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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Where for a summer break in Austrian Alps/Tyrol?

52 replies

tobyj · 01/01/2024 11:31

Never been to Austria before. Planning a week or two in the mountains in the summer (possibly combined with a few days in Vienna or Munich). Family of four with two teens.

I'd love recommendations of the best areas to stay to tick our boxes - and any specific recommendations of places to stay or activities/hikes most welcome! We're expecting to hire a car, so public transport not an issue.

Ideal holiday would be:

not too hot - so fairly high altitude
hotel or self-catering - no preference, but if hotel then ideally a smaller one - somewhere with nice views to sit out reading a book
access to good local restaurants (but no need for any other form of nightlife)
easy access to hiking - ideally a combination of challenging mountain hikes and gentler meadowy walks
somewhere to swim - ideally lake/river
a couple of options for outdoor activities, probably (low grade) white water rafting

Basically, somewhere not too busy but still with a few things to do - main priorities are beautiful scenery and food (good local restaurants rather than anything fancy).

Please hit me with your recommendations! Thanks.

OP posts:

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MissAmbrosia · 01/01/2024 12:00

We had a lovely week in Seefeld a couple of years ago. Easily accessible from Innsbruck (and onwards to Munich) by train. There are 2 outdoor pools, a lake, funicular and cable cars and lots of walking opportunities. We stayed https://www.haymon.at/en/sommeraktiv.html here. The food was marvellous - reasonable HB package and there was a daily activity programme. They also give you a free local bus pass. Lovely terraces for an aperol spritz too. The town is really pretty and there were plenty of shops, restaurants, cafes etc. We did a trip to Mittenwald by train and the Lautasch Gorge.

Summer holidays Seefeld in Tyrol Hiking and mountain biking

Summer holidays Seefeld in Tyrol - Hiking and mountain biking in the Olympiaregion Seefeld in the 3 star Hotel Haymon.

https://www.haymon.at/en/sommeraktiv.html

Triptastico · 01/01/2024 18:13

I was coming on to say Seefeld too and I concur with everything @MissAmbrosia said. We stayed Princess Bergfrieden which was lovely but if I were to return I would stay at the Haymon as mentioned the food sounds fabulous. We could also smell it from the kitchen when we walked past whilst strolling into town and it always smelt good.

soundsys · 01/01/2024 18:22

Oh this sounds like my dream holiday! No tips but watching with interest

southchinasea · 01/01/2024 18:48

We loved Seefeld too and are returning this summer. Wonderful walks, swimming, scenery and food. We stayed at hotel Schonruh.

Neolara · 01/01/2024 18:53

We stayed near Zell am See in Kaprun which has everything you are after. We stayed in an air BnB that came with a Zell am See - Kaprun summer card which meant most of the ski lifts and access to the lake swimming spots were free. Very beautiful and lots of great walking. We went with our three teens and we all enjoyed it.

snazzychair · 01/01/2024 18:59

We are looking at Austria next summer too but we have younger children. Would be good to get some accommodation recommendations!

Forgottenmyphone · 01/01/2024 19:00

Have a look at Maurach. We found a few good family-friendly swimming spots and DH hired an SUP a few times. The mountain station of the Rofan cable car is the starting point for a huge range of scenic hikes, but we mainly stuck to the lower level walks in the plateau. In the area, we did the AiroRofan skyglider, Archensee adventure park and the dc did some rock climbing. We stayed at a Familienresort but your dc might feel a bit too old for it. Try Cafe Restaurant Klingler - we are there a few times and I know they had rooms too.

givemeanother · 01/01/2024 19:01

If you want to combine with Vienna you could think about the lakes to the east of Austria. We went to Wolfgangsee combined with Vienna with two kids aged under 10 and all loved it. It was approx a 3hr drive from Vienna.

Beautiful lake swimming, cable cars and funicular train up the mountains for hiking. Great cake!

Youarenotseriouspeople · 01/01/2024 19:02

We also had a fabulous summer holiday in Seefeld. We stayed in an airbnb called Hans Eible which was beautiful and had its own pool. Lots to see and do in the area and good train links.

LIZS · 01/01/2024 19:18

Seefeld is a good shout, also look at St Anton, Kitzbuehel and Zell am See which have good train links. In many resorts the skischool organises summer activities and there may be a local guest card to give free access to buses and lifts.

HappyHolidai · 01/01/2024 19:24

Pertisau am Achnesee.

Beautiful lake, mountains, etc. and the place where the Chalet School started, if you've ever read those books.

lesdeluges · 01/01/2024 19:36

Would you fly into Munich and take the train from there to Seefeld? Thanks.

MissAmbrosia · 01/01/2024 20:56

I came from Vienna via Innsbruck by train, then got (direct I think) train onwards to Munich. Should be feasible from the airport also. We were interrailing.

MissAmbrosia · 01/01/2024 21:02

Re. food at Hotel Haymon, the breakfast was vast and they bought you a "menu" to select your evening meal from 2 or 3 choices. (Also highlighting the activities that day/next day) Dd was ever fussy and they really tried to accommodate her - spätzle or wiener schnitzel and ice cream etc if she couldn't go with the main choices - which were generally delicious but maybe slightly fancy for her tastes. Family run, nothing too much trouble, sort of place.

southchinasea · 01/01/2024 21:36

We flew into Innsbruck and then caught the train to Seefeld.

Triptastico · 01/01/2024 22:55

@lesdeluges we flew to Innsbruck from Gatwick. Such a short flight - just under 1.5 hours,passport control and luggage collected in under 30 minutes. Picked up car - the drive to Seefeld is around 30 minutes. It was all so quick and efficient.

As it's a short flight the flights were quite cheap too around £80 return. We flew EasyJet.

Shouldbedoing · 01/01/2024 22:59

Mayrhofen is lovely. Lots of walks straight from the village.

CousinGreg55 · 01/01/2024 23:01

We've been to the Serfaus area a couple of times. Going again this year. Flew Easyjet to Innsbruck. Lovely little airport. Very dramatic landing!

tobyj · 01/01/2024 23:03

Brilliant, thank you all so much!

OP posts:

Havanananana · 02/01/2024 13:20

Zell am See/Kaprun, or Saalbach-Hinterglemm have everything that you've asked for. Both have a guest card scheme that gives free access to the cable cars, local buses and some other activities (e.g. the outdoor pool complex in Saalbach) for guests staying in registered accommodation - which can be a hotel, B&B ("Pension" in Austria) or a self-catering apartment.

Public transport is cheap, clean and reliable in Austria. Fly a budget airline to/from Vienna, Munich or Salzburg and then use public transport (remember to ask for discounted family tickets if travelling together).

If the teens are keen on activities then Saalbach-Hinterglemm is ideal. It is one of the major hiking and mountain biking centres in Austria (so it attracts plenty of younger people) and there is a huge Go-Ape style park at the end of the Saalbach valley, as well as zip wires, white water rafting at nearby Lofer, paragliding and climbing - but also lots of gentler walks and hikes for quieter days. And cafes that sell cake - in the village and on the mountain.

DaveWatts · 02/01/2024 13:27

Ehrwald is lovely - convenient access for hikes, the Zugspitze, lakes etc, and an easy drive from Innsbruck (have also driven from Munich). It has a train station too as have taken the train to Vienna from there before. The Spielmann hotel has the most amazing food and spa, but is still small and family-run and friendly.

CousinGreg55 · 02/01/2024 13:41

Tirol.com is a good tourist info website with info on activities. Try to go somewhere with an Alpine Coaster. It's a cart on a roller coaster track that goes down the mountain. My boys loved them.

Caulidop · 02/01/2024 15:37

I was in Seefeld last summer and went to Hinterglemm the year before. For teens I think Hinterglemm would be great, there's so much to do in the area. As @Havanananana said there's a guest card scheme too which gives free access to many things, but we especially made good use of the several cable cars that were within walking distance. Lovely area for walks.

If you are keen to include Vienna, it would make sense to fly in then get the train back west to wherever you want to go. If you were planning to hire a car, look at non-Austrian airport options as we found it much cheaper to both fly and hire a car from Munich.

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lesdeluges · 02/01/2024 15:45

Thanks for the info 🚞

BlindurErBóklausMaður · 02/01/2024 18:27

Hotel Haymon in Seefeld for me too.
Went in August for a week on the back of @MissAmbrosia 's recommendations.
A-mazing.
Food to die for, lots to do. Rarely go somewhere twice but would go back there like a shot. Flew into Innsbruck. Went into Germany a couple of times from Seefeld. Lots of walking. Just perfect.

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