Austria has much to entice a tourist. Its cities, such as Vienna and Salzburg, are rich with history, its people have a passion for food and drink and the ski resorts in the mountains are world class. Travellers booking flights to Austria will be greeted with a huge choice of how to spend their vacation.
The small country is situated in the middle of Western Europe, surrounded by Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Italy. This location means that a flight to Austria can be the perfect starting point from which to explore Europe.
Regardless of season there is much to do. In the winter, explore the coffee shops and culture of Vienna or Salzburg. The museums here are superb and Austria's tradition as a musical hub (home to Mozart, Strauss and Schubert among others) means there are always concerts to attend. In the mountains, ski resorts such as Saalbach and St Anton attract the highest-class of European skier. During the summer months the cities are busier, but the surrounding countryside is in bloom.
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Austria has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Summers are hot with cool nights. In Vienna and other low-lying cities temperatures during the day can get uncomfortably hot over July and August. Winters are cold, below freezing in January and February. The ski season in the Alps runs from December to April but the mountains are also popular with hikers and climbers over the summer when the weather is usually warm and bright.
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Peak Season:
Vienna is a year-round city, though tourism is most popular in the main holidays: Easter, Christmas and summertime. In the Alps, winter is obviously peak season for skiing, though the summer is popular with walkers, hikers and bikers.
Off Season:
The winter months, with the exception of Christmas time, is the least popular time to visit the cities, because of the weather.
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Domestic Austria flights are available from Austrian Airlines and Tyrolean Airways.
The train service is extremely efficient and the network is extensive. All trains are comfortable and fast and it is unlikely that you will not be able to find a service to your destination. In some parts of the Alps old steam trains are available for transport between resorts. This is a slower way of travelling, but the views are spectacular.
For short trips take the bus, called the Bundesbus.
In the Alps, travel up the mountains is by cable cars, gondolas and ski lifts. Many stay open in the summer for hikers.
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- Salzburg is a beautiful old, elegant city. Many music enthusiasts arrive to visit the buildings associated with Mozart who was born and lived here. The yellow house at number nine, Geitregasse street is his birthplace and is now preserved as a museum.
- The country’s capital is also its cultural center and the most popular city for tourists who arrive from flights to Austria. Vienna has many museums, art galleries, churches, theatres, cafés, restaurants and hotels. The tourist board offers an organized sightseeing tour which will give an overview of the many attractions.. There are a number of tours on offer: guided walking tours, sightseeing tours by bus, boat, or bicycle and, more unusually, tours by “Segway”, a motorized scooter on which you can stand.
- The Austria tourist website is a good place to start if you want to head off-the-beaten-track. For example, an interactive map shows you the locations of all the lakes in the country in which people can swim.
- .Zell-am-See, located on a lake, has been inhabited since Roman times. During the winter it is a popular ski resort, but in the summer visitors can really see the beauty of the town's location high in the mountains.
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Vienna (VIE) (Wien-Schwechat) is 18km southeast of the city.
Innsbruck (INN) (Kranebitten) is 5.5km west of the city.
Salzburg (SZG) (Maxglan) is 4km west of the city.
Klagenfurt (KLU) (Wörther See) is 4km from the city.
Linz (LNZ) is 10km from the city.
Graz (GRZ) is 10km from the city.
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The borderless region known as the Schengen area includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. All these countries issue a standard Schengen visa that has a multiple entry option that allows the holder to travel freely within the borders of all.
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Canadians require a passport but a visa is not needed for a stay of up to three months.
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