Warm weather and bad traffic: What to expect in Austria this Ascension Day
As Austria heads into the long holiday weekend, the weather forecast looks good but travellers should expect busy trains and "heavy traffic" on roads.
Thursday, May 26th, is a public holiday in Austria to mark Ascension Day and many people across the country are planning a trip for the long weekend.
This means roads and trains will be busy as people travel back home to visit family or head to cities like Salzburg and Vienna.
As a result, the ÖAMTC has warned motorists of "heavy traffic" at the weekend, especially from Wednesday to Friday and again on Sunday.
FOR MEMBERS: UPDATED: How to save money on fuel costs in Austria
Key cross-border and inter-Austria road routes to be affected
The West Autobahn (A1) that runs between Salzburg and Vienna via Linz is expected to be busy this weekend, as well as the Karawanken Tunnel that connects Austria and Slovenia.
ORF reports there is also potential for heavy traffic on the Tauern Autobahn (A10) between Hallein and Werfen in Salzburg, and the ÖAMTC is predicting the Fernpass route (B179) in Tyrol will be overloaded with motorists.
Additionally, a triathlon is being held in St. Pölten on Sunday and the Daffodil Festival is taking place in the Salzkammergut from Thursday to Sunday. Both events will further add to congestion on roads in those regions.
Anyone travelling by car this weekend - or in fact any other weekend - can find out more about traffic levels on the route via the ÖAMTCs traffic calendar and route planner.
READ MORE: Reader question: Will Austrian trains soon require seat reservations?
Busy trains across Austria
Austria is currently experiencing high demand for train travel and this is expected to continue over the long holiday weekend.
To ensure a seat, national rail operator ÖBB is advising travellers to book a ticket in advance. However, ÖBB has also confirmed there will be an additional 10,000 seats available on Ascension Day (Thursday).
READ ALSO: ‘The pandemic is not over’: Vienna keeps mask rule in public transport
Sunshine and warm temperatures
Despite the high chance of busy roads and trains this weekend there is some good news in that the weather forecast for Austria is good.
On Ascension Day, the weather should be mostly dry with a mixture of sunshine and clouds with temperatures between 18 to 26 degrees. There is a possibility of thunder storms in the mountains and Vienna is expected to be windy.
On Friday, the maximum temperature is forecast to be between 20 to 29 degrees but the weekend will be cooler with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees across the country.
Comments
See Also
Thursday, May 26th, is a public holiday in Austria to mark Ascension Day and many people across the country are planning a trip for the long weekend.
This means roads and trains will be busy as people travel back home to visit family or head to cities like Salzburg and Vienna.
As a result, the ÖAMTC has warned motorists of "heavy traffic" at the weekend, especially from Wednesday to Friday and again on Sunday.
FOR MEMBERS: UPDATED: How to save money on fuel costs in Austria
Key cross-border and inter-Austria road routes to be affected
The West Autobahn (A1) that runs between Salzburg and Vienna via Linz is expected to be busy this weekend, as well as the Karawanken Tunnel that connects Austria and Slovenia.
ORF reports there is also potential for heavy traffic on the Tauern Autobahn (A10) between Hallein and Werfen in Salzburg, and the ÖAMTC is predicting the Fernpass route (B179) in Tyrol will be overloaded with motorists.
Additionally, a triathlon is being held in St. Pölten on Sunday and the Daffodil Festival is taking place in the Salzkammergut from Thursday to Sunday. Both events will further add to congestion on roads in those regions.
Anyone travelling by car this weekend - or in fact any other weekend - can find out more about traffic levels on the route via the ÖAMTCs traffic calendar and route planner.
READ MORE: Reader question: Will Austrian trains soon require seat reservations?
Busy trains across Austria
Austria is currently experiencing high demand for train travel and this is expected to continue over the long holiday weekend.
To ensure a seat, national rail operator ÖBB is advising travellers to book a ticket in advance. However, ÖBB has also confirmed there will be an additional 10,000 seats available on Ascension Day (Thursday).
READ ALSO: ‘The pandemic is not over’: Vienna keeps mask rule in public transport
Sunshine and warm temperatures
Despite the high chance of busy roads and trains this weekend there is some good news in that the weather forecast for Austria is good.
On Ascension Day, the weather should be mostly dry with a mixture of sunshine and clouds with temperatures between 18 to 26 degrees. There is a possibility of thunder storms in the mountains and Vienna is expected to be windy.
On Friday, the maximum temperature is forecast to be between 20 to 29 degrees but the weekend will be cooler with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees across the country.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.