Chalets, apartments and small hotels in the Austrian Alps
Spa and service
The ones where wellness is part of the house, not a corridor away. What the owner lists is marked as listed until a second source agrees.
Choose the stay that suits your group
At the moment the list holds 71 chalets and chalet apartments, 66 apartments and resort stays, 9 hotels, all bookable in English. Each fact tells you whether two sources agree, and the provider keeps the prices.
Editorial picks
A few stays that stood out when we went through the facts, with the reason beside each. Nobody pays to be on this row.
Oberlech, Vorarlberg
Entire chalet
A six-bedroom chalet in Oberlech with a 14 metre indoor pool, an outdoor Jacuzzi, a private chef, a 24-hour butler and a chauffeur, all listed by the owner.
Details as listed by the owner
Lech, Vorarlberg
Apartment hotel
Four separate chalets in Lech, each listed with its own sauna and steam shower, plus a host who can stock the fridge and arrange meals.
Details as listed by the owner
Achenkirch am Achensee, Tyrol
Apartment hotel
Six separately specified suites at Achensee, led by a 120 m² penthouse with a Finnish sauna and a terrace whirlpool, and no pets allowed.
Details as listed by the owner
Aschau im Zillertal, Tyrol
Entire chalet
The largest chalet in the selection, with 16 to 20 guests, eight bedrooms and six bathrooms confirmed by two sources.
St Anton am Arlberg, Tyrol
Entire chalet
A catered chalet in St Anton am Arlberg with a private sauna and hot tub, both confirmed.
Sölden, Tyrol
Entire chalet
Sixteen guests across seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms in Sölden, confirmed by two sources.
On the map
From the Arlberg in the west to Schladming and Carinthia in the east. Tap a dot for a photo, the stars and a short summary.
1 Destination with its own page Other village with stays (33)INN Airport
St Anton am Arlberg6 stays · Tyrol
Sölden13 stays · Tyrol
Zillertal12 stays · Tyrol
Zillertal Arena13 stays · Salzburgerland
Königsleiten8 stays · Salzburgerland
Brixen im Thale and the SkiWelt10 stays · Tyrol
Neukirchen and Bramberg3 stays · Salzburgerland
Kitzbühel and Kirchberg9 stays · Tyrol
Saalbach-Hinterglemm9 stays · Salzburgerland
Zell am See4 stays · Salzburgerland
Ski amadé: Flachau, Wagrain and Großarl12 stays · SalzburgerlandDestinations
Each destination page puts the stays next to the ski area figures, with the sources shown. A destination appears once at least two stays pass our checks there.
Chalet holidays in Austria
Every stay on this site is checked against more than one source. A feature that two sources agree on is stated plainly. A feature that only the owner mentions is labelled as listed by the owner. If sources disagree, we leave the figure out rather than guess. What you will find is the information that decides whether a chalet works for your group: beds, bathrooms, distances to the lift, meals and wellness.
Start with the region if you know roughly where you want to ski, or with the type of stay if your group is the fixed point. Either route ends at a shortlist and the questions to put to the owner before you pay a deposit.
At a glance
One lift network from St Anton to Lech, Warth and Schröcken.
Sölden's lifts climb from 1,350 m to this top station.
One pass for the Skicircus, Zell am See and Kaprun.
A large, lower area between 620 m and 1,869 m.
The glacier ski area at the head of the Zillertal.
Source: Tyrol tourist board, Skiresort.com
About an hour and a quarter by road.
Choose your route
If nobody wants to cook after skiing, compare chalets with meals confirmed.
ExploreFor a private sauna, a hot tub or a pool, see which stays have them confirmed and which only list them.
ExploreFor hiking, lakes and lifts without snow, look at the chalets that open outside the ski season.
ExploreStart here
Austrian chalets come in four broad shapes, and knowing them saves a lot of scrolling. A whole chalet is one house let to one party: on this site they run from Chalet Wildberg in Großarl, listed for six, to Chalet Alber in St Anton, which takes 32 to 39 guests across 15 bedrooms. A chalet apartment has its own front door and kitchen inside a larger chalet-style building. Apartment hotels and resorts add a reception desk, pools and sometimes breakfast. Small hotels give you rooms and a restaurant.
The word chalet is used loosely in Austria, so read the type of stay before the photos. Some listings call a modern apartment block a chalet. Others are chalet villages: clusters of small timber houses run much like a hotel. Aadla Walser-Chalets in Schröcken is a group of seven separate chalets, and the owner lists breakfast delivered to the door and housekeeping every second day. That is a very different week from running a farmhouse yourselves.
Each type changes the rhythm of your holiday. In a whole chalet you set the house rules, decide who sleeps where and share one big table in the evening. In an apartment resort you trade some of that for facilities you could never have at home, such as an indoor pool. Neither is better in itself. The right choice depends on how many of you there are and how much you want to organise.
Use this page as a map. If you already know the village, the list of chalet destinations in Austria takes you straight there. If you would rather browse everything first, the full list of stays puts every chalet, apartment and hotel we compare on one page, with the confirmed facts for each.
See:All destinations
Where to look
Most of the chalets we compare sit in two federal states. Tyrol, in the west, holds the high and well-known names: St Anton, Sölden, Ischgl, Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, the Zillertal and Kitzbühel. Salzburgerland, to the east, covers Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Zell am See and Kaprun, Königsleiten on the Salzburg side of the Zillertal Arena, and the Ski amadé villages of Flachau, Wagrain and Großarl. A smaller group of stays lies further out, from Lech and Schröcken in the far west to Hermagor in Carinthia.
Tyrol is where to start if altitude and sheer size of ski area matter most to your group. Innsbruck airport is the usual gateway: the Sölden tourist board gives 83 km to the village, and Ski Arlberg puts St Anton about 100 km away. Our overview of chalets across Tyrol groups the valleys so you can compare them side by side.
Salzburgerland is strong on linked lift passes. The Ski ALPIN CARD covers up to 408 km of pistes and 121 lifts, taking in the Skicircus around Saalbach, the Schmittenhöhe above Zell am See and the Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun. A group split between keen skiers and occasional ones can base itself in one village and still reach very different mountains. The guide to chalets in Salzburgerland covers the resorts on that side of the border.
The stays further afield suit people who already know Austria and want a different valley. Almresort Gartnerkofel Nassfeld in Hermagor is listed by the owner as a Spa Chalet with its own Finnish sauna and direct slope access, and Alpenpark Turrach on the Turracher Höhe has a six-bedroom unit for up to sixteen. These places have fewer stays each, so check availability early.
Tyrol
St Anton is where most of the catered chalets on this site are, and the ski area explains its pull. Ski Arlberg links St Anton with St Christoph, Stuben, Lech, Zürs, Warth and Schröcken: around 300 km of pistes, 85 lifts and a top station at 2,811 m. Two of those houses are Chalet Christiane and Chalet Levett, both with meals and a private sauna confirmed. The page on chalets in St Anton goes through them house by house.
Sölden, at the head of the Ötztal, is the high-altitude choice. Its lifts run from 1,350 m to 3,340 m, with 31 lifts in the area. The chalets here tend to give every bedroom its own bathroom: Chalet Alpenheim Simone has six of each for sixteen guests, and Chalet Willi seven of each over four floors. The Sölden chalet guide explains where in the village each one sits.
Ischgl and Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis are the other two big names in western Tyrol. The Silvretta Arena above Ischgl has 239 km of pistes and reaches 2,872 m. Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis lists 214 km including ski routes, 38 lifts and an altitude range of 1,200 m to 2,828 m, and it is home to some of the largest houses we list: Chalet Kelle takes up to 35 guests with meals included.
The Zillertal is a long valley with several separate ski areas on one Zillertal Superskipass. Mayrhofen's Mountopolis area has 142 km and 61 lifts, and EMMA's Chalet there lists the Penkenbahn 60 metres away. Read the Zillertal chalet guide for the valley floor, and the page on chalets in the Zillertal Arena for Gerlos and its neighbours, where the area has 150 km and 52 lifts.
Further east in Tyrol, the ski areas sit lower. KitzSki above Kitzbühel and Kirchberg has 58 lifts between 800 m and 2,000 m, and the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental spreads 275 km over 81 lifts between 620 m and 1,869 m. Compare the two on the pages for Kitzbühel and Kirchberg chalets and stays in the SkiWelt, where Brixen im Thale is the base.
See:Chalets in St Anton am ArlbergChalets in SöldenChalets in Kitzbühel and Kirchberg
Salzburgerland
The Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn has 270 km of pistes and 70 lifts. Its published split is 140 km blue, 112 km red and 18 km black, which makes it easy to recommend to mixed groups. Several large chalets sit here, including Chalet Bachgut Berg, with eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms and the piste listed at 50 metres. The guide to chalets in Saalbach-Hinterglemm lists the rest.
Zell am See and Kaprun share a tourist board and two quite different mountains. The Schmittenhöhe above Zell am See has 77 km of pistes, and the Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun climbs to 3,029 m. Alpenparks Central Zell am See is a two-bathroom apartment with a lift listed 250 metres away and a lift pass included, both confirmed. See the page on chalets and apartments in Zell am See for the full set.
Königsleiten sits on the Salzburg side of the Zillertal Arena, and its chalets are unusually close to the snow on paper. Chalet Dorferhaus lists both the piste and the lift at 50 metres, and Chalet H Königsleiten lists the piste at 25 metres. The Königsleiten chalet guide compares them on bathrooms, distances and what is confirmed.
Ski amadé is the name over several separate areas east of the Skicircus. Flachau and Wagrain belong to Snow Space Salzburg, with over 210 km of pistes, while Großarl shares the Großarltal-Dorfgastein area. Alpenchalets Flachauer Gutshof lists a private sauna in every chalet. Read more on chalets in Flachau, Wagrain and Großarl.
Further west, the Wildkogel-Arena above Neukirchen and Bramberg has 75 km of pistes, a smaller area that suits a relaxed week. Nationalpark Chalet Malhamhorn in Neukirchen am Großvenediger sleeps twelve, although its bathroom count is not yet confirmed, so ask before you fill every bed. The page on chalets in Neukirchen and Bramberg covers both villages and their stays.
See:Chalets in Saalbach-HinterglemmChalets and apartments in Zell am SeeChalets in Königsleiten
Choosing
Choose the resort for the weakest skier in your group, then check that the strongest has enough to do. Piste splits are the quickest test where the lift company publishes them. A large share of blue and red runs, as in the Skicircus, gives beginners room to progress. A small, steep area can leave a novice on the same two runs all week. Our guide to the best Austrian ski resorts for a chalet holiday sorts the main areas by level.
Altitude is the second filter, especially for dates near the start or end of the season. The resorts on this site span a wide range: the SkiWelt tops out at 1,869 m, KitzSki at 2,000 m, Ski Arlberg at 2,811 m and Sölden at 3,340 m. The lift companies publish these figures, and it pays to compare them before you fix a week in December or April.
Size matters less than the walk from your door. A linked area of several hundred kilometres helps little if the lift is listed 3 kilometres away and the bus is irregular. Chalet Alpinum in St Anton, for example, has meals, a hot tub and a private sauna confirmed, but the lift is listed at 3 kilometres. Plan the morning journey as carefully as the ski area.
Think about the evenings too. Some groups want a village with restaurants close by; others are happy to cook and stay in. Chalet Pinzgauer Almhütte in Königsleiten lists the piste and lift at 50 metres but shops and restaurants at 700 metres. Neither is wrong, but it shapes how the week feels, so match it to your group.
Your group
Count bathrooms before bedrooms. The number of beds tells you whether everyone fits; the number of bathrooms tells you how the mornings will go. Chalet Alte Mühle in Hopfgarten has nine bedrooms and six bathrooms for 20 to 25 guests, while Chalet Kelle in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis has twelve of each for up to 35. Both sleep a crowd, but they are very different weeks.
For four to six people, a chalet apartment is often enough. Chalet Apartment Bärlerhof in Königsleiten has two bedrooms, one bathroom and the lift listed 50 to 100 metres away, and Apartments Alpin Apart in Flachau offers 55 m2 for up to six. Our page on ski apartments in Austria collects the smaller units and explains what to ask about kitchens and storage.
Between eight and sixteen is where whole chalets come into their own. Two or three families can share one house and still have a door to close. Chalet Am Trogwohl in Sölden gives each of four bedrooms its own bathroom and a balcony, and Chalet Schöneben Bauernhaus in Wald im Pinzgau has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a pool and a fireplace confirmed.
Above twenty, the choice narrows to a handful of houses. Chalet Alber in St Anton takes 32 to 39 guests with meals included, and the owner of Chalet Tiroler Hof in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis lists room for up to 38. At that size, ask for a room plan, the dining capacity and the house rules in writing. The guide to large chalets in Austria for groups lists every house for ten or more.
If you are still deciding between a whole house and several apartments side by side, read chalet or apartment in Austria. It sets out what changes for privacy, cooking, cleaning and shared evenings when a group splits across units, and when two neighbouring apartments beat one big house for families with different routines.
See:Chalet or apartment in Austria: what changes for your groupSki apartments in Austria
Meals
A catered chalet means meals are part of the stay, so nobody in your group has to shop or cook after a day on the mountain. Five chalets on this site have an included meal service confirmed by two sources, among them Chalet Alpinum and Chalet Levett in St Anton. What we could not confirm is exactly which meals are covered, so ask about breakfast, dinner, days off and dietary needs before you book. The page on catered chalets in Austria lists them all.
Self-catered means a kitchen and a shopping plan. The distance to the nearest shop matters more than people expect: Apartments Alpin Apart in Flachau lists shops at 5 kilometres, while Chalet Willi in Sölden has a supermarket within a short walk. With a car the first is easy; without one, it shapes your week.
There is a middle ground. Alpenchalets Flachauer Gutshof in Flachau lists optional half board and three restaurants on the estate, and the owner of Almlust lists a daily breakfast buffet in its Almlodge Deluxe units. Options like these let you cook some evenings and eat out on others without the full commitment of a catered house.
The choice comes down to who would otherwise do the work. A group of friends who enjoy cooking together may prefer a kitchen. A large family gathering where one or two people would end up cooking every night is usually happier with meals included. Our guide to catered vs self-catered chalets goes through the trade-offs in detail.
Wellness
A private sauna is one of the features Austrian chalets do well. Two sources confirm one at Chalet Edelweissalm in Königsleiten, which adds a hot tub and a fireplace, and at EMMA's Chalet in Mayrhofen. Private means the sauna belongs to your house for the whole week, with no timetable to share. The page on chalets in Austria with a sauna or hot tub separates private from shared facilities for every stay.
Shared wellness can still be good, as long as you know it is shared. Alpenparks Rehrenberg near Saalbach has a pool, a hot tub and shared saunas confirmed, and the owner of All-Suite Resort Ötztal in Oetz lists a 500 m2 bath house with a natural swimming pond and a heated outdoor pool. Ask about opening hours and age limits, which some resorts set for their sauna areas.
Sauna etiquette surprises many British visitors. The Austrian National Tourist Office says saunas and plunge pools are textile-free unless stated otherwise, and The Local Austria reports that wearing swimwear in a sauna is seen as unhygienic. Some hotels run family saunas where swimsuits are allowed. A private chalet sauna sidesteps the question, which is one reason families and mixed groups like them.
Look closely at the wording on any listing. A hot tub on one terrace does not mean every apartment in the building has one, and an infrared cabin is not the same as a Finnish sauna. Where only the owner mentions a feature, we say so, and it is worth a direct question before you book.
On the snow
True ski-in/ski-out means you can put skis on at the door and ski back to it. Fewer Austrian chalets offer that than the label suggests, so treat the term as a claim to check rather than a fact. Chalet Marmotta Neve in St Anton is one that two sources confirm sits directly on the piste, and Chalet Apartment Bärlerhof in Königsleiten has skiing on site confirmed.
Most listings give a distance instead, and the distance is worth reading carefully. Fifty metres to a piste is a short walk in ski boots. Three hundred metres, as listed at Chalet Edelweissalm, is fine for adults and long with small children carrying their own skis. Distances to the lift and to the piste are often different numbers, so check both.
Some stays describe themselves as ski-in/ski-out without a second source to back it up. The owner of AlpinLodges Kühtai lists the resort that way, and the local tourism office describes Almlodge Westendorf as having a direct piste position. Treat these as likely but unconfirmed, and ask how the route works in poor snow.
Snow decides the rest. A run back to the door may only work once the lower slopes are fully covered, so ask how access changes early and late in the season. The page on ski-in/ski-out chalets in Austria lists every stay with on-piste access confirmed or listed, with the piste and lift distances side by side.
Summer
Many Austrian chalets stay open after the snow melts, and a house that suits a ski week can suit a walking week just as well. The owner of Chalet Marmotta Neve in St Anton lists it as open from July to September, which turns a ski chalet on the piste into a base for a hiking week.
Snow does not stop entirely in summer. The Hintertux Glacier at the head of the Zillertal, which the Tyrol tourist board describes as Austria's only year-round ski area, has skiing up to 3,250 m, although in summer only the highest slopes stay open. It is a long day trip from most chalets, but a good one for keen skiers in a mixed group.
For hiking, pick the valley before the chalet. Ski villages that run summer lifts let you start high without a long climb, while lake areas such as the Achensee and the Weissensee add water to the walking. Meerberg in Pertisau am Achensee and Regitnig on the Weissensee are two lakeside starting points. Our guide to hiking holidays in Austria explains what to check on lifts and guest cards.
Check what is open before you go. Some resort facilities shorten their hours outside the winter: the owner of All-Suite Resort Ötztal notes that its bistro closes in low season. The page on summer chalet holidays in Austria lists the stays that open in summer and what each one offers, from pools to private saunas, so you can plan around the weather.
See:Hiking holidays in Austria: where to stay and what to check
Dogs
Bringing a dog narrows the list but rarely empties it. Two sources confirm that pets are allowed at Almchalet Dorfblick in Mühlbach am Hochkönig, a whole chalet for twelve with a fireplace, and at Alpenparks Central Zell am See. Several apartment resorts allow dogs in some units and not in others, which is where most mistakes happen.
Read the rules for the exact unit. At Alpenpark Turrach the six-bedroom Chalet 27 excludes dogs, even though the wider resort lists pets. The owner of AlpenParks Hotel & Apartment Taxacher in Kirchberg in Tirol allows dogs in selected apartment categories, requires liability insurance and limits where dogs can go in the restaurant. Ask which category you are booking before you assume your dog is welcome.
Ask three things before you book: whether there is a supplement and how often it is charged, whether dogs may be left alone in the chalet, and where the nearest walking route starts. The page on dog-friendly chalets in Austria lists every stay where pets are confirmed or listed, so you can start from houses that already accept them.
Travel
Innsbruck is the closest airport for most Tyrolean resorts. The Sölden tourist board gives 83 km and about an hour and a quarter by road; Ski Arlberg puts St Anton about 100 km away, and the Ischgl tourist board gives about 100 km for Ischgl too. Munich and Zurich are longer journeys: Sölden lists 231 km from Munich, and Ski Arlberg gives about 200 km from Zurich to St Anton.
For Salzburgerland, Salzburg airport is the natural gateway. The Zell am See-Kaprun tourist board puts the resort about 80 kilometres from the airport, and a transfer operator lists 75 km. If you are flying into Innsbruck for a Salzburgerland chalet, or the other way round, check the road time before you book flights.
Rail is a real option for some resorts. St Anton's station is on the Arlberg line in the village centre, with Railjet and EuroCity trains stopping there, so a group can step off the train a short walk from the lifts. Elsewhere you will usually need a bus or taxi for the last stretch.
Driving brings two rules to know. A vignette is compulsory on Austrian motorways and expressways; if you buy the digital version online, allow 14 days before it becomes valid. Winter tyres are required from November to mid April when conditions are wintry, with snow chains accepted as an alternative. The guide to getting to your chalet in Austria covers transfers in more detail.
Finally, plan the last few kilometres. Chalet Rocking Home in Aschau im Zillertal lists the lift at 3.6 kilometres, though a bus stop is listed 25 metres away. For a group of twenty, that daily shuttle to the lifts matters more than the flight, so ask the owner about bus times and parking before you book.
When to go
Most big Austrian ski areas plan to open in early December and close in April. The Zillertal Arena and the SkiWelt both publish planned seasons that run into April, while KitzSki plans to start in November. Glaciers open earlier: the Hintertux Glacier runs for almost the whole year. Season dates are always subject to snow, so check the lift company's page before you commit.
The lift pass is part of the resort choice. In Salzburgerland the Ski ALPIN CARD joins the Skicircus with Zell am See and Kaprun, and in Tyrol the Zillertal Superskipass covers the valley's separate areas. A few stays include the pass in the booking; where one does, ask which dates and areas it covers.
Book the house before the flights if your group is large. On this site only a handful of chalets sleep twenty or more, so secure the house first. Check minimum stays and arrival rules too: Almlodge Westendorf asks for a full week in high season, and some resorts set a fixed arrival window, which matters for late flights.
If you are weighing up resorts for a particular week, the guide to the best ski resorts in Austria for chalet holidays compares them by level and altitude. Resort Brixen in the SkiWelt lists the slope at 20 to 50 metres and the lift at 100 metres, a useful benchmark when comparing distances elsewhere.
See:Chalets in the Zillertal ArenaStays in Brixen im Thale and the SkiWelt
Before you book
A chalet is not always the answer. A couple, or a family staying three or four nights, may be better served by a small hotel or an apartment hotel with a restaurant and daily cleaning. Hotel Tauern Spa in Kaprun and Hotel Stefan in Sölden are two of the small hotels we track. The overview of hotels and apartment hotels in the Austrian Alps lists them with what is confirmed so far.
Every stay on this site goes through the same check. We look for each fact in at least two independent sources. Confirmed features are stated plainly, features only the owner mentions are marked as listed, and conflicting figures are left out. The page on how we compare chalets explains the method in full.
Before you pay a deposit, put the same five questions to any owner: how the beds are split, how many bathrooms there are, how far the lift is in practice, what the meal service or kitchen includes, and which facilities are private. If a listing cannot answer them, keep looking. The complete list of stays and the ski chalets in Austria page are good places to keep comparing.
Practical answers
It depends on your group. Ski Arlberg around St Anton has around 300 km of pistes and most of the catered chalets on this site. Sölden offers altitude, with lifts up to 3,340 m. The Skicircus Saalbach has 270 km with mostly blue and red runs, which suits mixed groups.
Austria works well for beginners if you choose the area carefully. The Skicircus Saalbach lists 140 km of blue runs out of 270 km, and the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental 115 km out of 275 km. Pick a chalet close to the lift so learners are not walking far in ski boots.
A catered chalet in Austria is one where meals are included, so your group does not shop or cook. In St Anton, Chalet Christiane, Chalet Levett, Chalet Alpinum and Chalet Alber all have an included meal service confirmed by two sources. Ask which meals are covered and how dietary needs are handled.
Yes, though only a handful sleep more than twenty. Chalet Alber in St Anton takes 32 to 39 guests, Chalet Kelle in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis up to 35 with twelve bedrooms and twelve bathrooms, and Chalet Alte Mühle in Hopfgarten 20 to 25. Compare bathrooms and dining space as well as beds.
Yes, but fewer than listings suggest. Two sources confirm that Chalet Marmotta Neve in St Anton sits directly on the piste, and Chalet Apartment Bärlerhof in Königsleiten has skiing on site. Many other Austrian chalets list a distance of 50 to 300 metres instead, so check both piste and lift.
Yes. Chalet Edelweissalm in Königsleiten has a private sauna and hot tub confirmed by two sources, and Chalet Alpinum in St Anton has a hot tub, private sauna and meals confirmed. Check whether the hot tub belongs to your chalet or is shared with other units, because apartment resorts often list shared wellness areas.
Most large Austrian ski areas plan to open in early December, including the Zillertal Arena and the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental. KitzSki above Kitzbühel and Kirchberg plans to start in November. Glacier areas open earlier in autumn. All opening dates depend on snow, so check the lift company's page before you book a chalet for the first weeks.
The main Austrian ski areas usually plan to close in April. The Zillertal Arena and the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental both publish planned seasons into April. Higher areas give more room late in the season: Sölden reaches 3,340 m and the Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun 3,029 m. Dates are always subject to snow conditions.
Yes, on a glacier. The Tyrol tourist board describes the Hintertux Glacier at the head of the Zillertal as Austria's only year-round ski area, with skiing up to 3,250 m. In summer only the highest slopes stay open, so most visitors combine a glacier day with hiking and lakes.
For most Tyrolean resorts it is Innsbruck: Sölden is 83 km away and St Anton and Ischgl about 100 km. For Salzburgerland resorts such as Zell am See, Salzburg airport is closer, at about 80 km. Munich and Zurich mean transfers of around 200 to 280 km.
Some Austrian ski resorts are easy to reach by train. St Anton's station sits on the Arlberg line in the village centre, served by Railjet and EuroCity trains, so you can walk to the lifts. Most other resorts need a bus or taxi from the nearest main-line station, so check the last stretch before you rely on rail.
Yes, if your route uses Austrian motorways or expressways. The vignette is compulsory for all vehicles on those roads. A digital vignette bought online becomes valid 14 days after purchase, so order it well ahead, or buy the sticker version, which is valid as soon as it is on the windscreen.
Winter tyres are compulsory in Austria from November to mid April whenever conditions are wintry, and snow chains are accepted as an alternative. If you drive from the UK, check before you leave that your tyres carry the right winter marking and pack chains for the final climb.
In most public Austrian saunas, yes. The Austrian National Tourist Office says saunas and plunge pools are textile-free unless stated otherwise, and The Local Austria notes that swimwear is seen as unhygienic. Some hotels run family saunas where swimsuits are allowed. A chalet with a private sauna lets your group set its own rules.
Every figure on this page comes from an official source and at least one independent source. Where they disagreed, we left the number out.
Wes founded Chalets in Austria and compares holiday accommodation for people who want straight facts before they book. Every stay here is checked against a second source, and a fact only goes up as confirmed when two sources agree.
We may earn a commission when you book through some of our links, at no extra cost to you. The order of our selections follows the facts shown, never a commission. Booking conditions and final availability are confirmed by the provider. Read how this site works.
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