Country guide
Austria
Austria is 83,879 km², and its nine states fall into two kinds of trip. Vienna, Lower Austria and Upper Austria lie along the Danube on level, easily crossed ground, with Vienna alone holding 1,931,593 of the country's roughly nine million people. Tyrol, Salzburg, Vorarlberg and Styria are the Alpine states, entered by valley rather than by plain, and their capitals — Innsbruck, Salzburg, Bregenz, Graz — are each small enough to cross on foot in an afternoon. The distinction decides an itinerary: the Danube cities sit an hour apart by train and the mountain ones do not.
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Cities
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
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Vienna
Photograph · Andrzej Otrębski · CC BY-SA 4.0
Vienna 5,640 places -
Salzburg
Salzburg 1,741 places
Practical information
Practical information
- Language spoken
- German
- German is Austria's official language; Croatian, Slovenian and Hungarian also have official status in some regions
- Dialling code
- +43
- Austria's international country code
- Currency
- Euro (€, EUR)
- Austria introduced euro banknotes and coins in 2002
- Emergency number
- 112
- One number across the country; 144 reaches an ambulance directly
- Plug type
- Not recorded
- No verified national official source was found
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Austria's national tourism authority states that tap water is drinkable in every region
Planning a visit
- Seasonal closure recorded
- The current month
- January: seasonal closure recorded
- February: seasonal closure recorded
- March: seasonal closure recorded
- April: seasonal closure recorded
- May: seasonal closure recorded
- June: seasonal closure recorded
- July: seasonal closure recorded
- August: seasonal closure recorded
- September: seasonal closure recorded — this month
- October: seasonal closure recorded
- November: seasonal closure recorded
- December: seasonal closure recorded
Top things to see
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
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Common questions
How long should a first trip to Austria be?
Seven to ten days gives Vienna four days and leaves time for Salzburg, Innsbruck, or Graz by rail. Alpine excursions need flexible weather time and should not be treated as guaranteed additions to a tightly timed city route.
What entry documents are needed for Austria?
Austria follows Schengen entry rules, with document and visa requirements determined by nationality and route. Verify the current position through official Austrian or EU channels before departure.
What is the best way to travel around Austria?
ÖBB trains and coordinated buses link Vienna with Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz, and other regions. Drivers need the correct motorway toll product, and some Alpine roads charge separately.
When is a practical time to visit Austria?
May to June and September suit many city-and-mountain routes, while December is a distinct winter-city period. Lift, pass, and high-road operating dates matter more than a national forecast for Alpine days.
What money and payment basics apply in Austria?
Austria uses the euro (EUR). Cards are useful, but a euro cash reserve can help at smaller establishments; review the amount and currency before approving any terminal conversion.
What practical safety details should I save for Austria?
Austria uses 112 as its general emergency line and 144 for ambulance dispatch. Its 230 V system takes Type C and F plugs. This guide holds no verified tap-water value, so leave that point unresolved until local guidance is checked.