Why You Should Plan a Ski Trip to Austria

Austrian skiing has roots that stretch back centuries and a storied history deeply intertwined with the country’s alpine culture. In 1947, the first chairlift opened in Wildschönau, and since then, Austria has developed more than 400 ski resorts. Today, more than 70 percent of all visitors to Austria come for skiing.

We took a ski trip to Austria to experience its legendary ski culture and discovered why it’s such a popular vacation choice for skiers from North America and Europe.

Good Snow

The Austrian Alps are known for consistently good snow, and the high elevation of its many resorts keeps the snow cold and powdery through the end of ski season. The ski resorts near the Innsbruck region sit at an elevation of between 3,000 and 10,000 feet, and the ski resorts near St. Anton are between 4,278 feet and 9,200 feet. The snow sticks around through spring on the slopes above 8,200 feet, with snow depths reaching to 132 inches in 2023. The average annual snowfall for the resorts near Innsbruck is 86 inches, and St. Anton is roughly 160 inches. They get 15 to 32 days of snowfall each season, so not as many powder days as we get in the western US, but the Austrian Alps offer more vertical.

The Price is Right

The value for money is hard to beat. At Ski Arlberg in St. Anton, you can expect to pay $82 USD (€75) for a one-day adult lift ticket. Comparatively, a one-day adult lift ticket at Aspen Snowmass in Colorado will cost you $264 USD ( €239), which means you can ski three days for the price of one. That’s a cost savings of more than $1,200 for just one person’s lift tickets when calculating a weeklong ski trip.

Getting to and From Ski Resorts Is Easy

There’s no need to rent a car to ski in Austria. There’s a very reliable and affordable ÖBB railway system that makes navigating between major and minor hubs easy – don’t worry, there’s storage for your skis in the overhead bins on the trains. A one-way ticket from Vienna to Innsbruck starts at $77 (€69), and a one-way ticket from Innsbruck to St. Anton is $22 (€20), and you can pay for upgrades to first-class cabins and reserved seats. It’s also pretty easy to get around once you’ve reached your resort town of choice because public transportation is a breeze. In Innsbruck , you can ride the ski bus for free to several of the 13 surrounding resorts, including Axamer Lizum , Kühtai , Schlick 2000 , and Stubai Glacier .

Ski Lifts Galore and Endless Terrain

It would be challenging to find somewhere that does moving people around ski resorts better than Austrians. For example, at Ski Arlberg in St. Anton, Austria’s largest ski resort, there are 94 lifts spread across 188 miles of slopes and 124 miles of ski routes that can move 123,000 skiers and snowboarders an hour across the connected resorts of St. Anton am Arlberg, St. Christoph, Stuben, Lech, Zürs, Warth and Schröcken. The people movers are plentiful and varied, from J-bars to gondolas to the 5-person Vallugabahn II cable car, which felt akin to being transported via beer can. Most impressively, all of these ski resorts are included on the same lift pass. Besides having a wide range of terrain, from beginner to expert, there’s a mindblowing amount of skiable acres to cover, from the behemoth Valluga to the famous White Ring ski circuit . You need several days to ski everything. A note of caution about the lift lines: there’s no organization or proper queuing. For someone used to the orderly lines and adherence to the Collins lifty’s “front row” callouts at Alta Ski Area , the pushy, jumbled, and chaotic lift lines in Austria were jarring. Also, you must put the safety bar down immediately after you sit, or there will be trouble.

Skinny Skis and Piste Preference

Austria's style of skiing is markedly different, as is its difficulty rating system. Blue runs mean easy, red runs mean intermediate, and black means expert. The vast majority of skiers at these resorts prefer skinny carving skis and stick to on-piste skiing. Our skis, which were between 106 and 115 underfoot, may have been the fattest at every resort we skied. We saw very few people venture off-piste, even after big snowstorms, which worked out great for us because there were still fresh lines to get two days after a big storm while skiing the Valluga – the highest peak (9,222 feet) in the Arlberg region. The regular ski runs can be pretty crowded with hundreds of people merging together and bottlenecks, and there’s usually less space between skiers around you than what you’re used to in North America. You can access amazing terrain with little competition for freshies if you have the right equipment and knowledge, are used to skiing powder, and hire a guide . Some areas do not allow skiers to access terrain without a guide.

Where to Stay in Innsbruck

Hotel Stage 12 is a highly-rated modern hotel that is centrally located within short walking distance of the train and bus stations. It’s 2.5 miles from the Innsbruck Airport and is also very close to the major attractions in the city, such as the famous Golden Roof. Each room is air-conditioned and has a flat-screen TV and seating area. There’s a breakfast buffet and a spa with a sauna, steam room, and fitness center. Staying here is an excellent option for those who wish to explore the 13 nearby ski resorts and like city vibes. You can get a Ski Plus City Pass , which gives you access to the nearby ski resorts and numerous attractions, like museums. Rooms start at $142.

Where to Stay in St. Anton

The Arpuria is a short 15-minute (steep, uphill) walk from the train station and town center. This family-run hotel is elegantly designed and is adult-friendly, meaning guests must be aged 14+. Each spacious room has comfortable beds and a balcony overlooking the mountains. The wellness spa includes a swimming pool, saunas, an infrared salt grotto, and a relaxation area. The impressive breakfast buffet with fresh squeezed orange juice, freshly baked breads, an omelet station, and an array of other breakfast delights make this place a stand out option. There’s also a candy bar with various treats available 24/7 and free shuttle services to the cable cars and town center. Rooms start at $107 per night.

Related: Skiing St. Anton – Exploring Austria’s Legendary Ski Slopes