Bad Gastein or Soll for new year

Hi all, I'm looking at either Soll or Bad Gastein for new years eve, only choosing these resorts as they seem the most affordable and i've never been to either of them (have skied lots of France as well as Zell am See, Maria Alm & St Johann).

Would be looking for a good combination of challenging skiing and some fairly lively apres ski action (doesn't have to be hardcore apres ski but lively and not dead by 10pm)

Any opinions or suggestions would be great.

Given that choice, not that I've been to either, I'd definitely go for bad gastein. The skiing looks excellent

Depends what you call challenging. Only been to Soll and although there is a fantastic range of skiing there is not an abundance of black runs. The ones they have at the top of the main Soll mountain (forget the name)is very very challenging, I have the bumps to prove it as it has over the past 2 years at some stage done me on each holiday. Although not a huge town the Apres is very good so much so we went 3 years in a row in January. This will depend on your age of course. Maybe not for the club going youth or those in their early 20s. That being said there were loads there who looked like they loved it.

I've been to both quite recently. Bad Gastein is a very traditional little Austria town..to be honest there is nt a huge choice of apres ski, just a handful of bars and everyone seems to head to silver bullet for a night out..skiing is great if the weather is kind. Trouble is if the second lift is closed to get your to the top of the mountain, you're only choice is the bus over to bad hofgastein then queue for ages to get up the funicular, or bus to angertal which is even more of a delay. We went in Jan last year and found the bussing around irksome. Maybe we were just unlucky but I probably wouldn't go again.
Soll was my first proper skiing trip about 10 years ago. I really like Skiwelt and I've been to Sheffau as well more recently. Huge open pistes with easy access and not much faffing about or queuing is my main feeling. Soll was a lot more livelier at night than Bad G as I remember but, can remember much (not sure if that's just the passage of time or the consumption of too much booze). My vote would be for Soll, purely based on awkwardness of BG if you get lift closures.

Have a good un whatever

Shipjack