Description
St Anton boasts an excellent snowfall record, a beautiful car-free resort centre with traditional Tyrolean architecture and possibly the most famous après-ski scene in the Alps. St Anton is part of the largest interconnected ski area in Austria, with new lifts offering improved connectivity with the Lech side of the Arlberg.
St Anton is perfect for groups seeking vibrant après-ski and nightlife, with a rich selection of bars, restaurants and rowdy venues. The ski terrain, meanwhile, is best for intermediate to expert skiers, with plenty of steep trails, 2 snow parks (1 in St Anton and 1 in Lech) and amazing off-piste potential. When the fresh snow falls, freeriding powder hounds will be in paradise – but please note that a guide is required in certain areas.
That said, the resort also caters to families, with a number of chalets away from the noise of town centre. Arguably the best place for kids is the more tranquil Nasserein area, which has some gentle pistes and excellent family-only properties with in-house childcare and easy slope access.
Of course, with most of the mountain better suited to more seasoned skiers, families with young children and groups of beginners may want to consider resorts like
Obergurgl (wonderful for families) or
Mayrhofen (also great for lively après-ski).
Holidaymakers interested in St Anton can fly from a number of UK airports to Innsbruck, from which the transfer to St Anton is approximately 1.25 hours long. One can also fly from London Gatwick to Friedrichshafen, which is roughly 1.5 hours away from St Anton by road and 1.15 hours by train.
Within the resort itself, it’s quite easy to walk around – in fact, with such pretty traditional architecture, it’s a pleasure. There are also free busses, however they do stop quite early into the evening. After which, there are payable night buses (about €3.50) and taxis (roughly €8-12 for up to 8 people).
Getting There
If you haven’t booked a package where travel is included and organised for you then you will need to think about how you are going to get to and from resort.
Fly
There are five local airports to St Anton
Innsbruck – 100km - 1h30
Friedrichshafen - 1 30km - 1h45
Munich - 250km – 2h45
Zurich – 200km - 2h30
Salzburg – 300km – 3h30
Innsbruck is the most popular airport for St Anton, particularly due to the number of chartered flights. Zurich is popular airport for scheduled flights. Friedrichshafen airport is a new destination for winter charters and low cost flights.
Transfers from the airport
There are several companies who offer transfers to and from the airport. It is recommended to check transfer arrangements before booking flights especially if you want a shared transfer as these are less regular and you don’t want to be waiting around for hours at the airport.
Which transfer company you use will depend on your group size, flight times and budget. Our recommended transfer companies include:
Ski Lifts have been awarded the world’s best ski transfer operator in the world ski awards. They provide private and shared transfers from Innsbruck, Friedrichshafen, Munich, Salzburg and Zurich.
Taxi Matthias Airport Transfers are based in St Anton and offer a 24 hour service.
Taxi Harry provides private transfers from the airports to resort.
Train
Many people will choose to get the train from the airport into St Anton as there is a station in the centre. There are direct trains into the resort from Innsbruck and Zurich. If you are planning on getting the train from Friedrichshafen you will need to change two or three times.
Drive
It is not ideal to drive out to St Anton as it is approximately 14-15hours from the UK. If you do want to drive then it is recommended to take the ferry from the UK to Dunkirk or Calais. The cheapest way is to travel through Luxembourg, Germany – Stuttgart, Ulm – Bregenz – Bludenz – Anton however there can be lots of heavy traffic on this route so a more relaxed route through France – Calais/Dunkirk to Reims – Strasbourg – Stuttgart – Ulm – Bregenz – Bludenz – Anton. The French roads are more expensive due to the tolls which add up to approximately €45 but this extra cost is worth it for the clear stress free drive. To drive on Austrian highways, you will need a Vignette which you can buy at petrol stations near the border and cost approximately €8 for a 10 day pass.
When to Go
The Austrian ski resort of St Anton am Arlberg is one of the country’s prettiest and most charming mountain towns, and the traditional atmosphere here makes this the ideal destination for snow lovers looking for a winter ski holiday.
Christmas and New Year
The town pulls out all the stops to welcome skiers from across the globe, and visitors to the resort over Christmas and New Year can expect enormous festive cheer! Twinkling lights line the high street and adorn the shop windows, and a huge Christmas tree takes pride of place in the heart of the resort. The Christmas market brings local craftspeople from far and wide to sell their wares, and people mill around the town, sipping on hot mulled wine and enjoying the snowy, festive atmosphere.
Of course, there’s one huge advantage of spending Christmas on the snow - no Christmas dinner to cook and no washing up! If you book into a catered ski chalet you’ll have a host to do all the hard work for you, so you won’t have to lift a finger!
January and February
With the popular festive period done and dusted for another year, January typically offers wonderful conditions in St Anton – but with fewer crowds. Regular dumps of fresh snowfall keep the base snow levels topped up, though of course during depths of winter at high altitude in the Alps, strong winds and cold fronts can make conditions challenging. Our advice? Wrap up warm, pack that handy hip flask, and get out there to the snowy slopes!
The entirety of the Arlberg ski area is typically fully open and functioning at full capacity at this point, and St Anton’s famously rapid gondolas and chairlifts offer swift uplift into the slopes above the resort. As night falls, the piste-bashers groom the slopes to maintain the excellent coverage, and the lower temperatures of January and February make for wonderfully fresh and crisp runs each morning.
As February ticks round, eager kids look forward to swapping the classroom for the slopes during the popular half term week. Half Term in St Anton means longer lift queues and busier pistes, but the Arlberg is such a large area, and the lifts generally so swift, that once you’re up the mountain, the crowds disperse. The home runs can get a little congested at the end of the ski day, so as with any resort, caution is advised.
Spring in St Anton
When spring descends in the Alps, conditions change from the sometimes harsh winds of January and February to longer days, sunnier skies, warmer weather and, inevitably, slushier snow. Many of the resort’s pistes are south-facing and St Anton can suffer from snow melt a little more than some other Alpine destinations – but the high altitude and expansive slopes mean conditions are typically perfectly acceptable through to April.
Where to Stay
St Anton’s resort centre is comprised of three area: the Nasserein, the town centre (Dorf), and the Oberdorf.
Nasserein
The Nasserein area is the more peaceful part of the resort. The Nasserein offers good ski access to the snow sure slopes thanks to the eight seater gondola which heads to the top of the Gampen. The Nasserein has more of a village feel with plenty of accommodation; however the area is much quieter with very limited nightlife. It is approximately 8-15 minute walk from town so not too far for those looking to party.
Town Centre (Dorf)
Accommodation in the town centre is comprised of mainly hotels. Staying here means that you are in close proximity to the town and lifts but the ‘shush’ police operate a no noise policy after 10pm.
Oberdorf
Oberdorf is located up the hill to one side of the lifts and pistes. Oberdorf is a short walk from the town centre as well as the Rendle, Galzig and Gampen ski areas. There are plenty of chalets located here, is it approximately 8-15 minutes from town but there is an easy bus access.
Getting around
St Anton is comprised of several different villages which are all connected by a free bus shuttle.
If you are staying in central St Anton then you are able to walk to the lifts however if you are further up the hill then there are shuttle buses available to get you to and from the lifts
There are several buses that provide guests a comfortable connection between Lech, Oberlech, Zug and Zurs free of charge. The yellow buses between St. Anton/St. Christoph and Lech Zurs require payment. There is also a night bust that operates between 730am and 3am.
There are taxis to get you around the resort, we would advise to pre-book and agree on a price in advance.