Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Eco-Hotels
So-called
Bio-
or
Öko
- ('eco') hotels are widespread in Austria. Most of them are located outside towns in picturesque
settings. Not a few of the hotels have wellness facilities like saunas and steam baths, and because of their rural location
they often have winter skiing and activities. Generally, you will need to have your own wheels - a car or a bicycle - to
reach these. Tourist offices keep lists or have a special section in their accommodation listings and on websites. The
website
www.biohotels.info
also has a brief list.
Farmstays
If you have your own transport and want to get away from the towns, staying on a farm is a nice way to get away from
it all. You will find lots of conventional
Bauernhöfe
(farmhouses) in rural areas. Most rent out apartments for a minim-
um of three nights, but some also have rooms accepting guests for one night. Depending on the region and type of ac-
commodation, the cheapest cost from about €35 per person, going up to about €100 or more per night for a slick apart-
ment with all mod cons.
In mountainous regions you will find
Almhütten
(alpine meadow huts), usually part of a farmstead. Some of these
can be accessed by cable car, some by road, and the more isolated ones only by foot or by mountain bike on forestry
tracks. Most are closed from October to April or May. During the day these isolated huts or
Gasthöfe
(inns) serve
snacks or meals to hikers and mountain bikers, and many offer simple rooms (usually with shared bathrooms) and full
board in rustic rooms, usually in wooden buildings.
The websites
www.urlaubaufderalm.com
and
www.farmholidays.com
are good places to look for farmstays, whereas
tourist offices can also help with local mountain -top
Almhütten
.
Hostels
Austria is dotted with
Jugendherberge
(youth hostels) or
Jugendgästehaus
(youth guesthouses). Facilities are often ex-
cellent: four- to six-bed dorms with shower/toilet are the norm in hostels, while many guesthouses have double rooms
or family rooms; internet facilities, free wi-fi and a restaurant or cafe are commonplace.
Austria has over 100 hostels affiliated with
HI
(
www.hihostels.com
), plus a smattering of privately owned hostels.
Memberships cards are always required, except in a few private hostels, but nonmembers pay a surcharge of about
€3.50 per night and after six nights the stamped Welcome Card counts as full membership. Most hostels accept reserva-
tions by telephone or email and are part of the worldwide computer reservations system through the HI website. Aver-
age dorm prices are about €22 per night.
HI hostels are run by two hostel organisations (either can provide information on all HI hostels). JUFA is a guest-
house organisation with a loose affiliation.
Österreichischer Jugendherbergsverband
(ÖJHV;
01-533 53 53;
www.oejhv.or.at
;
Zelinkagasse 12, Vienna;
11am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 3pm Fri Sep-Mar;
Schottenring,
1, 31 Schottenring)
Österreichischer Jugendherbergswerk
(ÖJHW;
01-533 18 33;
www.jungehotels.at
; Mariahilfer Strasse 22-24,
Vienna;
10am-6pm Mon-Thu, to 5pm Fri;
Museumsquartier)
JUFA
( 05 70 83;
www.jufa.at
; 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) There are 40 JUFA guesthouses scattered
around Austria, any of which can be booked by telephone on a local number, through the central booking service or on-
line. They generally offer a higher standard of facilities than youth hostels and specialise in singles, doubles and family
rooms. An average price is about €40 to €60 for a single room with bathroom and toilet, and €35 to €40 per person in a
double or family room. Prices usually vary by demand.
