Villas in Ötztal

Sölden suits keen skiers, Längenfeld suits spa and family weeks, and Ötz and Umhausen are quieter, lower down the valley. Most of our homes are apartments and chalet-style houses in Sölden and Längenfeld. The valley is long, so check the drive or bus ride to the lifts, and expect Sölden to be busy in peak ski weeks.

Where

Villas: 154
From, per week: £312
Cheapest month: September
Nearest airports: Innsbruck is closest: around 40 minutes to Ötz and an hour and a quarter to Sölden. Munich has more flights but is around two and a half hours from Sölden. Flights from London to Innsbruck take around two hours, and the last stretch up the valley is a mountain road.

Where to stay in Ötztal

Sölden (upper valley)

Sölden has nearly half of our Ötztal homes. Its ski area runs up to the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers, which open in autumn and host the first World Cup race of the season each October. The Gaislachkogl cable car tops out above 3,000 metres, with the 007 Elements James Bond exhibition at the summit station. Après is late and noisy. Innsbruck airport is around an hour and a quarter away.

Best for: Keen skiers who want glacier snow and a loud après scene

Not for you if: You want a quiet village: Sölden is big and busy, and prices climb in peak weeks.

Längenfeld and Huben (mid-valley)

Längenfeld is the valley's second village, flat and spread out, with the Aqua Dome thermal spa and its outdoor pools at the centre. Cross-country tracks run along the valley floor in winter. Sölden's lifts are around 15 to 20 minutes up the road by car or ski bus, and Huben sits between the two. The Sulztal side valley above Gries is good for summer walks. Innsbruck airport is about an hour away.

Best for: Families and mixed groups who want a spa and easy access to Sölden

Not for you if: You want to ski from the door: Längenfeld has only small lifts, and the big area is a drive or bus ride away.

Umhausen and Niederthai

The Stuibenfall above Umhausen is Tyrol's largest waterfall, with steps, viewing platforms and a via ferrata beside it. The Ötzi Village is an open-air museum on Stone Age life, named after the ice mummy found high above the valley. Niederthai sits on a plateau above, at the end of a short road, with cross-country tracks and winter walking. Innsbruck airport is around 50 minutes away.

Best for: Summer walkers, waterfalls and a quieter winter

Not for you if: Skiing is the main point of the trip: there is no big ski area here, so you drive to Hochoetz or Sölden.

Ötz and Sautens (valley entrance)

Ötz is the first village in the valley, with painted houses and the family-sized Hochoetz ski area above it. The Piburger See, a small lake in the woods, is warm enough for swimming in summer, and Area 47 at the mouth of the valley runs rafting, canyoning and a water park. Sautens is a quiet village across the river. The station at Ötztal-Bahnhof is about ten minutes away, and Innsbruck airport around 40.

Best for: Families who want a small ski area, a swimming lake and the shortest transfer

Not for you if: You want snow-sure skiing late in the season: Hochoetz is much lower than Sölden.

When to go to Ötztal

Sölden's glaciers open from mid-October, and the main ski area usually runs from late November until the end of April. Lower areas such as Hochoetz have a shorter season. Christmas, New Year and February half-term are the busiest weeks, along with German and Dutch school holidays. Summer runs from late June to September, when the lifts, mountain huts and the Timmelsjoch pass road to South Tyrol are open, and afternoon thunderstorms are common. In May and November much of Sölden closes.