“Which resort should we book with the kids?” is the question families ask us most, usually in the same message as “and we’d like to ski properly too.” This post answers that question. For everything that comes after it, our guide to planning a ski trip with kids covers flights, packing, accommodation, and everything parents forget until it’s too late.
Most rankings only answer the first half. They put the biggest kids’ park at the top and stop there, which is less useful if you’ve got a five-year-old, an eleven-year-old who’s suddenly faster than you, and a partner who’s waited all year for one good powder day.
So we ranked five Austrian resorts on the six things parents actually ask us about: childcare and ski school, beginner terrain, how walkable the village is, transfer time, cost, and what the kids can do when the lifts close. Prices are 2026/27 rates where the resorts have published them.
A fair warning before you read on. We’re based in St. Anton, and it’s our number one. We know how that looks, so every resort gets a “where it falls short” section, St. Anton included. And if another resort on this list suits your family better, we’ll happily plan that trip instead, because our planning covers every ski resort in Austria.
The quick answer
- Best all-rounder for mixed ages: St. Anton am Arlberg
- Best snow in the school holidays: Obergurgl
- Best for calm, uncrowded luxury: Lech-Zürs
- Best on a budget: Mayrhofen
- Best for under-6s: Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis
How We Ranked These Resorts (Criteria Explained)
- Childcare and ski school. Minimum ages, group sizes, supervised lunches, and whether there’s a warm indoor space for the child who’s had enough by 11am.
- Terrain for beginners. Not just the nursery slope, but what comes next: easy blue runs your children can ski with you by day four.
- Village walkability. Measured in the only unit that matters: how far you can carry two pairs of children’s skis before someone cries. Car-free centres score well.
- Transfer time. From the nearest main airport, usually Innsbruck. After a flight, about 90 minutes in a minibus is the limit for most under-fives.
- Cost. Kids’ lift passes, ski school and family rooms, not headline adult prices.
- Off-slope activities for kids. Pools, ice rinks, toboggan runs and anything that rescues a snowy afternoon. Beyond skiing, Austria offers experiences that make ski vacations in Austria truly epic for the whole family, with paragliding, tobogganing and ice skating included.
We didn’t just add up points. A resort that’s perfect for toddlers but hard work for everyone else shouldn’t beat one that works for the whole family. This ranking is for the families we plan for most often: children aged about 3 to 14, mixed abilities, and at least one parent who wants proper skiing. If that isn’t you, follow the “best for” lines.
1: St. Anton am Arlberg — The Best All-Rounder for Families
St. Anton is known for steep runs and loud après-ski, and it has earned both. What the reputation misses is how well it works with children.
Getting there is easy. St. Anton has its own railway station in the village, on the Railjet line from Zurich and Innsbruck. Innsbruck airport is about an hour by road, and the village centre is car-free. Most of the families we plan for don’t touch a car between arrival and departure.
The ski school setup is excellent. One of St. Anton’s strongest family features is its kids’ ski school: certified instructors, small groups, and a setup that keeps children engaged all day. Skischule Arlberg’s Kinderwelt sits right next to the Galzig and Gampen valley stations in the village, with nine conveyor lifts, a children’s carousel, a kindergarten for the youngest and supervised lunches. There’s a second kids’ area at Nasserein. Groups are split by age (Minis from 4, Juniors 5 to 11, Teens 12 to 17), so brothers and sisters each get a group that suits them.
Lift passes are kind to families. In 2026/27, children born in 2019 or later ski on the €11 Snowman ticket. A 6-day child pass (born 2011 to 2018) costs €276 in peak season, or €226 in early December and April.
Everyone gets their own mountain. Little ones learn in the village, confident kids move on to the blue runs around Gampen, and parents and teenagers have all of Ski Arlberg on the same pass: 305 km of pistes and 88 lifts, with Lech-Zürs included.
Off the slopes, there’s plenty to do. St. Anton also wins on variety: there are plenty of things to do in St. Anton besides skiing that keep kids (and non-skiing grandparents) busy all week. Arlberg WellCom has an indoor pool with a flow channel, children’s slides and a baby pool. The village has an outdoor ice rink, and snowshoe hiking makes an easy half-day for older children. Kids especially love guided night tobogganing, a 4.5 km floodlit run down from Gampen that even the teenagers rate as the highlight of the trip. Children from age 4 can join, at €53 for under-10s.
Where it falls short. Beginner terrain isn’t St. Anton’s strength. Once the children leave the nursery areas, they can explore a mix of easy slopes either at the bottom of the mountain or areas on the mountain that require them to take the ski lifts down. Nervous skiers may need an extra day or two before they’re ready for it. The après-ski is loud until early evening, so if your kids are asleep by 7pm, stay a few streets back from the main road, or in Nasserein or St. Jakob. And St. Anton isn’t cheap.
Best for: families with mixed ages and abilities who want one resort that works for everyone, from the four-year-old in Kinderwelt to the parent who wants a day off-piste.
2: Obergurgl — The Snow-Sure Choice
Obergurgl sits at about 1,900 metres at the head of the Ötztal, one of the highest villages in Austria. Together with Hochgurgl, it has about 110 km of pistes, with lifts climbing past 3,000 metres. The 2026/27 season runs from 19 November 2026 to 18 April 2027.
Where it wins. Snow, first of all. If you’re tied to school holidays, you can’t move your dates when a warm spell arrives, and Obergurgl gives you the best odds of any resort on this list. The village is compact, many hotels are ski-in, ski-out, and the slopes are mostly wide, easy blues and reds, perfect for children who’ve just finished ski school. The local ski school’s Bobo Mini Club takes children from 3 years old in groups of five or six, and the Bobo Beginners Club from 4 years old, with full-day care available.
Where it falls short. There’s less to do off the slopes. You get a 3 km floodlit toboggan run from the Hochgurglbahn middle station (with night sessions on Thursdays), an open-air ice rink, and the Aqua Dome thermal spa in Längenfeld, about half an hour’s drive away. After that, you’re mostly relying on your hotel pool. January can be bitterly cold, the transfer from Innsbruck takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, and strong-skiing parents may have done everything by Thursday.
Best for: families tied to school holidays who want the best chance of good snow, and children ready to move on from the nursery slope.
3: Lech-Zürs — The Luxury Family Pick
Lech is on the Vorarlberg side of the Arlberg and uses the same Ski Arlberg pass as St. Anton, so the €11 Snowman ticket works here too. It’s polished, quiet and expensive, and plenty of families love it for exactly those reasons.
Where it wins. Space on the slopes. Lech-Zürs caps day passes at 14,000, which means short lift queues and quieter pistes, and that’s a real help when you’re following a six-year-old down a blue run. Skischule Lech’s Kinderland takes children from 4½ years old, and up in Oberlech there’s a play group for 2- to 3-year-olds. Oberlech itself is car-free from December to April. The hotels sit right on the slopes, luggage and supplies travel through tunnels underneath, and the kids can walk out of breakfast and onto the snow.
Where it falls short. Cost. Lech is one of the most expensive resorts in the Alps, and budget beds are rare. Oberlech ski school groups meet at the Oberlech cable car, so if you’re staying down in Lech you’ll be riding it with the kids every morning. Evenings are calm, which bores most teenagers. And the transfer is longer: about 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes from Innsbruck, and over 2 hours from Zurich.
Best for: families with a bigger budget who’d trade nightlife for calm, quality, and quiet pistes.
4: Mayrhofen — The Budget-Friendly Option
Mayrhofen, at the head of the Zillertal, is usually the cheapest of these five, and kids’ passes are a big reason why. On the Zillertal Superskipass, children born in 2021 or later ski free with a paying adult. A 6-day pass for children born 2012 to 2020 costs €179.50, and adults pay €399.
Where it wins. Value and variety. There’s a big choice of guesthouses and apartments, Innsbruck is about an hour away, and the pass covers the whole valley, including the Hintertux Glacier for weeks when snow is thin lower down. The Ahorn is the family mountain, with mostly blue runs, morning sun, an indoor play area at the top station, and a fun ride with waves and a tunnel. Kinderland Horberg, at the Horbergbahn valley station, suits 4- to 6-year-olds. Teenagers who ski well will want a go at the Harakiri, one of the steepest groomed runs in Austria.
Where it falls short. Logistics. The village is spread out, the Penkenbahn and Ahornbahn are at opposite ends, and you can’t ski between the Ahorn and the Penken. If one child has lessons on the Ahorn and the other is on the Penken, someone is catching a bus at 3.30pm. Minimum ages differ between ski schools, with some groups starting at 4 or 5 years old, so check before you book a three-year-old. And Mayrhofen’s après-ski is lively, so choose where you sleep with care.
Best for: families on a budget, families with teenagers, and anyone who wants a big ski area without a big bill.
5: Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis — The Dedicated Kids’ Resort
No Austrian resort is built more completely around small children. If we were ranking only for the under-6s, Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis would be first, and we’re happy to say so.
Where it wins. The kids’ facilities are extraordinary. Murmli Park in Serfaus covers 45,000 square metres and has more than 70 trained children’s instructors. Berta’s Kinderland, at the Sonnenbahn middle station above Fiss, has its own three-storey Kindervilla. There’s childcare at the valley stations in Serfaus and Fiss, lessons start at age 3, and the youngest children ski free. Serfaus village is car-free, and the free underground Dorfbahn takes you to the lifts.
Where it falls short. Everyone knows all this. In school holiday weeks it’s packed, and the best family hotels book up a year ahead. Passes for older children aren’t cheap (€52 a day, or €40 with the local guest card). Teenagers and strong-skiing parents can run out of challenges, and some families find the whole place feels a bit like a theme park. Innsbruck is about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes away.
Best for: families with under-6s and no strong skiers. If that’s you, this is your number one.
Side-by-Side Comparison Table
| St. Anton | Obergurgl | Lech-Zürs | Mayrhofen | Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our ranking | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
| Best for | Mixed-age families | Snow-sure school holidays | Calm luxury | Budgets and teenagers | Under-6s |
| Transfer from Innsbruck | approx. 1 h, or train to the village | approx. 1 h 30 m | approx. 1 h 30 m to 1 h 45 m | approx. 1 h | approx. 1 h 15 m to 1 h 30 m |
| Car-free village | Yes (centre) | No, but compact | Oberlech only | No | Yes (Serfaus) |
| Main kids’ areas | Kinderwelt (village), Nasserein | Bobo clubs | Kinderland, Oberlech | Ahorn, Kinderland Horberg | Murmli Park, Berta’s Kinderland |
| Group lessons from | Age 4 (kindergarten younger) | Age 3 | Age 4½ (play group 2 to 3 in Oberlech) | Age 4 or 5, depending on school | Age 3 |
| Youngest skiers’ pass | €11 Snowman (born 2019 or later) | Snow Kids ticket at lift offices | €11 Snowman (born 2019 or later) | Free (born 2021 or later, with paying adult) | Free for the youngest |
| Older children’s pass | €276 for 6 days | Check gurgl.com | €276 for 6 days | €179.50 for 6 days | €52 a day (€40 with guest card) |
| Beginner terrain | Good | Very good | Good | Very good (Ahorn) | Outstanding |
| Off-slope for kids | Excellent | Fair | Good | Good | Very good |
| Overall family cost | €€€ | €€€ | €€€€ | €€ | €€€ |
Serfaus wins the “little kids” rows outright but is only average elsewhere. St. Anton doesn’t top every row, but apart from cost, it has no weak one, and that’s what makes it the best all-rounder.
What About Ski School?
For most families, ski school is where the week is won or lost, and every resort here has good ones. We’ve covered the questions to ask in our guide to what parents need to know before booking kids’ ski school. It’s written for St. Anton, but the checklist works anywhere. Our one piece of advice: for Christmas and February half-term, book ski school before you book flights. The best groups fill months ahead.
Planning the Trip: What to Know Before You Book
Once you’ve chosen the resort, the real work starts. Book school holiday weeks six to nine months ahead, because family rooms and ski school places go first. Flying in from the States? Zurich and Munich often have better connections than Innsbruck, but they add one to two hours to the transfer.
If you’re comparing family ski holiday packages in Austria, check what’s actually included. Ski school, childcare, and transfers are often extras, and with children they’re the parts that matter most.
Family Ski Resorts in Austria: Your Questions Answered
What is the best ski resort in Austria for families?
For families with children of different ages and abilities, we rate St. Anton am Arlberg as the best all-rounder. It has a large kids’ area in the village, an €11 pass for the youngest, a train station in the village, and 305 km of pistes for parents and teenagers. For families with only very young children, Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is the stronger pick.
Which Austrian ski resort is best for toddlers?
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. Murmli Park and Berta’s Kinderland are among the best children’s ski areas in the Alps; lessons start at age 3, and there’s childcare at the valley stations.
Where do kids ski free in Austria?
On the Zillertal Superskipass, which covers Mayrhofen, children born in 2021 or later ski free with a paying adult. The youngest children also ski free at Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. In St. Anton and Lech-Zürs, children born in 2019 or later pay just €11 for the Snowman ticket.
What age can children start ski school in Austria?
Usually between 3 and 4½ years old, depending on the resort. Obergurgl and Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis start at age 3, St. Anton’s Minis group at 4, and Skischule Lech’s Kinderland at 4½. Most resorts also offer kindergarten or play groups for younger children.
Is St. Anton good for children who are beginners?
Yes, while they’re in ski school. Kinderwelt and the Nasserein kids’ area are built for first-timers. The main mountain has a beginner’s area on top, and they need to take the ski lift down, though, so nervous children may need a few extra days before they’re ready for the blue runs.
Let Alpenature Handle the Family Logistics
Picked your resort? Let our family ski holiday planner handle the logistics (accommodation, ski school, childcare and transfers) so you can focus on the kids. Basic Planning costs €100, and we take it off your accommodation booking. Premium Planning, where we handle everything, starts from €500. There are no mark-ups on accommodation, and the first chat on WhatsApp is free.
