Austria Feb no kids

[Tatapie]

Hi thinking of going to Austria mid Feb ( before half term) 2 couples. Does anyone have any resort recommendations for reasonably priced accommodation with plenty of bars and restaurants. Good snow / height preferably! TIA

You could really pick anywhere in Austria for the first week in February. Snow conditions should be good and unlike France, you don't need the high altitude in order to access good skiing.

At the expensive end of the scale there is St. Anton, or Lech and Zurs (very expensive) or Kitzbuhel.

A bit more affordable are Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Zell am See, Zell am Ziller, Mayrhofen, Ischgl and probably another 50 or so resorts.

What level skiers are you? Do you want cruising around on blues and reds, or lots of steep black runs and off piste? Do you want a "party/apres" resort, or something quieter?

Half term is week of 12th Feb. Other countries have half term too (Germany/Italy) so Feb is always going to be expensive for skiing. I love St Anton.

As @SoSad44 says, the half term/school winter holiday weeks in Europe begin on Saturday 10th February and continue for the following three weeks, when various regions of Germany, Scandinavia and the Netherlands (as well as the UK) are on holiday and families head for the Austrian slopes.

If you want to avoid the busiest weeks in February then the only relatively quiet week is the first week of February, from Saturday 3rd Feb.

Currently in Stubai (staying in Neustift) and its Too Much Snow.

We keep coming back here as its near perfect... Good ski school, friendly bars, easy drive from Innsbruck, good range of runs. The only downside is the journey either end of the day to the gondola. (Free bus or hire car)

Were blue / red cruisers for sure. Not party people but like eating and drinking!

Looking at 14-18th. It's not half term where we are in the UK but guess it'll be elsewhere and in Europe unfortunately. Still better than going to France hopefully!

Thanks will check it out.

It will be packed and full of kids. It’s half term where we are in UK. Flights to Innsbruck will be very expensive already.

14th Feb is definitely half term in a lot of the UK

@Tatapie @PuttingDownRoots - absolutely love Stubai - never too busy even when it's busy and ski slopes for all abilities. Neustift is a pretty little town with nice restaurants and a decent supermarket. We're going back at the end of February for maybe our 15th time. Can't wait.

14th - 18th Feb falls right in the busiest week of the season in Austria. Also, as it is not a Saturday-to-Saturday period it might be difficult to find accommodation, much of which will already be sold out. The previous week would be much better for avoiding the crowds.

As for a choise of cruising blue/red resorts, fly to Salzburg (Ryanair, BA, Easyjet, WizzAir, Jet2 from the UK) and then pick one from Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Leogang, Maria Alm, Zell am See - or St. Johann in Tirol/Kirchberg for access to Kitzbuhel. For Zell am Ziller/Mayrhofen the best flights are to Innsbruck - if there are still any left.

@Havanananana thank you. We can't go earlier but could do early to mid March , any resorts to avoid then?

Advice please for a female beginner+ to ski lots of wide, gentle greens/blues. Have heard good things about Andora so any recomendations appreciated. Hotels, resorts, ski equipment hire, ski school, agents. Would ideally like a hotel with pool or spa & very good food (does not need to be excellent). Thinking first week of February. Prefer all inclusive. Much appreciated, thank you!

This far ahead I would not book any of the resorts in the previous posts for any week later than Week 10 - w/c Sat. 2nd March - to have the best chance of good conditions.

There will still be great skiing to be had later than then, but you'd be advised to wait until it is clear exactly where the snow is. The lower, eastern resorts (Zell am See, Maria Alm) tend to lose the snow earlier than the western ones (St Anton, Lech) but a change in the weather can mean that the opposite happens. If organising the trip yourself, I would consider booking a Salzburg or Innsbruck flight now, and leaving the accommodation booking until about a month before you arrive.

@MagnoliaSusan Perhaps start a new thread if you want recommendations for Andorra, where there are really only 3 resorts - Grandvalira, Ordino-Arcalís and Pal Arinsal.

That is the most expensive week flying from the UK. Even EasyJet flights will be >£500 each way, if you can even find flights to Innsbruck that week. We are flying into Munich and taking the train.

Honestly, go the week before (though that is half term in Germany) or two weeks after.

14th plenty of flights going out from Gatwick tk Innbruck, you are looking at around £500 pp return incl luggage etc. just avoid half term if you don’t have school aged kids!

This year the week of 10th Feb is epically busy as it’s not just UK half term but also holidays for large parts of France, Austria, Germany, and Carnevale in Italy. Usually these don’t all fall together so you can find a quieter spot but this year it all converges.

Definitely go early to mid March, it’s cheaper quieter and sunnier. Always used to go this time pre DC. For resorts with snow and nightlife - St Anton is great fun. Val d’Isere too. Meribel. Lots of other options. If you’re social you could try a chalet, you may meet some fun people, we did!

Now thinking 28 Feb 4 nights to Stubai as it's higher and DH is worried about snow at that time. @PuttingDownRoots @WhoStoleYourHighHorse

any tips welcome!

@Tatapie the place we stayed this Christmas was called Apartments Nadine... a few minutes walk to the bus stops or Neustift town centre for restaurants etc, covered parking, decent shower. Might book same place next year.

The bus up to the gondola is free, or book a hire car. We liked the freedom of the car. But does mean you can't enjoy a beer directly after skiing!

DH is the one that goes more regularly (the Army uses it for training, hence why he's been then so much!) So his restaurant recommendations are perhaps a bit colloquial and not full names... Cafe Annys for pizza, the "Dorf", and there's a nice wine bar opposite Annys hut I don't know its name

Then there's the Umbrella bar next to the main gondola Station.

Thanks, it's definitely beers after if not during skiing! Hadn't realised it was so far to the skiing from the town...

@Havanananana I really like the look of Zell am See but DH worried about low altitude. Is it easy to get to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier from there do you know?

There is a hotel at the gondolas... (Mitterburg)... not sure on your budget!

@Tatapie Yes, it is very easy to get to Kitzsteinhorn glacier from Zell am See. There is a regular bus service that goes via Kaprun and it is possible to reach the glacier either by taking the Maiskogel lift in Kaprun and then the 3K K-onnection across to the glacier (the 3K is an amazing cable car) or by continuing up to the base station of the Kitzsteinhorn lifts. But only go there on a clear day - in the wind or cloud, skiing at 3,000m is a horrible experience - and be prepared for long queues and a long transit time of around an hour just to reach the slopes from the base station, which requires 3 lifts (and the same for the ride down again).

If you are going to that area there will still be plenty of snow in Zell am See at the end of February, but for better conditions consider the Ski Circus which is 20 mins up the Glemm valley from Zell and includes Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Leogang and Fieberbrunn, which are all on the same lift ticket (which also includes Zell am See). Stay in any of these villages - the pistes are better and more extensive than in Zell, are higher and many are north-facing, so they will be certain to have good snow cover.

People who usually ski in France tend to look at Austria and get worried about the comparatively low altitude of the Austrian resorts, but they don't realise that the Austrian resorts are further inland and are colder at lower altitudes, and are on meadows rather than on high, rocky mountains, so require less snow in order to have good cover.

Thanks so much, really appreciate the info! @Havanananana