Austria

Austria is already chosen, and now the trip has to be put together piece by piece. The questions usually come in this order: how many days to give Vienna, whether to add Salzburg or Innsbruck, which neighborhood to stay in and which tickets to buy in advance. In winter, the choice of a ski resort joins the list. These are the questions this section answers.

Most of the articles are about Vienna. There are ready-made itineraries for one, two and three days, an overview of the main sights from St. Stephen's Cathedral to the Danube Tower, and a selection of museums with tickets and opening hours. Separate pieces cover Schönbrunn, the Belvedere and the Spanish Riding School: which ticket to get and for which entry time. Alongside them are the practical topics: getting from the airport to the center, choosing a neighborhood and a hotel, free places to visit, and the typical mistakes that make travelers overpay.

The second large part covers the rest of the country. For Salzburg there is a one-day itinerary, neighborhoods to stay in and a close look at the Sound of Music tour. For Innsbruck we have gathered the main sights and the areas that suit a city stay, skiing and families. There are day trips from Vienna, including the Wachau Valley with Melk Abbey, Dürnstein and lunch in Spitz. Hallstatt in winter, the Bregenzerwald, the Lurgrotte caves near Graz, the Krimml Waterfalls and the Pasterze Glacier each have their own article.

Mountains and seasons form a block of their own. We write about ski resorts, about skiing without a car by taking the train to the slopes, and about ways to save on a winter vacation. For the warm months there is summer in St. Anton am Arlberg, warm lakes, thermal spa towns and a night in a mountain hut in Tyrol. Seasonal topics are here too: April in the mountains, fall destinations, the apricot blossom in the Wachau, the Almabtrieb (the descent of decorated cows from the pastures) and New Year in Vienna. The train from Salzburg to Vienna is covered separately.

Every article opens with a short answer to the main question. Practical sections follow: tickets, how much time to allow, how to get there, what to buy in advance. We check prices and opening hours against the official websites of the sights and transport operators and state the date of the check. We are direct about the downsides: lines, crowds in high season, unnecessary expenses, weather risks in the mountains.

The section is meant for people who plan their trip themselves and want to understand the details before leaving. It works for a short city visit, for a week in the mountains and for a trip with children. If you need a ready-made guided tour, you will not find one here. We do not sell trips or put them together on request, we provide information for your own decisions.

A good place to start is the general articles: when to go to Vienna, the city itinerary, the overview of the country's main sights. Then pick the itinerary that matches your number of days and compare it with the list of museums and palaces. After that, move on to accommodation: the neighborhood first, then specific hotels. Leave transport and day trips for last, once the backbone of the route is clear.

Austria belongs to the "Europe" part of the large "Destinations" section. It has no subsections yet, so all articles sit in a single list. If your route goes beyond the country's borders, look at the neighboring sections. The closest geographically is "Germany", and "France" and "Andorra" are useful for comparing mountain vacations. On the same level you will find "Belgium", "Bulgaria", "Denmark", "England" and "Finland".

We keep the articles up to date. Before a new season we review the pieces on tickets, lifts and resorts, check the data against official sources and change the date of the check. Entry rules, timetables and fares change, so always open the website of the sight or the transport operator itself before buying a ticket. For conditions in the mountains, especially in spring, rely on the local official services. Our job is simpler: by the time you buy the tickets, you should already have a clear day-by-day plan.