Austria from Germany

Best time to visit

Monthly breakdown for Germany travellers planning a Austria trip.

Best value

May · Jun · Sep · Dec · Jan · Feb

Peak season

Jul · Aug — Hotter, busier and more expensive

Getting there

Flight time

~1–1.5 h (or 4–8 h by car/train)

Why Austria?

For German travellers, Austria is the closest destination with no language barrier at all: the same language, a related culture, but different scenery and its own historical character. From Bavaria, it's often faster to reach Salzburg or Innsbruck by car or train than to get to a German airport.

For most starting points, getting there means road or rail rather than flying: Munich–Salzburg is about 140 km, Munich–Innsbruck around 160 km, both under two hours by car or direct train. Only from Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne or Düsseldorf does flying to Vienna usually make sense, with flight times of roughly one to one and a half hours.

In summer, the Alpine regions of Tyrol and Salzburger Land draw visitors with hiking trails and mountain lakes; in winter, the same regions rank among Central Europe's key ski areas. In between sit the city breaks: Vienna for culture and coffeehouses, Salzburg and Graz for compact old towns.

Where to stay

• Vienna — Austria's capital packs imperial architecture, a dense museum scene and coffeehouse culture into a compact centre, reachable by direct train from Munich, Berlin or Nuremberg.
• Graz — Austria's second-largest city has one of Central Europe's best-preserved old towns (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and serves as a quieter, more affordable alternative to Vienna.
• Salzburg — Mozart's birthplace lies only about 140 km from Munich, and its baroque old town also serves as the gateway to the Salzkammergut lake district and the Tyrolean Alps.
• Linz — This Danube city has turned from an industrial hub into a centre for media art (Ars Electronica), offering shorter distances and lower prices than Vienna.
• Bregenz — Set on the eastern shore of Lake Constance, Bregenz is known for the floating stage of the Bregenz Festival and lies closer to Zurich and Stuttgart than to Vienna.

Overall living costs in Austria are close to German levels, though tourist mountain regions like Tyrol or Salzburg run noticeably higher during ski season: a mid-range double room typically costs 90 to 160 euros a night, a day ski pass at the major resorts 55 to 75 euros, and a simple restaurant meal 15 to 25 euros.

Plan your trip

• Austria travel guide
• Events in Austria

Package holidays vs booking independently

Compare packages from Germany-based operators against building your own trip.

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