Cheapest Austrian Ski Resorts

When it comes to low cost ski holidays, it can be tricky working out which are resorts are cheap, and which, are not so much. Of course, some destinations like Aspen and St Moritz are famously expensive, but most of the others are harder to categorise when you are trying to decide where to get on the slopes.  

Austrian destinations tend to “keep it real” when it comes to prices for getting on the slopes. The country may not have many cheap ski resorts per se, but prices do tend to be a little lower for most elements of your ski holiday across the board compared to France or Switzerland. Poor quality isn’t tolerated either so whatever you purchase – your accommodation, a meal out, your lift pass, should all feel like good value for the price paid here. 

Typically Lower Prices For Families 

With the lift pass price making up a considerable chunk of a total ski holiday price it’s worth noting that Austrian pass prices tend to come in 10-20% less than those of France or Switzerland (although it is very variable between regions across the Alps). 

Families, in particular, searching out the best ski deals overall should consider that Austrian resorts tend to offer free skiing to children up to an older age (5-6).  French resorts, on the other hand, tend to make children start paying from age 4 or 5.  

Similarly, the discounts on the adult pass cost tend to be greater for children of all ages and right through teenage years in Austria. French resorts often charge kids a high percentage of the adult price to age 12, then the full adult price to teens. For a family of four or more, this can make a considerable difference in working out an overall low-cost ski holiday price. 

Schladming 

One of Austria’s leading resorts, Schladming, is certainly one of the more inexpensive, with comparatively low-cost ski pass for the extensive, world-class terrain you're accessing. Its position down in the south of the country close to the Italian border and its large year-round population also seems to have a dampening effect on prices in restaurants and bars as well as for ski schools and rentals - compared to the alpine average for a resort of Schladming's status.

Innsbruck 

Innsbruck is a fascinating option when it comes to low-cost ski holidays. The capital city of Tirol is of course easy to reach with its own airport, but accommodation is very inexpensive for the quality compared to other ski resorts, or indeed cities. The reason is that unusually for a ski area, Innsbruck gets much more business in summer than winter so accommodation providers cut prices to attract visitors in winter.

This being a city where skiing is only a small part of the economy and with a large student population, there are plenty of inexpensive dining and après ski options. The lift pass is a great deal as well. Already low priced, it provides access to 13 ski areas around the city, including transport to them and as a bonus includes access to attractions, tours and even swimming pools as well.

Kitzbuhel 

For one of the world’s most famous resorts, it’s possible to have a surprisingly low-cost ski holiday in Kitzbuhel. Part of the reason, perhaps, is that the town is a year-round destination of some size compared to many resorts. It also has other small towns nearby, so the competition between shops, restaurants and bars is quite intense, with many wanting to attract locals as much as tourists, so that seems to have a dampening effect on prices in resort.

There are though, of course, plenty of pricy places to eat and shop mixed in with the inexpensive options if you want to splash out once or twice during your stay, but they’re easy to avoid if not.

Mayrhofen 

Mayrhofen is another ski resort that benefits from being one of Austria's bigger resorts with a year-round clientele. Even though it perhaps has a slightly higher reliance on tourist spend than Kitzbuhel of Schladming, there is a lot of internal competition between businesses in the village, and between villages in the wider Ziller Valley, which helps to push the need for low-cost ski deals to remain competitive, pushing down prices.