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I haven’t blogged about skiing on this blog so far, but considering skiing is a passion of mine and winter is coming – decided I might help with some skiing advice to those considering skiing in Austria this winter. In particular, help with picking the resort in Austria to go to.

This is a post sponsored by Luxury Chalets Austria. Chalets are a very convenient accommodation option when travelling as a group so – check them out.

September is just the right month to pick your skiing spot and make arrangements otherwise you might end up with quite a narrow choice of convenient places to stay (convenient for me means ski in/out in the best scenario, or up to 20 minutes with the ski bus, given the bus stop is not more than 100-200 meters from my place).

Why choose Austria for skiing?

I’ve been skiing in France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Serbia and Bulgaria so far. To me Austria offers a really good choice of ski runs and awesome infrastructure (well-connected lifts, many ski buses, frequent ski bus stops, lots of spas around your ski area). It’s also quite affordable in terms of pricing, especially if coming as a large group or family. All accommodations have a really cozy traditional flair, food is delicious – nothing more to wish for, if coming to ski..

My top 3 ski resorts in Austria

It’s kind of a tough choice choosing my top resorts since any single of them has a specific advantage. So I’ll list here the top 3 on my list, each being at the top for a different criteria.

Zillertal – my top for diversity of ski runs

Zillertal includes 4 large ski areas with a total of 515 kilometers of ski runs. Getting the Zillertal superskipass for a week you can explore the entire area and make yourself a really diverse skiing experience.

This is quite an advantage since when there’s fog, strong wind or other weather condition making your skiing uncomfortable (closed lifts, bad visibility) – you can usually find better conditions in at least one of the areas included with your ski card. Also depending on your skiing level you can choose to ski in a resort that best suits your skiing capabilities.

If you love exploring different ski resorts and hardly repeating a ski run (like me!) – this is your spot! In addition, you have the Hintertux gletcher so even if you love skiing in spring – you will find snow in perfect conditions there.

Perfectly groomed, wide and non-populated ski runs in Zillertal.. amazing

A considerable advantage is that the area around Zillertal is full of villages offering quite affordable accommodation of all types, all of them covered by the ski bus. We stayed close to Mayrhofen – beautiful, well connected and with plenty to do in the evenings.

Sölden – my top for scenery and spa

When skiing I always take the time for a coffee with a view..and Sölden ski area gives awesome opportunities for that, while taking a break from skiing the ~150 kms of well-groomed ski pistes. They are mostly suitable for skiers of mid to advanced level maybe, but beginners would surely find their sweet spot too.

However,  this is a truly popular resort and you are bound to have the queues at the first gondola, unless you arrive early. But, you can grab a card for the nearby Hoghgurgl/Obergurgl resort and some of the days you may enjoy quality skiing with fewer crowds.

Having a most enjoyable coffee in Obergurgl ski area

A major plus of Sölden was the amazing Aquadome thermal spa center, excellent for a full relaxation after an awesome ski day. The evening spa card was good in terms of pricing and there were fewer people even in the high winter season so – make sure to go.

Sölden, despite being named an expensive resort, avails of accommodations for every budget and group size. You just need to drive a bit further from the resort, while still keeping the ski bus route in mind 🙂

Kitzbühel – my top for advanced skiing

With well-groomed 179 kms of ski runs, lots of challenging ski runs and fun for more advanced skiers, Kitzbühel boasts of being named ‘the best ski resort in the world’ for 2013, 2014, 2015 by skiresort.de. Indeed, the ski runs are excellently groomed and quite diverse. It’s impressive that despite the huge crowds here, we’ve hardly waited more than a few minutes, on any of the lifts. So, given all this, you are bound to get quality skiing in Kitz.

I also like the spectacular S3 gondola, taking you in between 2 skiing hills, at a height of 400 meters! For the brave ones – there’s a cabin with transparent floor 🙂 

Not really your resort if you are a beginner I think. 

Enjoying a top view in Kitz

The Aquarena spa center is right in the center of the city and is a great place to relax after skiing. Moreover, your ski pass gives you 50% off the entry fee. The village itself is quite attractive in the evenings so don’t miss an evening stroll and a beer here.

Kitzbühel, being an attractive ski resort, is quite expensive to stay in. But again, moving away from the resort you’ll find excellent and affordable opportunities for accommodation.

To wrap up, Austria has a big lot of enjoyable ski resorts and offers an excellent quality / price ratio for your ski vacation, either when going in a big group or as a family / couple. Big choice of skiing resorts, big choice of affordable accommodation, lots to do after your skiing day – what more do you need? 🙂

What are your top skiing resorts in this country, where have you skied? Let me know in the comments, as I’m already planning this year’s ski vacation 🙂

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