Austria in May or July?

[gentlesea]

I know this all comes down to preference but I keep going around in circles. It would be a solo trip so not tied to any school holidays. I really want to see Vienna and see all the beautiful architecture (so May would be better) but I also really want to see Salzburg and maybe Innsbruck (so July). Summer I guess would be better weather (perhaps too hot for Vienna?) but I've read it can be quite rainy in July. Would love to hear other people's experience of travelling in these months!

Why would Salzburg and Innsbruck need to be July rather than May? Late May is an ideal time to be anywhere in Austria as the weather will be getting warmer (without it being too hot) and the tourist season has yet to really begin. July will be far busier - and more expensive.

Rain, and particularly heavy rain, is more prevalent in the mountain regions of Austria than in Vienna. July is not known for being particularly rainy. It rarely rains non-stop for days on end, but sudden and heavy rain showers can happen from time to time. In the mountains these showers can be spectacular thunderstorms but tend to happen at the end of hot days, so it can be 30 deg. all day, and then suddenly 10 deg. and raining buckets for an hour or so in the evening, and then clear up again.

DD is currently living in Salzburg and has been caught out in sandals and summer dress in a sudden snow shower in the past couple of weeks. It's pretty lovely all year round though.

@Havanananana I'd love to experience a proper Alpine summer in the mountains!

Yes @DoodyDog I saw there's a heatwave this weekend in Salzburg! Your lucky daughter.

But those cities are not really in the mountains, you need a resort for that really. May can be too early for them to fully open.

OK day trips to Alpine summer fun, then!

Vienna is too far from the mountains for a day trip. You need to be in Salzburg (3 hours from Vienna) and then it's another 90 mins by train or bus to somewhere like Zell am See.

The mountain resorts start opening next week (9th May) but most are open by the public holidays at Whitsun (19th May) or at the latest by Corpus Christi (30th May).