It's getting colder outside and winter is slowly approaching. All ski-enthusiasts and families are starting to plan their next ski holiday, and it's not always easy to find out where to start.
Austria is one of the most favoured skiing destinations in the Alps and they have acquired this status for good reasons. The country offers mountains, slopes, skilifts, destinations, restaurants and bars for all ages and all levels of skiing. Austrian ski schools are known for setting a high standard of skiing and teaching through their internationally recognized instructor education. In this blog we will give you five tips that will help you getting the perfect Austrian skiing holiday.
1. Find your destinaton
The first step into getting a perfect ski holiday is obvious, namely choosing your destination. One of our personal favourites is Wagrain! Wagrain is a very welcoming ski resort and suits perfectly to less experienced skiers. The ski school is highly focussed on creating the best learning environment for beginning adults and kids, while the terrain, with more than 200 km slopes, is very gentle to beginners.
If your family is more experienced and 'challenge-seeking' on ski's, you should definitely consider visiting a ski area with a higher altitude. In these areas the snow is more reliable and the slopes are suitable for all levels of skiing. If you are such a family Ischgl or St. Anton could be perfect destinations for you, since they are both located up high in the mountains and peak at almost 3000 metres.
It's convenient to learn more about the area and town itself before you choose your destination. Especially kids find it pleasing if there also are other activities than skiing. The town of Kitzbühel is an amazing attraction itself with its traditional and idyllic Austrian atmosphere which is perfect for a day of resting. Bad Gastein has numerous of thermal springs and indoor swimming pools, perfect to enjoy a day off!
Something you might also want to check prior to your departure, is if the ski school offers English speaking instructors. This way you can ensure that your children have a fun and safe experience during their ski lessons.
In addition to this it will not harm to locate the ski rental shop before arrival, so that you can easily navigate towards the rental location when you are at your destination. If you wish to skip the sometimes hours-long line in the rental shop, Skimundi offers prebooking of all rental equipment. When making use of this service all your ski equipment will be ready upon your arrival, meaning that you can go out to enjoy the slopes even sooner!
2. Book a hotel
After you've determined your destination, it's time to find a hotel or other type of accomodation. When deciding upon accomodation there are several things to consider among which one is, if you wish to be situated close to the lifts, ski school and/or restaurants. In general it is cheaper to live slightly out of town. However this can be very inconvenient and one should be aware that this can mean pendling back and forth with the skibus. Some Austrian resorts also offer appartments which can be more practical in terms of space and food after a long day of skiing. Renting an appartment can also be more flexible and in some cases even spare you some money (obviously depending on the number of persons you are traveling with).
3. Prebook ski school
Especially during high season it can be a nightmare to reserve ski school at your destination. To prevent you from experiencing any difficulties with the ski school, we recommend you to reserve your ski lessons before arriving at your destination. Not only can it save you a lot of stress, but at many ski schools they provide you with a discount for prebooking.
4. Discover alternative activities
As mentioned earlier, skiing can be exhausting and then especially for the younger kids. Doing other acitivities after a long day of skiing on the slopes and attending ski school, can be very relaxing for many. It's therefore a great idea to look into the availability of non-skiing activities. Below some examples of what these might be are stated:
In St. Anton you can watch the weekly skishow performed by instructors from all nationalities at Skischule Arlberg. Holland, Denmark, Germany, Austria and many more nationalities are represented. The atmosphere among the guests is amazing and when staying in St. Anton, attending the skishow certainly is a must!
In [Zell am Ziller](Zell am Ziller](https://skimundi.com/da/destinationer/dansk-skiskole-i-zell-am-ziller) you will find two toboggan runs, both for adults and kids. The experience is similar to a rollercoaster, but the main difference is you're sledging through trees with an astonishing view over the Ziller valley.
5. Practical packing tips
Before departure it's very important to consider your packing. It's often the smallest, but most important things, that are likely to be forgotten. First things first: sunscreen! The high altitude in the alps can be cynical when it comes to getting sunburned, and it's extremely important to wear sunscreen every day - even if it might seem a bit cloudy. For exactly the same purpose it is also importtant to remember a pair of sunglasses. Buying a neck warmer might not seem neccesary, but On a windy or cold day it can proof out to be a very good investment. It protects you against the chilly wind and is able to keep that sore throat away. In ski schools the instructors normally carry both sunscreen and neckwarmers to protect children from unexpected weather conditions.
