Austria by Car advice for drivers

Winter  Driving  in  Austria

Austrian  Holidaymakers - Journey tips for vehicle car drivers

Tips  on traveling  in and around Austria by Car.  Plan your route well in advance,  take into  account  the terrain,  its  much  slower going  up or down a mountain, than  perhaps driving  around  a mountain instead  on the motorway. Take account  of the topography  and take  in the views. In planning your  journey  perhaps  look for  somewhere  to satay over night,  for  those travelling  from the west  one  such stop over place is the  Baden Baden Spa  which  makes a lovely  stop  over place en-route to Austria.  Munich  is also  another great  place to stop with lots  to see and do Consider the weather  and possible traffic  conditions  in planning  your route give  yourself  plenty of time, to make  the journey a relaxing  part  of  the holiday and include enough breaks.   A relative new law  is  the creation of  an emergency  safety lane.  So on autobahns and highways, a free "lane" must be created  between the individual lines of traffic,  so if  there is a traffic jam or the traffic is slowing down, move over to create space for an ambulance, police car, fire engine to get through. This will help emergency workers get to an incident  much more quickly, and hopefully reduce your delay.   In Austria winter tyres are compulsory  from the November  1st  right through  until the 15th April, Hire cars hired in Austria  will come  with these tyres winter,  for other countries when hiring please ask. Winter  tyres  be used or snow chains on at least two drive wheels. Snow chains are only allowed to be used however, if the road is continuously covered with snow or ice.  The  wearing  of  seat  belts  is compulsory. Motorway / Autobahn vignette / licence  All car vehicle drivers who are travelling on autobahns must display a valid vignette  on the inside  of the window-screen.Current prices  for 2013 are for up to ten days €8.30, two months €24.20, and  for a year are  €80.60.  Take a reflective vest out-side built-up areas car drivers must put on a reflective vest after a accident  or emergency breakdown if entering the road carriageway. Other things  you will need:-  are a warning triangle, first-aid box, hands-free speakerphone if  you intend  to use your phone while driving, valid personal documents (driver's license, insurance documentation, European Health Insurance Card).  For rental cars  you will need  your rental agreement  and the paperwork provided with the car.   For  further travel information please  click  on the following link, driving  in Austria Wishing you a safe journey  on  your  holiday.  If  you are looking for somewhere to stay / rent for 3 to 9 persons? that has the benefit of three bedrooms and three bath / shower rooms,  in a great location. Then please take a look at austria holiday apartment Mountain passes over the Alps Grossglockner

Spa Blog Article:- Top 10 Spa Trends

Tauern  Spa  Kaprun   open  all  year  round 

 Wellness and relaxation spas a place to unwind and refresh the spirit.

Susie Ellis has come up with a list of the top 10 spa trends. Here then you can judge for yourself as to  the top 10 spa trends of the past decade, it gives an American perspective but even so, it makes an interesting read:-

Susie's Spa Blog: Top 10 Spa Trends for the Past DECADE

1. Indigenous Treatments

While one would see the use of local ingredients and local customs on occasion at spas decades ago, during the past decade this became an almost unspoken rule. Not only do local ingredients and customs provide a healthy native flavour, they are a special experience that could not be easily replicated. From a lomi lomi massage in Hawaii to the Royal Javanese Lular wedding ritual from Indonesia, indigenous treatments gave spas a sense of place that made each spa-going experience around the world truly unique.

2. Medicine and Spa

In the early 90’s there was very little overlap between medicine and spas. That has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. With more doctors ‘discovering’ that spas add to health and reduce stress through their own experience (perhaps a massage after a round of golf at a medical retreat) the spa world and the medical world began talking. Then when Botox arrived in 2002, a new type of aesthetic/medical spa was born and the spa and medicine connection was solidified. Spas also got their act together, becoming more transparent and down-playing the ‘woo woo’ factor.

3. Organic

This was the big story in spa products for the decade. The popularity of organic and ‘green’ helped several obscure organic lines make it big, and nearly all spa product companies launched their own branded organic lines. The organic trend also helped open the door for a new eco-friendly, environmentally conscious zeitgeist in the spa arena that while it's not yet garnering universal praise, at least has gotten things going in the right direction.

4. Men

While the decade saw a range of new demographics enter the spa arena, from teens to pre-teens to babies and seniors, it was the steady stream of men who began making spa-going part of their lives that has had the greatest impact. While it took some doing to get men to try a spa for the first time, almost universally their first time resulted in a second and third, etc. Men found that there was more to this spa-going thing than just idle pampering – it was, in fact, the quickest way for them to reduce stress (something that there was plenty of in this decade) , help improve their sports performance and a healthy way to move from feeling poorly to feeling great.

5. Wellness

The word wellness was hardly used in the 90’s and did not really appear on the scene until after the millennium. Starting in Europe as a term that combined fitness and well being, it gained momentum because for Europeans the word ‘spa’ had a different connotation (water treatments for sick older people) and the newer spas (ushered in by the swanky Brenner’s Park Hotel and Spa in Baden Baden) were associated with expense and pretension. Thus the word wellness was a good word to describe places that offered fitness, massage, medical testing, and healthy nutrition – the very things that spas are known for.

6. Yin of Luxury, Yang of Discount

While the decade may have ended with more emphasis on the yang of discount, the decade definitely spent quite a bit of time in the yin of luxury. The reality is that with more than 80,000 spas in the world now, there is plenty of yin and plenty of yang to go around. One can find bargain-priced massages and other spa treatments in most countries alongside sky-high-priced options with bejeweled massage oils and exotic over-the-top settings to suit any taste and budget.

7. Spa Comes Home

The influence of spa on the home started at the beginning of the decade as a simple purchase of a candle to use in the bath and perhaps the addition of a loofah sponge. It has blossomed into an entire industry of spa-type products, services, and furniture experienced at home. Taking the trend even further was the birth of ‘spa real estate’ –luxury high-rises and communities with spectacular spas where one could purchase a residence and truly live the spa lifestyle. Spa-ing burst out of the confines of the walls of an establishment labeled 'spa', and the new term ‘spa lifestyle’ described a way of living for those looking for a healthy life.

8. Online Spa

I remember lamenting to my husband at the turn of the millennium that I wished there were more spas that had a website. His answer? Just wait, they will all have one soon. Well of course he was right. Today every spa – and even therapists and practitioners – has its own website and consumers can book spa appointments online, buy spa products, review spas and fully engage in spa-related social networking. And with technology solutions for wellness coaching and medical diagnosis, the entire spa experience is becoming available through the Internet. Only the therapists’ hands haven’t been brought online – yet.

9. Social Spa-ing

While spas put emphasis on the pillars of exercise, nutrition, body and beauty treatments, the social aspect of spa going was not often discussed until recently. Now we know that social spa-ing – just like spa programs for sleep health and brain health – is a recognized contributor to health. From the isolation of a massage therapy room and a whisper-friendly relaxation lounge, has come the idea that mingling and socializing is a healthy thing to do.

10. Gift Certificates, Vouchers, Cards.

And finally we come to a trend that was so gradual that we hardly noticed its importance and never even mentioned it in a top trend list. And yet it has probably had more to do with the explosion of spas and the number of spa-goers around the world than almost any of the other trends – or even all of them combined! That is the emergence and popularity of the spa gift certificate, card and voucher that introduced so many new people to the spa experience. (In fact, research has shown that approximately one third of all spa visits are a result of certificates and vouchers.) The spa gift whose reach was galvanized collectively by every spa which sells them as well as third party universal programs, not only gave people permission to pamper themselves, it also ushered in an attitude that gifting 'spa' was an expression of true thoughtfulness and care. To put it in perspective: while SpaFinder is the largest retailer of spa gift certificates, cards and vouchers in the world, we didn’t make our first certificate sale until 1999. Today over 5,000 spas worldwide are part of our gifting programs and our cards/vouchers are available in virtually every major drug and grocery chain. 

When Bad is good ? Austrian spas

Hofgastein Spa Wellness complex in the Gastein Valley in the Salzburgerland area

Bad! well in English bad means the opposite of good. You normally wouldn’t want to have everything go bad. But in Austria bad means "spa". And a spa is a good thing. It sure is a funny thing the translation of one language into another. Bad Gastein is a rather small town in Austria. There are not quite 6,000 people living there in the hills almost 3200 feet above sea level. It is located in the state of Salzburg along the north rim of the national park, Hohe Tauern. There are many Bad Gastein hotels nestled into the steep mountainous slopes.

This town was originally a gold mine and was also along the trade route that crossed the Central Eastern Alps from Italy. Some time in the nineteenth century the natural hot springs brought in the noble visitors and thus a spa town was created. It was all the rage to be spending time soaking with the rich and famous in these green hills. Even the monarchs would come for a dip. The Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary spent time there. as well as Wilhelm I, German Emperor visited, in more modern time the Shah of Persia  visited.

In the recent past the town has fallen off the spa radar. Since the 1960s it lost it’s luster and notoriety and have left many of the hotels empty. But that is going to change if they can build up the reputation once again. If they bring in the history of the healing tunnel and all who visited over the many years then they should have a good chance. The waters have been studied in pursuit of the secrets of its healing powers since the discovery of Radon, a believed secret ingredient, was made by Marie Curie and Heinrich Mache. They believed that Radon helped with arthritis but later studies show that there really doesn’t seem to much difference between spa treatments with or without radon, the key was spa and immersion in warm water, and heated treated rooms.

This article was copied from the from this linking blog,  the Gastein valley is about 30 minutes away from Kaprun and Zell am See by car, taxi or train. There are two fantastic thermal spas in the valley, the first being at Hofgastein and  further up the valley is the spa town of Bad Gastein ( previously called Badgastein) both are well  worth a visit. Whether it be after a long strenuous walk, a day skiing, going for a pamper, or something to do on a wet day, you will have a fantastic time.

New Kaprun Spa opening Times and location map

Relax in warm waters watching the sun disappear and stars appear.

The opening times for  Tauern Spa  Kaprun are as follows:-

Spa Opening Hours

The spa will be open from Saturday till Thursday from  09.00 hours until 23.00 hours
On Friday  the thermal spa will be open 1 hour longer from 09.00 hours to midnight.

Sauna Opening Times 

The Tauern Spa Kaprun sauna complex is part of the spa  complex,  and an additional payment is required to gain entry.  It opens Saturday  until Thursday from 10:00 hours till 23:00 hours. On Friday there is an extra hour of opening  and the sauna area will  remain  open till midnight.

Treatment areas for Beauty & Body

The Beauty and Body Treatment center will be open every day from  09.00 till  20.00 hours.  Booking in advance is suggested for individual treatments.

Location of Tauern Spain Kaprun

Location of the new spa at Zell am See Kaprun in the Salzburgerland area of Austria

Tauern Spa Kaprun is in the Salzburgerland  area of Austria, it is located in a lovely location sitting in the valley bottom between the medieval market town of Zell am See and the village of Kaprun  which is located in the valley adjacent to the Kitzsteinhorn a peak of over 3000 metres complete with glacier and ski areas.

To find the way to the new spa once in Zell am See take the valley road heading for Mittersill. As you leave Zell am See you will pass the 36 hole championship golf course on your left, keep looking to your left and you will see the new spa surrounded by fields in the valley bottom in a spectacular location.  At the next roundabout turn left towards Kaprun, the mountain immediately in front of you is the Maiskogel, beyond the highest peak is the Kitzsteinhorn,  there are also views across the  valley of Kaprun complete with castle / burg and a church on top of a small hill.  At the next roundabout turn left, and  Kaprun's  new spa / wellness centre can be found at the end of the road over a small bridge.  Car parking is free.

Map showing the location of Zell am See and Kaprun

 We are very happy to recommend a visit to the spa in Kaprun   it opened its doors in  November 2010.  Its a fantastic wellness facility. 

For those who like spas we also gladly recommend the two thermal spas in the Gastein valley, at Bad Hofgastein  ( about 30 minutes away from Kaprun) and at Bad Gastein   located slightly further at the head of the Gastein valley, in an interesting town,  with former glories to its name.

If you are looking for somewhere to stop at for 3 to 9 persons in Kaprun? Which has the benefit of three bedrooms and three bath / shower rooms and is within walking distance of the spa, then please 

take a look at :-

 

Tauern Spa Kaprun news update

Location map of Kaprun and Zell am See in the Salzburgerland area of Austria, Tauern Spa Kaprun  is to be located between the two localities, close to the 36 hole Championship golf course.

Wellbeing and relaxation are many holidaymakers priorities. In Zell am See / Kaprun facilities are being expanded  in the area with the construction of  new Tauern Spa Kaprun, once built it will  meet the demands of holiday makers throughout the year.

The new wellness resort from its opening in November 2010,  offers, nearly everything to guarantee a perfect relaxing wellness spa break.  It will be possible to treat  visitors to an unforgettable spa treatment experience in the area of the Kitzsteinhorn and the Hohe Tauern mountain range.

At the Tauern Spa Kaprun,  it is a large / gigantic wellness centre, which will have something in store for most peoples every liking. With panoramic saunas, a brine salt  pool, a glazed exterior pool, an aroma steam bath, adjacent is a  320 bed  luxurious 4* Tauern Spa four-star hotel, complete with restaurant and bar areas and roof top infinity pool!

Spa News Update Kaprun

The new spa complex in Kaprun has recently released its price list for entry into the pool and sauna areas. There are concessions for families senior citizens and for the disabled. The full price list can now be found  via this link. 



The Tauern Spa World Kaprun website recently been launched, the web site is marked as "still under construction"  but it does give a good indication of the facilities that this new spa will have to offer.  Details provided on the site indicate that the 80 - 90 million Euro Spa complex is now expected to open in November 2010, a month earlier than originally anticipated. Stop Press  opened on 8th November 2010


The business address is given as 

TAUERN SPA WORLD
Tauern Spa Platz 1
5710
Kaprun

With the web link given as   www.tauernspakaprun.com/ 


The Tauern Spa world  brochure can been downloaded by clicking here a German version of the brochure is also available for Tauern Spa world and can be found via this link.

http://www.tauernspakaprun.com/de/resort/index.htm

 

 

The Spa will be located between Kaprun and Zell am See with views across the valley 

to the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier.

The spa and hotel facility consists of:-

1) 4* Hotel of the superior standard consisting of 160 rooms and suites, all with private panoramic balcony, lobby with library, hotel bar with live music, restaurant and tavern, splendid terraces, spacious seminar and conference area, children's playground.

2)   Hotel spa, indoor pool, outdoor pool, glazed, panoramic saunas, steam baths, rest and adventure areas, fireplace lounge.

3) Spa Water World Indoor. Activity pool, relax pool, upland basin with water cascade, a place to rest with  various staged zone mattresses.

4) World of Water outdoor spa. Solo resting pool, activity pool, 25-meter Olympic size pool.

5) Spa Kidstein. Indoor and outdoor pools, kiddie pool, play park, 2 slides, games, creative and multi-media room, outdoor water park and volleyball court.

6) Spa cuisine, market, restaurant, sauna, bistro, summer bar, a café in the foyer.

7) Spa Saunas:- finnish sauna, oven-sauna, herbal sauna, bio sauna, brine bath, aroma steam bath, spacious relaxation areas, saunas liquor in the garden.

 8) Spa Treatment. 17 rooms for pampering body and facial treatments such as beauty treatments, traditional massage, massage with herbs, wrap packages, and nourishing bath.

9) Spa Sport and fitness:- gym / fitness area with cardio and strength building equipment.

Based on the other spas in the Salzburg area, Tauern Spa World Kaprun promises to be something very special and will be worth visiting, and be an enhancement to any holiday in the area. 

If you are looking for somewhere to stay in the Kaprun area then please consider staying  Austria holiday apartment,   it sleeps from 3-9 in comfort and has the benefit of 3 bath / shower rooms, and is conveniently close to the centre of Kaprun, brochure for the holiday accommodation can be found here

View from Austria Holiday Apartment in Kaprun of the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier

Tauern Spa Hotel, Kaprun 4* now open

Tauern Spa Kaprun Kaprun

The Superb Tauern Spa Kaprun

  It is said that:-

This  incredible Tauern Spa Hotel will be the area's flagship hotel boasting beautiful architecture and high quality facilities within sprawling grounds, linking into the surrounding countryside with stunning mountain views.  The extensive spas include indoor and outdoor pools showcasing panoramic views of the amazing Hohe Tauern National Park landscape.  A ski bus stops close to the hotel  takes guests to the center of Kaprun, the foot of its ski area and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier. With modern / contemporary surroundings and facilities for guests of all ages, this quality hotel is sure to set the benchmark for luxury winters ports holidays.

Guests staying in the hotel can enjoy the following features

• Free use of 2,100m² Tauern Spa Kaprun with
• Indoor/outdoor pools
• Brine / salt swimming pool
• 11 saunas
• 3 steam baths
• Heated water beds
• Relaxation area
• Hot tub, massage, beauty center
• Fitness room
• 3 lounges (1 with open fire)
• 5 restaurants
• Bar
• Wine cellar
• Café

New Spa Kaprun now open (taken October 2010)

For Families 

• Children’s pool with 2 slides
• Children’s entertainment/supervision programme open 7 days a week (3yrs+)

Accommodation in Tauern Spa Hotel consists of sleeping accommodation for up to 220 persons with rooms for 2-4 People, elegant, modern rooms have a double bed, Wi-Fi, en suite bathroom and balcony.

Cost

Half Board - Breakfast buffet and evening meal with hors- d’oeuvres, salad & dessert buffet.
The cost of  half board accommodation in the winter starts at around £1099 per person for a week.  It looks to be fantastic hotel and spa facility  in a superb location.

Spa Day Day Tickets are available for the visitor by the day or hour,  ticket prices start at 16 Euros for a visit.



Alternative Accommodation

There is lots of accommodation in and around the Kaprun and Zell am See area, and the local tourist board is able to offer assistance.

For those looking for 3 bedroom, 3 bath / shower apartment accommodation for 3 to 9 persons in Kaprun please take a look at  www.austria-holiday-apartment.com

Kaprun holiday rental apartment, ready for your stay, all year round.

Kaprun Spa World Tauern update

 NOW OPEN

Tauern Spa Kaprun, due for  Completion  November 2010

Work continues apace in the construction of the new spa and wellness complex as it slowly rises up from the ground, will testify that the sighting of the spa is an excellent choice and it is starting to take pride of place in the valley bottom. It nestles between the village of Kaprun, in the other directions there is Kaprun castle, and in another direction the 36 hole championship golf course of Zell am See or to give its full title the golf club of Zell am See - Kaprun

Sallbach-Hinterglemm

Beyond the immediate landscape the spa centres its attention on the mighty Kitzsteinhorn 3000 metre+ mountain famous for its glacier, where it is possible to ski all year around.

Vamed Vitality World who will be the operating company for Tauern-Spa World, have produced a 3 page fact sheet on the new spa complex in Kaprun  and it gives further information on what the site will consist of.

Adjacent to the spa complex will be a new 4 * hotel, 160 room / 320 bed hotel, with the facility to host conferences / weddings of up to 200 people.

For the Kaprun spa it is planned that there will be 17 treatment rooms, 9 massage rooms and 5 beauty in addition to the Saunas, steam rooms and spas.

Along with additional facilities for children which will include children's play area and slides. The date for opening is scheduled for November 2010, ( brought forward from December)  and with the Austrian's thoroughness this is the expected earlier date.

Gastein Valley  Spas

For those who can't wait until then the Spa complexes in the nearby Gastein valley come highly recommended. There is the ski and Mountain spa Gastein in the interesting town Bad Gastein, which can be visited by train.

Alpentherme  in the  Gastein valley well  worth  a  visit

 Further down the Gastein valley there is the neighbouring sister spa of   Bad Hofgastein of Alpentherme    which  boasts the  following  facts: opening in December 2003,  the  Architect was Martin Kohlbauer, total area 32,000 sq. m  with  an  indoor area: 14,000 sq. m, outdoor area 18,000 sq. m, total water surface: 1,500 sq. m.  Consists  of  10 pools and basins  and  different  temperatures of 24°, 36° and 33°.  A  visit  visit to any  of  the  spas  will give you some indication for what is in store in Kaprun with the new Spa /Wellness complex.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay in the area,  please consider staying at:-Austria holiday apartment, it will sleep a family / group of  3-9 persons in luxury and comfort and has the benefit of 3 bath / shower rooms.

Austria-Holiday-Apartment.com 3 bedroom 3 bath / shower accommodation in Kaprun