Overview
Austria packs Alpine peaks, imperial cities and calm lakes into a country barely two hours from the UK. Fly to Vienna for coffee houses and concerts, Salzburg for Mozart and mountains, or the Tyrol for skiing and summer hiking. Flights run year-round from London and many regional UK airports. For current fares, see the price charts on this page.
Best time to fly to Austria
Austria is a true two-season destination. December to March is peak ski season in resorts such as St Anton, Sölden and Kitzbühel, with the priciest weeks around Christmas, New Year and February half-term. June to September brings warm days for sightseeing, lake swimming and mountain walking, while May and September to October are quieter and better value — check the When to book chart above. Vienna and Salzburg also fill up for their Advent Christmas markets from mid-November.
Main gateway cities & airports
Vienna International Airport (VIE) is the main hub and best for the capital and eastern Austria; the City Airport Train reaches the centre in about 16 minutes. Salzburg (SZG) suits the Lakes and the Tyrol, Innsbruck (INN) is the classic ski gateway, and Graz (GRZ) and Klagenfurt (KLU) serve the south with more limited UK links.
Airlines and routes
British Airways and Austrian Airlines fly London Heathrow to Vienna, with British Airways also serving London City. easyJet flies to Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck from Gatwick, Luton, Bristol and Manchester, while Ryanair and Wizz Air serve Vienna from Stansted, Luton and several regional airports. In winter, Jet2 and easyJet add ski routes to Salzburg and Innsbruck from bases such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds Bradford, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Expect about 2 hours 15 minutes from London and around 2 hours 30 minutes from Manchester. Vienna has plenty of direct flights; Graz and Klagenfurt usually need a connection via Vienna, Frankfurt or Zurich.
Popular places to visit in Austria
- Vienna: Habsburg palaces, world-class museums and grand coffee houses.
- Salzburg: Baroque old town, a hilltop fortress and Sound of Music scenery.
- Innsbruck & the Tyrol: Skiing in winter, cable-car hikes and cycling in summer.
- Hallstatt & the Salzkammergut: Storybook lakeside villages below steep wooded peaks.
- Wachau Valley: Danube vineyards, riverside cycle paths and the abbey town of Melk.
Top tips for finding cheap flights to Austria
- Skip Christmas, New Year and February half-term — flying in January or mid-March cuts ski-season fares sharply.
- Compare airports: a cheap flight to Salzburg, or to Bratislava an hour from Vienna, can beat a costly Vienna fare.
- Fly midweek with cabin baggage only; Tuesday and Wednesday departures are usually the cheapest.
- Book roughly two to four months ahead and use the price charts on this page to find the cheaper weeks.
Travel essentials
UK passport holders need no visa for tourism and can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area; your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond your departure date and less than 10 years old. New EU entry requirements, including the ETIAS travel authorisation, are being phased in, so check the current rules before you book. The currency is the euro, and while cards are widely accepted it is worth carrying some cash for mountain huts and small cafés. Book a couple of months ahead and use the When to book chart above for the best value.
