Anyone been to Austria?

[chris_5132555]

Hi,

I was just wondering if anyone has had experience of camping in Austria and more relevantly at either SEECAMP Zell Am See or Camping Wolferglut also near to Zell Am See

We have done France a few times now and we fancy a new experience, we will be going in the last 3 weeks of August 07, any pointers on weather, facilities, and more specifically are the sites in Austria any worse than France for pitch size?

If you have any other suggestions on sites in Austria this would also be very welcome, one thing Ineed to say is we have 2 girls 11 and 1 so need to keep the 11 year old entertained with activities, and would i be correct in saying i would need to buy a vignette? hope i spelt this correct but i think you have to have a ticket for driving on austrian motorways

Loads of questions but any pointers would be most welcome

thx

Chris W

 

[DavidKlyne]

Chris

Austria is a lovely country to visit. Generally I would say that pitches are not as generous as France but are usually large enough and it will vary from campsite to campsite.

David

 

[BarryB_5039906]

Hi Chris

Sorry I do not know either of the camps you mention. From what we have seen the camps can vary as in any other country. For days out you might consider looking for cable car / chair lift rides, caves or the salt mines near Salzburg, these need you to dress up in 'work gear', ride on an underground train, possibly cross an underground lake and slide down a shute....great fun. Look on the internet for more details. I know it might sound a bit naff but you might consider showing the girls Sound of Music and then visit some of the places. There are places you can see glass blowing/manufacturing and Schwarz Crystal is not too far away. As for the vignette....you are right. They cost about 8 Euro for a 10 day one. I think the next up is a 2 month one at about 30 Euro...not too sure on price for this. Probably cheaper to buy a 10 day one and then a second 10 day one. Oh and try a fondue for the girls...either a meat or cheese one or better still a chocolate one. Hope you enjoy the holiday. Happy travels BarryB

 

[chris_5132555]

thanks for the replies, plenty to do then looks like i need to get my booking sorted

thx a lot

 

[Guest]

Although I have not actually camped in Austria I currently work for an Austrian based Company so can confirm some of the points mentioned already. Yes, you do need a vignette and these are available at virtually any filling station. I get an annual one which costs around 80 euros, which is strange as I spend 90% of my time in Hungary, where you also need a separate vignette/matricia. Don't try to avoid getting one as cameras are placed on brisges to catch you. Also watch out for speed checks as these are numerous. Ignore the cars roaring down the outside lane as they probably have some 'deal' going. Be careful in roadwork areas as I was 'done' for doing 86 km in an 80 km limit, this was on a motorway where the normal limit is 130 km/hr. Cost me a 80 euro fine but no points on the licence, unlike here in the UK.

As for places to visit one could try Baden, just south of Vienna. This is the location of Emperor Franz Josef's summer palace and is definitely the typical chocloate box town. One always expects Julie Andrews to come rushing out singing that ghastly song. But it does have a casino and a spa. There is also a frequent 'lokalbahn' service to Vienna. Next door is Gumpoldskirchen which is also a touristy place but is full of 'Hurekens' (apologies for spelling). Hurekens are bar/restaurants attached to vineyards where you drink lots of wine cheap and eat basic, but good food. You look for a string of lights outside the door which means they are open for business. Defintely worth a visit. Have a laugh with your poor German.

Ther is a campsite in nearby Laxenburg, but I have not tried it. The Austrians are nice people, but the humour is deep. You have to dig hard.

However, while in that part of the world why not try Lake Balaton in Hungary? Great fun.