The best apres ski resort in Austria is St Anton, home of the legendary slope side bars where ski boots hit the tables by mid afternoon. Ischgl and Saalbach follow, one for big name concerts and a hard partying crowd, the other for the longest, most relaxed apres circuit in the country. Below we rank the Austrian resorts that do apres ski best, including a budget pick that punches well above its price.
What matters
What actually makes apres ski great
Great apres ski is about more than a loud bar. The resorts that lead pair famous slope side venues that kick off in the afternoon with an easy roll back into town, a critical mass of people up for it, and enough hotels and bars to keep the night going. Austria does this better than anywhere, with a culture built around it.
We weight the strength of the headline slope side bars, the depth of the wider night scene, and how easy it is to get home safely afterward. A single famous bar is not enough if the town empties at six.
Be honest with yourself about the trade off. The biggest party resorts are loud, busy and not ideal for young families or anyone wanting an early night, so we flag who should skip each one. We also name a value pick so a big apres week does not have to break the budget, with most trips landing in the $2,000 to $4,000 per person band.
Skiers relaxing on a sunny apres ski mountain terraceSkiing the Arlberg slopes above St Anton in AustriaSnowy slopes above Ischgl in AustriaAustrian alpine ski village under fresh snow
The ranking
Our apres ski picks for Austria
Ranked on what makes the party: the headline slope side bars, the depth of the night scene, the crowd, and how easily you get home afterward.
The undisputed apres ski capital of the Alps, loud, legendary and relentless.
St Anton sets the standard. The slope side bars on the way down to town are the stuff of legend, the crowd is committed, and the party runs from mid afternoon straight through the night across the whole village. It pairs all of that with seriously good skiing for when you recover.
It is busy, boisterous and not for light sleepers or young families. For the full, unfiltered Austrian apres experience, nothing beats it.
The glossy party giant, with big name concerts and a hard charging nightlife.
Ischgl is apres on a grand scale. It is famous for huge season opening and closing concerts from global headline acts, a glossy club and bar scene, and a high, snow sure ski area to fuel it all. The crowd skews international and ready to spend.
It is pricier and flashier than St Anton and even louder at peak, so it is the wrong call for families or quiet seekers. For a big, polished party it is the standout.
The longest, most relaxed apres circuit, with bars all the way down the hill.
Saalbach offers the most complete apres circuit in Austria. Bar after bar lines the runs back into the linked villages, so the party builds naturally as you ski home, and the atmosphere is friendly rather than purely hardcore.
It is a little less intense than St Anton and Ischgl, which many people prefer, with enough gentle skiing to suit mixed groups. A brilliant all round apres base.
A young, lively Zillertal town with a big spring party reputation.
Mayrhofen is the Zillertal party favorite, with a buzzing town scene, well known bars and a famous spring music festival that draws a young, energetic crowd. The town stays lively into the night, not just on the mountain.
The skiing is good rather than vast and the atmosphere is youthful, so it suits groups of friends more than families. For a spirited week with a festival edge it is a top pick.
A high, snow sure resort where the bars sit right on the slopes.
Obertauern is the snow sure party pick. It is high enough to have reliable snow all season, the layout is a circular ski route with bars dotted around it, and the apres kicks off slope side before rolling into the compact village.
It is smaller and less famous abroad than St Anton, which keeps it a touch more relaxed, but the snow security and easy slope side scene make it a dependable choice.
A high, electric resort with big bars and a glacier backed party.
Solden brings a glamorous, high energy scene to a snow sure glacier resort. The big bars, the late nights and the steady stream of events give it a real buzz, and the altitude means the skiing holds up well into spring.
It is spread out and the party can feel more clubby than the classic slope side singalong, so it suits a livelier, older crowd. A strong pick for snow sure spring partying.
Glamorous apres in a beautiful medieval town, livelier around the big race.
Kitzbuhel pairs a gorgeous medieval town with a stylish bar and club scene that goes up several gears around the famous downhill race in January. The apres here is more about smart bars and people watching than ski boots on tables.
The lower altitude means snow can be patchy in warm spells, but the town atmosphere carries it. A pick for a more glamorous, grown up apres week.
The budget contrarian, a cheerful SkiWelt town with friendly, affordable apres.
Soll is the value play and the reason this list is not only the famous names. Part of the huge, gentle SkiWelt, it has a long held reputation for cheerful, affordable apres in a friendly Tyrolean village, without the premium prices of the Arlberg.
The skiing is gentle and the altitude is low, so favor midwinter for snow, but for a fun apres week on a sensible budget it is genuinely hard to beat. Our pick for value partygoers.
However big the nights, the days still cost money, and the lift passes, ski hire and airport transfers are where an apres week quietly leaks cash. Booking these ahead almost always beats the resort window price and leaves more for the bars.
Book the extras and save
Lessons, lift passes, airport transfers and ski hire are where a ski trip quietly leaks money. Booking ahead almost always beats the resort window price.
St Anton is the clear number one, the apres ski capital of the Alps, with legendary slope side bars and a party that runs from mid afternoon into the night. Ischgl and Saalbach follow, one for big concerts and clubs, the other for the longest and most relaxed apres circuit.
Which Austrian resort has the best apres on a budget?
Soll in the SkiWelt is the value pick, with cheerful, affordable apres in a friendly Tyrolean village and far lower prices than the Arlberg resorts. The skiing is gentle and low, so favor midwinter for the best snow.
Is St Anton or Ischgl better for apres ski?
St Anton has the more traditional slope side party with ski boots on tables, while Ischgl is glossier, with big name concerts and a club scene. Choose St Anton for the classic experience and Ischgl for a bigger, flashier night out.
Are Austrian apres ski resorts suitable for families?
The biggest party resorts like St Anton, Ischgl and Solden are loud and busy and not ideal for young families. Families wanting a livelier town without the hard partying are better served by Saalbach or quieter SkiWelt villages, or by dedicated family resorts.
When does apres ski start in Austria?
Apres ski typically kicks off in the early to mid afternoon as people ski their last runs, with slope side bars busy from around three. The party then rolls into town and can run late into the night, especially at St Anton, Ischgl and Mayrhofen.
How much does an apres ski trip to Austria cost?
A week at a lively Austrian resort usually lands in the $2,000 to $4,000 per person band including accommodation, with budget picks like Soll possible under $2,000 and premium party resorts like Ischgl higher. Drinks and nightlife are extra, so set a nightly budget.
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