Villas in Zillertal

Mayrhofen suits keen skiers and après, Fügen is the closest base to Innsbruck, and Zell am Ziller sits on the Zillertal Arena. This is a busy, well-known ski valley rather than a hideaway, but the Hintertux glacier means skiing in almost any month and summer walking is first-rate.

Where

Villas: 392
From, per week: £229
Cheapest month: October
Nearest airports: Innsbruck is closest, around 45 minutes to Fügen and an hour to Mayrhofen. Salzburg and Munich are both around two hours away, and the drive can be slow on winter Saturdays. Flights from London to Innsbruck take around two hours.

Where to stay in Zillertal

Mayrhofen, Hippach and Finkenberg

Mayrhofen has the most of our Zillertal homes and sits at the head of the main valley. The Penken and Ahorn lifts leave from the village, with Finkenberg linked into the Penken and Hippach a few minutes down the road. The Hintertux glacier is about 30 minutes' drive or a ski bus ride away. The Zillertal railway ends here, and Innsbruck airport is around an hour by car.

Best for: Keen skiers, groups and anyone who wants après-ski and a full valley town

Not for you if: You want quiet evenings in peak ski weeks: Mayrhofen is one of Austria's liveliest resorts.

Fügen, Uderns and Strass (lower valley)

Fügen is the first proper village in the valley and a calmer base than Mayrhofen. The Spieljoch lift goes up from the village, and the higher, snow-sure Hochfügen ski area is around 20 minutes up a mountain road. Fügen also has a large indoor pool and spa, useful for a rest day. Uderns and Strass are close by. Innsbruck airport is about 45 minutes away, the shortest drive in the valley.

Best for: Families who want the shortest transfer and easy access to two ski areas

Not for you if: You want the big-name slopes on your doorstep: the Mayrhofen lifts are around 30 minutes up the valley.

Zell am Ziller

Zell am Ziller is the valley's old market town, with its own brewery and a station on the Zillertal railway. Gondolas from the edge of town climb into the Zillertal Arena, which links over to Gerlos and Königsleiten. It is about 15 minutes to Mayrhofen and half an hour to Fügen, so you can ski different areas on the Zillertal Superskipass. Innsbruck airport is around 50 minutes away.

Best for: A mid-valley town base on the Zillertal Arena

Not for you if: You want ski-in, ski-out: most homes are a bus or short drive from the gondola.

Kaltenbach, Aschau and Stumm

Kaltenbach is the base for the Hochzillertal ski area, which links over to Hochfügen. Aschau is just up the valley, Stumm across the river, and both are small farming villages with a few shops and restaurants. In summer the area suits walkers and cyclists using the flat valley cycle path. Innsbruck airport is about 45 minutes to an hour away.

Best for: Good-value mid-valley chalets with quick access to Hochzillertal

Not for you if: You want nightlife: these villages are quiet once the lifts close.

Gerlos and Königsleiten (Gerlos Pass)

Gerlos sits above Zell am Ziller on the road to the Gerlos Pass, and Königsleiten is higher still, just over the provincial border in Salzburg. Both are on the Zillertal Arena, and at around 1,600 metres Königsleiten keeps its snow well. In summer the pass road leads down to the Krimml Waterfalls. Allow around an hour and a quarter to Innsbruck airport.

Best for: High-altitude skiing with lifts close to the door

Not for you if: You need to be near the valley floor: the pass road climbs steeply and can need snow chains.

Tux and Ginzling

The Tux valley runs up from Mayrhofen to Hintertux, where the glacier ski area is open all year. Lanersbach, lower down, has its own lifts linked to the Penken. Ginzling is in a separate side valley on the road to the Schlegeis reservoir, a starting point for walks into the Zillertal Alps. Innsbruck airport is around an hour and a quarter away.

Best for: Skiing late in the season and walking into the high side valleys

Not for you if: You want a big village with lots of restaurants: Tux is a string of small hamlets.

When to go to Zillertal

Skiing runs from December to April in the main valley, and the Hintertux glacier is open all year, so autumn and spring skiing are possible. Christmas, New Year, February half-term and Easter are the busiest weeks. Summer lifts and mountain huts run from about June to early October, and the valley is popular with walkers and mountain bikers. German school holidays fill the valley in August. From mid-April to late May, and in November, many lifts outside Hintertux close, along with some restaurants.