An Austrian Ski Vacation Offers Culture, Adventure, and Value

I've never seen such wide open slopes—no trees, no houses, just field after field of newly fallen snow.

And I've never seen my 18-year-old daughter Mel, an avid and expert skier, as happy to ski with Mom. Just goes to show what a postcard-perfect ski day—blue skies, sunshine, spectacular mountain vistas, and first tracks on a glacier—can do!

Our last mother-daughter getaway before Mel heads off to college is off to an auspicious start. Welcome to Solden, Austria! At 4,517 feet above sea level, the Alpine village is home to one of Europe's leading ski areas, the Otztal Alps. The village is located an hour from Innsbruck, which also has great ski deals, and a couple hours from Munich or Zurich. Solden is also home to two glaciers where Mel and I are this sunny morning, accompanied by Austrian ski guide Bernhardt Kneissl, who has taught and guided here for more than 40 years—since he was younger than Mel.

We ski through the mile-plus Rosi Mittermeier Road Tunnel that takes us from Rettenbach Glacier to Tiefenbach Glacier—two glaciers in one day! The trails are clearly marked, which is much more than I expected, and there are amazing platforms that jut out 30 feet or so for the most heart-stopping views.

Did I mention that despite the weak dollar, everything is cheaper here? Ski schools to beer, private ski instructors to lift tickets—the prices are as much as 40 percent less than at Aspen or Vail. It is easy to explore other villages since our ski pass also includes a bus pass. Visit holidaze.com or ski.com for well-priced packages to Austria and other European ski areas.

But a European ski trip is about more than grabbing a good deal or getting to the mountains as fast as you can. "It is so different for the kids," says Rachel Evans, who took her children out of school in Birmingham, England—to their teachers' dismay—to join a group of friends vacationing here. "It is such a life experience to see a different culture and experience a different way of life. I think it builds confidence."

There is no prettier place to do that than here in Austria where locals are friendly and speak at least a little English, while everything—from the craggy mountains to the chalet houses—look decidedly different than at home.

Canadians John Moat and Christina Hart have traveled here with their nine-year-old daughter, Katie, instead of choosing a ski resort closer to home in Toronto for exactly that reason. They plan to go to Prague—for a little culture, Mom's choice—after a week of fun in the snow.

They love the Hotel Regina, a short walk from the gondola, where we all are staying along with families from Great Britain, Italy, and Germany. We eat breakfast there, as well as dinner, served by the same waiter every meal.

"Kids like that everyone recognizes them," Hart said. Katie also loves that she can help herself from the bountiful morning buffet (three croissants!) and salad bar at dinner (so many kinds of cheese!). She's tried everything, her mother reports—creamy soups (that Melanie likes too), fresh trout, chicken, and, of course, the desserts—this is Austria after all. We'll work off the calories tomorrow on the mountain, we promise each other.

The next day at Obergurgl the Alps look like they are covered in marshmallow fluff with Oreo crumbles underneath. Though this smaller ski area has just 23 lifts and doesn't give you the chance to ski on glaciers, it does give you an opportunity to drink in the Alps—one mountain peak at a time—and to ski on lifts that never seem to get crowded. Come in summer, I'm told, and there are some 120 huts spread over the mountains where you can stay and eat for less than $50 a night; it's even less for kids.

At lunch we sit in the sun staring at 21 glaciers outside a new Austrian hut, Mut Alm, about 10 miles or so from where we're staying. It's an easy bus ride.

I love that Europeans don't gobble a burger like we do and rush back to the slopes. They stop for a long, relaxed lunch—and a beer or two—in the sunshine on the deck of one of these mountain huts drinking in the scenery and eating Tyrolean specialties like Grostl (fried meat and potatoes topped with a fried egg), local dumplings made with ham, spinach, and cheese, homemade sausage and, of course, apple strudel for dessert—the best I've ever tasted. The kids' menu incidentally includes the Harry Potter, a small wiener schnitzel, or a frankfurter with fries or the SpongeBob pasta.

Because the gondola comes right to Mut Alm, we see quite a few parents with babies (all wearing sunglasses to protect their eyes from the sun) and strollers. The infants seem to have as good a time as all the grown-ups as they play in the snow and eat the Austrian version of mac and cheese.

After a full day on the slopes, we're ready to hit the spa in Hotel Regina's wellness center. Because this is Europe, I warn Mel, it is coed. While people cover up with towels in the sauna and steam, it's not unusual to see men and women naked. "We're very comfortable with the human body," the masseuse explains. The first-rate massage, by the way, was half what it would cost at a U.S. resort hotel.

Relaxed and with nowhere to rush, Mel gladly lingers over dinner with me. She's delighted that she can now legally drink. I'm delighted to have this just-us time with my busy daughter who will be off on her own adventures soon.

"This trip is good bonding, Mom!" she says.

Exactly.