Overview
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1. Wildcamping in Austria
Generally speaking, wild camping is not allowed in Austria and is often not tolerated. This rule is not so much imposed by the government itself, but each province (or state) has its own rules.
In almost all regions the rule applies that wild camping is not allowed, although it is tolerated more in some provinces than in others. This means there are no uniform regulations for wild camping in Austria.
However, there is one thing that counts for the whole country: camping in the forest, in a national park, or in protected nature reserves is never allowed.
There are provinces where it is tolerated to sleep in your vehicle or camper on the roadside or in parking lots. In this case, it is important that you do not exhibit camping behavior: you are not supposed to sit outside with your chairs and tables or open your awning.
In provinces like Tyrol, Upper Austria, and Lower Austria the rules are very strict, and wild camping is absolutely prohibited. We therefore recommend that you carefully check the local rules and follow them.
Fortunately, we have a nice alternative further in this blog post (pssst: you can find it under number 4).
Breaking the rules can lead to serious fines of €5 to €500 and much more if you are in a nature reserve. If you are lucky, you will first get away with a warning, but then you will have to look for a legal pitch, which is not always easy if they only come to get you out of bed late at night.
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2. Campsites in Austria
You will find a wide variety of campsites in Austria in different kinds of environments. Some have a beautiful view of the mountains, while others are located on a lake or close to the lovely towns and cities of Austria.
Most campsites have sanitary blocks with hot water showers, toilets, and sinks, but they often also have washing machines, grey and black water dumps, electricity, and many other useful facilities. Ideal if you want to completely reset yourself and your camper.
The more luxurious campsites sometimes also have an outdoor swimming pool.
A disadvantage is of course that staying at a campsite is one of the more expensive options. For a camper and 2 people, you can easily pay between €30 and €50 per night, or even more for more luxurious campsites.
During the high season it is often necessary to book your campsite in advance, so be sure to plan ahead.
3. Paid Camping parking spaces
In addition to fully equipped campsites, you will also find paid camper parking spaces in Austria. These are parking spaces where you are allowed to spend the night with your camper, subject to payment, but have much fewer or no facilities.
Some do have a service point for filling and discharging water and sometimes also electricity, but don’t expect the conviviality of a campsite. These parking spaces are often slightly less expensive than campsites, but in our opinion still on the expensive side. You can still expect to pay between 15 and 30 euros per night.
4. Schau aufs Land - Staying at farms
Austria camping hack alert!
Campsites are expensive, paid parking spaces are not that cozy, and wild camping is not very accepted. Schau aufs land therefore offers the perfect solution. Wild camping may be prohibited, but it is allowed to be on private land with the permission of the owner.
On this app, you find numerous places like farms and wine domains, that open their land so that you can stay close to nature. Some farms are even fully equipped for campers with multiple pitches and also offer numerous facilities such as showers, toilets, and even camper service points to discharge and fill water.
Download the “Schau Aufs Land” app via the link below and use our discount code: coordinotes10
Sleep at farms
You can spend the night for free, in return for a purchase of the local products from the farm, vineyard… This way you support the local economy and farmers, and you can also taste some delicious local products. Win-win-win for everyone.
If you take out a subscription you have access to all farms on this platform for a year. In addition, it is not only available for Austria but also for Slovenia and Italy. We can only recommend it! And with our code ‘coordinotes10’ you get a 10% discount on your subscription!
Below you will find some more of our favorite Schau aufs Land spots!
5. Our Favorite 'Schau aufs Land' spots
ID #729 (Salzburg)
Schau aufs land ID #729 is a small organic farm, located on a small hill above Maria Alm. They have mother cows, a herd of donkeys, chickens, ducks, cats, … and a beautiful garden. We received a very warm welcome from the Rainer family.
From the camper spot, we had an amazing view of the mountains. We could use various facilities such as a very clean and comfortable shower, a toilet, a washing sink, and even a washing machine. In the morning we ordered some delicious kaisersemmels and fresh eggs. They also offer many nice products made from herbs, wild herbs fruits, and berries from their own garden.
We felt completely at home here and literally had everything we needed.
ID #307 (Upper Austria)
Schau Aufs Land ID #307 is a lovely farm with chickens, mini pygmy goats, mini pigs, and cats roaming around. The hosts Diana and Gerhard have turned it into a super cozy place with a campfire, a communal kitchen, and a very cozy and nicely furnished indoor and outdoor sitting area.
They also made a nice outdoor shower, a dry toilet, and a regular flush toilet. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and had everything we needed. Not only can you stay there with your camper or tent, but they also have a tiny house, a tippy tent, and a hay bed that you can rent on Airbnb.
ID #706 (Carinthia)
Schau Aufs Land ID#706 is a wonderful farm located 1150 meters above sea level, surrounded by meadows and forests. From the pitch, you have a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. Teresa and her family gave us a warm welcome. As a local product, we can highly recommend the Carinthian Kasnudln here, but they also offer bacon, eggs, and many more delicious products.
6. Austria Camping Tips
Leave nothing but footprints
Whether you camp wild, spend the night at a campsite or stay at one of the nice farms in Schau aufs Land, always leave your camping spot as you found it.
Do not discharge into nature
Never discharge your gray water and toilet into nature, but in the designated places.
Respect others
When camping, be respectful of both locals and other campers.
Do no disturb nature
Do not make noise or fire, so that you do not disturb nature.
Toll Roads
Whether you go camping with a tent and car or a camper, you always need a vignette when you take the highways in Austria. You can purchase this both online and in many gas stations and are valid for one day, 10 days, 20 days, 2 months, 4 months or a year. Outside the highways, there are separate toll roads that are not included in the vignette, so you still have to pay separately.
7. Things to do in Austria
Tyrol
Tyrol is one of the best destinations in Austria in both winter and summer. When the mountains are covered in a thick layer of snow, you can go skiing in one of the many ski areas. In summer there are many beautiful lakes and mountain areas to enjoy numerous outdoor activities like hiking or mountain biking. You can make a stunning hike to Seebensee and Drachensee or climb your way to one of the viewpoints at Plansee or Achensee. Don’t feel like climbing a lot of altitudes? You can often also take a quiet walk around one of the many beautiful lakes. One of the most famous places in Tyrol is undoubtedly the Kebema suspension bridge at Olpererhütte from which you have a beautiful view of Schlegeisspeicher in the valley.
Salzburg
Salzburg area is another beautiful region in Austria where you find the Eastern Alps. This area is also home to many beautiful lakes, but here you will also find some of Austria’s most famous gorges such as Liechtensteinklamm or the Sigmund-Thun Klamm. For hiking, we can highly recommend the Hockönig mountains and the Hohe Tauern Park, one of the largest national parks in Europe where you also find the famous Krimml waterfall.
Salzkammergut
Salzkammergut is a beautiful area that spans parts of Upper Austria, Styria, and Salzburg. The name “Salzkammergut” means “Estate of the Salt Chamber,” referring to its history as a center of salt mining. The most beautiful salt mine is located in Hallstatt. This village is a UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for its salt mines and it is often called one of the most beautiful villages in Austria and even in the world.
Here too you will find some beautiful lakes such as Fuschlsee, Mondsee, and Gosausee with its perfect reflections. There are also many spectacular mountains such as the Dachstein massif. Are you looking for a real challenge? Then you can climb the impressive sky ladder that is part of the Donner Kogel Klettersteig.
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Win-Win for everyone
Did you know that, if you buy or book something through our links, we receive a small commission?
However, you still pay the same and therefore have no extra costs! So a win-win for everyone. This way, we can continue to add even more travel inspiration and tips to this blog for your next adventure. Thanks a lot!
