The west of Austria woke on Thursday 23rd October to find that winter had arrived overnight, with torrential rain in low-lying areas, heavy snow higher up and disruption throughout Salzburg, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Upper Austria and Styria. Although the weather had been forecast, it seemed that few had prepared, and many motorists were caught with summer tyres still on their cars.

Flooding and avalanches

Both Salzburg and Upper Austria were hit by flooding, and the fire departments had their work cut out pumping out cellars, garages and underpasses.According to reports, 200 firefighters were deployed in Bad Ischgl alone, and 260 in Salzburg.

The mountains, of course, were hit by snowfall rather than rain, and many trees were brought down in Salzburg, Tirol and Voralberg, blocking mountain roads and passes and cutting off many communities. Snow was particularly heavy between 800 and 1100 metres, causing risks of avalanches, but it was also falling heavily at a lower level in Voralberg, particularly the Arlberg area, the Bregenz Forest, the Great Walsertal and Kleinwalsertal. Silvretta measured 80 cm of snowfall.

Road and rail chaos

Main roads were disrupted, too, including the Tauern motorway (A10) and the Faschinastrasse (L88). Quite apart from the snow itself, vehicles trying to get through with summer tyres became stuck, causing further blockages. The approaches to both the Tauern and Katschberg Tunnels were closed all morning before the jams could be cleared.

The railway line over the Arlberg in Tirol was blocked by fallen trees, and 300 metres of overhead lines were brought down between Bludenz and Landeck. The weather also caused power failures in Tirol, with up to 4300 homes without power at one stage.

A boost for winter sports

It wasn’t all gloom, though. In Styria, the snowfall brought the perfect start to the winter season in Ramsau am Dachstein and Schladming Planai. Many winter sports enthusiasts, including the Austrian biathlon and cross-country ski teams, took advantage of the thick virgin snow to start their training. By the time the season opened on the Planai on Saturday, a metre had been added to the snow.

Thursday morning was chaos in western Austria, but by the end of the day things were getting back to normal. With the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) forecasting more settled weather to follow, Austria can make the transition to winter in a more ordered fashion.

So you want a European skiing holiday — which country is the best choice? Switzerland is expensive, while Italy’s winter sports industry is a little less developed than its Alpine neighbours. So we’re left with Austria (especially the Tirol) and France (especially Savoie). How do they compare?

Access from the airports

Starting with how easy it is to get to the resorts and comparing those accessed from Innsbruck and from Geneva, Austria scores an immediate advantage. None of the major Savoie resorts is less than a two-hour journey, with many nearly three hours. By contrast, the furthest from Innsbruck is Kitzbühel at an hour and 15 minutes, while Kühtai is a mere 35 minutes away.

Resort height & length of season

Savoie has the edge on height, with Val Thorens at 2300m the highest in either region, though in Austria Hochgurgl and Kühtai are almost as high. However, the Tirolean resorts generally have longer seasons, with Hintertux open all year round. In fact, skiing is possible at some even out of season. Sölden is officially closed during June, July and August, but the powder snow on the glacier is often good enough for skiing in July. Skiing under blue summer skies can be an amazing experience.

Glaciers & ski lifts

Austria and France each have eight resorts with ski lifts over 3000m. However, in only two of the French resorts (Les Deux Alpes and Tignes) do these take you onto a glacier, while all but one of the Austrian resorts have glaciers.

Snow Parks

The ski slopes aren’t the only draw of Alpine resorts. Visitors wishing to enjoy the fresh air and breathtaking scenery of the mountains have 83 snow parks to choose from in Austria, compared with only 50 in France. The top five voted snow parks in the world are all in North America, but these are followed by Mayrhofen and Nordpark, both in the Tirol, with the top 10 completed by parks in New Zealand, Italy and Switzerland. None of the French snow parks figure at all.

Olympic Sports

Most Winter Olympic sports are available in both countries, though France doesn’t offer either ski-jumping or curling. Austria in general has a far more illustrious history in the Winter Olympics, having won almost twice as many medals as France. Certainly, as far as ski teams are concerned, the Austrians’ main rivalry is with the Swiss — the French team isn’t considered a big threat.

Prices

In general, most things are cheaper in Austria than in France, from mobile phone rates to a Big Mac. This is certainly true for the price of beer, with the far superior Austrian beers, such as Stiegl and Starkenberger, costing half the price. They tend not to give you hangovers, either — as long as you stay off the schnapps.

Add to this that 73% of Austrians speak English, compared with only 39% of French, and it’s clear that, while France scores in one or two respects, Austria offers a far better experience overall. Whether you’re just looking for a the holiday of a lifetime or for ski property for sale in Austria, the Tirolean resorts like Sölden and Kühtai are clearly the best in the Alps.