Austria travel guide: when to go, where to go and how to plan it together

November 8, 2026 · 8 min read

Austria packs an imperial capital, a Mozart city and the eastern Alps into a country smaller than Ireland. In the morning you can be in a Vienna coffee house, eating cake in a room that has not changed in a century; by evening you can be on a lake in the Salzkammergut with mountains in the water. The two halves of the country feel quite different, and both reward slow travel.

Austria is also easy: efficient trains, safe cities, good food and plenty of places to stay for a group. This guide covers when to go, where to go, a nine-day route and what to decide before you book.

Capital: Vienna
Currency: Euro (€)
Languages: German
Plugs: Type C and F, 230 V
Driving: On the right
Time zone: UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer
Best time to go: May to September, and December to March for skiing
Daily budget: About US$120–220 a person a day, mid-range, 2026

When to go

Spring (April to June) brings green valleys, blossom in the Wachau and open terraces in Vienna. The high Alps are still snowy in April and May, and many mountain lifts and huts do not open until June, so spring suits cities and lakes better than hiking. Easter and Whitsun fill hotels in the main towns.

Summer (July and August) is the season for hiking, swimming in the lakes and festivals. The Salzburg Festival runs through July and August, and the Bregenz Festival stages opera on a floating stage on Lake Constance. Vienna is hot and a little emptier, with locals away on holiday, while the mountains and the Salzkammergut are at their busiest and most expensive. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in the mountains.

Autumn (September and October) is clear and mild, with larches turning gold, the vine harvest in the Wachau and new wine served in Vienna's wine taverns. The lifts still run in September, and crowds thin. For tips on this quieter time, see shoulder-season travel.

Winter (December to March) is ski season, from the Arlberg to the Tyrol and Salzburg valleys, and the season for Christmas markets, which run from mid-November until Christmas Eve. Vienna's ball season peaks in January and February, and hotels in the ski resorts fill at Christmas, the new year and mid-February. If you plan to ski, read our guide to planning a ski trip.

Where to go

Vienna

The capital is grand, musical and quietly eccentric. Walk the Ringstrasse, visit the imperial palaces of Schönbrunn and the Hofburg, spend an hour in a coffee house, and go to the opera or a concert. Out in the vineyards on the city's edge, the wine taverns called Heurigen serve new wine and simple food in gardens. Give it three days. For a day-by-day plan, see the 3-day Vienna itinerary.

The Wachau Valley

An hour upriver from Vienna, the Danube winds between terraced vineyards, apricot orchards and abbeys, with the baroque abbey of Melk at one end. Travel by train and boat, or cycle the riverside path. A day trip, or a night in a village such as Dürnstein.

Salzburg

A baroque old town below a fortress, with Mozart's birthplace, the cathedral and the Sound of Music tours that locals tolerate cheerfully. The Alps begin at the edge of town. Two days is enough, and the town is quietest early in the day.

Hallstatt and the Salzkammergut

A region of clear lakes and limestone peaks east of Salzburg. Hallstatt, a village on a lake beneath a cliff, is one of the most photographed places in Europe, and it is very crowded in summer, so go early or stay the night. Nearby St. Wolfgang, St. Gilgen and the lakes of Attersee and Wolfgangsee give you the same scenery with more room. Two nights.

Innsbruck and the Tyrol

A city with Roman-era roots and an old town under a wall of mountains. Cable cars lift you from the streets to ridge walks in under half an hour, and the Tyrolean valleys around it have farmhouse stays and hiking trails. Two or three days, more with skis.

Graz and Styria

The second city has a well-kept old town, a modern art museum and some of Austria's best food. South of it, the wine roads of Styria wind through hills of vineyards. Graz suits a night or two on the way to Slovenia or Croatia.

The Grossglockner and the High Tauern

The highest mountain in Austria sits in a national park of glaciers and waterfalls. A high alpine road crosses the range in summer, and is closed by snow in winter. A day or two by car, or a hiking base such as Zell am See.

A 9-day itinerary

Days 1–3: Vienna. One day for the old centre and the palaces, one for the museums and coffee houses, and one for the vineyards or a concert. Keep an evening for a wine tavern.

Day 4: The Wachau. Take the train to Melk, about an hour, and see the abbey. Then ride a boat or a bike between the villages and return to Vienna or stay the night.

Days 5–6: Salzburg. The fast train from Vienna takes about two and a half hours. Spend one day in the old town and one up in the mountains or at the salt mines nearby.

Day 7: Hallstatt. About three hours from Salzburg by bus and train. Arrive early, walk the lakeshore and take the boat before the crowds.

Days 8–9: Innsbruck. About two and a half hours by train from Salzburg through Germany. Take a cable car above the town and spend the last evening in the old centre. Fly home from Innsbruck or take the train to Munich.

With more time, add Graz before Vienna, or a few days in the Tyrol valleys.

Getting around

Austria's trains are comfortable and punctual, especially on the main line between Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck. Regional trains and buses reach most valleys, and in the mountains post buses fill the gaps. Book the long-distance fast trains ahead for the best fares, and reserve a seat on weekends and holidays. Overnight sleeper trains also connect Vienna with other European cities; see night trains for how they work.

In the cities, trams, subways and buses are cheap and frequent, and Vienna's network is one of the best in Europe. You validate or scan your own ticket, and inspectors do check.

Driving is worthwhile for the Wachau, the lakes, the Grossglockner and remote valleys. Motorways need a toll sticker or digital vignette, which rental cars normally include, so check at pick-up. Mountain roads are steep, and in snowy conditions winter tyres are required, so ask the rental company what the car has. Our guide to renting a car abroad covers what to ask. Don't drive in Vienna or Salzburg's centre.

Cycling is popular, and the Danube cycle path between Passau and Vienna is one of Europe's best-known rides.

Money and costs

Cards are accepted in hotels, larger restaurants and shops, but cash is still common in small guesthouses, mountain huts, Heurigen and rural cafés. Carry euros and use a bank ATM.

Tipping is expected in restaurants: round up, or add 5–10% for good service, and say the total when you pay rather than leaving money on the table.

Vienna's prices are fair for Western Europe, and its tap water comes straight from the Alps and is excellent. Salzburg and the resorts cost more, and Hallstatt, the ski villages and the high season are the most expensive. Set lunch menus at midday, bakeries and supermarkets reduce the bill considerably. Shops close on Sundays almost everywhere, so buy supplies on Saturday.

Rough daily costs a person, in 2026:

Budget: about US$70–110, with hostels, bakery lunches and regional trains.
Mid-range: about US$120–220, with hotels or guesthouses, restaurant dinners and a few lifts.
Comfortable: US$280 and up, with good hotels, concerts and a rental car.

Planning Austria as a group

Austria is a good group destination because chalets and apartments are plentiful and the transport is reliable.

Stays. In the mountains and lake districts, a farmhouse apartment or a chalet for six to ten people is often cheaper per person than hotel rooms and gives you a shared kitchen and living room. Some places have minimum stays of a week in winter, so check before you commit. For tips, read where to stay with a group.

Concerts and tables. Vienna's opera houses and concert halls sell tickets for the best seats well ahead, and the Heurigen and coffee houses fill up at the weekend. Book the evenings that matter, and choose the places that take group reservations.

Lifts and day trips. Mountain lifts are costly, and groups differ on how many they want. Agree on the one or two big ascents and keep the rest optional.

Costs. One person usually books the chalet, another the train, another buys the groceries. A single place that keeps all the numbers makes the final settle-up short.

Before you go

Entry rules: check the official government site of Austria and your own government's travel advice before you book. Austria is in the Schengen area, so the rules depend on your passport.
Travel insurance that covers medical costs and cancellations, and mountain rescue if you plan to hike or ski.
Connectivity: an eSIM or a local SIM works well, and travellers from the EU can use their home plan. Coverage can be patchy in high valleys.
A plug adapter for Type C or F if you are coming from outside continental Europe.
Health: no special vaccines are usually needed; ask a travel clinic. If you will walk in woodland in summer, ask about tick-borne encephalitis, which is present in parts of the country.
Customs: greet people with a Grüß Gott or Guten Tag when you enter a shop or a restaurant, and be on time. In a coffee house, you can stay as long as you like over one order. Quiet hours apply on Sundays and at night.

What to pack

For the cities, comfortable shoes and smart-casual clothes are enough; people dress up a little for the opera and the better restaurants. For the mountains, bring a base layer, a fleece and a waterproof, hiking shoes or boots, a hat and sunscreen. The weather changes fast at altitude.

In winter, thermal layers, a warm coat, gloves and boots with grip matter more than anything. Bring a swimsuit for the lakes and the thermal baths, which are an Alpine pleasure in any season. A small day bag, a refillable bottle and a power bank complete the kit.