Region

Vorarlberg

Base in Bregenz, Feldkirch or Dornbirn; reach the valleys by train and bus, not a hire car.

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Key facts · Austria

Best months: Jun–Sep
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Euro (EUR, €)
Language: German
Plugs: C · F · 230 V
Time zone: CET, UTC+1

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…

Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
Austria ↗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.
Austria ↗Motorways and expressways need a vignette (digital or sticker); driving on them without one brings on-the-spot fines.
Austria ↗Winter tyres or chains are required in winter conditions; hire cars from outside Austria may not have them fitted.

Vorarlberg is Austria's west, wedged between Lake Constance, Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Two-thirds of it sits above 1,000 m, so the region splits into a flat Rhine valley with the towns and rail line, and side valleys that climb to the Arlberg and Silvretta. Sleep in the valley, day-trip the valleys, and use the dense bus network instead of driving.

Sleep

Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it

Where to sleep

9 places in this region

Sleep base

BregenzCity guide
Lake Constance, festival, rail hub; best for a first night.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Bregenz →
FeldkirchCity guide
Old town and rail stop on the valley line; check onward links to Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
Best May–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Feldkirch →
DornbirnCity guide
Largest town, good rail and bus links, cheaper beds.
Best May–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Dornbirn →

Day trip

BludenzPlanned
Gateway to Montafon, Brandnertal and Klostertal.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
MontafonPlanned
Valley for hiking and skiing; bus from Bludenz.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Lech and Zürs am ArlbergPlanned
High-altitude ski and hike base; bus from Langen am Arlberg.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Warth and SchröckenPlanned
Hochtannberg pass villages; access to Körbersee and Formarinsee.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
HohenemsPlanned
Castle ruins and Jewish quarter; rail stop on the valley line.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Langen am ArlbergPlanned
Rail junction where the Arlberg tunnel line meets the valley.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

Night sequences

3 nights: Bregenz 2 + Feldkirch 1, day-trip Dornbirn and the Bregenzerwald
5 nights: Bregenz 2 + Feldkirch 2 + Bludenz or Montafon 1
7 nights: Valley base 4 + Arlberg or Montafon 3 for hiking or skiing

Vorarlberg is one of Austria's wettest and coldest regions; rain gear matters even in July.
Side-valley buses thin out in the evening and on Sundays — check the last return before you go up.
Kleinwalsertal is reachable by road only from Germany, not from the rest of Vorarlberg.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Dornbirn	Bregenz	25 min	late evening	Frequent S-Bahn along the valley; last trains run late evening.
Feldkirch	Bregenz	40 min	late evening	Rail backbone Bregenz–Feldkirch–Arlberg; buses fan out from Feldkirch.
Bludenz	Feldkirch	25 min	late evening	Change here for Montafon, Brandnertal and Klostertal buses.
Montafon	Bludenz	45 min	check	Valley bus; check the last return if you stay for dinner.
Lech and Zürs am Arlberg	Langen am Arlberg	40 min	check	Bus up from the rail station; road closes in heavy snow.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding network inside Vorarlberg; carry bags on the S-Bahn and valley buses, which have limited racks.

When and how

Months, arrival and passes

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Bregenz	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Feldkirch	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	go	×	×	go	go	×	ok
Dornbirn	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	go	×	×	go	go	×	ok
Austria (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Rhine valley and Lake ConstanceBregenz, Dornbirn, Feldkirch	cool	cool	ok	ok	ok	best	best	best	best	ok	cool	cool
Valleys and ArlbergMontafon, Bregenzerwald, Lech	snow	snow	snow	ok	ok	best	best	best	best	ok	snow	snow

best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, grey

Rhine valley and Lake Constance: Mildest part of the state; lake-effect cloud and rain are common. June–September is the reliable window; July–August averages about 20–25 °C. April–May is shoulder season — check conditions.Mildest part of the state; lake-effect cloud and rain are common. June–September is the reliable window; July–August averages about 68–77 °F. April–May is shoulder season — check conditions.
Valleys and Arlberg: Snow from December to March; December daytime highs near 1 °C in the valley. Above 700–1,000 m expect about 100 cm of snow in a normal winter. June–September is the hiking window; April–May is shoulder season — check conditions.Snow from December to March; December daytime highs near 34 °F in the valley. Above 700–1,000 m expect about 100 cm of snow in a normal winter. June–September is the hiking window; April–May is shoulder season — check conditions.

June to September is the reliable hiking window; July and August are warmest and busiest. Winter is for skiing, with the snowiest zone around the Winterstaude–Fontanella–Hochtannberg triangle.

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Zurich (ZRH)	Bregenz	SBB rail via St. Gallen or Sargans	~1 h 30 by train from Zurich	Zurich is the closest big airport; trains cross the border to Bregenz.
Zurich (ZRH)	Feldkirch	SBB rail via Sargans and Buchs	check	Feldkirch is further along the same line; check the connection time for your date.
Munich (MUC)	Bregenz / Feldkirch	DB / ÖBB rail via Lindau	~2 h 30	The Munich–Zurich route runs straight through Vorarlberg; routing check for your date.
Innsbruck	Bludenz / Feldkirch / Bregenz	ÖBB or Westbahn rail	~2 h 30	Crosses the Arlberg; direct trains to Bregenz and Feldkirch.
Vienna	Bregenz / Feldkirch	ÖBB or Westbahn rail	~6 h	Long haul across Austria; a Nightjet via Innsbruck is an option.
Memmingen (FMM) or Friedrichshafen (FDH)	Bregenz	Bus or rail connection	check	Smaller airports with low-cost and seasonal flights; onward links vary.

Regional passes

Verdict first

maximo day pass

buy

Covers buses and trains across the whole state for a day; children under 6 free, 6–14 half price (2024 price €16.80).

FAIRTIQ app

check

App-based check-in fares; often the cheapest single and day fares — compare with station machines.

Station vending machines

buy

Cheapest single and day tickets, including at first stops across the border.

Regional guest and ski-pass cards

check

Summer inclusive cards and multi-day ski passes often include local public transport; confirm what your card covers.

Eat and move on

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Alpine cheese and Käseknöpfle	Bregenzerwald villages	Cheese-making is central to the region's farming culture; mountain dairies serve it in summer.
Lake fish	Bregenz and Lake Constance shore	Seasonal; the lake ferry towns also serve it.
Kässpatzen and rösti-style plates	Valley inns across Vorarlberg	Hearty and cheap at lunch; portions are large.
Vorarlberger Bergkäse	Dornbirn markets and farm shops	Buy a wedge to carry; vacuum-packed keeps on the train.

Go next

Austria

Rail east via the Arlberg to Innsbruck and beyond

The country guide covers Vienna, Salzburg and the lakes.

Vienna and Lower Austria

ÖBB or Westbahn rail, or Nightjet via Innsbruck

Long ride; consider breaking it in Innsbruck or Salzburg.

Vienna

ÖBB or Westbahn rail

Direct trains; a full day of travel.

Tyrol

planned

Rail over the Arlberg to Innsbruck, ~2 h 30

Continue east for Innsbruck and the Zillertal.

Burgenland

planned

Rail via Vienna

Far east; pair with a Vienna stop.

Open Austria Up to Austria

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Sources

officialVorarlberg state portal
officialVorarlberg Travel
officialÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways)
officialvmobil route planner
officialASFINAG vignette shop
officialVorarlberg Lines ferries
secondaryWikivoyage: Vorarlberg, revision 5320801 (CC BY-SA 4.0)