 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey everyone!
My partner and I are looking to move to Austria for the ski season and possibly make a permanent move afterward. We're keen on testing a few resorts first to find the right fit. However, if we love the next one, then that could be the one! We've already been to Bad Gastein a fair few times and love it there, although we might be slightly biased as I have family who moved there! But we'd like to try somewhere new.
We'd love to hear your suggestions for other resorts. Here's what we're looking for:
Great skiing/snowboarding options
A lively community vibe (we like a resort that's bustling)
Occasional après-ski fun
Something to do in the summer as well would be a bonus
A great place to live long-term
Affordability for buying property (Bad Gastein felt affordable, so something in a similar price range would be ideal)[/list]
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@lilnads97, a couple of questions:
Are you planning on working?
Do you have EU passports?
We made the move last year, so I have some fairly recent experience in this....
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@lilnads97, You need to give us a bit more info about your personal circumstances. Being an EU citizen is clearly the first question but also do you intend to work etc. Living somewhere is not simply an extended holiday and things like apres ski are not really that relevant to day to day life (unless you want to run an apres ski bar!)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi, thank you both!
I should have mentioned that we both have EU passports (Italian and Irish), so working abroad wouldn’t be an issue. I’m a remote worker and can spend 4-6 months abroad as a UK resident through my company, so we’re looking to do a ‘test run’ of the location. If we love it, we’d consider moving permanently, and I could switch my residency to Austria. My partner is in a similar situation.
We currently live in London, so we’re used to city life, but I’m drawn to living closer to nature. Six years ago, I spent six months in Kaprun (a little to quiet for me) working as a teacher, and since then, I’ve always wanted to return to the mountains permanently. Now that we're in our late 20s and early 30s, we’re ready to make the move.
Totally agree on the après-ski! We're looking for somewhere with a community feel—somewhere that has things going on, even in a small village or town. We love snowboarding and will certainly stay busy with that outside of work, but we also enjoy other sports, activities, and socializing.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| munich_irish wrote: |
| @lilnads97, You need to give us a bit more info about your personal circumstances. Being an EU citizen is clearly the first question but also do you intend to work etc. Living somewhere is not simply an extended holiday and things like apres ski are not really that relevant to day to day life (unless you want to run an apres ski bar!) |
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| swskier wrote: |
@lilnads97, a couple of questions:
Are you planning on working?
Do you have EU passports?
We made the move last year, so I have some fairly recent experience in this.... |
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1. Kitzbuhel
2. Innsbruck
3. Lech
Think twice before taking permanent Austrian citizenship.
It has compulsory military or public conscription for men up to 35yo.
And the entire European region is inching ever closer to war.
Poland (nearby) has officially entered a pre-war position in 2024.
Croatia and Serbia nearby are (hurriedly) bringing back military conscription in 2025.
And they're buying a ton of new warplanes.
Make sure you have an "escape route" if or when it all kicks off... such as (say) an Ireland passport.
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@lilnads97, you can ignore @Whitegold's comments about military service etc as you have no plans to become Austrian Citizens, there's no need for you to do so with your passport situations.
We live in the Zillertal, it's a fairly busy valley with Tourism so in the summer there's always something going, and in the winter you've got loads of skiing going on. Mayrhofen is the busiest area and has the best après as a result.
If you want a mixture of skiing and city, Innsbruck is perfect, with skiing right on the door step and a number of resorts within a short commute, plus a number of bigger areas within an hour or so.
It won't have the ski resort feel, but it's a best of both bits sort of compromise.
If you came to Austria and bought a pass like the Tirol Snowcard it would give you a chance to try out a number of ski areas, see where you liked.
If you're looking for work here, there's not huge amounts of non German speaking roles, there are a few companies working in English, but not masses. However, as you're EU passport holders, you could get remote jobs and just live and work here, without the need to work for a local company.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@lilnads97, Do realize that Badgastein is completely atypical!
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Please be aware that working remotely in Austria for a non-Austrian company has further implications. You must be either registered as self employed and self insured in Austria (which also means having multiple Customers, not only one). Alternatively you could be employed through an Austrian intermediary and insured through this. It is not legal to simply work remotely in Austria despite your EU Status. Professional advice is recommended.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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+1 to the above. You must make sure you are complying with the various Austrian rules around registration, tax, pensions and (most important) health insurance. This would apply even if you plan on only being "resident" for a few months. Austria seems a good deal more fussy than some other countries in this regard.
All that said this is perfectly possible to do. I would go with the Innsbruck or Salzburg suggestion as it would allow you to check out a good deal of the surrounding area to find a spot you might like. Also the cities will be easier to start off with if your German is not so good. The transport system for both areas is such that it is easy to get to most of the surrounding ski areas on public transport.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@lilnads97, Altenmarkt/Radstadt or Schladming all tick your boxes and have plenty going on in the Summer too.
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