Compare ski deals to Austria

This landlocked state in Central Europe has magnificent alpine scenery, fairytale castles galore, river-speckled lowlands and outdoor thrills to satisfy everyone from hikers to hang-gliders.

It’s also one of Europe’s winter sports capitals. This is particularly true for skiing and snowboarding holidays, with a glut of great ski resorts awaiting – including some of the cheapest Alpine resorts going. Everything from lift passes and instruction to dining and pints generally costs less than in France or Switzerland.

A gateway to the Arlberg region, St Anton is supposedly where Alpine skiing was invented, as chronicled in the Museum St. Anton am Arlberg which is housed in a handsome chalet.

A vast network of trails is available via multi-passes, and lifts and terrains are slick and well-maintained. In all, there are 340km (210 miles) of pistes, plus some 200km (125 miles) of off-piste thrills.

Much more old-fashioned (and as pretty as ski resorts come), Kitzbuhel’s low altitude means that visitors come here more for glamour than for challenging ski or snowboard runs – although there is the Hahnenkamm, a fearsome World Cup downhill. Once a silver mining centre, Kitzbuhel now contains marvellous frescoes alongside plenty of slopes and networks.

Then there’s Mayrhofen, with its Vans Penken terrain park which has ski sectors for children, intermediates, advanced and pro riders. It’s also home to the sheer “Harakiri”, a vertical drop of 375m of groomed slope – once at the top, you’ll understand why it’s nicknamed Harakiri, after the Japanese term for ritual suicide. Meanwhile, the après scene is buzzing and packed with options.

Close to Innsbruck airport is the Ötz valley, home to the lower-key, family-friendly Obergurgl and Sölden, the latter of which you might recognise from the James Bond film, Spectre.

Something of an indie pick despite this mainstream moment, Sölden’s three mountains, 32 lifts and 145km (90 miles) of mostly intermediate pistes rank alongside the well-known ski resorts of Austria.

Warth-Schrőcken in the Bregenzerwald is another gem; this area averages twice as much snow as St Anton, and three times more than Chamonix. A single lift pass covers all the Bregenzerwald areas between Warth and Lech, and you can also find several ski-in, ski-out hotels. There’s also party-happy Ischgl and Austria’s cheapest ski resort options such as Söll and Alpbach.

Consider combining your Austrian ski/snowboard holiday with a city stop. Bequeathed a frenzy of sublime palaces by its former Habsburg Empire rulers, Vienna is as stately as capitals come. Equally important is the scrumptious coffee and cake, supped in magnificently ornate cafés.

You might also visit absurdly picturesque Salzburg, the setting for The Sound of Music where you can still tour the original shooting locations. Mozart was born here too, and you can visit his house. Innsbruck has similar Baroque elegance, and ski slopes are within 20 minutes from the city centre via public transport.

The season runs from December to April, but travel in March for the freshest powder and best conditions. Hotels are cheapest on weekdays and outside of the Christmas, February half-term and Easter holidays.

Note that flights to Salzburg and Vienna will be expensive in December due to the presence of famous Christmas markets. The hopelessly romantic Vienna is also expensive around Valentine’s Day.