Where to stay in Austria
Hotels
Austria has a wide range of accommodation, from international hotel chains and luxury properties to family-run hotels, guesthouses and pensions. Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and other major cities have the greatest choice, while Alpine resorts offer numerous hotels, chalets and guesthouses catering to skiers and summer visitors. Farm stays are also popular in rural and mountain areas.
Accommodation in major tourist destinations can fill quickly during the Christmas market season, the summer holiday period and the winter ski season. In Alpine resorts, some smaller hotels and guesthouses close for several weeks between the main summer and winter seasons.
Camping
Austria has numerous well-equipped campsites, particularly around the lakes of Carinthia and the Salzkammergut and in the Alpine regions of Tirol, Salzburg and Vorarlberg. Facilities vary from simple sites to large holiday parks with restaurants, swimming pools and other leisure facilities, and many sites accommodate campervans and motorhomes as well as tents.
Wild camping is regulated at state and local level and is prohibited or heavily restricted in many areas, particularly in forests, nature reserves and protected areas. Travellers wishing to camp outside designated sites should check the rules for the relevant federal state and municipality.
