Flachau

Pistes and lifts draw the praise: the slopes are exceptionally wide, grooming is called exemplary, and the lifts are modern, fast and mostly hooded, which makes bad weather bearable. The area is large without being overwhelming, and hard to get lost in. The link to Shuttleberg and Flachauwinkl-Zauchensee adds range, the Piggyjet and Dinojet beginner zones and the Hermann Maier ski school are well reviewed, and apres-ski is sociable rather than wild.

Crowding and altitude are the sticking points. In peak weeks the key lifts mean twenty-minute waits, several times a day. Piste capacity does not match lift capacity, so skiing fast or carving properly is off the table, especially with so many children and ski-school groups about. The elevations are low, natural snow can be a problem, and slope orientation means the surface softens by midday and freezes again before the lifts close.