Campervan trip to Austria: Beautiful trip for those that love lakes, mountains and traveling in a campervan
Getting ready for a campervan trip to Austria in a camper van or motorhome? Here are a few useful tips on beautiful places, parking, and hiking spots around Salzburg – in the stunning Salzkammergut region.
Crystal-clear, turquoise lakes surrounded by majestic mountains — the Salzkammergut area near Salzburg is an absolute gem and a dream destination for a campervan trip in Austria. It’s only about three and a half hours from Bratislava – where our small campervan rental is based.
Martina and her friend Hilke explored this area in our campervan, the Gurumobil (VW T5).
“We spent four spontaneous days full of swimming, hiking, breathtaking views, and easygoing camping. If you have more time, you could easily stay entertained here for an entire week or more.”
Campsites for camper vans and motorhomes near Salzburg
Around Salzburg’s lakes, you’ll find plenty of beautiful campsites suitable for camper vans and motorhomes. During the peak season, however, they can get quite busy, so if you’re arriving without a reservation, it’s wise to have a few backup options in mind.
Most campsites for camper vans in this region tend to be on the pricier side — but once you see those views, you’ll understand why. Based on our research, the average nightly price for two people and a small camper van is around €40. We recommend checking the prices in advance so there are no surprises.
Although we didn’t personally stay at any campsites in this area, we found a few highly rated options for you. If you try one of them, we’d love to hear your feedback.
Camping Bruckbacher – Attersee Lake
A small, quiet campsite perfect for those who prefer to avoid crowds, with a lovely grassy area and direct access to the lake.
Ferienhaus Traunseeblick – Traunsee Lake
According to reviews, the owner is very kind and responds quickly via WhatsApp. The campsite is located just a few meters from Lake Traunsee.
Wild camping with a camper van or motorhome in Austria
In general, wild camping in Austria is not allowed. However, there are still a few spots where it’s tolerated. Before your trip, we recommend reading our blog post about wild camping in Austria.
On our trip, we spent the nights outside official campsites, following the same guidelines we share in that article — and it worked out great.
First evening at Mondsee and a relaxed morning at Attersee
We arrived at the lakes in the evening and immediately jumped into Lake Mondsee for a swim. The views along the road were stunning, and the sunset over Mondsee was unforgettable.
We started looking for a place to park for the night quite late — exactly what we usually advise against doing… After a few failed attempts, we finally stopped by the road near Lake Attersee. We found the spot on Park4Night App — it was about the third one we checked that evening. It wasn’t perfect, but since it was already late, we decided to stay there. Despite the nearby road, we slept quite well.
In the morning, we moved a little farther and enjoyed breakfast with our feet in the lake and a beautiful view in front of us.
A day at Traunsee and hiking the Klein Schonberg
After breakfast, we headed to Lake Traunsee. The thermometer showed 30°C, so we jumped straight into the lake for a swim, then made lunch and had a picnic right by the water.
In the afternoon, we went for an easy hike to Kleiner Schonberg (894 m). The trail surprised us with truly stunning views from the top.
Langbathseen
On the second-to-last night of our trip, we accidentally discovered the Langbathseen lakes — and a huge parking area right next to them.
As soon as we found this place, we didn’t want to go anywhere else. The parking lot was free and located at the end of the road, so it was peaceful and quiet at night. We spent the night there without any issues, but we recommend checking the latest Park4Night reviews or asking other camper travelers on-site, just to be sure.
There are two beautiful lakes here — the first one is right by the parking lot, and the second, smaller lake is about a 40-minute walk away. The walk itself is absolutely worth it — the views are spectacular.
Extra tip
In the Park4Night app, we also came across a parking spot near the guesthouse Schöberingerhof, not far from Lake Attersee. We didn’t have time to try it, but it looked great. According to reviews, if you buy something from the restaurant, you can stay overnight and enjoy an amazing view.
Getting around and day-parking during your campervan trip to Austria
Finding parking for a camper van or motorhome right by the lakes during the day can be a bit of a challenge — especially in nice weather and high season when parking lots fill up quickly. Patience is key!
Most lots are small and often located right along the lakeside roads. Keep an eye on signs, as they sometimes specify restrictions for camper vans, motorhomes, or even regular cars.
Despite our “zero-preparation” and go-with-the-flow approach, with our T5 campervan we always managed to find parking — the Park4Night app was our best friend.
If you travel in a larger motorhome however, your safest bet is to park at campsites. There is always some sites located right by a lake and you’ll avoid getting stuck in the narrow roads.
Which lake is the most beautiful?
During our short campervan trip to Austria, we visited Mondsee, Attersee, Traunsee, and Langbathseen. Our choices were quite random 🙂
We probably liked Langbathseen the most — there were fewer people, the lakes were gorgeous, and it felt like a hidden gem.
We also have great memories of our hike near Lake Traunsee to Kleiner Schönberg (894 m). Despite being a relatively easy hike (with one steep section), the view from the top was truly breathtaking.
How to find the best hikes and activities nearby
There are countless beautiful hikes and via ferratas in this area — you’ll be spoiled for choice.
For finding scenic hiking trails in unfamiliar areas, we highly recommend the Komoot app. For example, here’s a list of easy walks in the Salzkammergut region.
If you have a paddleboard, definitely bring it with you — it fits perfectly into our rental camper vans. We didn’t have ours this time, but next time we definitely would!
If you have just a few free days, this is the perfect short getaway from Bratislava — close enough to reach easily, yet truly beautiful and refreshing. And if you have more time, boredom is simply not an option here.
While writing this blog, we also came across an article by a Salzburg local with plenty of diverse tips for activities in this beautiful region. So we are passing it on, it might come in handy.
