country
AustriaÖsterreich
First trip: 3–4 nights in Vienna, then the train west to Salzburg for 2–3 and Innsbruck or the lakes for 2–3; one bed per base and rail between them, not a hire car.
Austria is a long east–west country, and the main rail line ties Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck together, so the trip is a line, not a loop. What breaks trips is trying to drive the Alps in winter without a vignette or winter tyres, and arriving at Salzburg in festival season or Tyrol in ski season without a booked bed. Keep to the rail spine, add one mountain or lake base, and book early for summer festivals and winter weekends.
All regions, cities and parks in Austria (Atlas) →
Regions
Vienna base; Wachau valley and Melk as day trips
3–4 nights
Salzburg old town; Hallstatt and the lakes
2–3 nights
Innsbruck and the Alps; skiing and summer hiking
2–4 nights
Arrive
VIE
Vienna International
City Airport Train or S-Bahn to central Vienna
SZG
Salzburg
Short bus ride to Salzburg main station
INN
Innsbruck
Close to the city; busy on winter weekends
Time math
- 3 days
- Vienna 3 (Ringstrasse, Hofburg, a museum day, Schönbrunn)
- 6 days
- Vienna 3 + Salzburg 3 (Salzkammergut day trip by bus or train)
- 9 days
- Vienna 3 + Salzburg 3 + Innsbruck 3 (all by train)
Country rules
- Austria is in the EU and the Schengen area: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
- Motorways and expressways need a vignette (digital or sticker); driving on them without one brings on-the-spot fines.
- Winter tyres or chains are required in winter conditions; hire cars from outside Austria may not have them fitted.
Etiquette
- Greet shopkeepers and staff when you enter (Grüß Gott or Guten Tag).
- Jaywalking at red lights is frowned on and can be fined.
- Quiet hours at night and on Sundays are taken seriously in residential buildings.
- In saunas nudity is the norm; swimwear is often not allowed.
- Christmas markets (late Nov–Dec)
- Vienna and Salzburg centres crowded, especially at weekends; book early.
- Salzburg Festival (Jul–Aug)
- Salzburg rooms sell out and prices rise.
- Ski season (Dec–Apr)
- Tyrol resorts busy, Saturday changeover traffic on Alpine roads.
- Dec 24–26 and Easter
- Shops and many restaurants close; trains run on holiday timetables.
Money & passes
Cash necessity: 2/5
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely taken, but some cafés, huts and small shops are still cash only.
- Carry some cash for mountain huts, markets and small bakeries.
- Rounding up or adding about 10% is the usual tip in restaurants and taxis.
Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · Visas and entry
Safety
- Emergency: 112 (the EU number) works everywhere.
- Mountains: weather changes fast; check forecasts, start early and turn back in storms. Mountain rescue can be costly without insurance.
- Avalanche risk in winter off-piste: do not leave marked runs without training and local advice.
- Pickpockets work crowded trams, stations and Christmas markets in Vienna and Salzburg.
Austria sits between Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland; Vienna to Bratislava or Budapest is a short train ride.
Sources
- Wikivoyage — Austria (secondary)
- UK FCDO foreign travel advice: Austria (official)