We just love Austria! Many of us enjoyed our first snow experiences were on the nursery slopes of Kitzbühel, Westendorf, Saalbach, St Anton and others. The same can be said for many hundreds of South Africans over the years too.
Austria has a very special charm and character which is bundled together with warm hospitality and excellent value for money to create the unique sense of ‘Gemütlichkeit’.
Capital: Vienna
Language: German (or Austrian German) (French and English, among others, are widely understood.)
Currency: Euro
Visas: Travellers using South African passports will require Schengen visas to visit Austria.
Gateway Cities: The most convenient ‘gateway’ for the two Austrian resorts featured is Munich, Germany. Westendorf and Kitzbuhel are 1hr 45min to 2 hour coach transfer from Munich Airport.
Flights: SAA and Lufthansa both offer direct flights from Johannesburg to Munich.
All the major European airlines (e.g. Air France/KLM, BA, Swiss, etc.) and UAE airlines (Emirates, Etihad & Qatar) are worth considering too. In these cases a short connection will be required but their fares are generally cheaper.
Flight Time: Direct flights from Joburg to Munich take 10hr 45min.
Non-direct options with one change in Europe, the UAE or UK can take >15 hours depending on the connection times.
