Austria —
Mozart, mountains and classical music
Nicola first visited Austria on an interrail trip in 2007 and returned in 2010. Vienna's imperial grandeur and world-class concert halls, the Mozart-saturated beauty of Salzburg, the spectacularly Alpine Innsbruck and the quietly transformed city of Linz make Austria one of the most rewarding countries in Europe.
Quick facts before you go
A few useful things to know before you start plotting the route.
Vienna — imperial, musical and a very good place to start an Austria trip.
German. English is widely useful in the main visitor areas, but a few German phrases never hurt.
Euro — one less thing to think about if you're travelling from Ireland.
Central European Time — normally one hour ahead of Ireland.
European two-pin plugs, so pack an adaptor if you're coming from Ireland.
Austria is made for rail travel. Vienna, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck fit beautifully into a multi-city train trip.
Four cities — and four very different versions of Austria
Austria packs an enormous amount into a relatively compact country. You can spend one day surrounded by imperial architecture and classical music in Vienna, another following Mozart through Salzburg, and then find yourself looking straight up at the Alps from the streets of Innsbruck.
Linz adds something different again: a Danube city where historic streets sit alongside art, technology and a much more modern side of Austria.
Nicola first travelled through Austria by Interrail in 2007 and returned in 2010. That is still how we'd think about planning it: don't automatically stop at Vienna. Austria's rail network makes combining cities remarkably straightforward, and the journey west towards Salzburg and Innsbruck is part of the fun.
Vienna
Imperial palaces, the Ringstrasse, world-class museums and classical music concerts in a city closely associated with Mozart, Beethoven and generations of composers.
Explore Vienna →
Salzburg
Mozart's birthplace, UNESCO old town, the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Alps rising dramatically behind picturesque baroque streets.
Explore Salzburg →
Innsbruck
The Golden Roof, the Medieval old town and the Nordkette Alps rising directly behind the rooftops. Spectacularly beautiful.
Explore Innsbruck →
Linz
Austria's underrated city. The Danube, the Ars Electronica center, the Hauptplatz square and the famous Linzer Torte.
Explore Linz →Come hungry
Austria does comfort food and cake extremely well. These are a few names worth watching for as you travel around the country.
The Viennese classic: thin, breaded and fried — simple, crisp and very satisfying.
Vienna's famous chocolate cake, traditionally served with unsweetened whipped cream.
Thin pastry wrapped around spiced apple filling — one of the Austrian classics.
Fluffy shredded pancake, usually dusted with sugar and served with fruit compote.
A light baked soufflé-style Salzburg speciality shaped to echo the city's surrounding peaks.
The lattice-topped nut pastry associated with Linz — save room for a slice.
Find a base in each city
We haven't stayed in every hotel you'll find through these searches, so rather than pretending otherwise, we'd start by choosing the right area. Somewhere central or close to a main transport link makes life much easier — especially if you're travelling Austria by train.
🎻 Vienna
For a first trip, look around the Innere Stadt or somewhere with easy U-Bahn access to the historic centre.
Find Vienna hotels →🎼 Salzburg
The Old Town is wonderfully atmospheric; staying just across the Salzach can also keep you close to the sights.
Find Salzburg hotels →🏔️ Innsbruck
The Old Town and central station areas both work well for combining the city centre with onward rail travel.
Find Innsbruck hotels →🏛️ Linz
Look around the centre/Hauptplatz or somewhere with an easy tram connection to Linz Hauptbahnhof.
Find Linz hotels →Disclosure: Klook affiliate links — if you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Drive through Austria virtually with Drive From Home
Take virtual tours through Austria's most iconic destinations before you visit.
Drive through Vienna's streets, the Ringstrasse and St. Stephen's Cathedral.
🚗 Drive Vienna NowBook a guided Austria tour through TourRadar
Austria is brilliant for guided tours — the history, culture and music come alive with a knowledgeable guide.
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Book experiences with Klook and GetYourGuide
Vienna classical concerts, Mozart tours, museum tickets and more.
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Ready for Austria?
Start with Vienna, add Salzburg, stop in Innsbruck and don't overlook Linz. Book a classical concert, walk the Mozart trail and take the cable car above the Alps.