Austria: ski weekends and short breaks
The good thing about this mountainous nation is that the main airports have a dozen (or more) ski resorts within easy reach. Flights from the UK tend to take around 2 hours, and short transfers are easy to come by - not just in tiddly, unheard of places either: party and off-piste legend St Anton is only an hour’s drive from Innsbruck Airport, and you can reach beautiful Kitzbühel from Salzburg in 75 minutes.
Pick a smaller resort and the transfer times shrink further, with a number of resorts (like Igls) only 30 minutes from Innsbruck. These give you the option to mix your weekend ski break with a city break, gliding down mountains in the morning then visiting historic sites, shops and Christmas markets in the afternoon.
If skiing as much as possible is your main priority, pick one of the more snow sure resorts and you’ll get the best chance of good snow. St Anton, Ischgl and Obergurgl see shedloads of the white stuff every season, while Solden has two glaciers and wonderfully high pistes.
Most short break accommodation in Austria comes in the form of hotels, which are picked for their handy locations and great reputations. Half board options include your breakfasts and evening meals, letting you enjoy long, hassle-free ski days with lunches on the mountains.
Best Austrian resorts for ski weekends:
St Anton – one of the most famous ski towns of all time, with a very good snow record, awesome off piste and legendary après ski.
Ischgl – Ischgl has a high altitude, international ski area spanning Austrian and Swiss terrain. The après ski is lively and there are some fabulous luxury hotels.
Kitzbuhel – Ski town’s don’t get prettier than Kitz, known for it’s first class ski area and posh hotels.
Obergurgl – Loved by families and keen skiers, Obergurgl has high altitude slopes with high end hotels inches from them.
Solden – A traditional Austrian town with access to high slopes and glaciers, plus an incredible spa centre for afters.
Innsbruck – With its own international airport, Innsbruck is surrounded by a handful of small ski areas, and brims with historic city charm.
Igls – Half hour long transfers and an army of nearby ski areas to explore once you’ve conquered the lovely local slopes.
To see more amazing short breaks, widen your search to include other skiing nations like France, Switzerland and Italy, or see all weekend packages worldwide here.