Ski Holidays Austria
Ski holidays Austria

Ski Holidays in Austria

Austria ski holidays provide an ideal combination of expansive snow-sure areas, intimate resorts and energetic Après ski in the heart of the ultimate Alpine ski nation. Austria’s largest resort, Arlberg, is surrounded by picturesque peaks and is renowned for its pioneering 200km of deep-snow skiing, while smaller resorts like Maria Alm embody Austria’s charm and friendly atmosphere. To find out more, check out our Austria Ski Resorts Guide.
  • Language
    German
  • Resorts we feature
    39
  • Visas required
    None
  • Local time GMT
    +1 hours
  • Flight time (approx)
    2 hours
  • Currency
    Euro

Why Austria?

Austria’s tourism depends on skiers and snowboarders, as there are no beaches! Back in the 1980’s pretty much every skier from the UK would have chosen to ski in Austria for their skiing holiday. However the allure of the high snow sure ski resorts of France pushed Austria back to a respectable second favourite with the British skier. With that said, our bookings to Austria are growing, a few years ago only about 18% of clients chose to ski in Austria, right now its 29%.

The draw for skiers choosing Austria are several, fast modern lift systems, excellent snow making even to the lower villages that typify Austrian ski resorts. Value for money, typically everything is cheaper than in the high popular French ski resorts, ski passes, food and drink can be up to 20% cheaper in Austria. Perhaps the major choice is the stunning scenery of Austrian skiing that tips the balance for devotees of Austrian skiing.

Austrian ski resorts tend to be at a lower level than in France, these mountain villages are real towns and villages, all year round, not just in the winter. You won’t find a high rise building anywhere, what you get are hand painted buildings with cute onion domed churches and attractive wooded mountains. Another key factor is the Après ski, which to many skiers is an important part of any skiing holiday.

Austrian après ski starts when the ski lifts are still running, as soon as the last lunch tables are cleared the music is turned up, and bars on the home runs set up DJ and live bands.

Transfer times between the airports and ski resorts tend to be an hour or so shorter than most French skiing holiday transfers, which is great news for families. We fly to several airports in Austria and Germany but the majority of charter flights used by tour operators fly to Innsbruck or Salzburg.

Ski Line have excellent contacts within the Austrian hotels and are experts at putting together short breaks using the budget airlines and private taxi transfers. Speak to us to find out more.

Popular Austrian Ski Resorts

One ski resort in Austria accounts for nearly 40% of our ski holiday bookings to Austria, St Anton! There is no doubt St Anton is a cracking ski resort but other ski resorts are good too. Obergurgl for example is the new kid on the block, it’s one of Austria’s highest ski resorts at 1930m and with its glacier it’s one of the most snow sure ski resorts anywhere in the Alps. We have a couple of ski chalets here now too, which are proving to be very popular.

Mayrhofen is attracting a younger crowd, great night life and wonderful skiing on 134km of local pistes in the wider area of the Ziller valley the choice is 489km although this isn’t linked by lifts and requires a car.

For intermediate skiers ski resorts such as Saalbach and Hinterglemm now with super-fast ski lifts and a new gondola and ski piste linking between Hitterglemm and Fieberbrunn to make Austria’s largest linked ski area we know is going to grow in popularity.

  • Language
    German
  • Resorts we feature
    39
  • Visas required
    None
  • Local time GMT
    +1 hours
  • Flight time (approx)
    2 hours
  • Currency
    Euro

Ideal Resorts

Families

Austria is a good choice for families in search of a destination for skiing. We offer several wonderful chalets, chalet hotels and hotels in the some of the best ski resorts in Austria for families.

Ski chalets are still the most popular choice of accommodation for families in Austria, sadly Club Med has not yet to opened up a resort here – despite us suggesting they do!

One of the benefits of skiing in Austria is that the ski resorts are normally within 90 minutes of the arrival airports. Anything to reduce the transfer times is always welcome with most family groups.

The geography of the Austrian Alps is quite different from the French or Italian Alps. For a start the skiing isn’t as high, it doesn’t have to be in Austria as the mountains are grass covered rather than rocks elsewhere in Europe where its rocky and you never too far from the tree line – just perfect should the weather close in.

Our family specialist tour operators offer a limited but good choice of chalets, many offered with childcare. We will ensure we apply the best discounts for all Austrian family skiing holidays.

Self-Catering Apartments In Austria

Self-catered apartments in Austrian ski resorts are very limited, the most popular type of holiday accommodation is in hotels and in a few ski resorts ski chalets can also be booked.

Our ski apartments always book quickly so it’s a good idea to always book in advance particularly if you want to get into one of our apartments in St Anton.

In addition we also have a specially selected choice of self-catered apartments in the ski resorts of Zell am See, Solden, Zell am Ziller, Soll , Westendof & Alpbach.

Catered Ski Chalet Holidays In Austria

Ski chalet holidays are available in a select range of resorts in Austria, with more added each winter. Our most popular Austrian ski chalet holiday destinations are St Anton, Lech and St Christoph in the Arlberg ski area.

Other ski resorts in Austria with ski chalet accommodation include FinkenbergFlachauGerlos, Hinterglemm, Kappl, Kuhtai, Ischgl, MayrhofenObergurgl, Saalbach, Solden, Soll and Westendorf.

Our chalets and chalet hotels in Austria sleep between 4 people in catered ski chalets, and ski chalet hotels sleeping up to 89. These chalets can be booked by groups wanting to take a chalet or chalet hotel exclusively for their group or by individuals happy to share a ski chalet with others. The most common ski chalet size in Austria will sleep between 8 to 12 people.

Most of our Austrian ski chalets are sold as part of a package which include flights and transfers however we also offer ski chalets in Austria on an independent travel basis.

Ski chalets in Austria offer meals on chalet board, which includes breakfast, most offer afternoon tea and cake and then a 3 or 4 course evening meal with wine on 6 out of 7 nights, one night a week staff have a night off.

Ski Hotels In Austria

Austria is home to some of the finest alpine hotels available, and many have wonderful spas. We offer over 280 of the very best Austrian ski resort hotels available. You can use the features of this website to search for a hotel where you can ski from the door which is always high on many of our client’s wish list. You can also search for a ski hotel in Austria that offers childcare or even a bubbling hot tub to help sooth tied mussels.

For many of our clients, a ski holiday in Austria just has to include a ski hotel. Many of our ski hotels in Austria are family run, many having been in the same family for many years and great pride is taken in offering their guests a wonderful ski holiday experience. If you enjoy a good spa after a day on the ski slopes, our Austrian hotels won’t fail to please but be ready to get naked with the other bathers as most require nudity or just a towel.

We offer a wide choice of ski hotels in the most popular ski resorts of Austria such as the most popular Austrian ski resorts of Kitzbuhel, St Anton, Obergurgl Ischgl and Mayrhofen. We feature many of the smaller less well-known ski resorts too such as Zell am See, Saalbach, Ellmau and Obertauern amongst many others.

Resorts in Austria