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.
