Guide: France Vs. Austria for a Snowboarding / Skiing holiday this winter
The ski and snowboarding season is nearly upon us and the ski slopes are starting to gather a lot of snow. Nearly time to get the salopettes, goggles and gloves out – but it's certainly time to start researching travel options to make sure you get a quality ski holiday booked, at the right price, in the perfect resort for a memorable winter party. When picking a ski resort for a group or family holiday, there are hundreds of wonderful resorts which feature much more than just plain old snowboarding or skiing!
A large number of resorts have great amenities way beyond skiing and boarding. Some resorts have music festivals, clubs to die-for, Olympic standard ski runs, heli-skiing, amazing mountain ranges for climbing, sports centres, natural hiking trails, indoor golf and tennis as well as traditional sleigh rides for the children and teenagers (and to be fair, who can resist having their photo taken on a sled led by reindeers? Not us!).
Top of the pops for party people: Ski holidays in Austria
The pristine peaks of Austria are home to many luxury and high class resorts such as Ellmau, Lech, Saalbach, and the legendary ski resort of St Anton, Austria is the second most popular setting for European ski holidaymakers. With huge ski areas, mountain ranges and exquisite glaciers, Austrian ski resorts have something for everyone. Alpine villages, fantastic après ski and kilometre after kilometre of pine-lined runs await your arrival at the Austrian ski resort of your choice. With some ski-resorts nestled at dizzy heights of 3, 000 metres, Austrian resorts such as Solden, Solden Glacier and Hochgurgl are a few of the most snow sure resorts in the EU - regardless of the season.
Party people and music fans can enjoy Mayrhofen's week long Snowbombing festival - which is similar to Scotland’s T in the Park music festival, but on snow! The snow-festival has massive international acts performing annually, including FatBoy Slim, Sub Focus, 2 Many DJ's to name but a handful. PARTY ON!
Austria is a marvellous late ski destination and is the next most common country in Europe for Uk skiers after France. Austria is distinguished for its charming resorts and exceptional grades of service and excellence. A ski holiday in Austria will offer world-class skiing and a energetic après ski, making it a superb choice for your next ski trip.
Why France is #1 European Snowboarding Destination year after year
When it comes to European ski holidaymakers, flight-time and transfers are a huge factor. Therefore, France is the hottest-selling ski spot year after year. The most popular ski areas in France are the 3 Valleys which includes Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens and L'Espace Killy which joins Tignes and Val D'Isere. Additional outstanding ski regions in France are the Portes du Soleil, the newly created Paradiski Area which connects La Plagne and Les Arcsi with the Espace San Bernardo – certainly an area teeming with luxury ski accommodation.
A quick check on the ski offers on virtually any last minute ski web-site illustrates that France has the biggest variety and volume of resorts and accommodation compared to other ski resorts in Europe.
There are many arrival points for various regions in the Alps, such as Lyon, Grenoble and Geneva which is perfectly placed for an excellent range of high class & less expensive resorts in France. Top resorts en France include Alpe d'Huez, Avoriaz, breathtakingly beautiful Chamonix, La Tania, Meribel and the party destination for skiers- Val d'Isere.
What's your favourite European skiing-escape and for what reason? Are you ecstatic by the idea of French cuisine and hospitality, or lured by the idyllic Austrian resorts which could easily adorn any seasonal postcard?
Whichever country you decide on, you can be sure that going to either country will result in a top-class ski holiday break - as year on year, huge booking volumes to these countries testify!
