How to plan an Austria family holiday in winter (Tyrol region)

Last updated on February 11, 2025

I booked our trip to Austria on a whim – found cheap flights to Innsbruck and booked them spontaneously. It was only after that I realised peak season in Austria is pretty expensive and booking last minute means availability is seriously low. But I rose to the challenge and we managed to have a 3-day holiday that didn’t break the bank, and ended up being one of the best European holidays we’ve ever had. It’s a proper bucket list family trip.

So here’s my post on how we did it, including money saving tips and guides to how to plan a family holiday in Austria, and specifically the region of Tyrol. Be sure to look at our Instagram too where I’ve saved all our stories to a highlight, and you can see some pretty amazing drone footage of the hotels.

And don’t miss our guides to the best family hotels in Austria, and fun family attractions in Innsbruck and Tyrol

What kind of Austria holiday did we want? Family ski trip? City break?

Our main aim in going to Austria was to experience winter in the snowy Alps. We wanted epic mountain scenery, snow for the kids to play in, and I was desperate to stay in one of the stylish and cosy hotels I’d been lusting over on Instagram. Highest on my wish list for a hotel was an indoor-outdoor pool (and yes, I did find one – two in fact!).

We toyed with the idea of making it a full ski holiday and spending the whole time in one ski resort and taking lessons every day. But in the end, we decided that was too risky seeing as Steve is the only one who has skied before, and we didn’t know if the kids and I would enjoy it.

So we opted for a ‘snow holiday’ paired with a city break. We had some time in Innsbruck, but we also went outside of the city to the ski areas and countryside covered in snow. We went tobogganing, we tried skiing and we soaked up the cosiness of Austria in winter. Here’s how we did it…

What’s Innsbruck and Tyrol like?

Victoria and kids in Innsbruck, Austria.

I’ve always wanted to go to Innsbruck, ever since I first saw the pastel-hued, fairytale main street backed by towering mountains. It’s one of the most stunning city locations I’ve ever seen. While it has a lively cultural scene, historic landmarks, and excellent dining, it’s compact enough to explore comfortably on foot or by bike. Its size is part of its charm—big enough to keep you entertained but small enough to feel intimate and welcoming.

Innsbruck is the capital of Tyrol, and informally known as the “Capital of the Alps”. It’s a gateway to the surrounding Tyrolean mountains and traditional alpine villages where valleys, lakes and meadows make for ideal summer and winter escapes.

What to consider when choosing where to stay in Austria’s Tyrol region

The question that riddled me was where to go in the Tyrol region for an ideal family escape? I felt a bit mind-boggled by all the regions and what they offer, so here are some things to bear in mind…

Could you happily stay in Innsbruck and do day trips from there? This will suit you if you want a central location and are mainly looking for city vibes, especially at night. If you want a more immersive nature experience, head outside the city.
Decide if you want skiing to be a focus on your trip. If so, try to stay in one of the ski areas, ideally close to the ski lift or wherever people ski. Many hotels offer shuttles to the local ski lift. Also, consider what type of ski area it is and what level it’s for. Is there a ski school/lessons for kids, or is it for more advanced skiers who can be left to their own devices? Many have specific kids’ areas/snowy playgrounds. And we also recommend finding ski resorts with conveyor belts (aka ‘magic carpets’ that take kids up the slopes without having to use classic ski lifts. Some resorts even have snowmaking facilities in case there isn’t enough natural snow.
Think about your priorities for your trip and ideally try to stay in an area that is easily accessible for them. For example, we really wanted to toboggan, so our first hotel was within walking distance of a great toboggan run. On the other hand, our other hotel was 30 minutes’ away from one, but it was super close to an ice skating lake. If you’re travelling with kids, having most of what you want within walking distance makes for a much easier trip.

The best areas for families in Tyrol, Austria

When it comes to choosing where to base yourself in Tyrol, there are two main options: Innsbruck or one of the ski areas. There are some options on the outskirts of the ski areas that are cheaper, but then you have to consider how you’ll get to all the snowy activities each day. I would definitely recommend a ski area or Innsbruck.

The Tyrol website has a full list of every ski resort in the region, including their facilities and difficulty level. But here’s a quick guide to some of the most popular ski areas in Tyrol and why they’re good for families.

Seefeld in Tirol

Seefeld is a picture-perfect alpine village that caters beautifully to families. Known for its extensive network of cross-country skiing trails and family-friendly ski areas, it has plenty of beginner-friendly options for children and parents alike. There are two main ski areas – Gschwandtkopf and Rosshütte – and you can get a ski pass that allows access to both.

We did a family ski lesson with Sport Activ at Gschwandtkopf, which was a fantastic introduction to the sport (thanks to the lovely Nadja for her patience with us!). They have a ‘magic carpet’ conveyor belt on the nursery slope, so you don’t have to climb back up every time – plus, the kids loved the novelty of it.

Beyond skiing, Seefeld has a cute village centre with cosy cafes and shops, as well as fun winter activities like ice skating, tobogganing, and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Stay near the ski areas for easy access to the lifts, but even most hotels a bit further out offer transfers to the ski lifts.

We loved it so much there, we’re thinking of going back next year. It’s about 25 minutes by car or a short train ride from Innsbruck.

Achensee

Known as the “Fjord of the Alps,” Achensee is Tyrol’s largest lake, surrounded by majestic mountains. I was bowled over by its beauty, especially from the top of the ski gondola, where you get panoramic views. While it’s not a traditional ski destination, there are several excellent ski areas around the lake that are ideal for beginners and younger skiers, with options for more advanced skiers too.

We stayed in Pertisau, in walking distance of the Karwendal ski area and its gondola and toboggan runs. Christlum and Rofan are also good for beginners and younger skiers, all with ski schools, kids’ lands, conveyor belts and gentle slopes, and the option to stay close to the ski lifts. We loved Pertisau and would definitely return.

Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau

The Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau ski area was formed when the two areas joined forces and made a huge winter sports arena. It has over 100km of ski runs and caters to skiers of all abilities, but its beginner-friendly areas and excellent ski schools make it especially appealing for families. It’s made up of several different areas, many with kid-friendly slopes and ski schools. This list tells you all the kid-friendly slopes in Alpbachtal Wildschönau.

The JUPPI-DO children’s area at the bottom station of the Reitherkogelbahn is especially good for little kids with a conveyor belt, obstacle course and ski toys. Making learning to ski extra fun.

Off the slopes, there are sledging runs, winter hiking trails, and torchlit walks, snowshoe trails, and illuminated slopes for evening ski and toboggan experiences.

It’s around a 50-minute drive from Innsbruck. It’s a fairly large area, so make sure your accommodation is close or has easy access to your desired ski area.

Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis

This trio of villages – Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis – is one of the most popular areas for family-friendly skiing in Tyrol. The majority of the ski slopes are for beginners and intermediate level, but there are some for more experienced skiers too.

The Kinderschneealm in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis and Bertas Kinderland in Fiss are ideal for beginner kids, for both learning to ski and simply playing in the snow. And they also have themed trails for more confident child skiers.

Beyond skiing, the villages have tobogganing, ice skating, snow hikes and more.

Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is about 1.5 hours from Innsbruck by car. Stay in any of the three villages, with Serfaus offering the most extensive lift connections and facilities for children. Many accommodations here are ski-in/ski-out, meaning maximum convenience for families.

The Ötztal

We stayed for one night in the Ötztal region but didn’t have time to visit the ski area. It’s a large region with six ski areas to choose from. While some are renowned for their advanced slopes, all have some facilities for families. However, the most popular for beginner families is the duel Hochoetz-Kühtai area, especially in Kühtai.

SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental

SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental is one of Austria’s largest ski areas with 284km of pistes over nine resorts. It has slopes for all abilities, but Ellmau is the most popular area for families with gentle slopes and excellent ski schools, making it ideal for children and novice skiers.

The area also has non-ski activities like winter hiking, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and night tobogganing runs.

Where to stay in Tyrol with kids

Austria has some of the most gorgeous family-friendly accommodations in Europe. They are masters of the family hotel (their brand of Kinderhotel is world famous), and even normal hotels in Austria often have exceptional family-friendly facilities.

We’ve written a full guide to the best places to stay in Austrian Tyrol with kids. And I’ve also written a post about why I don’t always choose family hotels, instead going for family-friendly options.

If you’re super keen to jump to exactly where we stayed: see my guide to Wagner’s Aparthotel and FeelFree Nature Resort.

And we also did a Home Exchange for our night in Innsbruck. See our guide to Home Exchange here, including a special offer where you can get some points for free by using our code.

Best things to do with kids in Innsbruck and Tyrol in winter

The snow makes Tyrol an instant playground for kids in winter. Our boys were enchanted from the moment we landed in Innsbruck. There are all sorts of snow activities to try in the region, plus many other fun, indoor attractions. I’ve written a full guide to the best things to do with kids in Innsbruck and Tyrol in winter. Whatever you do, don’t miss Swarvoski World. And we LOVED tobogganing.

Getting around Innsbruck and Tyrol

Innsbruck is a wonderfully compact city that’s easy to navigate on foot, bike, or via its excellent public transport system. The local buses and trams are efficient and connect the main attractions, like the Old Town, Bergisel Ski Jump, and the Nordkette Cable Car.

For getting around Tyrol, you can still rely on public transport with a good network of regional buses and trains.

For ease and freedom, we rented a car from Innsbruck airport. It’s super easy as the car hire pick-up is just across the road from the airport terminal. We always use Discover Cars or Expedia for finding the best deals.

We found a good parking garage in Innsbruck city centre (Zentral Garage), but driving around the city was quite confusing in terms of signage. We kept taking wrong turns and getting stuck in a loop! If you’re not a confident driver or want to save money on parking, I’d stick to public transport.

How to get to Innsbruck and Tyrol

We were impressed by how easy it was to get to Innsbruck and Tyrol. We flew from Bristol, and Innsbruck Airport is just a short 15-minute drive from the city center. It has direct connections to many European cities. Alternatively, Munich Airport, about two hours away by car or train, is another popular gateway.

For rail travellers, Innsbruck is well-connected to major European cities like Vienna, Munich, and Zurich via high-speed and scenic train routes.

Driving to Tyrol is also a good choice, as the region’s well-maintained highways make for a stunning journey through alpine landscapes.

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Creative family travel guides

We don’t think you have to sacrifice creativity and style when travelling with kids. Browse our guides for creative family travel around the world. We also have a whole section on cool places to stay with kids in destinations worldwide. And guides to theme parks too.

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