Hotels in Salzburg

Hotels in Salzburg: prices, timing and areas

When to book a stay in Salzburg for less

It is cheapest in winter, around January and February, when tourist traffic eases and rates drop about 20 percent below the average. June to August is the priciest, especially August during the famous Salzburg Festival, when prices rise by up to a third. December is the other expensive stretch, with the Christmas markets. For a peak-season trip it is worth booking about three months ahead. Sightseeing is nicest outside high summer, when crowds are smaller, and a stay early in the week tends to cost less than a weekend.

What a stay costs by property type

Salzburg has a wide price range, because apartments and small guesthouses sit alongside historic boutique hotels and five stars in the Altstadt. The cheapest sleep is in apartments and plain hotels outside the very centre; you pay the most for five stars by the old town. Below are indicative nightly rates.

Indicative rates for a double room, outside the August festival peak. In Salzburg the same hotel can differ by a third between February and the Salzburg Festival, so check the real price for your dates in the search above.

Where a stay is cheaper and where it costs more

The most demand goes to the Altstadt, the UNESCO-listed Old Town, close to Mozart's house, the cathedral and the fortress. It is the most convenient but also the most expensive base. Just across the river is the New Town with the Mirabell gardens, also within a walk of the sights. It is cheaper and quieter further out, in areas such as Elisabeth-Vorstadt by the main station, which guests rate highly, along with Maxglan, Liefering and Salzburg-Süd. Because the city is small and well connected, a room outside the very centre is still convenient.

Which stay in Salzburg suits whom

• First time in Salzburg. The Altstadt is the easiest base, within a walk of Mozart's house, the cathedral and the Hohensalzburg fortress. From here most sights are on foot.
• For families. Family rooms and apartments in quieter districts, close to the Mirabell gardens and the green banks of the Salzach. The Salzburg Card makes transport and entry to attractions easier.
• For couples. Boutique hotels in the old town, some with a view of the fortress. In the evening it is close to the Austrian restaurants around the Altstadt.
• With breakfast. Many central hotels include breakfast in the rate, handy before a day out. From here it is a short walk along the Salzach.
• Business travel. Hotels by the main station and in the New Town are close to transport and the centre. Buses reach most addresses.
• Near the airport. Salzburg W. A. Mozart airport is to the west of the city, near the Maxglan district. Hotels around it suit an early flight, and the centre is not far.

Example hotels in Salzburg with prices

From a small guesthouse to five stars in the Altstadt, a few Salzburg names with a from price. Just a starting point, as rates can climb noticeably in summer and during the Salzburg Festival.

From prices for a double room. In Salzburg the same hotel can differ a lot between a quiet week and a festival weekend, so check your exact dates in the search.

When Salzburg is more expensive

It is more expensive in summer, at the height of the season, when the city fills with visitors and the calendar is taken up by the Salzburg Festival, with opera, drama and classical music in July and August. December is the other expensive stretch, during the Christmas markets. For those dates it is worth booking ahead. The cheapest and quietest time is winter outside the holidays, January to February.