Austria

Why Austria

There are destinations that impose their grandeur. Austria belongs to this rare category: as soon as you leave Vienna, you find yourself in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral and its glazed tiles, in the middle of a city that has shaped two centuries of music, architecture and European art of living. It's not a metaphor: the Habsburgs reigned here for 640 years, and every palace, every century-old café, every baroque façade bears the trace of it.

But Austria would be half-told if you stopped at the palaces. Barely two hours from Vienna, the Alps rise in all their excess. The Salzkammergut unfurls its sixty emerald lakes between vertiginous limestone walls. Hallstatt hugs its colourful houses against the rock as if time had stood still. Innsbruck plunges its medieval streets into the shadow of glaciers. The variety of landscapes that this small country concentrates in about ten days has hardly any equivalent in Central Europe.

What remains after a trip to Austria is also a quality of presence: the slowness of a Viennese café where you order a Mélange and spend two hours with your newspaper, the smell of a Christmas market in Salzburg under the first snowflakes, the serenity of an alpine lake in the early morning when the mist fades. Austria is one of those countries where the luxury is not in the price displayed, but in the way you know how to take your time.

When to go

L'Autriche se visite toute l'année, mais chaque saison obéit à sa propre logique.

May and June sont les mois favoris des connaisseurs : 16 à 25°C à Vienne, affluence encore modérée, terrasses de café ouvertes, Salzkammergut luxuriant. Le Festival de Vienne (Wiener Festwochen) anime la capitale tout le mois de mai jusqu'à mi-juin. Les lacs alpins sont accessibles sans la foule de l'été.

July and August sont magnifiques sur le plan climatique (27°C à Vienne, lacs baignables), mais Salzbourg connaît sa haute saison absolue pendant le Festival (17 juillet au 30 août) : hébergements chers et réservés des mois à l'avance, ruelles bondées. Hallstatt atteint ses limites : arriver tôt le matin pour éviter les autocars. Pour les amateurs d'opéra et de musique classique, c'est en revanche la période idéale.

September est souvent cité comme le meilleur mois : 21°C agréables, lacs encore tiedes, foules qui se retirent, prix en baisse de 20 à 30%. Les vendanges démarrent en Wachau, l'une des plus belles vallées viticoles d'Autriche, et les Alpes arborent leurs premières teintes automnales.

October convient parfaitement aux circuits culturels : les musées sans cohue, les villes sous leurs feuillages cuivrés, et les Heuriger (tavernes à vin nouveau) qui ouvrent en Basse-Autriche pour fêter la récolte.

December offre une expérience à part : les marchés de Noël viennois (Christkindlmarkt sur la Rathausplatz, marché du Schönbrunn) figurent parmi les plus beaux d'Europe, les stations de ski du Tyrol ouvrent leurs pistes, et les bals de l'Opéra inaugurent la saison.

Winter (January-February) : basse saison pour les villes, prix au plancher, mais haute saison dans les Alpes pour les skieurs. Le Concert du Nouvel An de l'Orchestre Philharmonique de Vienne (1er janvier) est retransmis dans le monde entier depuis le Musikverein.

How much does it cost

Austria is one of the Central European destinations with a high standard of living, comparable to France or Germany. The advantage: the currency is the euro, no exchange rates, no surprises.

Expect to pay between 80 and 150 euros per person per day all inclusive (3-star accommodation, meals, local transport, tickets). A meal in a classic restaurant (Beisl or Gasthaus) costs between 12 and 18 euros. The major Viennese museums (Kunsthistorisches, Natural History Museum) are priced between 10 and 20 euros. Public transport in Vienna is exemplary and inexpensive: the 24-hour pass costs 8 euros.

An organized tour in Austria starts from 739 euros for 7 to 8 days (accommodation and transport included, excluding flights). The Paris-Vienna return flight is between 80 euros in low season and 220 euros in July-August (Austrian Airlines, Air France, Transavia). Vienna Airport is connected to the center in 16 minutes by the City Airport Train (CAT).

The budget can be considerably reduced outside the high season (January-March on the city side, June and September on the mountain side) and by choosing Pensionen (Austrian bed and breakfasts) rather than hotels in the centre.

Where to go

Austria is a compact country that reads like a geographical and cultural atlas of Central Europe. Seven areas deserve attention.

Viennais the absolute must-see: the imperial capital of the Habsburgs, one of the most culturally dense cities in the world. Schönbrunn Palace, Belvedere, Hofburg, Ring, century-old cafés, Musikverein... three or four days are barely enough to grasp the essentials.

Salzburgis the city of Mozart and the exuberant Baroque. The Hohensalzburg Fortress has dominated the UNESCO-listed Old Town since the eleventh century. The Salzburg Festival (July-August) makes it the opera capital of the world every summer.

Hallstatt, a picture-postcard village squeezed between an emerald lake and rock, is one of Austria's most photographed images. Its UNESCO site and 7,000 years of mining history make it worth an overnight stay to see it at dawn, before the groups.

Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol, combines a medieval old town (the Golden Roof) with an immediate view of the glaciers. An Olympic city twice in a row (1964 and 1976), it is also the gateway to the largest ski areas in Europe.

Graz, often overlooked, is the country's second largest city and its most beautiful surprise. Its UNESCO-listed Renaissance old town, the Schlossberg with its orange tiled roofs, and inventive Styrian gastronomy make it a quality stop for the curious traveller.

The Salzkammergutis the Alpine lake region par excellence: about sixty high-altitude lakes, villages such as Gmunden or Bad Ischl (former holiday home of Franz Joseph), and the Dachstein glacier in the background. Kayaking, cycling and hiking are kings.

Deep Tyrol, beyond Innsbruck, unfolds valleys with chalets blooming with red geraniums, alpine huts accessible to beginner walkers, and in winter, the best ski areas in Europe (Ischgl, Kitzbühel, Sölden).

Our itineraries

There are three ways to approach Austria: the imperial essentials for city and culture lovers, the grand tour for those who want to see it all, or the mountain tour for lovers of the Alps.

In pictures

Practical advice

Formalities

Austria is a member of the European Union and the Schengen area. French nationals are free to enter on presentation of a valid national identity card or passport (no minimum validity period required beyond the date of return). No visa required, no special health formalities.

For non-European visitors, the ETIAS (Schengen Electronic Travel Authorization) has been mandatory since 2025 for nationalities that are usually visa-exempt: to be applied for online before departure (fast and paid procedure).

On the health side: no vaccination is mandatory. The up-to-date DTP is recommended. For hikers in the forest from May to November, the tick-borne encephalitis vaccine (FSME) is recommended in low-altitude wooded areas.

Getting around

By plane:Four international airports serve Austria. Vienna (VIE) is the main hub, connected to Paris in 1 hour 55 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes by Austrian Airlines, Air France, Transavia and Vueling. Direct flights exist from Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Nantes to Vienna or Salzburg (SZG). Innsbruck (INN) is usually accessible via a stopover. The City Airport Train connects Vienna-Schwechat to the city centre in 16 minutes.

By train:The Austrian rail network (ÖBB) is modern, punctual and very pleasant. The Railjet connects Vienna to Salzburg in 2 hours 30 minutes, to Innsbruck in 4 hours, to Graz in 2 hours 40 minutes. For an east-west route, the train is often preferable to the car. The Interrail and Eurail passes cover Austria.

By car:Essential for the Alpine valleys of Tyrol and the Salzkammergut off the main roads. The motorway vignette (Vignette) is mandatory on Austrian motorways: it can be purchased online or at the borders (10 days, 1 month or 1 year). On the Grossglockner route, the fee is specific and includes paid access.

In urban transport:Major Austrian cities have very efficient tram, bus and metro networks. The Vienna Metro (U-Bahn) is fast and frequent. A 24-hour pass costs 8 euros, a 48-hour pass costs 14.10 euros.

Culture and uses

Austria is a country with a Catholic tradition, a Germanic culture and a refined way of life. Some useful references.

Language:German is the official language. In tourist areas and hotels, English is commonly spoken. Some words appreciated:Guten Morgen(hello morning),Danke(thank you),Bitte(please). Viennese has its own accent, distinct from standard German.

Viennese cafés:Listed as intangible heritage by UNESCO, they are an institution in their own right. You don't come there for a coffee in two minutes: you sit down, order a Mélange (Viennese latte), and stay. The waiter never rushes you. It's a philosophy of life.

Meals:Lunch is often the main meal. The Gasthäuser (inns) serve Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz (Viennese boiled beef) or Gulasch with a quiet generosity. Tipping is customary: rounding up to the next euro or leaving 5 to 10% is a good idea.

Music:Austria lives with classical music like nowhere else. Concerts in churches, opera balls, evenings at the Philharmonic are part of everyday life. Don't miss at least one concert during your stay, even an informal one.

Dress code:Proper attire is expected in museums, opera houses and religious places (shoulders covered in cathedrals). Austrians appreciate sober dress in the city.

Frequently asked questions