Austria

Innsbruck, Austria

Planning to visit Austria? It’s a beautiful country with incredible scenery, charming villages and vibrant cities.

In this Austria travel guide, you’ll find tips on things to do in Austria and suggestions for where to go in Austria to experience the best of this wonderful country.

All the Austria travel blog articles featured below are written to help you plan an Austria vacation you’ll always remember.

Let’s get your Austria trip planning started!

Where is Austria?

Austria is perfectly positioned at the heart of central Europe and shares borders with eight countries – Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy and Liechtenstein.

Cities in Austria

Austria’s cities are bursting with magnificent architecture, culture, fashion and gourmet delights. For art lovers, they are amongst the best places to visit in Austria. Why not include a city stay in your Austria travel plans?  My favourites are:

Vienna – this 72-hour itinerary will help you decide the best things to do in Vienna, the Austrian capital. Will you visit one of the most famous Austria tourist attractions, Schonbrunn Palace?

Salzburg – Another beautiful city in Austria, Salzburg is renowned for its connections to Mozart and as the setting for the famous movie “The Sound of Music” but there’s much more to this destination.

Innsbruck – If you like to mix city stays with visits to the mountains, Innsbruck is one of the best cities in Austria to do just that.  Its location at the foot of the Alps means you can be in the city for lunch and hitting the slopes by mid-afternoon.

Austrian Alps and Lakes

No visit to Austria would be complete (in my opinion) without spending some time in the countryside. Enjoy the fresh mountain air of the Austrian Alps and the crystal clear waters of the Austrian lakes.

Amongst the most beautiful places to see in Austria are these gems:

  • Hallstatt – This fairytale village, nestled between the mountains and a lake, is one of Austria’s most-visited and most photogenic.
  • Salzburg Lake District – With more than 50 lakes in the Salzkammergut lakes region, the chocolate box scenery will take your breath away.
  • Zell am See – A popular ski resort in winter, in summer Zell am See is popular for its lake activities and beautiful alpine walks.
  • Kitzbuhel – Regarded as Austria’s most glamorous ski resort, Kitzbuhel is surrounded by stunning countryside and its Old Town has buildings in every colour of the rainbow!

Things to do in Austria

Whichever part of the country you decide to visit, you’ll never be left wondering what to do in Austria? 

Visits to museums and galleries, concerts, coffee houses, palaces and abbeys are just some of the many things you can include in your Austria sightseeing list.

And even if you only have time to visit Vienna, there are lots of things to see in Austria that can be reached on a day trip from the capital.

Planning your Austria travel itinerary

Once you’ve decided which destinations to include in your itinerary, you’ll need to choose how you plan to travel around Austria. Train is always a good option as the Austrian railways provide a frequent and reliable service around much of the country.

Joining an organised tour is a popular way to see Austria, with a huge number of tour itineraries available.

If you’d prefer to be a bit more flexible and hire a car, this suggested 3-week itinerary can be modified to suit the amount of time you have to spend in Austria.

Winter vacations and Christmas in Austria

Twinkling lights, Christmas markets and the delicious aromas of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine are synonymous with Christmas in Austria .  My suggestions for the best places in Austria to spend Christmas or a winter holiday are covered in the following articles:

Flights to Austria

Now that your Austria travel plans are starting to take shape, you’ll need to start looking for flights to Austria.  Vienna is home to the country’s main international airport but Munich (Germany) is a good option if you plan to visit central and eastern Austria.

You can read my tips for getting the best value flights in this article.

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