Austria Made Easy: Calm, Captivating, and ADHD-Friendly
A travel guide built for short attention spans, big imaginations, and love of structure ✨
| Choose Your Home Bases | Must-See, Not All-See | Sample Itinerary |
| Getting Around Easily | Language & Communication | Back Again? Explore Austria Differently |
| 5-Day Itinerary | 7-Day Itinerary | List of Hotels |
| Food & Diet | FAQs | Downloadables / Tools |
Choose Your Home Base
Where to Stay (Pick 3 Cities Max)
- Vienna – Museums, palaces, great transport
- Salzburg – Charming, compact, walkable
- Innsbruck – Nature, gondolas, less crowds
- Hallstatt – Gorgeous lake town (ideal day trip)
Must-See, Not All-See
Top 3 Things To Do in Each City
Keep it light. Each city has hundreds of things to see. Pick just 3 — no burnout required.
Vienna
- Schönbrunn Palace
- Naschmarkt (open-air market)
- Prater Ferris Wheel
Salzburg
- Hohensalzburg Fortress + funicular
- Sound of Music filming locations
- Mozart’s Birthplace
Innsbruck (Mountain Magic)
- Nordkette Cable Car to mountain lookout
- Explore Old Town + Golden Roof
- Swarovski Crystal Worlds (short trip outside town)
Hallstatt (Perfect Day Trip)
- Take iconic lake photos
- Visit the Hallstatt Salt Mine + Slide Tour
- Ride the Skywalk or funicular for panoramic views
Pro Tip: One “anchor activity” per day keeps things calm and enjoyable. Anything extra is a bonus, not a requirement.
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Simple 3-Day Itinerary – Vienna > Salzburg > Hallstatt > Vienna
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
| 1 – Stay in Vienna | Schönbrunn Palace | Café + Naschmarkt | Ferris wheel + Relax |
| 2 – Stay in Salzburg | Train to Salzburg (2 hours and 30 minutes) | Fortress tour + gardens | Dinner + walk |
| 3 – Stay in Salzburg | Day trip to Hallstatt | Salt Mine + photos | Train back to Vienna |
Getting Around Easily
Transportation Tip
- Use ÖBB Rail app is for Austrian national railway. Use this app for ticket reservations and check schedules
- Buy Austria Rail Pass if traveling 3+ days. You can purchase it ahead of time on Eurail’s website.
- Trains are clean and easy to follow. You can skip the car rental and use the trains!
- Google map shows platform numbers in Austria.
Language and Communication
- The official language of Austria is German. Nearly all Austrians speak Austrian German, a regional variety of Standard German
- Austrian German is used in schools, government, signage, and media
- In Cities like Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck, you will find most people speak English for basic needs.
- Menus and signs in tourist areas are often bilingual (German and English).
- Use Google Translate or apps like SayHi if you need help reading signs or ordering food in less touristy areas.
Other Languages You Might Hear:
| Language | Where / Who Speaks It |
| English | Widely spoken in tourist areas, hotels, and cities |
| Austro-Bavarian Dialects | Local dialects spoken in rural areas and small towns (hard to understand even for native Germans!) |
| Slovene | In southern Carinthia (recognized minority language) |
| Croatian | In Burgenland region |
| Hungarian | Also in Burgenland, near Hungarian border |
| Turkish | Common among Turkish immigrant communities |
| Serbian/Bosnian | Spoken by Balkan diaspora |