Greetings from Hohensalzburg!
Austria 🇦🇹
From Empress Sisi to The Sound of Music, Austria captivated my mother and me.
During the surprise trip I planned for us to explore our family heritage, we enjoyed wandering the beautiful streets of Vienna just as our ancestors had, strolling through the imperial palaces of Schönbrunn, Belvedere, and Hofburg, and feeling like Belle in the Austrian National Library.
As film buffs, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the picturesque Alpine city of Salzburg via train, where we discovered why Julie Andrews sang so beautifully about the hills being alive, toured a 900-year-old fortress, giggled at the magical trick fountains of Hellbrunn, and sipped unbelievably strong schnapps.
Whether you’re planning a solo or family vacation, these Austria travel blogs will help you plan an epic, budget-friendly trip to these Austrian destinations.
What are the best places to visit in Austria for first-timers?
The best way to see Austria is to split your trip between Vienna and Salzburg—Vienna for its Habsburg palaces (Schönbrunn, Hofburg), world-class museums (Belvedere), and cafe culture, and Salzburg, for its medieval fortress, beautifully preserved Altstadt (Old Town), and musical heritage, from Mozart to The Sound of Music. I personally spent 5 days in Vienna and 2 in Salzburg on the same trip, making it an ideal way for first-time visitors to experience both imperial history and Alpine scenery without missing either.
Fun Facts About Austria
- 👑 The Habsburgs ruled for 640+ years from Hofburg Palace—which has 2,600+ rooms and still serves as the Austrian president’s office today.
- 🎵 Austria gave us Mozart, Strauss, and Schubert—but here’s the kicker: Vienna has more musicians per capita than any other city in the world!
- 📚 Vienna’s Austrian National Library looks exactly like Belle’s library in Beauty and the Beast—it’s 66 feet high with hidden passages behind bookcases (library employees still use them)!
- ☕ Austrians take their coffee culture seriously: There are over a dozen official ways to order coffee, and “just a coffee” will get you confused looks.
- 🎬 Over 350,000 Sound of Music fans visit Salzburg annually—but here’s the twist: the real von Trapp family didn’t escape over the Alps; they casually took a train to Italy!
- 🥃 Austrian schnapps is no joke—most homemade varieties are 40-60% alcohol, and in Salzburg, locals casually sip it like water. One shot will warm you from the inside out (or knock you sideways)!
- 💦 Hellbrunn Palace has 400-year-old trick fountains that spray unsuspecting visitors during tours—archbishops used them to prank dinner guests, and yes, you WILL get wet!
The Best Time to Visit Austria
Why I prefer shoulder season:
- Temperatures are comfortable for all-day walking
- Tourist crowds are manageable, especially at major sites like Schönbrunn Palace
- Accommodation prices drop 30-40% compared to summer
- Vienna’s coffeehouses aren’t packed with tour groups
My experience: My mom and I visited in May and found that none of the attractions were too crowded. We had lovely weather, which made walking around Vienna and Salzburg a pleasant experience, as it was warm enough to be out without bundling up but not so warm that we would sweat.
Things to Know Before You Go
Austria uses the Euro (€)
You can exchange money before a trip, but I find it best to withdraw cash at a local ATM on an as-needed basis.
They speak German
Practice basic phrases (Hallo, Guten Tag, Bitte, Danke…), but in most tourist areas, people also speak English.
A visa isn’t needed
For short tourist visits (90 days max), no visa is needed. However, you will soon need to apply for ETIAS before entering. Additionally, EES requires non-EU travelers to provide fingerprints and facial images to enter Austria.
Download the Omio and OBB App
Use the Omio app for long train and bus journeys. Get the OBB transport app for local transport. I used the U-Bahn in Vienna, took a train to Salzburg, then used their bus system to get around.
Austria Travel Tools
Below are the exact tools I used to plan my Austrian adventure! Austria is incredibly rewarding but requires more advanced planning than you’d think.
To avoid any mistakes and secure spots at sold-out attractions, here are my essential planning tips:
- 💰 Tourist passes actually pay for themselves here: The Vienna Pass saved me €66, and the Salzburg Card saved me €37
- 🚆 Book trains early or pay double: Vienna to Salzburg train tickets start at €29.90 but jump to €60+ for same-day purchases. I locked in advance fares and had my pick of departure times
- 🧑💼 Save time by quickly immersing yourself in the local culture on guided tours (I did a free walking tour)
- 🎟️ These attractions can TURN YOU AWAY without advance tickets: Belvedere Palace, Spanish Riding School, Hofburg, and Schönbrunn all enforce fixed time slots
