Planning your ski holiday in Austria

Choosing a resort for your ski holiday:

Austria may not have the highest slopes in the Alps, but it does have some great resorts. St Anton, host for the 2001 World Alpine Championships, is arguably one of the best ski resorts in the world. Mostly an experts' resort, St Anton boasts awesome off-piste, moguls and powder.

Kitzbuhel also offers similarly challenging options, with plenty of off-piste and demanding moguls, along with a wide variety of terrain and slopes, and great nightlife. However, as with all lower resorts, the snow can be a bit sketchy and low altitude pistes, even with loads of snowmaking, can suffer. Those who want a more snow-sure option for their ski holiday may consider Obergurgl, one of the highest resorts in Austria at 1930m.

Austria isn't without its high class super-sophisticated resorts either. Lech is one of the most exclusive ski venues in Austria, along with its neighbour, Zurs. There are expensive hotels, shops and top-rated eateries, all in a quintessential "chocolate-box" style village. The après-ski is lively, but tends to cater for the chic, older crowd, which thrives in Lech.

Choosing accommodation for your ski holiday:

Accommodation in Austria is traditional in style, of a good standard and very comfortable. Chalets, hotels and self catered apartments are all available. It's also worth noting that a chalet holiday in Austria can often work out as cheap, or cheaper, than staying in self-catered accommodation, as wine and food are usually included in the package price.