arrive
in style).
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