Austria

Austria is a country that delights travelers in search of authentic European experiences. Here, imperial palaces coexist with majestic Alpine peaks, and coffee houses serve Sachertorte made from recipes over a century old. Many visitors mistakenly overlook Austria in favor of more popular European destinations, but this is where Austria’s unique charm truly shines. Planning a trip to Austria allows you to feel like a true explorer uncovering hidden treasures in the heart of Europe.

Key Moments

• Save up to 50% with smart travel planning — SparSchiene train tickets start at €9.90 (instead of €60) when booked six months in advance. During the golden autumn season (September-October), accommodation discounts range from 20-30%, and the group Einfach-Raus-Ticket allows five people to travel for €36 across the entire country.
• Mandatory vignette and heavy fines — A highway vignette costs €12.40 for 10 days; driving without one incurs a €123 fine. Evading public transport fares results in a €105 penalty, while a single ticket costs just €2.40.
• Top 3 must-see destinations with prices — Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna (€27-34), the fairy-tale village of Hallstatt with its salt mines (€40), and the Kaprun glacier ascent to 3,029 meters (from €40).
• World-class ski resorts — Innsbruck has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, with ski passes priced at €45-60 per day. The ski season runs from December to March, featuring altitude differences of up to 2,269 meters (Kaprun: 760-3,029m).
• Unique Grossglockner Alpine Road — This 48 km stretch of mountain switchbacks leads to Austria’s highest peak. A toll of €54 applies, and the road is open from May to October, offering views of the country’s largest glacier.
• Strict culinary traditions — Wiener Schnitzel must be made from veal and served without sauce (€18-25), while Sachertorte is crafted from a secret recipe at Hotel Sacher (€5.50). Enjoying Austria’s coffee culture is a leisurely affair, as mandated by UNESCO.
• Efficient rail transportation — Railjet trains reach speeds of up to 230 km/h, connecting the entire country. The journey from Vienna to Salzburg takes just 2 hours and 22 minutes, with a system known for its punctuality.

Austria Overview

This comprehensive travel guide unveils the secrets of a country that “knows how to surprise,” from Vienna’s imperial architecture to Tyrol’s breathtaking landscapes. It covers Austria’s 10 main destinations, providing current prices and practical tips for travelers of any budget.

In this guide, you will find:

• Seasonal recommendations for holidays in Austria, complete with specific entertainment prices
• A detailed breakdown of Austria’s transport system, including tips to save up to 50% on train tickets
• Proven itineraries for Austria’s top 10 attractions, including exact admission costs
• A guide to Austrian cuisine, featuring regional specialties and restaurant prices
• Practical advice from local experts on topics ranging from currency exchange to cultural etiquette

When to Visit Austria: Choosing the Perfect Time for Your Trip

High Season (July-August)

The summer months are the classic choice for first-time visitors. Temperatures hover around a comfortable +20-25°C, and all tourist attractions operate at full capacity, with Alpine hiking trails open. However, be prepared for crowds in Hallstatt and long lines at Schönbrunn Palace. Accommodation prices peak, with decent hotel rates in Vienna ranging from €150-200.

Golden Autumn (September-October)

This is the ideal time for those who appreciate comfort and savings. With temperatures between +15-20°C, it’s perfect for long walks, and tourist numbers significantly decrease, leading to a 20-30% drop in prices. This season is especially vibrant in Austria’s wine regions, where the harvest turns the Wachau Valley into a festive celebration. Just be mindful of the unpredictable weather; an umbrella is recommended.

Christmas Magic (November-December)

Mid-November through Christmas is a wonderful time for romantics planning a vacation. Austria’s Christmas markets rival those in Germany, often offering an even more enchanting atmosphere. Salzburg hosts one of Europe’s oldest Christmas markets, while Viennese coffee houses provide cozy retreats from the winter chill. Hotel prices typically drop to their lowest, except during New Year celebrations.

Ski Season (December-March)

For winter sports enthusiasts, Austria is a paradise. Ski resorts in Innsbruck, Zell am See, and Bad Gastein cater to all skill levels. A day ski pass costs between €45-60, while weekly passes range from €250-300. Keep in mind that mountain weather can be vastly different from that in the lowlands, with temperature differences reaching 10-15 degrees.

Getting Around Austria: Transportation Guide

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB)

Austria’s rail system is known for its punctuality and comfort. High-speed Railjet trains connect major cities, reaching speeds of up to 230 km/h. The journey from Vienna to Salzburg takes between 2 hours 22 minutes (on the RJX express) and 2 hours 50 minutes (regular Railjet), costing €60-61 for standard booking.

Money-saving secret: SparSchiene tickets can be purchased from €9.90 (2nd class) when booked up to six months in advance. However, these tickets come with restrictions — travel times cannot be changed, and tickets are non-refundable.

Einfach-Raus-Ticket: Ideal for Group Travel

This ticket costs €36 for two people (up to €48 for five) and allows groups of up to five to travel all day on regional trains. It is valid from 9:00 AM on weekdays and 24/7 on weekends, making it perfect for group trips to Hallstatt or Wachau Valley.

Urban Transport in Austrian Cities

Austrian cities operate on an “honor ticket” system, with controllers appearing infrequently. However, fines for fare evasion are €105. In Vienna, a single ticket costs €2.40, a daily pass starts at €8, and a weekly pass ranges from €19.70 to €22.60 (depending on the type). Tickets must be validated before travel.

Car Rental: Freedom with Considerations

Renting a car provides maximum freedom, especially for exploring Alpine regions. However, keep these points in mind:

A vignette is mandatory! Costs are €12.40 for 10 days and €31.10 for 2 months. Vignettes are available at gas stations or online, and driving without one risks a €123 fine.

Parking in city centers costs €2-4 per hour, and Vienna has blue zones where parking is limited to 2-3 hours even when paid.

Mountain roads require experience. The Grossglockner Alpine Road operates only from May to October and charges €37 for passenger cars.

Top 10 Must-Visit Places in Austria

Vienna — The Imperial Capital

Vienna greets visitors with imperial grandeur and amazing ability to combine history with modernity. A city where time seems to slow down over coffee with apple strudel.

Schönbrunn Palace — former Habsburg summer residence with 1,441 rooms. Imperial Tour (22 rooms) costs €27, Grand Tour (40 rooms) €34. The best visiting time is morning before 10:00 AM when tour groups are fewer. The Mirror Hall where young Mozart gave concerts is particularly impressive.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral — Gothic jewel with 136-meter tower. South tower climb costs €6.50, elevator to north tower €7. Inside find the 15th-century carved altar and Habsburg catacombs.

Kunsthistorisches Museum houses one of the world’s largest collections. Entry ticket €21, but every first Sunday of the month is free for EU residents. Don’t miss Breughel’s “Tower of Babel” and the Egyptian collection.

Viennese Coffee Houses — a separate universe. At Café Central, you can occupy the table where Trotsky once sat, while Café Sacher offers original Sachertorte for €5.50. Wiener Melange costs €3-4.

Salzburg — Mozart’s City

Salzburg is a compact city you can walk through in a day, but you’ll want to stay a week. Here, every stone breathes music.

The Historic Center is UNESCO-listed. Getreidegasse street with wrought-iron signs leads to house #9 where Mozart was born. The museum operates daily 9:00 AM-5:30 PM (July-August until 7:00 PM), tickets €15.

Hohensalzburg Fortress — one of Europe’s largest preserved medieval castles. Funicular runs every 10 minutes, ascent costs €14.50 with fortress tour. Offers stunning views of the city and Alps.

Mirabell Palace is famous for gardens where “The Sound of Music” was filmed. Garden entry is free, open 24/7. The palace’s Marble Hall is considered one of the world’s most beautiful concert halls.

Sound of Music locations are scattered throughout the city. Tour buses cost €40-50 and last 4 hours. Must-see points: Residenzplatz fountain where Maria sang “I Have Confidence” and St. Peter’s Cemetery.

Hallstatt — Fairy-Tale Village

Hallstatt is Austria’s most photographed village, where every head turn gives a postcard view. The population is only about 800, but thousands of tourists visit daily.

Lake Hallstätter See stretches 8 kilometers between mountains. A short boat ride costs €18 for adults and lasts about 50 minutes. Best photos are taken from the opposite shore — reachable on foot in 20 minutes.

Salt Mines have operated for over 7,000 years. Excursion with cable car ascent costs €40 for adults (children’s tickets €20). Funicular ascent, wooden slide descent, and underground train ride guarantee impressions.

The Skywalk viewing platform hangs over the lake at 360 meters height. Funicular ticket round-trip costs €24 for adults. Best photo time is golden hour before sunset.

Practical tip: Parking in Hallstatt costs €12 per day and often overflows. Better to leave your car in nearby Obertraun (free) and take the bus for €2.

Innsbruck — Tyrolean Jewel

Innsbruck is the world’s only capital where you can reach ski slopes from the city center in 20 minutes. The city twice hosted the Winter Olympics.

Old Town is amazing with colorful houses with bay windows. The famous “Golden Roof” is covered with 2,657 gilded copper tiles. Tower ascent costs €5, but Alpine views are priceless.

Nordkette Cable Car lifts to 2,256 meters in 8 minutes. A round-trip ticket to Hafelekar summit is included in Innsbruck Card or sold separately. A restaurant with panoramic windows operates at the top — coffee with views of seven countries costs €4.

Olympic facilities are open for visits. Bergisel ski jump, designed by Zaha Hadid, operates as a viewing platform. Entry included in Innsbruck Card or costs about €9.50. The elevator reaches tower height in 50 seconds.

Zell am See — Alpine Lake Paradise

Resort town at Kaprun glacier’s foot — where Alpine nature shows itself in full glory. Equally beautiful summer and winter.

Lake Zeller See warms to +23°C in summer — rare for an Alpine lake. Electric boat rental costs €28 per hour, pedal catamaran €20. An 11-kilometer cycle path circles the lake.

Kaprun Glacier is accessible year-round. Cable car ascent to “Top of Salzburg” summit at 3,029 meters costs from €40+ for adults (exact prices depend on season and included services). Restaurant and viewing platforms operate at altitude. Summer skiing is possible here.

Lake cruise on MS Schmittenhöhe costs about €15.50 for adults and lasts approximately an hour. One of Austria’s most scenic water routes.

Ski slopes extend from 760 to 3,029 meters above sea level. Ski Alpin Card covers 408 kilometers of slopes across several resorts. The season runs December to April.

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Graz — Cultural Capital

Graz surprises with contrasts: medieval center neighbors futuristic architecture. This university city of six institutions lives with youthful energy.

The Historic Center is UNESCO-listed. The 14th-century Uhrturm clock tower is the city symbol. Elevator or funicular ascent costs a few euros, walking up Schlossberg is free and healthy.

Kunsthaus — contemporary art museum in a building resembling a spaceship. Locals call it the “friendly alien.” Entry €11, free for visitors under 19. Architecture can be appreciated from outside too.

Styrian delicacies are regional pride. Pumpkin seed oil costs €8-12 per bottle and makes an essential souvenir. Free tastings available at farmers’ markets.

Wachau Valley

This 36-kilometer Danube section between Melk and Krems is the heart of Austrian winemaking. Terraced vineyards create unique landscapes.

The Danube scenery opens best from the ship deck. The cruise from Melk to Krems lasts 1 hour 45 minutes and costs €25. Return by train for €7.

Vineyards and wineries invite for tastings. Local Riesling glass costs €4-6, excursion with tasting €15-20. The best time is September-October during harvest.

Melk Monastery — Baroque jewel on Danube bank. The Abbey tour costs €14, but terrace view is free. The monastery library holds 100,000 volumes.

Bad Gastein — Austria’s Thermal Resort

Elegant Belle Époque resort where emperors and aristocrats once sought treatment. Today, it’s where Alpine nature meets luxury.

Thermal springs emerge at +44-47°C. Felsentherme thermal complex operates daily 9:00 AM-9:00 PM. Bathing in hot springs against snowy peaks is unforgettable.

Belle Époque architecture turns the town into an open-air museum. The waterfall through town center is particularly impressive — water falls 341 meters.

Ski slopes connect with neighboring resorts via a unified lift system. Daily ski pass costs €49, but Gastein Valley views are priceless.

Grossglockner High Alpine Road

This 48-kilometer mountain road is among the world’s most beautiful. Serpentines lead to Austria’s highest peak.

The highest mountain road climbs to 2,571 meters. Tolls cost €54 for passenger cars, motorcycles €44. The road operates May-October, depending on snow conditions.

Pasterze Glacier — Austria’s largest at 8.4 kilometers long. “Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Höhe” viewing platform offers stunning glacier views. Glacier lift costs additional €10.

Hohe Tauern National Park surrounds the road with Alpine meadows and peaks. Mountain goats, marmots, and golden eagles live here. Hiking trails are marked and safe.

Carinthia — Austria’s Lake District

Austria’s southernmost federal state is famous for warm lakes and mild climate. Summer water temperatures reach +28°C.

Lake Wörthersee — the region’s largest at 20 kilometers long. Pedal boat rental costs about €12 per hour, sailing yacht from €80 per day. Water is so clean it’s drinkable.

Hochosterwitz Castle towers on a 172-meter rock. Fourteen gates lead to the summit — each with unique defense systems. Walking ascent is free, castle entry €18 for adults, elevator additional €10.

Thermal resorts operate year-round. Kärnten Therme offers various rates: 3 hours from €17, full day from €24, includes multiple pools with different water temperatures and a sauna complex.

Austrian Cuisine: What to Try in Austria

Traditional Dishes

Wiener Schnitzel — national pride prepared only from veal, breaded and fried in oil. Important rule: no sauce! Austrians consider this an insult to the chef. Restaurant portions cost €18-25 and should be plate-sized.

Käsespätzle — Alpine dumplings with cheese and fried onions, mountain equivalent of Italian pasta. Especially delicious in mountain huts after long walks. Portions cost €12-15.

Backhendl — breaded fried chicken, Styria’s signature dish. Served with potato salad and cranberry sauce. Costs €16-18 in traditional gasthouses.

Each region adds nuances: Tyrol loves spätzle with mountain cheese, Carinthia features fish dishes from Alpine lakes, while Burgenland shows Hungarian influences with goulash.

Famous Desserts

Strudel exists in dozens of variations. Classic apple costs €4-6, but try cottage cheese (Topfenstrudel) or cherry versions. The dough should be so thin you can read newspapers through it.

Sachertorte — chocolate sponge with apricot jam under chocolate glaze. Original recipe remains secret, but the best cake is served at Hotel Sacher in Vienna for €5.50 per slice.

Kaiserschmarrn — “imperial mess,” sweet omelet torn into pieces and dusted with powdered sugar. Legend says Emperor Franz Joseph loved it. Served with plum jam for €8-10.

Austrian bakeries open at 6 AM. Fresh pretzel costs €1-2, croissant €2-3. Many close Sundays, so stock up beforehand.

Beverages

Austrian wines seriously compete with French ones. Wachau Valley Riesling costs €15-25 per bottle in stores, €6-8 per glass in restaurants. Grüner Veltliner is an indigenous variety with spicy notes.

Beer vs wine shows interesting geography. Western regions (Tyrol, Salzburg) prefer beer, eastern and southern areas favor wine. Beer mugs in pubs cost €3-4.

Almdudler — Austrian soda from Alpine herbs. Tastes like herbal lemonade. Bottles cost €2-3, sold everywhere.

Viennese coffee culture is UNESCO-listed intangible heritage. Melange (Viennese cappuccino) costs €3-4, served with water glass and small cookie. Coffee houses allow hours-long sitting with one cup.

Expert Review: Visiting Austria

Austria truly justifies its reputation as a country of contrasts, where each region offers unique experiences. The tourist infrastructure quality especially impresses — ÖBB railway system works like clockwork, making inter-city travel maximally comfortable. Many travelers note Austria is perfect for first Alpine acquaintance: no language barrier (English understood everywhere), excellent price-quality ratio for services, and natural beauty accessible without serious physical preparation.

The gastronomic side deserves special attention — Austrian cuisine is much richer than stereotypical schnitzels and strudels. Each region has signature dishes, while local Wachau Valley wines worthily compete with French ones.

The only drawback to consider is some places’ popularity with tourists: Hallstatt can be overcrowded in summer, so better plan early morning visits or choose lesser-known but equally beautiful Alpine villages. Overall, Austria is an ideal destination for those valuing the combination of cultural heritage, natural beauty, and European service quality.

Expert Tips for Successful Austria Travel

How to Save on Transportation?

Buy train tickets early through the ÖBB app. SparSchiene rates offer up to 50% discount from standard prices (tickets from €9.90 second class, €19.90 first class), but tickets can’t be exchanged or returned. Exception — SparSchiene Komfort: cancellable free 15 days before travel. For city travel, buy weekly passes — they pay off after 3-4 days of active movement.

Do You Need to Know German?

Tourist areas and major cities have excellent English speakers. Villages and mountain regions understand less English, but Austrians are friendly and always help with gestures. Learn basic phrases: “Danke” (thank you), “Bitte” (please), “Entschuldigung” (excuse me).

Where to Exchange Money?

Austria uses euros. ATMs are everywhere, withdrawal fees usually €1-3. Airport and tourist center exchange points offer worse rates. Cards work almost everywhere, but cash needed for public toilets (€0.50-1) and tips.

What Souvenirs to Buy?

Styrian pumpkin seed oil (€8-12), Mozart chocolates (€5-8 per box), Austrian schnapps (€20-40), Swarovski crystals (from €30-40 for stud earrings, about €50 for small figurines). Avoid city center purchases — prices 30-50% higher than suburbs.

What About Tipping?

Restaurants customarily round up bills or leave 5-10%. Tips given during payment, telling server total amount. Taxi drivers get rounded to the nearest euro, hotel housekeeping gets €1-2 daily.

How to Dress in Austria?

Austrians dress conservatively and quality-focused. Churches require covered shoulders and knees. Expensive restaurants and theaters have dress codes. Mountain weather changes quickly — bring jackets even in summer. Good shoes essential for walking on cobblestone streets.

When Do Shops Open?

Most shops operate Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-6:00/7:00 PM, Saturday until 6:00 PM. Sunday is closed except station and airport shops. Grocery supermarkets close 7:00-8:00 PM, bakeries open from 6:00 AM. Tourist areas have special rules allowing longer hours.

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