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Austria has excellent snowfalls, world-class ski resorts, slopes to suit all levels, it’s easy to get to and it can also be very affordable if you look around. The largest and most moderately priced area is St. Anton. This is an area that attracts serious skiers that are up at dawn to conquer the mountains.

There are specially designated parks and facilities for snowboarders and countless cross-country tracks. If you are looking for deep powder off-piste (unmarked and ungroomed runs) and almost certain big snowfalls, check out the Arlberg in western Austria. The Arlberg is also the place to go for heli-skiing and heli-boarding.

The five famous ski resorts in the Arlberg region are at the towns of Lech, Zurs, Stuben, St Cristoph and St Anton. There are about 85 lifts that operate here and a single lift pass links the resorts. St Anton is the biggest resort in the Arlberg. Lech is the place to get your handmade boots (which also come in 1/2 sizes!).

If you are an experienced skier looking for highly challenging off-piste runs, it is highly recommended you hire the services of an experienced and certified mountain guide. These professional guides know where to find the best snow and the best off-piste. They also know the valleys, passes, mountains, and most importantly, they know the danger spots that should be avoided!

Snowboarders should visit in December and January when there is typically a lot of powder snow and fewer people in the resorts. With fewer people on the slopes, the virgin snow is a snowboarders dream. With the Northern Limestone Alps offering some of the best snowboarding in Austria, St Anton attracts snowboarders in droves as the destination of choice.

There are permanent road and pass closures in the Arlberg during the winter. It is highly recommended to check local information about road/pass closures that are affected by weather conditions.

The Alps mountain range is the most famous European mountain range, and possibly the loveliest too. It is certainly one that all who love mountains should aim to see at least once in their life. However, any visitor to the Alps is faced with a dilemma: which of the resorts in the different Alpine countries and regions to choose as your destination? As someone who is familiar with a number of different parts of the Alpine range, I can appreciate that the choice will not be a simple one. Each Alps resort has its own attractions, and your choice will be motivated by what it is you love to do while you are in the mountains. With this in mind, here are my own top picks of the Alpine resorts.

Top French Alps Resort for Adventure Lovers — Chamonix

Chamonix is the perfect destination in the French Alps. It is here that you will find the tallest mountain in Europe, Mont Blanc, which is a magnet for climbers. As impressive as Mont Blanc undoubtedly is, Chamonix offers so much more.

In winter, there are ski areas to suit every ability. You will find no shortage of ski and snowboarding schools to help you reach the next level. Afterwards, party-goers will find a varied night-life scene.

In summer, experienced climbers have an opportunity to reach the summit of Mont Blanc, and the rest of us can enjoying the hiking or can rent a mountain bike. Try paragliding or white water rafting too while you are here. This is a top resort for active families as well as for anyone who enjoys a range of sports.

Top Swiss Alps Resorts for Scenery and Location — Zermatt and Interlaken

The Swiss Alps resorts all offer spectacular scenery, and nowhere more so than Zermatt. Here you find the iconic Matterhorn mountain and a range of high altitude walks among the natural beauty of the Alps. Admire the beautiful alpine flowers or use the excellent public transport system of trains, cable cars and funiculars to visit the peaks and glaciers. Remember your camera, this is one destination you will never forget!

If you prefer a destination that is a good base from which you can visit other Swiss resorts, Interlaken is perfectly located. This pretty town has plenty of shops and nightlife and allows you to visit the higher altitude mountain resorts without feeling isolated from modern life.

Top Austrian Alps Resort for Variety — Seefeld

Seefeld is a well-kept resort in the beautiful Tyrol region of Austria’s Alps. The resort has a lake and lies among impressive mountain scenery, but is also just a short drive from the major road routes to airports in Innsbruck and Munich. This makes Seefeld a great location from which to make excursions to the attractive city of Innsbruck and into Bavaria in Germany. There are plenty of opportunities for mountain walking and sports activities in Seefeld itself, along with tasteful shops and restaurants.

Other regions you might consider include: the Italian Alps, perfect for splitting your time between mountains and the sunny lakeside towns; Bavaria, for a rich culture and fairytale castles; or Slovenia, for an unspoiled mountain experience. Whether you travel in Winter or Summer, and like a fast or a slow pace of life, the Alps have the perfect resort for you.

Your trip to the city of Vienna is always incomplete, unless you visit some of the fantastic sites located outside the city. Vienna certainly is the city surrounded by scores of beauties. Located in the east of Austria, close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, the Austrian Capital has beautiful fringes.

Vienna, the cultural, economic and political centre of Austria, surely has numerous attractions inside the city, but the also offers you a number of attractive sites in its vicinity. So, whenever you are in Vienna, you must take a trip outside the city to see some of the wonderful sites outside the city. Here are some of the sites that you can visit outside Vienna.

Baden – is a lovely spa town in medieval setting, located 26 kilometers south of Vienna, in Lower Austria. Posited at the mouth of the fantastic Helenental, on the Schwechat banks, Baden is a scenic resort, known for its baths and springs, gardens and parks, coffeehouses, vineyards, and pastoral wine pubs. Römertherme (Roman thermal bath) is one of the most notable baths of the town.

Bad Vöslau – is your place, if you love warm baths, spas, and red wine. It is an attractive spa town, located some 35km south of Vienna, in the Lower Austria. The town is known for its many warm baths. Thermalbad Bad Vöslau is one of the most notable baths in the town. Often dubbed as the cradle of the Austrian red wine cultivation, the town is favorite destination for red wine lovers.

Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) – is 1,000 square kilometers of wooded patch of the Alps, outside Vienna, in eastern Lower Austria. The green oasisic setting of the Vienna Woods is created by precipitous hills, broken canyons, pastoral vineyards, serene woods and meadow landscapes. It is the most popular al fresco destination outside Vienna.

Mayerling – is a small village in the municipality of the Alland in the district of Baden, in the Lower Austria. Located on the Schwechat River, in the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods), some 15 miles/ 24 km southwest of Vienna, Mayerling is a fantastic place for one day trips.

Feiler Artinger – welcomes you to relish its world famous wines. It is a renowned winery, located in Rust, in the easternmost state of Burgenland. Founded in the 1930s, the exotic 30 hectares estate is devoted to the red and green grapes cultivation. The place lets you relish its fine wines and enjoy the awe-inspiring view of the surrounding areas.

Weinbau Wenzel – the patch eleven hectares in Rust, Burgenland, in south of Vienna, is the property of Wenzel, one of the best wine manufactures of Austria. You can relish red and white wines along with the scenic beauty of the estate. The estate features the mesmeric emerald slopes of vineyards.

Eisenstadt – is the city in Burgenland, which is often celebrated for its art and architectural marvels including museums, religious edifices, castles and palaces, and other buildings. Some of the attractions of the city are – Bergkirche (Haydn’s Tomb), Domkirche (Gothic Church), Schloss Esterházy & Schlosspark (Esterházy castle & park), Haydn mausoleum, Haydnmuseum, and Landesmuseum.

Hainburg (Hainburg an der Donau) – is the city in the Bruck an der Leitha (district), next to the Danube river, in Lower Austria. Located about 60km (40 miles) from Vienna, Hainburg is one of the popular sites outside the city. Some of the attractions of the city include Castle, Nationalpark Donau-Auen, Hexenberg, Braunsberg, and Wienertor (Viennese Gate).

Schloß und Schloßgarten Laxenburg (Schloss Castle & Garden Laxenburg) – is one of the major attractions outside Vienna, situated some 17km south of Vienna, in the middle of wonderful parkland. Schloss Castle, also known as Laxenburg Castle, is an imperial palace outside Vienna, in Laxenburg, in the Lower Austria. It offers you the finest example of the 18th century garden artistry. The place is popular destination for day trippers.

Bratislava, Budapest, and Prague – the capital cities of Slovakia, Hungary, and Czech Republic respectively are also located pretty close to Vienna. These really are the gem cities of Europe. Bratislava is just 60 kilometers (37.3 mi) from Vienna. Budapest is at 2.5 hours driving distance, and Prague is at 3 hours drive from Vienna.

A landlocked country Austria is flanked by the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland. Once a Central European Power when Habsburgs ruled it, this country is full of splendors for the visitors. Though it is a minor player in European Union, Austria has plenty of attractive things to offer to the tourists. Impressive destinations, wonderful sceneries and fabulous sources of entertainment are the trademarks of Austria. And for paying a visit to all these spots, you need to stay here for a long time. Austria hotels prove to be your great companions in such a case.

Suitable for all kinds of visitors, be it an offbeat destination lover or a leisure traveler, Austria promises to entertain everyone. Vienna, Salzburg and several other cities have attributes that make it imperative for you to visit this country. You will find many exemplary monumental structures, splendid architectures and a bunch of modern sources of entertainment in each of the cities. The Hofburg (Imperial Palace) and the Augustinian Church are two of the magnificent structures which attract thousands of visitors from all across the globe. Vienna features a splendid museum of fine arts. You would also like to see the Belvedere Palace and the Sigmund Freud Museum.

While in Austria, it is a must for you to visit the city of Salzburg without which your journey would be incomplete. This city gave Mozart to the world, which is a picturesque place surrounded by tall mountains. Hohensalzburg Castle in Saalzburg is something that will effortlessly catch your attention. St. Peter’s Abbey and the museum of fine arts also have fabulous stuff to leave a lasting impression on you. And when you go four kilometers to south of Salzburg Hellbrunn Palace containing fountains and water-powered figures also interests you. Hotels in Austria serve you with some distinctive touch of culture and tradition.

Many of us have had holidays spent breathing recycled air in “luxury” coaches, watching bad television in hotel rooms, eating beyond our capacity simply because meals were included in the “package” and there was little else to do. Yawn! But not if there’s snow on the ground; don the long johns and get at it .

1. Austria: skiing for amateurs – So maybe you’re not the athletic type. You don’t have to be to take advantage of the world’s best sporting havens, particularly if you take a few professional lessons. St. Anton, in the Arlberg region of Austria, is the best place to go for ski instruction-the Arlberg School ski technique originated here and the area’s 300+ instructors are all well-versed in the method. In the hands of these pros, you’ll look like an expert after a few days on the slopes.

2. Chile’s best skiing for mamas’ boys (sorry.we mean “cautious athletic types”) – If you’ve got nothing to prove and just want some sane, safe skiing, La Parva, located just minutes from Santiago, allows you to ski from your lodge to the lifts. If you’re afraid of getting hurled into a tree, there’s no need to worry here: the mountains are treeless. The slopes also have wind-curled cornices, so snowboarders can afford to try out a few new stunts. This is also a perfect spot to try heli-skiing in a friendly, nurturing environment.

3. Ski Whistler Blackcomb before the next Olympians do! When it comes to skiing and riding, Whistler Blackcomb with its 8,000 plus acres of terrain on both mountains, has variety and then some. Choose from steeps, deeps, chutes, high alpine bowls, glades, superb corduroy, long cruisers and gentle rollers. Riders and skiers will revel in the Parks and Pipes on both mountains plus natural launch pads, hits, wind-lips, cornices, cliff drops and ridges – the place is like a huge, natural terrain park! And the night-life is great too! This is the site of the next Winter Olympics.

4. World-class skiing for coupon clippers…in the Italian Alps – Sure, you’d love to go on a ritzy ski holiday but you’re – well, how can we put this? …broke. No worries. We appreciate a good bargain ourselves and have found that the deals in life are often a mere stone’s throw away from the pricey stuff. Such is the case in the Italian Alps: Mount Livata and Pescasseroli are located very near Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy’s most popular resort, but offer affordable accommodation and similar access to facilities. Same goes for Val d’Ayas, which is located near pricey Courmayeur and Cervinia and offers lower lift prices, more challenging runs and fewer crowds.

5. And if that’s not cheap enough, there’s skiing in Spain – You can ski in Spain on a busker’s budget. While there is a certain aura about the Alps resorts in France, Austria, Italy and Switzerland, the Spanish Pyrenees area keeps up with the best of them (and certainly surpasses them with respect to value.) Baquiera-Beret, in Lerida, boasts a lengthy ski season (November through April), numerous slopes of varying difficulty, plenty of chair lifts, professional ski instruction and – this is the best part – far fewer crowds than the pricier resorts. A good place to stay is Hotel Montarto which offers spectacular views and easy access to lifts.

6. If you think you’re a good skiier, try heli-skiing in the Purcells in British Columbia – Rk Heliski in Golden, welcomes you to 1,500 square kilometres/ 930 sq. miles of incredible terrain in the spectacular Purcell Mountains, on the edge of the legendary Bugaboos. Heli-ski/boarding tours are led by some of the world’s best mountain guides to access wide open alpine slopes, scenic glaciers and gladed forests dusted with annual snowfalls of up to 1,100 cm/36 feet. Some of this is extreme skiing, definitely not for the novice, but hey, who wants to live forever?

7. Austria’s least-known sport that’ll make you feel like a kid again – Austria’s Lake District boasts excellent ice-skating and skiing during the winter as well as water sports during the summer. The area around Wolfgangsee offers a little-known sport that’ll take you right back to your childhood. Mountain tobogganing involves carting a metal saucer-of-a-thing up a hillside (we recommend the chair lift as opposed to a hike) and descending on a metal track to the bottom. It’ll be the most invigorating five minutes of your life. Next step? Do it again!

8. And after lots of lessons and a stiff drink…Canadian daredevil’s dream – Canada’s ski-jump champs practice in Thunder Bay, Ontario, regarded as the world’s biggest jump. You’ve seen the Bond films – now it’s your turn. Mind you, there are also cross-country trails for beginners if you need to get up your confidence. The area includes four major Alpine areas. Daily flight service can be arranged from Toronto, Winnipeg and Minneapolis. This place can be crowded during peak season–who knew there were so many daredevils around?

As a camping destination, Austria is a country that is often unfairly overlooked in favour of its larger neighbour, Germany. But Austria is a delightful place to explore on a camping holiday, especially in the Western region known as the Tyrol. Tyrol is home to the most stunning scenery in Austria, and it is a haven for walkers, trekkers and cyclists.

Charming Cities

Whilst anyone camping in West Austria will naturally be spending most of their time in the countryside, visitors shouldn’t miss out on the towns and cities of the region. Innsbruck, the capital of the region, is a delightful city surrounded by the Alps. The medieval Old Town is the most enjoyable place to explore in the city, with the stunning Golden Roof the most famous sight in the city. The Imperial Palace and the Mausoleum of Maximilian I are two of the other main attractions of a visit to Innsbruck.

Away from Innsbruck, Kitzbühel and Ehrwald are both well worth a visit. Kitzbühel is located in a splendid valley, and is renowned as a key wintersports destination. But it is of equal interest in the summer, with horse riding and golf being popular activities to enjoy amidst the breathtaking surroundings. Ehrwald is one of the most picturesque towns in this part of Austria; if you are camping near here, be sure to visit and catch the cable car to the top of the Zugspitze for unforgettable views out over the nearby mountains and glaciers.

Natural Splendour

The real highlight of camping in Austria is the spectacular landscape, and nowhere is this more true than in the Tyrol. Long renowned as a Mecca for skiers, hikers, climbers and cyclists, this is a landscape of stunning mountain vistas, glaciers, pine forests and beautiful lakes.

The mountains of Tyrol act as both a dramatic backdrop and a main attraction for the region. With over 700 mountains over 10,000ft there are plenty of peaks and valleys for keen walkers to explore – Wildspitze (3774m), Klienglockner (3770m) and Weisskugel (3738m) are the region’s tallest peaks, and the main objectives for avid trekkers and climbers. Innsbruck is the centre of information for walkers, and should be the first stop off point for anyone looking to learn more. Many of the campsites in Austria will also be able to provide visitors with more information on local walking trails.

Away from the mountains, Lake Achen is the other real natural highlight for those camping in Austria’s Tyrol region. The water is over 100 metres deep and is crystal clear, and the lake itself is ringed by Tyrolean mountains – it truly is a breathtaking sight. The best way to get there is via the old cogwheel steam train from Jenbach, the Achensee Bahn, and following that up with a ferry tour of the lake itself.

If you want to enjoy charming medieval cities, remote mountain towns, and some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe, you certainly won’t regret a camping holiday in Austria!

One of the most important things that you need to do when making your holiday plan is to choose a place to stay. You will come across many different types of ski chalet holidays resorts which come up with exclusive Christmas and New Year offers.

In countries like France and Austria, which are prime ski destinations the chalet resorts are extremely popular among the tourists. The ski chalets are nothing but a rather strange hybrid of private ski lodge and a hotel. The concept of the catered resorts was first introduced in the early sixties to suit the comfort level of the Englishmen. The main idea of it was to create a place for them where they could relax without having to deal with a foreign language. There was also special care taken to suit their appetite. Thus they were served with boiled egg and porridge for breakfast rather than the local breakfast that would consist of some terrible foreign food.

In the beginning of this concept, the Englishmen would rent a private resort for one whole season. They hired young girls as cook but came to know that they weren’t well trained. They would also give the girls a housekeeping budget which they would end up spending on themselves.

The Englishmen had an idea about it and they moved in droves first to sample the chalet girls and the skiing. This led to the introduction of the self catered resorts and chalets. This is among the most popular destinations among the tourists as they can enjoy not only privacy but also independence at the same time.

These accommodation options during your holiday are a popular idea as you can enjoy the environment and luxury of a home away from home. The resort owners have upgraded their home with all the necessary amenities for the guests.

Apart from the resorts and chalets you can also choose to rent apartments, villas, guest houses, cottages and town houses. These places offer you with the utmost level of comfort. They are also surprisingly affordable and you end up saving more than what you would have done staying in a hotel.

These ski resorts are located around the Ski Mountains. In countries like France, Austria and Switzerland, most of the tourist inflow is because if the terrific skiing opportunity that these places offer. Thus, it is but obvious that none of the tourist would like to spend their time travelling from their hotel in the city to the skiing destination which is the mountains. Thus in order to save on time and make the maximum use of it enjoying the skiing, the best option for the tourists is to stay in the chalets which is among the mountains. Thus they can enjoy the serenity of the place and also go skiing any time they want.

So, of you are planning a ski holiday consider booking a chalet rather than a hotel for yourself.

Water parks are perfect for fun and relaxation for every member of the family. Dad can splash around a bit and then sit back and relax while listening to some music and reading his newspaper; Mom can put on some sunscreen on and take a sunbath, while the kids want to go on every ride there is, and Grandma watches over all of them. In the summer, it would be quite a lovely pastime, but what happens when it’s too cold to stay outside and play pool games? The answer is simple: go to an indoor water park!

Indoor aqua parks have first appeared in Canada, around 1985, and since then they went through a great boost of popularity, first in the USA, and then in Europe. The Canadian World Waterpark (as it was called), was built in a big shopping mall in the city of Edmonton, and it caught on quite fast. This is because there are many rainy days a year in Edmonton, and it is a city quite far from any beach: the Pacific Ocean is 1500 km away, and Hudson Bay is 1400 km away (not that there are many places resembling a beach at Hudson Bay).

So the indoor water park in Edmonton was a great idea, and people started coming, and coming, and coming…and they still do now. People love the water slides, the indoor river (they have a “lazy river” which is quite fun), the tube slides, body slides, 3+ family rides, and everything else a good indoor water park is made out of.

Speaking of good indoor water parks, let me say that there are some requirements that make such a place meet the standards: a good one must have at least two tube slides, two body slides, one river (be it slow-flowing or “angry” torrent), one children play area with everything they need (sand, buckets, geysers etc) one wave pool and other features.

Nowadays, in Europe, you can find tens, maybe hundreds of very good indoor aquatic parks. In Germany, for example, in Stralsund, you will find one of the most beautiful water parks of them all: the Hansedom Water Park. It is not only indoor-based, it also includes outdoor parks and gardens, making it very attractive to tourists around the continent. Besides the requirements I mentioned in the last paragraph, the Hansedom Water Park has a lot more features, like massage lounges, fitness clubs, sport clubs, saunas, and much more. In German such a park is called “freizeit park”, which means “leisure park”.

Other very interesting water parks can be found in France, Spain and Austria, but we’ll leave that story for another time. Nothing is better than spending a day or two at a “freizeit park”, believe you me. It’s a shame that we can’t go there every weekend, but hey – that’s life. But if you ever decide to go to such a park with your family, remember to keep a close eye on your kids, as sometimes these slides and rivers can be dangerous.

If you are planning a wedding for this fall, it is time to book your honeymoon plans! The honeymoon is the perfect way to relax and have fun with your new spouse after the wedding, and there are many terrific places to go. These are some ideas for great autumn honeymoon destinations.

First let’s talk about a place that is not the best for fall honeymoons, and that is the Caribbean and the beaches of the Southeast and Gulf Coast. Although the weather is pleasant and the beaches are less crowded, the fall is also the peak of hurricane season. If you have your heart set on a beach honeymoon, you would be better to choose a Pacific location, or at the very least, buy travel insurance that would provide you with a refund should your trip be washed out by a hurricane.

It is true that it is very romantic to stroll arm in arm with your beloved along a sandy beach with the ocean lapping along the shore. In the autumn, a very romantic option can be to visit a Northern beach for your honeymoon. This will not be a sunbathing trip, but rather a chance to enjoy some peace and quiet in a beautiful location. You can take long walks, collect seashells, and spend cozy evenings in front of a roaring fire at a lovely hotel or inn. One nice thing about this type of trip is that you will be able to get some excellent deals on off-season hotels.

New England is a gorgeous place to visit in the autumn, and it would be a great choice for a honeymoon. Spend time touring the breathtaking autumn foliage, shop for local crafts, and take day hikes in the mountains. The attitude is laid-back; you won’t need to bring very dressy clothing, just your cozy sweaters and maybe a simple piece of your wedding jewelry to wear to dinner in a nice restaurant. You may well find yourself wanting to return each year for your anniversary!

If you are looking for a little more excitement, consider a fall honeymoon in Europe. You can enjoy the fabulous museums, shopping (perhaps a new bauble to complete your wedding jewelry set?), and restaurants that the great cities of Europe have to offer. The weather is generally pleasant in the fall, and most locations will not be quite as crowded with tourists as they are during the summer vacation months. The grand capitals of Europe such as London, Paris, and Rome are all spectacular, but you might also want to consider some of the less obvious honeymoon destinations like Switzerland or Austria.

Autumn boasts many festivals that honeymooners can enjoy; perhaps the best of all is Oktoberfest in Germany. Even if you are not a big beer drinker (but especially if you are!), this annual event is rich with music, food, and traditions. There are rides, carousels, shows, and of course, lots and lots of fine beer. Despite the name, Oktoberfest actually takes place mostly in September. For 2009, the dates are September 19 – October 4. Anyone who has ever been to Oktoberfest will tell you that it is not to be missed!

Newlyweds who prefer wine over beer will enjoy a fall honeymoon trip to Napa Valley in California. October is a great time to visit, as it is around the time of many fall harvest celebrations, including the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. See the sights, visit the vineyards, and bring home some wonderful bottles of wine as your honeymoon souvenirs.

There are many ways to enjoy the best that autumn has to offer. There is a fall honeymoon destination that is just right for any interests or budget. The best part about planning your autumn honeymoon is that it will be the perfect way to cap off the celebration of your new marriage.