I was among the skiers who booked last-minute trips to Austria this weekend on the back of reports of record snowfalls.

We were rewarded by Alpine sunshine, ankle-deep powder and quiet pistes – conditions that better any of the three ski breaks I took last season.

I visited Kaprun and Zell am See where resort staff were surprised by the number of skiers who had joined lift queues from 8am, hoping to be among the first up the mountain.

The skiers were cashing in on exceptional snow conditions, thought to be the best for 20 years.

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BACKGROUND

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On Saturday, the fresh snow glistened in bright sunshine in Kaprun, while on Sunday, further snowfall in the morning gave way to a sunny afternoon. The pistes could not have been better – a solid base and a topping of fresh snow – no patches of ice or exposed rock.

The conditions are a stark contrast to recent years, which have seen the resorts endure a mild December and in some cases, a green Christmas.

In the last two weeks around 180cm of snow has fallen in parts of Austria and brought forward the opening of 26 resorts. Early snow has also dusted parts of France, Switzerland and Norway.

Austria’s resorts celebrated the start of the season with piste-side parties. In Kaprun, revellers braved temperatures of -10 degrees to jiggle to live music, and take advantage of free massages, free ski and boot tests, and flowing gluehwein and Jagatee, a potent concoction of rum, schnapps and tea.

The ski lifts will be operating seven days a week in Kaprun and Zell am See from next weekend, but not all hotels, restaurant and bars will open until the week before Christmas.

That said, there’s plenty of availability. An English couple staying at Hotel Rudolfshof Vitality in Kaprun told me they had paid £80 each for flights to Salzburg with Ryanair and E313 each for three days’ half-board accommodation, a three-day ski pass, massage and a half-day skiing lesson.

The Rudolfshof is not offering the package beyond November 23, but has similar packages available until Christmas. Other hotels and B&Bs in Kaprun and Zell am See are also taking bookings, with prices well below those for breaks over Christmas and February.

For skiers who can get away, a last minute booking before Christmas could prove to be one of the best value ski breaks this season.

Need to know

For more information about skiing in Austria, visit the Austria National Tourist Office website, which has details on snow conditions, and ski packages available.

For more information on Kaprun and Zell am See, which are collectively called the Europa Sport Region, go to www.europasportregion.info/en.

The Hotel Rudolfshof Vitality in Kaprun has ski packages from E567 per person until December 22. This includes seven night’s half-board accommodation, a six-day ski pass, a free shuttle to the pistes, childcare from noon to 9pm, and use of the spa facilities, which includes a swimming pool, sauna and steam room.

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