Ski Holidays in Austria

Sölden has the highest top altitude among our resorts in Austria, 3,340 metres above sea level. Next come Hintertux, Obergurgl and Kaprun. Altitude is the single biggest factor for snow reliability, especially early and late in the season.

Lech-Zürs has the most piste kilometres of our resorts in Austria, 305 km, in the ski area its own guide describes. Next come St. Anton, Ellmau and Hopfgarten. For some resorts that figure is the local pistes only, for others the whole linked system the lift pass covers.

Most Austrian resorts open in early December and close in mid-April. High-altitude resorts such as Obergurgl and Obertauern often run from late November to early May, and Hintertux glacier offers skiing all year round. January and February give the most reliable snow, March brings longer days and spring snow.

By car from Calais, Damüls is closest, around 10 hours' driving, and most resorts in Austria are within 14 hours. By car it is around 9 to 15 hours' driving from Calais, through Germany. By plane, Salzburg suits eastern Austria (Flachau, Wagrain, Schladming, Bad Gastein), while Innsbruck suits the west (Ischgl, St. Anton, Obergurgl). Transfer time from the airport is normally 45 minutes to 2.5 hours.

Austria is generally 20 to 30% cheaper than Switzerland. A six-day lift pass costs around €250 to €350 depending on resort and system (resorts price in euros, not pounds). Smaller family resorts such as Lofer and Maria Alm are among the cheapest, while Kitzbühel, Lech and Ischgl are pricier.

Flachau, Wagrain, Maria Alm and Lofer have wide beginner areas, good ski schools and childcare. In our comparison, Alpbach, Bad Hofgastein, Damüls, Dorfgastein and Ellmau are marked as family resorts, and the table above shows altitude, piste length and driving time for every resort.

The most snow-sure resorts are the highest ones: Sölden, Hintertux, Obergurgl, Kaprun, Zell am See and Heiligenblut. All of them offer skiing above 2,500 metres or sit in a village above 1,500 metres, which gives reliable snow from December to April even in a low-snow winter.