When to Ski Winter 22/23 - Key Dates
Ski Holiday Resort Openings & Key Dates – Winter 22/23
Already looking for a Ski Holiday to Austria for next Winter? Take a look at the key ski holiday dates here and, if you would like any advice or a tailor-made quote, please do get in touch.
When does the Ski Season start?
For most resorts, the opening weekends are 3/4th December 2022 or the following weekend of 10/11th December. Of course, this does depend to a certain extent on snow cover however, by mid-November, most resorts have had their first significant snowfall and all resorts have extensive snow-making to make up for any of nature’s shortfall. As a minimum, you can expect excellent piste conditions this side of Christmas, quiet slopes and great skiing value - a great time to kick off the ski season!
If you are keen to ski before December then take a look at one of the Glacier Ski Areas in Austria: Stubai, Kaprun and Hintertux are all open from mid-October.
When does the Ski Season end?
Easter Sunday falls on 9th April 2023 and, for some lower resorts, this weekend will mark the end of their Winter Operations. Schools break up from Friday 24th March 2023 and higher resorts will be open until late April with Glacier resorts open well in to May.
It is worth noting that (statistically) upper slope snow depths peak around the third week of March so you can expect excellent snow cover in late March and April. Spring weather can vary from further snowfall to long, sunny days and some lower, south-facing slopes can become soft in the afternoon (still very ski-able or just take a long, late lunch!).
When are the key Holiday dates this Winter?
Christmas & New Year
Christmas Day 2022 and New Year’s Day fall on a Sunday with pretty much all Hotels offering Saturday – Saturday in this peak period and very few exceptions for flexible short stays from 24th December onwards. There is flexibility for shorter stays up to 24th December with the weekend of 17/18th December a popular short stay weekend pre-Christmas.
Skiing in Austria : January 2023
The perfect time for a short ski break in our opinion: The New Year crowds have departed (most depart 1st or 8th January 2023), snow depths are well-established and prices are lower than February with more flexible availability. The Hahnenkamm Downhill race in Kitzbuhel takes place on 21st January 2023 and this impacts availability in the Kitzbuheler Alps region.
Half Term 2023 Ski Holidays
The half term 2023 is split over the weeks 11-18th February or 18th-25th February depending on where you live in the country. This second week also coincides with the popular European Karneval / Fasching weeks (18thFebruary to 4th March) so expect very high demand together with less flexibility at this time. Our advice: Book early if you are restricted to mid-February dates.
March 2023 – The perfect window for a short ski break!
The School holidays are over, the snow is still excellent with plenty more to come (upper slope snow depths peak mid to late March), prices are dropping and there is more flexibility from early March through to the end of season in April.
Easter Skiing 2023
Easter Sunday is on the 9th April 2023 (very late) with most schools breaking up 1 or 2 weeks before this depending on where you are in the country. Aim high or for snow-sure resorts.
When’s the best time for a flexible Ski Break in 2022/23?
For most of our resorts and Hotels, we have a good degree of flexibility with arrival dates and duration. However, this is usually limited to 7-night stays over New Year and in the high season February Holidays (UK + European Holidays). The larger, more popular ski resorts (eg St Anton, Solden) offer less flexibility throughout the Winter season so it is worth looking at smaller resorts for a shorter stay - Fieberbrunn, Galtur and Fugen are good examples.
In terms of the best dates offering the most flexibility, aim for pre-Christmas, January, March and April. These dates also offer much better value for money both in terms of Hotel and flight costs.
Ski Holiday Advice & Reservations
For further advice on when to travel, which ski resort is best for you or a quote for your ski holiday this coming Winter, please get in touch via the Contact button at the top of this page.