Austria has a very well-developed rail network and many of the country´s ski resorts are reachable by train. Check out our favorites.
Austria’s airports are well-connected to major cities and central train stations. Therefore, we have put together a list of excellent ski resorts that are easily reachable by train, including some info on how to get there from the airport. Moreover, many ski resorts offer inexpensive or free transfers to and from the nearest train station by shuttle bus or ski taxi.
Fast and frequent
If you fly to Vienna, you can board a train at the airport railway station and travel directly to, for example, Innsbruck. From Vienna to Innsbruck, trains run 12-14 times daily and can take as little as 4 hours and 14 minutes. On routes such as Vienna – Linz – Salzburg, the trains run at speeds of over 200 km/h (125 mph), making travel times short. Express trains have good luggage facilities, including skiis and WiFi, for you to check the piste conditions.
Mayrhofen (Tyrol)
Mayrhofen-Hippach ski resort is located in Zillertal, Tyrol, just 66 kilometers from Innsbruck. Mayrhofen is a high mountain resort with wide-open slopes. It is famous for its insanely steep Harakiri piste (78% gradient) and its large snowpark. Its large network of pistes caters to all abilities and ambitions, including families, beginners, and experts, and extends up to 2,500 m.
For more info: Mayrhofen-Hippach Tourism
How to get there:
The nearest airport is Innsbruck Airport. Bus route F runs between Innsbruck central station and the airport. The journey takes about 20 minutes. From Innsbruck, you go by train to Jenbach (25 minutes) and change to a local train on the Zillertalbahn. From here, it takes you about 1 hour to Mayrhofen in Zillertal. The train station is right in the village, only 200 meters away from the ski lifts.
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Snow much fun in Zillertal
The first stop on my winter tour through Austria by train was Zillertal, Tyrol. After a few days in wonderful Vienna, I was looking forward to hitting the slopes. Late February the winter had taken a firm hold on the Austrian Alps and there was snow in abundance. Chilly but great fun The skiing conditions […]
Seefeld (Tyrol)
Around Seefeld, you find 256 kilometers of cross-country trails. Although Seefeld is primarily a Nordic ski resort, you will find a couple of alpine slopes in the area. On the eastern side of the town, you find the Rosshütte ski area, which offers 20 kilometres of slopes. Moreover, anyone can go up to Rosshütte by the funicular train to enjoy the fabulous views.
For more info, see: Seefeld Tourism
How to get there:
The nearest airport is Innsbruck Airport. Bus route F runs between Innsbruck central station and the airport. The journey takes about 20 minutes. There are trains to Seefeld every half hour, and the mountain trip takes only 36 minutes.
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What a change from when my college Arnold was here in the summer of 2017 (see the article Family fun in Seefeld). One of the snowiest winters in Austria in a long time had laid a thick white blanket, not just over Seefeld, but over the entire Tyrol. It did not take long from getting […]
St. Anton am Arlberg (Tyrol)
St. Anton am Arlberg in Tyrol is the perfect place for hardcore skiers! Guaranteed snow and excellent slope conditions characterize Austria’s largest connected ski area. Ski Arlberg, with the towns of St. Anton am Arlberg, St. Christoph, Stuben, Lech, Zürs, Warth, and Schröcken, consists of 305 kilometres of marked runs and 200 kilometres of open terrain. You can choose from 88 modern cable cars and lifts. St. Anton am Arlberg has made its mark on the ski circuit for its after-ski venues. Infamous after-ski bars Mooserwirt and Krazy Kanguruh have given many a skier a rough start on the slopes the next day.
For more info: Ski Arlberg
How to get there:
The nearest airport is Innsbruck Airport. Bus route F runs between Innsbruck central station and the airport. The journey takes about 20 minutes. From Innsbruck, frequent trains take between 1 and 2 hours to St. Anton, depending if you hop on board a local or express train.
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Arriving at the cable car valley station the first day to plan my runs was demanding. I could choose between a whopping 88 cable cars and lifts to take me to more than 300 km of prepared slopes and 200 km’s off-piste runs. For beginners or first-time visitors, it can be a bit overwhelming. Choosing […]
Bad Hofgastein / Bad Gastein (SalzburgerLand)
The two villages Bad Hofgastein and Badgastein are 9 kilometers apart, but their ski areas are linked to each other. The Gastein Valley in SalzburgerLand has a more continental climate than further to the west. Winters are colder than at comparable altitudes, which provides a better guarantee of snow and more favourable conditions for dry snow. The ski buses work excellently, and it is easy to get between the area’s five ski resorts: Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein, Dorfgastein, Sportgastein, and Graukogel.
For more info: Gasteinertal Tourismus
How to get there:
Bad Hofgastein is on the mainline between Salzburg and Klagenfurt. From Salzburg’s central train station, the trip takes 1 hour 17 minutes to Bad Hofgastein and another 12 minutes to Bad Gastein. The nearest airport is W.A. Mozart Salzburg Airport (SZG). Public buses 2 & 10 run regularly between Salzburg Airport, the central train station in Salzburg, and the city centre. The trip takes between 15 and 23 minutes.
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Schladming (Styria)
Schladming is located in western Styria at the foot of the glacial Dachsteingebirge (Dachstein Mountains). From Schladming village, you have access to 10 different ski resorts, and the Planai is directly accessible from the centre of the village. The slopes spread across four linked peaks, and you can also carry on after the sun goes down thanks to the floodlit night-skiing slope. A beautiful medieval town that dates back to 1322 and has, in addition to parts of the city wall intact, several lovely historic buildings.
For more info: Schladming-Dachstein Tourism
How to get there:
The nearest airport is W.A. Mozart Salzburg Airport (SZG). Public buses 2 & 10 run regularly between Salzburg Airport, the central train station in Salzburg, and the city centre. The trip takes between 15 and 23 minutes. In addition, from Salzburg Main Station, there are direct train services to Schladming that take 1 hour 36 minutes.
Hinterstoder (Upper Austria)
Winter sports enthusiasts can expect ski paradise for the entire family and a real pleasure hotspot in Hinterstoder. You can look forward to 40 kilometres of varied slopes up to 2,000 meters above sea level. To cosy restaurants and rustic huts, where you can end your winter evenings comfortably. The lovely little village with about 600 inhabitants offers a wide range of accommodations and restaurants. Hinterstoder regularly arranges FIS World Cup alpine skiing races.
For more info: skisport.com
How to get there:
The nearest airport is Blue Danube Airport Linz which is only about 1 hour away by train. From the airport, you can travel to the city centre of Linz by bus or train. A free shuttle bus to and from the airport awaits all passengers (with valid plane tickets) travelling to Linz Airport by train at Hörsching train station. In Linz, you pick up the train to Hinterstoder train station. From here, it takes about 15-20 minutes to Hinterstoder village.
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Snow much fun in Zillertal
The first stop on my winter tour through Austria by train was Zillertal, Tyrol. After a few days in wonderful Vienna, I was looking forward to hitting the slopes. Late February the winter had taken a firm hold on the Austrian Alps and there was snow in abundance. Chilly but great fun The skiing conditions […]
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Tirol is probably what first comes into most people’s minds when thinking of skiing in Austria. However, the fact is that all the states, except Burgenland in the far east, have ski resorts. Not a surprise, as the Alps, dominate the Austrian landscape. Factors that also make Austria a true winter sports paradise are the […]
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The day before I arrived, 30 cm of fresh snow had wrapped the Kleinwalsertal in a beautiful white winter blanket. Not only that, the sun shone from a bright blue sky that also offered a comfortable 5-6 degrees Celcius, even in January. Most people know what Austria stands for when it comes to alpine skiing. […]
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We were a group of 10 people that had signed for a 2-hour guided snowshoe hike. Half the group were beginners with no prior snowshoeing experience. Nevertheless, we were in for a real treat. Up and about Those who didn’t have snowshoes were fitted with the necessary equipment in the local sports shop. We picked […]