Where to stay in Tyrol: the 7 areas to know in 2026
In Tyrol, the season chooses your base before the map does. From December to April, ski villages such as Sölden or Ischgl live day and night, then empty out and close until summer. Innsbruck and the valley towns, on the other hand, stay open all year.
For two, a family-run guesthouse starts at $68* a night, a good village hotel with a spa on half board runs between $220 and $340*, and the grand houses of Ischgl or Kitzbühel go well beyond that ceiling in February. Seven areas, and one rule: sleep in the valley you want to explore.
Compare hotel prices in Tyrol
In a hurry? Find the best accommodation deals in 3 clicks.
Compare live deals from Booking, Expedia, Agoda and other partners.
One base or several?
One base is enough if you stay in one valley. Beyond that, change valleys rather than piling up return trips: each one takes an hour or more to drive up.
- A long weekend: One base, in Innsbruck: the old town, the Nordkette and Hall in Tirol, without a car.
- A ski week: One base, at the foot of the slopes you've chosen: the Arlberg for big-name skiing, the Wilder Kaiser for families, the Ötztal for reliable snow.
- Ten days in summer: Three bases: Innsbruck, then a valley in the west (Ötztal or Arlberg), then Kitzbühel or the Zillertal in the east.
How much driving between two bases?
By car, outside winter Saturdays, when the ski valleys clog up.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Innsbruck → Seefeld | 30 min | also by train |
| Innsbruck → Mayrhofen | 1 hr 05 | 69 km |
| Innsbruck → Kufstein | 1 hr 05 | 77 km by motorway |
| Innsbruck → Sölden | 1 hr 15 | 85 km |
| Innsbruck → St. Anton | 1 hr 15 | 97 km |
| Innsbruck → Kitzbühel | 1 hr 30 | 93 km |
| Kitzbühel → Lienz | 1 hr 30 | through the Felbertauern tunnel |
| Innsbruck → Lienz | 2 hr 45 | 176 km |
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.
Map of the areas in Tyrol
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Innsbruck, Hall and the Stubai The capital and the Stubai valley
for a base that's open all year
The only base that never closes. In the old town of Innsbruck, you sleep a stone's throw from the Golden Roof, and a funicular takes you up onto the Nordkette in a few minutes. Hall in Tirol, ten minutes away, has a quieter medieval old town. To the south, the Stubai valley climbs to a glacier where you can ski from the autumn.
In just a few minutes, you go from the center of Innsbruck to the top of an incredible mountain, where you can also get a great meal!
The towns in this area
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Grauer Bär Luxury
A 4-star hotel two minutes from the old town, with a spa and a panoramic pool on the fifth floor.
Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz Mid-range
A historic house in the heart of the pedestrian old town, two hundred metres from the Hofburg.
Pension Alpina Neustift Budget
A family-run guesthouse in Neustift, in the Stubai, with balconies and a free ski bus to the glacier.
Pros
- Open all year, by train from Munich or Zurich
- The city, the museums and the mountain on the same day
Cons
- It isn't a resort: the slopes are half an hour away
- The old town is expensive and packed in summer
Seefeld and Leutasch The plateau above Innsbruck
for cross-country skiing and easy hiking
On a sunny plateau at 1,200 metres, Seefeld is the capital of cross-country skiing, with hundreds of kilometres of groomed trails. In summer, the same loops become gentle paths around small lakes. The neighbouring valley of Leutasch is wilder still. Innsbruck is half an hour away by train.
Where to stay in this area
Alpin Resort Sacher Luxury
A 5-star hotel set in parkland, with a 4,700-square-metre spa and a natural swimming pond.
Hotel Christina Mid-range
A 3-star hotel a few minutes' walk from the centre of Seefeld, with an indoor pool.
Bio-Landpension Monika Budget
An organic country guesthouse in the Leutasch valley, with a sauna and play areas for children.
Pros
- Gentle terrain, ideal for families and cross-country skiing
- A station on the Innsbruck line
Cons
- Little top-level downhill skiing
- Not much going on in the evening
The Zillertal Mayrhofen, Tux, Fügen
for skiing and hiking in a lively valley
Tyrol's most popular valley, served end to end by a little train from Jenbach. In Mayrhofen, the lifts leave from the village; at the far end, the Tux valley climbs to the Hintertux glacier. In summer, the same gondolas open up trails across the pastures. In winter, the valley is very busy, and Mayrhofen's evenings are among the liveliest in Tyrol.
Where to stay in this area
ZillergrundRock Luxury
A mountain resort in the Zillergrund nature park, with an infinity pool on two levels.
Hotel Jäger Mid-range
A family-run hotel in the centre of Lanersbach, with a rooftop panoramic sauna facing the glacier.
Frühstückspension Waldeck Budget
A bed and breakfast in Mayrhofen, with balcony rooms and a shared kitchen.
Pros
- A big ski area and a glacier at the head of the valley
- The valley train connects with the main Inn line
Cons
- Crowds and traffic jams on winter Saturdays
- Many hotels closed in May and November
The Ötztal and the Pitztal Sölden, Obergurgl, Längenfeld, Pitztal
for glaciers and high-altitude skiing
Two long parallel valleys climbing towards the glaciers. In the Ötztal, Sölden hosts the opening of the ski World Cup every autumn and parties all winter; higher up, Obergurgl is quieter, with ski-in, ski-out hotels. Lower down, the Stuibenfall waterfall and the Längenfeld thermal baths fill the summer. The neighbouring Pitztal is wilder.
Where to stay in this area
Das Central Sölden Luxury
A 5-star hotel in the centre of Sölden, with a rooftop pool and a thermal bath.
Hotel Edelweiss & Gurgl Mid-range
A house founded in 1889 in the centre of Obergurgl, ski-in, ski-out, with indoor and outdoor pools.
Pension Anna Budget
A guesthouse in the hamlet of Plangeross, at the top of the Pitztal, with kitchenette rooms and a sauna.
Pros
- Reliable snow thanks to the glaciers, from autumn to spring
- Sölden for partying, Obergurgl for peace and quiet
Cons
- More than an hour's drive from Innsbruck
- Resort villages that close between seasons
The Arlberg, the Paznaun and the upper Inn valley St. Anton, Ischgl, Serfaus, Landeck
for big-name skiing and après-ski
The cradle of alpine skiing. St. Anton am Arlberg opens onto one of the largest linked ski areas in Austria, with a renowned après-ski scene. In the Paznaun, Ischgl plays the same card, with concerts on the slopes and luxury hotels. Gentler, the plateau of Serfaus, Fiss and Ladis is aimed at families. Landeck, down below, is the valley town.
Where to stay in this area
Trofana Royal Luxury
A 5-star superior hotel a hundred metres from the Ischgl cable car, with a starred restaurant.
Hotel Gabriela Mid-range
A family-run 4-star hotel in the centre of Serfaus, two minutes' walk from the lift.
Pension Alpenheim Budget
A guesthouse on the sunny slope of the Sonnenwiese, less than a kilometre from St. Anton station.
Pros
- The largest and snowiest ski areas in Tyrol
- Serfaus for families, St. Anton and Ischgl for partying
Cons
- The highest prices in the region in high season
- Very quiet villages in spring, or closed altogether
Kitzbühel, the Wilder Kaiser and Kufstein Kitzbühel, Ellmau, Söll, St. Johann, Kufstein
for easy-to-reach villages, summer and winter
In the east, the mountains soften. Kitzbühel keeps its old town of painted façades and its legendary run, the Streif, raced every January. At the foot of the Wilder Kaiser range, Ellmau, Going and Söll share a huge ski area. Kufstein and its fortress close off the Inn valley, on the Bavarian border.
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Tennerhof Luxury
A 5-star hotel on a 1679 estate in Kitzbühel, with a fine-dining restaurant and a shuttle to the lifts.
Hotel Wirtshaus Post Mid-range
A 4-star hotel in a historic inn in the centre of St. Johann, with a spa.
Pension Edelweiss Budget
A guesthouse in the village of Söll, in the Wilder Kaiser ski area, with balcony rooms.
Pros
- Easy access from Munich and Salzburg
- Villages that are lively all year, not just in winter
Cons
- Lower altitude: snow is less reliable early in the season
- Kitzbühel is expensive, especially during the Hahnenkamm
East Tyrol Lienz, Matrei, Kals
for peace and quiet at the foot of the Grossglockner
Cut off from the rest of Tyrol by the mountains since 1919, East Tyrol lives at its own pace. Lienz, a sunny town at the foot of its Dolomites, makes a good base; Kals and Matrei look out on the Grossglockner, Austria's highest peak, in the Hohe Tauern national park. Fewer people, and gentler prices than in the north.
Where to stay in this area
Gradonna Mountain Resort Luxury
A hotel and chalets at 1,400 metres, beside the Kals slopes, with a 3,000-square-metre spa.
Vergeiner's Hotel Traube Mid-range
A family-run hotel since 1860 on the main square of Lienz, with a pool under the roof.
Gästehaus Obwexer Budget
A guest house in the centre of Matrei, with balcony rooms and kitchenettes.
Pros
- The Grossglockner and the Lienz Dolomites without the crowds
- Gentler prices than in northern Tyrol
Cons
- Nearly three hours' drive from Innsbruck
- Hard to combine with the other valleys
Our tips for booking the right place
- Check that the hotel is open on your dates: In the resorts, many hotels close from mid-April to June and from October to early December. Between those dates, aim for Innsbruck, Hall or Lienz, which stay alive all year.
- Ask for the guest card: Your accommodation gives it to you on arrival: it often makes the valley buses free, and sometimes lifts in summer. In Innsbruck, the welcome card is free from two nights.
- Half board makes evenings easier: In mountain villages, restaurants are few and close early out of season. A half-board hotel saves you driving back down the valley for dinner.
- A ski resort between mid-April and June: hotels, restaurants and lifts are mostly closed.
- The centre of Sölden or Ischgl in winter if you're a light sleeper: the après-ski goes on late.
- East Tyrol for a short stay: it's nearly three hours from the rest of Tyrol.
FAQ: where to stay in Tyrol
Where to stay in Tyrol for a first visit?
Where to stay in Tyrol for skiing?
Where to stay in Tyrol on a budget?
Do you need a car in Tyrol?
How much does a night in Tyrol cost?
Keep exploring
Things to do in Tyrol
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first!