Semester breaks in Austria: Dates, tips, and travel planning

The semester break is a busy travel period in Austria every year. The school holidays in February are often used for vacations in Austria's mountains or city breaks, which means that both rail and air traffic increase during this period. Realistic planning, sufficient time reserves, and knowledge of passenger rights are the most important prerequisites for a smooth journey, whether by train or plane.

School holidays in Austria 2026

In the 2025/26 school year, the semester breaks are distributed as follows, depending on the federal state:

• February 2 – February 7: Vienna and Lower Austria
• February 9 – February 14: Burgenland, Carinthia, Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg
• February 16–21: Upper Austria, Styria

Semester breaks & travel: Rights & challenges

The apf provides comprehensive information about your rights in the event of flight delays and cancellations, especially during the holiday season. In the event of a cancellation or significant delay, passengers are entitled to:

• Refund of the ticket price
• or, alternatively, in the event of cancellation, rebooking to an alternative connection
• under certain conditions, also a compensation payment (amount depends on distance)
• Assistance and care services such as
  • Snacks and refreshments
  • Hotel accommodation (in reasonable proportion to the waiting time)
  • Transfer to the hotel

Tip: In the event of delays or cancellations, contact the airline as soon as possible. If you incur any expenses yourself, keep all receipts.

The apf recommends:

•  Check in on time: Online check-in saves you a lot of time at the airport.
•  Track updates: Airline apps provide up-to-date information on departures and gates.
•  Know your rights: In the event of delays of three hours or more or cancellations, travelers are often entitled to compensation or refunds.

Traveling by train: Planning pays off

As a climate-friendly alternative to flying, traveling by train is particularly popular in Austria. The train is ideal for short trips to the Alpine regions, Innsbruck, Vienna, Salzburg, or Graz. Especially during peak times such as semester breaks, apf recommends planning early and carefully:

• Monitor travel status: Apps such as Scotty keep you up to date in real time with information about delays, cancellations, or other changes.
• Book night trains early: they tend to sell out quickly, especially during the holiday season.
• Seat reservations are recommended by some rail operators, especially on busy travel days.
• Discounts: Sparschiene tickets, Westsuperpreis tickets, and group tickets reduce costs. In addition, the Vorteilscard offers many advantages not only with ÖBB but also with Westbahn.
• Flexible travel: With Klimaticket weekly tickets, travel times can be arranged more flexibly.

Information on passenger rights, for example in the event of delays or train cancellations, can be found on the websites of apf, Westbahn, and ÖBB, among others.

The apf team wishes you a relaxing semester break!