Europe by Campervan › Austrian lakes and the Grossglockner

Campervan route

Austrian lakes and the Grossglockner

8 to 10 days · June to September

From Prague to the Salzkammergut via Linz is about half a day’s drive.

Checked 8 Nov 2026

Austrian lakes and the GrossglocknerPhoto: Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0
  1. Mondsee and Wolfgangsee: The first lakes just past Salzburg, swimming and views.
  2. Hallstatt and Gosausee: Don’t drive into the village; park at the designated car parks and walk.
  3. Zell am See: A lake below the mountains and the start of the Grossglockner road.
  4. Grossglockner High Alpine Road: A toll road over the mountains, open roughly from early May to early November.
  5. Krimml Waterfalls: Austria’s highest waterfalls.
  6. Zillertal and Achensee: The valley below the Hintertux glacier and a turquoise lake on the way home.

Where to sleep: Campsites and Stellplätze only; outside them state laws restrict camping. Car parks at lakes and lifts are often day-only.

Ready-made guide for this country →

Tyrol camping law (FAOLEX) · news.at, 25 Oct 2026: Grossglockner High Alpine Road · park4night: Hintertux car park

When to go

June to September for lakes and hikes. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road runs roughly from early May to early November.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Austria: lakes and mountains

Best timeFineBetter not

Rules in the country

Austria We’ve been

Lakes and mountains close to home, but you sleep only at campsites and Stellplätze.

Sleeping outside campsites
Motorhome stops
Good value
Easy roads
Banned outside campsites
  • State laws restrict or ban camping outside campsites, for example Tyrol’s camping law. Stay at campsites or designated Stellplätze.
  • Car parks at lifts and lakes are often day-only. At the Hintertux glacier, for example, parking is 6:30 to 17:30 and camping is fined.

Tip: Vignette 2026: 10 days €12.80, 2 months €32, a year €106.80. Above 3.5 t technically permissible mass you need a GO-Box instead.

Tyrol camping law (FAOLEX) · ADAC: GO-Box for motorhomes · Motorrad & Reisen, 3 Dec 2025: vignette prices 2026 · Euronews, 25 Jun 2026: price levels in Europe (Eurostat)

From our trips

Austria: lakes in summer, Hintertux in winter

Austria is close to home and never gets old. In summer we tour the mountain lakes, each one a little different. In winter we go skiing at Hintertux.

Austria works all year: lakes and mountains in summer, skiing in winter.

Good to know: We slept below the Hintertux lifts without any trouble, and it is our favourite tip. But the newest comments say the car park is officially day-only and camping can be fined. Keep a low profile, put nothing outside and be first on the slopes in the morning. If you want certainty, pick a winter campsite in the Zillertal.

This route and six more, 15 countries rated, tolls and winter in a van are all in the booklet.

Booklet for €14

Free season calendar

A year-round calendar and an overview of where you may sleep outside campsites in 15 countries, as a PDF by email. Plus one checked travel tip a week.

More routes

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