The festival city
Salzburg is the “Festival City,” filled with history and culture. The Christmas markets, the Salzburg Easter Music Festival and of course the extravagant summer Salzburg Festival are just a few of Austria’s cultural highlights hosted in the city. Authentic cuisine, fresh flowers and traditional handicrafts can be found on a stroll through the Old Market Square. Try the local meringue dessert Salzburger Nockerl, or savoury Kasnocken, cheese dumplings. You can also visit the iconic Sound of Music museum built on the original film location. Celebrate the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in his birthplace during Mozart Week toward the end of January or year round at his memorial at Mozartplatz. All this and much more awaits when you take your pick of cheap flights to Austria.
You really can have it all
Austria’s capital, Vienna, is bursting with historical attractions and exquisite architecture. From beautifully preserved opera houses to ornate palaces and art museums, Austria has it all. Enjoy fine dining at prize-winning restaurants or taste authentic street food from a sausage stand known as a Würstelstand. For a peaceful contrast from the city bustle, head out to the Austrian countryside and visit the wine areas. Tour the vineyards of the Vienna Woods and see where the magic happens and the wine flows. Or take a relaxing stroll along the shores of the Danube on either side of the Neue Donau (New Danube) channel and soak up some sun.
Embrace the cold
In the small village of Werfen you will find the Eisriesenwelt. Also known as ‘The World of Ice Giants’, this 42-kilometre long ice cave remains frozen all year round. It is open to the public from May through October and as you walk through the labyrinth you get an amazing panoramic view of the Salzach Valley. Be sure to dress appropriately for the icy surroundings. As you continue south, you’ll find yourself at the Grossglockner, the highest point in Austria and also known as ‘His Majesty’, where the highest annual temperature is about five degrees Celsius. Home to a variety of wild animals and rare plants, it is part of the Hohe Tauern National Park which can be toured by car or guided tours. To the west, Innsbruck is the epitome of an alpine picture postcard. The host of a handful of Winter Olympics, it is a top winter sport destination as well as a place to marvel over the scenic views of the Alps.
Best time to go to Austria
Early September is the best time to travel to Austria thanks to the winding down of summer and the flow of Sturm, early wine. You can also enjoy the St. Rupert’s Day Fair in Salzburg where Austrian artisans display arts and crafts as well as local foods and drinks.
The peak months are July when temperatures are optimally warm and January for winter sports. Prices for accommodation and flights will be the most expensive during these times so booking well in advance is recommended.
October to early December in Autumn and late January to late March in Spring are ideal times to fly to Austria when looking for cheaper flights. Low temperatures and frequent rain or light snowfall make for fairly slow tourism during these months, so you may well find a choice of bargain flights.
Airports and airlines
Netflights offers you a choice of departure and arrival destinations in Austria and you also have a choice of airlines when flying into Austria from the UK. Use the Flexible dates option if you are simply looking for the best deal during a period of time. It’s always best to book in advance when travelling during peak times such as early January and the month of July.
Austria flights from the UK arrive in Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Linz and Klagenfurt. The most popular and cheapest route for UK flights to Austria is to Salzburg. Direct flights to Austria are typically with British Airways, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, Ryanair, Norwegian Air international, Iberia, and Lufthansa.
You can also find cheaper flights with stopovers in cities such as Frankfurt, Cologne or Vienna. Use the ‘Return via a different route’ option to easily change your arrival and departure destinations, so you can do more for less on a multi-city trip with Netflights.