Austria is Vienna coffee houses, Salzburg music and Alpine lakes in summer, then family-run ski villages in winter.
Austria does two things very well and they combine easily. Vienna is an imperial capital of palaces, opera and coffee houses, and Salzburg is a baroque town under a hilltop fortress. Between and beyond them, the Alps offer lakes for summer swimming and walking, and ski villages that feel like villages rather than resorts.
In summer we pair Vienna or Salzburg with the Salzkammergut lakes or the Tyrol, with trains between cities and a driver in the mountains. In winter, the Arlberg around Lech and St. Anton, and Kitzbühel in the Tyrol, are the places we send most skiers, and December brings Advent markets to every town square.
The honest caveat is popularity at particular places and times. Hallstatt fills with day visitors, so stay overnight or choose a quieter lake. Salzburg in Festival season, from late July through August, needs hotels and tickets booked early.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
Vienna rewards slow days. Walk the Ringstrasse, spend a morning at Schönbrunn Palace and its gardens, and see the Klimt paintings in the Belvedere. Coffee houses such as Café Sperl or Café Prückel are for lingering. In the evening, a box at the State Opera, then Wiener schnitzel or Tafelspitz in a traditional Beisl.
Salzburg's old town sits between the river Salzach and the Hohensalzburg Fortress. Mozart was born here, and the Salzburg Festival fills the city with opera and concerts from late July into August. Outside Festival season, the city is calmer and the Mirabell Gardens, the cathedral and the funicular to the fortress are easy in a day or two.
East of Salzburg, the Salzkammergut is a region of lakes between limestone mountains. Take the cog railway up the Schafberg for the view over the Wolfgangsee, swim at the Fuschlsee and take a boat on the Hallstätter See. Hallstatt is lovely but crowded by day; stay the night to see it in the evening, or choose St. Wolfgang instead.
An hour west of Vienna, the Danube runs through the Wachau between terraced vineyards and apricot orchards. Visit the baroque Melk Abbey, cycle the riverside path between Spitz and Dürnstein, and taste Grüner Veltliner and Riesling at family wineries. The apricot blossom comes in spring and the harvest in September and October.
The Arlberg links Lech, Zürs and St. Anton into one large ski area. Lech is quiet and traditional, with small family-run hotels, while St. Anton is livelier and known for its off-piste. Austrian ski culture is about the mountain hut lunch too: Kaiserschmarrn, a shredded pancake with plum compote, on a sunny terrace.
From late November to Christmas, Austrian towns set up Advent markets with wooden stalls, carols and mulled wine. Vienna has markets in front of the City Hall and at Schönbrunn, and Salzburg's cathedral square is especially atmospheric. Combine them with a concert in a church, and a sleigh ride if there is early snow in the mountains.
In Vienna, stay inside or near the Ring so the sights are a walk away. In Salzburg, the old town is atmospheric and the hotels on the right bank have fortress views. In the mountains and lakes, family-run hotels with spas are the Austrian speciality and often more personal than larger resorts.
We match each trip in Austria to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsAustria has a winter season from December to early April, when the ski villages and Advent markets are the draw, and a summer season from June to September for lakes, walking and the Salzburg Festival.
Spring and autumn are quieter. The cities are at their best then, the Wachau has blossom or harvest, and mountain villages rest between seasons, with some lifts and hotels closed.
A summer week by train and car from Vienna, down the Danube to Salzburg and out to the Wolfgangsee, flying home from Salzburg. 7 nights.
Fly into Vienna and stay inside the Ring. Schönbrunn, the Belvedere, a coffee house morning and an evening at the State Opera.
Drive west to Melk Abbey, then cycle the river path to Dürnstein for a winery dinner and a night by the Danube.
Continue to Salzburg. The old town, the fortress by funicular and a concert, with a day for the Mirabell Gardens.
Out to St. Wolfgang for a swim, the cog railway up the Schafberg and dinner on the lakeshore.
A short drive back to Salzburg airport for the flight home to London.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Austria (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
Vienna is about 2 hours 15 minutes direct from Heathrow, and Salzburg and Innsbruck have direct London flights, especially in the ski season. Trains between Vienna and Salzburg are fast and frequent.
UK passport holders can visit Austria without a visa for short stays, and new Schengen border checks are being introduced. Read the FCDO entry requirements for Austria (opens in a new tab) before you travel.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Austria (opens in a new tab)
See the TravelHealthPro page for Austria (opens in a new tab) and the FCDO health page. In the mountains, sun on snow is strong at altitude, and weather changes quickly on summer walks, so carry layers.
Austria uses the euro. Card payments are widely accepted but not everywhere, so look for card logos and carry some cash for mountain huts and markets.
Surcharge-free roaming in the EU is no longer guaranteed for UK customers, so check your provider's charges before you go. Coverage is good in towns and ski areas.
A tip of 5 to 10 per cent is traditional in restaurants, taxis and hairdressers, depending on the service. If it is already included on the bill, there is no need to add more.
Austria tends to have more village character, warmer hospitality in family-run hotels and a stronger mountain hut culture. Switzerland has more very high, glacier-backed resorts and car-free villages. Both have modern, efficient lift systems. Lech and Zermatt make an interesting comparison if you are choosing.
As early as possible. The programme is usually announced several months ahead, and the central hotels in Salzburg fill quickly for late July and August. We secure accommodation first and then work with you on tickets as soon as sales open.
Yes, but not as a day trip in summer, when it is crowded from mid-morning. Stay overnight and see it early or at dusk, or visit in autumn. The Wolfgangsee and Fuschlsee are quieter lakes with the same mountain scenery and better swimming.
Most open from mid or late November and run until Christmas Eve, with some staying open until New Year. Vienna and Salzburg have the best-known markets, and weekday evenings are quieter than weekends. It is worth pairing a city break with a concert in a church.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: June, September and December to February.
Switzerland is the Alps made easy: car-free mountain villages, lakes you can swim in and trains that climb to the glaciers.
Italy rewards choosing one region well: lemon terraces at Amalfi, Tuscan hill towns, lake villas and the lagoon light of Venice.
France is close enough for a long weekend and big enough to keep coming back: Paris, Provence, the Riviera and the wine regions.
