Austria flights and travel guide

The only thing Austria lacks is a coastline. It has everything else a tourist might desire: a rich cultural history, a passion for food and drink, cities such as Vienna and Salzburg and world-class ski resorts. Getting here is a doddle too. It has six airports (Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Linz and Salzburg) and several airlines offer cheap flights to Austria including flag carrier Austrian Airlines and easyJet.

Austria is landlocked by Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. All these have influenced Austrian cuisine. The Wiener Schnitzel (breaded veal fried in butter) is just the start.

Vienna pioneered coffee-house culture in the 17th century, providing welcoming and warm surroundings for reading newspapers, playing chess, chatting and debating the issues of the day. They could be said to have played a role in Austria's strong arts tradition: in music it can boast Mozart, Strauss (father and son), Mahler, Haydn, Schubert and Beethoven (German-born, but lived in Vienna for much of his life); in art, Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele; in literature Franz Kafka; and perhaps most famously Sigmund Freud. There more to experience than is possible in just one trip.

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Austria climate

Austria has four distinct seasons, averaging 20 degrees in the summer and zero degrees in the winter. Hiking and walking can be enjoyed from April to October, or you can hit the slopes from December to March.

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When to fly to Austria

Peak Season:

Vienna is a year-round city, though tourism is most popular in the main holidays: Easter, Christmas and summertime. In the Alps, winter is obviously peak season for skiing, though the summer is popular with walkers, hikers and bikers. As it is a year-round destination, cheap flights to Austria may take a bit of searching. The best bet is to fly into Vienna or even find a cheap flight to Bratislava and take the bus from there (about a 90-minute journey).

Off Season:

Late autumn (from October through to the start of December) and late winter (Late January through to March or the start of Spring) is the least popular time to visit, because of the less appealing weather.

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Getting around Austria

Domestic Austria flights are available from Austrian Airlines and Tyrolean Airways.

The train service is extremely efficient and the network is extensive. All trains are comfortable and fast and it is unlikely that you will not be able to find a service to your destination. In some parts of the Alps old steam trains are available for transport between resorts. This is a slower way of travelling, but the views are spectacular.

For short trips take the bus, called the Bundesbus.

In the Alps, travel up the mountains is by cable cars, gondolas and ski lifts. Many stay open in the summer for hikers.

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Austria insider information

• Salzburg is a beautiful old, elegant city; which draws Mozart enthusiasts in hordes looking for buildings associated with the great composer. The yellow house at number nine, Geitregasse street in which Mozart was born is now preserved as a museum. Also open to the public is the house in which he lived between 1773-1780 at Makartplatz 8.
• Austria’s capital is also its cultural centre and the most popular city to visit for tourists. Vienna has an abundance of museums, galleries, theatres, churches, cafés, restaurants and hotels. If you don’t know where you want to start, an organised sightseeing tour from the tourist board will let you see some of the sights of the city and help you become orientated. There are a number of tours on offer: guided walking tours, sightseeing tours by bus, boat, or bicycle and, more unusually, tours by “Segway”, a motorised scooter on which you can stand.
• The town of Innsbruck in the Tyrol region of the country is located in the Inn valley, surrounded by mountains. To get up to the mountains, the quickest way is to the take the Hungerburg Bahn.
• Austria has several world-class ski resorts. One of the most famous is the fashionable Kitzbuhel, which has an extensive area of pistes, excellent (if expensive) après-ski facilities and great nightlife.
• Zell-am-See, located on a lake, has been inhabited since Roman times. Today it is a picturesque ski resort, popular with all ranges of skier during the winter. It’s in the summer, however, that you can really see the beauty of the town’s location. Due to its location close to the Grossglockner mountain, the highest in Austria, it is possible to ski even in the summer months. Sailing, swimming and sunbathing by the lake may be more appealing.
• If you're looking for accommodation in Austria, a popular site for user reviews is Trivago. The website includes recommendations for all the major cities in Austria. Take a look at the pages on hotels in Salzburg, Vienna or Innsbruck.

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Austria airports

Vienna (VIE) (Wien-Schwechat) is 18km (11 miles) southeast of the city.

Innsbruck (INN) (Kranebitten) (website: www.innsbruck-airport.com) is 5.5km (3.5 miles) west of the city.

Salzburg (SZG) (Maxglan) (website: engl.salzburg-airport.com) is 4km (2.5 miles) west of the city.

Klagenfurt (KLU) (Wörther See) (website: www.klagenfurt-airport.at) is 4km (2.5 miles) from the city.

Graz (GRZ) (website: http://www.flughafen-graz.at) is 10km (6 miles) from the city.

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Passport/Visa

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Entry requirements

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