Ultimate Guide on How to Plan your Trip to Austria

Step 1. Decide when to visit Austria

Austria is a year-round destination with memorable experiences for every season. There is no wrong time to visit Austria, but there may be one time that suits you better. This is completely dependent on what activities, events and sights you would like to see and do.

Summer is popular for sightseeing, hiking, walking, and exploring the mountains and countryside.  In winter, many visitors come to Austria to enjoy its Winter wonderland atmosphere, the Christmas Markets and skiing. The Spring and Autumn shoulder seasons are a great time to explore without as many tourists and cheaper accommodation prices.

It is also important to be aware of Austrian holidays, special events and festivals when planning your Austrian trip.

• Do you want to experience waltzing around an opulent ballroom during Ball season?
• Would you like to listen to classical music or opera – or see a performance at one of the many festivals?
• Do you want to watch the cows come down from the Alpine pastures in the Almbetrieb?
• Are you excited about being scared by Krampus?

Step 2. Figure out your Travel Budget

Step 3. Determine the length of your holiday to Austria.

Depending on your budget and how long you have for holidays will affect what you can plan for your trip. 

Will it be a long weekend city getaway, or do you have 3-weeks to travel across Austria?

Step 4. Passports, Visa, Immunisation

At this stage of your planning, it is a good idea to check the validity of your passport and see if you require a visa.

Also, check to see if any immunisations are required.

Step 5. Research where you would like to visit in Austria

This will depend on your interests, your budget, the length of your holiday and what type of trip your dream holiday is.   

• Do you want to visit cities? 
• See Museums?
• Attend Operas and other Musical performances
• Visit beautiful mountain villages
• Adventure- Relaxation – or Both?

Austria has beautiful alpine scenery, lush verdant forests, spectacular lakes, quaint villages and opulent cities.

We recommend visiting a mixture of cities, towns/villages and regions.  

Make your wishlist of the top places you would like to visit in Austria.

Step 6. Make your Austria Bucket List

You now have an idea of when and where you would like to go and for how long, so now start on preliminary research.

Use resources like:

• this website,
• Facebook groups like @Austria Travel Planning
• blogs, Instagram, Pinterest
• Guidebooks

Start building your Austria Bucket List.

Research locations, activities, must-see sights, places to eat & drink and transport options.

 Tip:  Create a Google map for each destination with landmarks, restaurants, cafes and photo spots.

It makes it easier to plan transportation. The map can be used when you are on holiday.

 Tip:  Most cities and regions in Austria have extensive tourism websites that are loaded with information.  Most of these websites also have an English site.

These websites are fantastic for providing up-to-date information and highlighting all the activities, sights, activities, tours, transport options, and accommodation options.

To find tourism websites – Google [name of city/region] + Tourismus

Need some help with Planning your trip to Austria?

Step 7. Establish a preliminary route

Figure out a logical order for your route that considers geographical location and transportation options.

Decide on the cities you’ll fly in and out of.

 Tip:  Flying into Vienna and out of Munich (or vice versa) is an efficient way to see most of the country without wasting time returning needlessly to your starting point.

Step 8. Book Flights 

If you travel internationally to Austria, flights will be one of the most expensive parts of your trip.

It is easy to fly directly to Austria from most places worldwide.

Direct flights from the UK, USA, Canada, the Middle East, and Europe land in Vienna at the Vienna International Airport (VIE).  Some flights also land in Salzburg and Innsbruck.  Plus, Munich’s proximity to Austria means that Munich International Airport is also a key airport for visitors to Austria.

Look for the best deals by setting up alerts on Skyscanner and Google Flights for the month you wish to travel and wait for price drops. Be prepared to be flexible on dates and stopovers.

Step 9. Fine-tune your itinerary.  

Top 4 Tips when planning your Itineray

1.   We recommend spending at least three nights in each place to minimise travel time and enjoy each place as much as possible.

Try to avoid single-night stays…even in small towns. It’s just too much of a hassle that you do not have time to relax and enjoy where you are. The day before and the day after will be taken up by getting there, checking in and travelling to your next destination.

        •  For a 3–5-day trip: choose one destination – a city or region.

        •  For 1 week to 10 days: You could visit 1-3 locations.

        •  On a two-week+ trip, you could visit 3-4 places.

2.  Try not to squeeze too much in.

It’s easy to underestimate how long each activity takes, and how long it may take to get from point A to B.

Give yourself a buffer to enjoy yourself and soak up every moment.

Do not plan every minute of your day.  Sometimes the best holiday experiences are those random, off-the-beaten-track discoveries.  Give yourself time to get lost and explore.

3.  If you need to narrow down your list – ask yourself the following questions:

•  Is the time when you visit the “right season” for the activity, sight, or event?

⇒ Some activities in the Alps (such as hikes, Ice Caves, and the Großglockner High Alpine Road) are unavailable in winter/spring.

⇒ There are no performances in July or August for the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Philharmonic, or the Vienna Boys Choir.

•  Travel accessibility and travel time between locations.

•  How many hours/days do I need to do the activity, see the sights, etc?

•  Things to do in each location- what interests you the most?

• What accommodation is available in each location. Does this fit within your budget?

4.  Depending on the length of your trip, here are some recommendations for the most logical order.

3 days: Vienna

5 days: Also visit Salzburg.

7 days:  Add Hallstatt or the Salzkammergut region

10 days: Visit Innsbruck

14 days: Also visit Zell am See-Kaprun

Step 10. Book Accommodation  

You can find holiday accommodation in Austria to suit all budgets, from 5-star luxury to self-catered apartments to budget hostels.

We recommend booking accommodation at least three months to one year before your holiday.

  In July and August, hotels are often booked as far as a year in advance.

  Accommodation in Ski resorts during Christmas and February Ski holidays is often booked a year in advance.

Step 11. Determine how you will travel around Austria. 

Austria has an extensive transport network; travel by train, bus, and city public transport is easy, cost-effective, and efficient.

Choose your transportation not solely based on cost but what is best for your ideal trip.

Tip Train travel.  If booking ÖBB trains, it is recommended to book tickets and reserve seats (if possible on the main Vienna-Salzburg-Innsbruck route) at least 15 days to 1 month before your journey. 

Tip Car Rental:  Driving is a great way to see the towns and villages of Austria.

Austrian vehicles are mostly manual transmissions. We recommend booking early to reserve automatic transmission vehicles.  

Expect to pay ~25-100€+€/day for car rental

Prices will depend on:

• The size of the vehicle
• Class of vehicle
• Extra charges such as travel outside of Austria, Ski racks, GPS, etc.
• Also be aware that manual transmissions are more plentiful and cheaper to rent than Automatic vehicles.

Compare car hire options HERE

Step 12. Book Tours, Activities, ‘Must eat-at’ Restaurants

Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck are popular. Visiting palaces and museums and attending cultural events are highlights for most visitors to Austria.

Between May to September and December, booking tours and activities 2-3 months in advance is recommended.

The Vienna State Opera, Vienna Philharmonic, and festivals such as Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival, Bregenz Summer Festival, and Salzburg Festival) are very popular. Tickets are in high demand and tend to sell out.

Many popular museums (especially in Vienna) have timed ticket entry. During high seasons, it is recommended that you reserve your tickets at least 1 month in advance to obtain your desired time.  It may be possible to book on the day but expect long queues and limited spots. Tickets for many of the museums and sights can be booked on their official websites.

Restaurants: It is recommended to reserve ‘must-eat at’ popular restaurants at least one month before in the cities of Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck, especially during high season.

At Christmas, restaurants should be reserved at least one to two months before Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, December 26th, and New Year’s Eve. At other times, reserve popular restaurants one to two weeks before.

Ski Trips: Reserve ski rentals and ski lessons (if required). During the High Season Christmas /New Year and February Ski holiday, both ski rentals and lessons should be reserved at least 3 months prior.

Step 13. Organise the Boring Stuff

Ensure that you have researched and booked the following:

Travel insurance.

Travel Cards: How will you pay for items when you are abroad? Visa and MasterCard are readily accepted, but American Express and Discovery cards are not.

Cash is necessary in smaller towns/villages, for some cafes and small vendors.

Wise (formally Transferwise) you can hold money in over 40 currencies and spend it in over 150 countries. We have found that Wise has been the cheapest and easiest option when travelling. Currency exchange is done using the mid-market rate and conversion fees are transparent and shown up front.   You can use your card in ATMs abroad (and at home)

Get Started with WISE for free HERE

Phone/internet: Research your phone plan and know how it will work overseas. Determine if you need to get an international phone or internet plan.

Many companies offer eSIMs, such as Airalo, which we found provides good coverage throughout Europe. The inexpensive weekly, monthly plans are inexpensive compared to international data roaming plans. Once you activate the eSIM on your phone, you have immediate usage of data.

Step 14. Finalise your Itinerary.

Make any last-minute changes to your itinerary, finalise and confirm (if required) your reservations.

Organise any final payments or deposits

Also, make any special requests such as late checkout, type of beds etc.

Step 15.  Pack your bags

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