A little more
Austria.
A lot less roaming.

Travelling to Austria: what to know before you go

Austria combines imperial Vienna, baroque Salzburg and the high Alps in a compact, easy-to-travel country at the heart of Europe. Summer brings hiking, lakes and music festivals, and winter some of the best skiing on the continent. It suits culture lovers, walkers, skiers and anyone who enjoys coffee and cake.

Where to go

• Vienna. The former Habsburg capital has palaces, world-class museums and a strong musical tradition.
• Salzburg. Mozart's birthplace has a baroque old town beneath the Hohensalzburg fortress.
• Hallstatt and the Salzkammergut. A lakeside village squeezed between mountain and water, with one of the world's oldest salt mines above it.
• Innsbruck and Tyrol. The Tyrolean capital has a medieval old town with the Golden Roof, and a cable car that rises from the centre to the Nordkette mountains.

Best time to visit

Summer (June to September) is best for hiking, lakes and festivals, and the high mountain roads are open. The ski season runs from December to April, with the highest resorts and glaciers offering longer seasons.

Staying online in Austria

Mobile coverage is very good across Austria, including most valleys, ski areas and train lines, with 4G and 5G widespread in cities. Coverage can still drop in deep side valleys and on remote high trails. Free Wi-Fi is common in hotels, cafés and on many trains. Austria is in the EU, so EU roaming rules apply for EU plans. Travellers from elsewhere can install an eSIM before they fly and switch it on when they land.