Austria travel guide

Getting there

Vienna International Airport is the main gateway, with Salzburg and Innsbruck airports serving the Alps; fast trains link Austria with Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Czechia and Hungary.

Best time to visit: May–Sep for hiking and lakes; Dec–Mar for skiing and Christmas markets.

Tougher months: No bad time – winter is cold but brings skiing and Christmas markets; just note November can be grey and in-between for both cities and slopes.

Weather by month in Vienna

• 3°J●
• 5°F●
• 10°M●
• 16°A●
• 21°M●●
• 24°J●●
• 26°J●●
• 26°A●●
• 21°S●
• 14°O●
• 8°N●
• 4°D●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Europe/Vienna. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 93 of 198 other passports can enter Austria without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 0 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 105 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of the Schengen Area (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-08-21). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Austria travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Austria are based around Vienna, Salzburg or Hallstatt. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$70–100 for a backpacker and US$180–300 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Austria page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: C, F. Voltage: 230 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +43.

Mobile data: read the eSIM for Europe before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Vienna (Capital · imperial city): Grand palaces, world-class museums, opera and coffee-house culture make the capital a must.
• Salzburg (Western Austria · baroque & music): Mozart's birthplace is a compact baroque gem crowned by Hohensalzburg Fortress, with the Alps right on the horizon.
• Hallstatt (Salzkammergut · lakeside village): A postcard village wedged between mountain and lake, with ancient salt mines above it.
• Innsbruck (Tyrol · alpine city): A lively university town where cable cars rise straight from the centre to high mountain trails and ski runs.
• Wachau Valley (Lower Austria · Danube & wine): A UNESCO-listed stretch of river lined with vineyards, castles and Melk Abbey, perfect for cycling and wine tasting.
• Hohe Tauern National Park (Central Alps · glaciers & peaks): Austria's largest national park surrounds the Grossglockner, with glaciers, waterfalls and marmots on high trails.
• Graz (Styria · old town & food): Austria's second city pairs a red-roofed old town with bold modern architecture and a strong food scene.
• Zell am See (Salzburg state · lake & mountains): A lakeside resort offering swimming and boating in summer and nearby glacier skiing almost year-round.

Things to do

• Tour Schönbrunn Palace. Wander the Habsburgs' summer palace and climb through its formal gardens to the Gloriette for a view over Vienna.
• Linger in a Viennese coffee house. Order a melange and a slice of cake, then read the papers for hours in a marble-tabled café where nobody rushes you.
• Hear a concert in Vienna. Catch an orchestra, opera or choir performance in the city that gave the world the waltz and the symphony.
• Cycle the Wachau valley. Pedal along the Danube past terraced vineyards, apricot orchards and the golden abbey of Melk.
• Photograph Hallstatt. Arrive early to see the pastel village mirrored in its lake before the day-trippers arrive.
• Ski or snowboard in Tyrol. Carve groomed slopes in resorts like St Anton or Kitzbühel, then warm up with hearty après-ski food.
• Hike hut to hut in the Alps. Walk between staffed mountain huts serving dumplings and strudel above flower-filled summer meadows.
• Drive the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Wind up hairpin bends to glacier views beneath Austria's highest peak.

Source: full Austria guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Wiener schnitzel – breaded and fried veal cutlet
• Sachertorte – rich chocolate cake with apricot jam
• Apfelstrudel – apple strudel with cinnamon
• Käsespätzle – cheesy egg noodles with fried onions

Source: RoamSun Austria guide

Talk

Twenty basic German phrases with a simple sound guide. Say them slowly; a smile does the rest.

Basic phrases: pronunciation is approximate and the list has not yet been reviewed by a native speaker. Capital letters mark the stressed syllable where that applies. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Money and safety

Currency: Euro (EUR). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: Round up about 5–10%, telling the server the total when you pay..

Emergency numbers: 112 · 133 police · 144 ambulance · 122 fire.

• Austria uses the euro, and ATMs (Bankomat) are widespread.
• Cards are increasingly accepted, but some cafés, mountain huts and small shops still prefer cash.
• Austria is one of the safest countries in Europe, but watch for pickpockets in crowded tourist areas and on public transport in Vienna.
• Check weather forecasts before mountain hikes, carry layers and turn back if storms build in the afternoon.

Source: RoamSun Austria facts