10 days in Austria: itinerary

Ten days is the length at which Austria stops being a city break and becomes a route. The country is small and the rail spine is fast: Vienna to Salzburg is about 2.5 hours by Railjet, Salzburg to Innsbruck about 2 hours, so you can move base without losing a day to travel.

The plan below follows the parent country itinerary for 10 days — cities and lakes — with Vienna first because flights and long-distance trains land there, and Innsbruck last because it has its own airport and is two hours from Munich and Zurich if you fly home from elsewhere.

The trade-off is hotel changes: four in ten days is the practical maximum. If you would rather settle in, drop the Wachau night and day-trip it from Vienna, and use Salzburg as the base for Hallstatt instead of sleeping lakeside.

The line runs west and slightly south: Vienna on the Danube, the Wachau valley upstream, Salzburg at the German border, the Salzkammergut lakes to the south-east of Salzburg, then the Inn valley to Innsbruck. Nothing on this route needs a car.

Two legs are slower than the map suggests. Salzburg to Hallstatt is a two-change rail trip plus a ferry, so treat it as half a day. Hallstatt or Bad Ischl to Innsbruck crosses the mountains and takes around four hours by rail via Salzburg, or a bus-and-rail combination through the Salzkammergut; check timetables before committing to a late arrival.

If you are driving instead, the West Autobahn (A1) parallels the rail line and the Salzkammergut roads are slow in summer. Vignette (motorway sticker) required; check current prices.

Days 1–3, Vienna. Day 1: old town on foot — Hofburg, Graben, Stephansdom — and a coffee house. Day 2: Schönbrunn with a timed ticket in the morning, Belvedere or the Kunsthistorisches Museum in the afternoon. Day 3: pick one — the Spanish Riding School morning exercise, a day trip to Klosterneuburg or Mödling, or the Vienna State Opera in the evening; standing places are the cheap option (check prices and sale times).

Day 4, Wachau. Morning train to Krems, then boat or bus to Dürnstein or Spitz, wine tasting in the terraces, and a night in a small guesthouse. Melk Abbey is the western anchor if you have the time.

Days 5–6, Salzburg. Getreidegasse, the fortress, Mozart's Birthplace, and an evening of music if the festival calendar allows. Day 6 is a lake day: bus or train to Fuschl, St. Wolfgang or Mondsee and back.

Days 7–8, Hallstatt or Bad Ischl. Hallstatt village and salt mine early, before the coach groups; Bad Ischl is the quieter base with better connections and the Dachstein and 5 Fingers platform within reach. Check the Dachstein cable car season — it does not run year-round.

Days 9–10, Innsbruck. Old town and the Golden Roof, then the Nordkette cable car from the centre to over 2,000 m if the weather is clear. Day 10: a short valley trip (Igls, Hall) or a slow morning before flying out.

Trains are the default. ÖBB Railjet and regional services cover Vienna–Salzburg–Innsbruck frequently; buy point-to-point tickets early for the cheapest fares, or use a railcard if you are doing several long legs. Seat reservations matter on Friday and Sunday afternoons and around public holidays.

Lake and valley legs run on post buses and local trains, with ferries on the Hallstatt and Wolfgangsee crossings. Sunday and holiday timetables are thinner — check before you book a bed that depends on a late bus.

A car helps only for the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and some Carinthian and Tyrolean side valleys. It is a liability in Vienna, Salzburg and Hallstatt, where parking is scarce and expensive.

Vienna: stay inside the Ring or just outside it (Innere Stadt, Mariahilf, Neubau) so you can walk to most sights; the U-Bahn covers the rest.

Wachau: Dürnstein and Spitz are small and quiet; Krems has more beds and a station on the main line. One night is enough.

Salzburg: the right bank (Andräviertel) is cheaper than the old town and still walkable. Book early for festival and Advent dates.

Hallstatt: very few beds and high summer prices; Bad Ischl, St. Wolfgang or Obertraun give better value and easier transport. Innsbruck: the old town or around the station, both within 15 minutes on foot of the centre.

Mid-range, per person for 10 days, excluding international flights: €1,300–2,000 (2026 estimate). That assumes a private room or good hostel, one paid sight per day, restaurant meals at lunch and a mix of cheap and mid-range dinners.

The big variables are beds in Hallstatt and Salzburg in high season, and rail fares bought late. A Vienna–Innsbruck walk-up fare can cost several times an advance ticket; check current prices when you book.

Budget travellers using hostels, supermarket lunches and advance rail tickets can land nearer €800–1,100. Families and anyone adding ski lifts, cable cars or the Grossglockner toll should budget higher.

If you have less time, the 7-day rail spine (Vienna → Salzburg → Innsbruck) is the version to copy, with Hallstatt as a long day trip from Salzburg.

If you have more, the 14-day route adds Graz, the Carinthian lakes and Zell am See with the Grossglockner — that one needs a car or the summer bus.

Other swaps: replace the Wachau night with a day trip from Vienna; replace Hallstatt with Bad Ischl for cheaper beds; skip Innsbruck and end in Salzburg if you are flying home from Munich or Vienna. In winter, trade the lake days for a ski base in the Zillertal or Arlberg.