Skill: ivangdavila/austria (version 1.0.0)

--- name: Austria slug: austria version: 1.0.0 homepage: https://clawic.com/skills/austria changelog: "Initial release with verified Austria entry rules, rail-first routing, alpine season planning, and practical regional playbooks." description: Plan Austria trips with rail and road logic, alpine season timing, region-specific routing, and practical local execution. metadata: {"clawdbot":{"emoji":"🇦🇹","requires":{"bins":[],"config":["~/austria/"]},"os":["linux","darwin","win32"]}} --- ## Setup If `~/austria/` doesn't exist or is empty, read `setup.md` and start naturally. ## When to Use User is planning an Austria trip and needs practical guidance beyond generic inspiration: entry rules, region choice, rail vs car tradeoffs, mountain timing, city sequencing, food and culture context, and on-the-ground execution. ## Architecture Memory lives in `~/austria/`. See `memory-template.md` for structure. ``` ~/austria/ └── memory.md # Trip context and evolving constraints ``` ## Quick Reference Use this map to choose the right decision module before building the route. | Topic | File | |-------|------| | **Entry, Border, and Money** | | | Tourist entry, visa, Schengen logic, IDs | `entry-and-documents.md` | | Customs, cash, food restrictions, border habits | `customs-and-border.md` | | Budget framing and hidden costs | `budget-and-costs.md` | | Cards, cash, tipping, tax-free basics | `tipping-and-payments.md` | | **Planning Backbone** | | | Region selection and route architecture | `regions.md` | | Sample itineraries for 4-14 days | `itineraries.md` | | Accommodation strategy by trip style | `accommodation.md` | | **Transport and Outdoors** | | | Rail, buses, airport links, route timing | `transport-domestic.md` | | Driving, vignette, winter equipment, mountain roads | `road-trips-and-driving.md` | | Alpine, lake, hiking, hut, and cable-car logic | `alps-lakes-and-outdoors.md` | | Winter sports, Christmas markets, thermal rhythm | `winter-ski-and-christmas.md` | | Border hops and nearby add-ons | `border-hops-and-day-trips.md` | | **Regions and Cities** | | | Vienna playbook | `vienna.md` | | Salzburg and Salzkammergut playbook | `salzburg-and-salzburgerland.md` | | Innsbruck and Tyrol playbook | `innsbruck-and-tyrol.md` | | Graz and Styria playbook | `graz-and-styria.md` | | Carinthia and lake districts playbook | `carinthia-and-lakes.md` | | Danube, Linz, and Wachau playbook | `danube-linz-and-wachau.md` | | **Lifestyle and Execution** | | | Food, coffeehouse, Heuriger, and meal rhythm | `food-guide.md` | | Family pacing and mixed-age planning | `family-travel.md` | | Accessibility and low-mobility planning | `accessibility.md` | | Emergencies, mountain risk, and disruption logic | `safety-and-emergencies.md` | | Climate and seasonality planning | `weather-and-seasonality.md` | | Connectivity, apps, roaming, and tickets | `telecoms-and-apps.md` | | Research sources map | `sources.md` | ## Core Rules ### 1. Route by Corridor, Not by Province Count Austria is compact enough for ambitious plans and mountainous enough to punish them. Anchor each trip around one rail corridor or one driving loop, then add only the contrast region that still preserves easy transfers. ### 2. Lock Entry and Season Before Reservations Before itinerary work, confirm the correct entry path in `entry-and-documents.md`, then validate whether the user's month aligns with lakes, cities, alpine hiking, skiing, or Christmas-market demand. ### 3. Default to Rail Unless the Route Truly Needs a Car Vienna, Salzburg, Linz, Graz, and Innsbruck link well by rail. Car value appears when the trip is built around lake districts, small alpine villages, scenic roads, or family gear that makes transfers costly. ### 4. Treat Mountains as Logistics, Not Background Use `alps-lakes-and-outdoors.md`, `weather-and-seasonality.md`, and `winter-ski-and-christmas.md` before promising huts, panoramas, or ski days. Storms, snow line, cable-car closures, avalanche risk, and fog inversion can change the entire plan. ### 5. Austria Rewards Pace Trip quality improves when users sleep multiple nights per base, book key trains and mountain hotels early, and leave daylight margins for weather, spa time, café rhythm, and scenic detours. ### 6. Budget With Real Friction Price with actual Austria trip math: rail reservations, airport transfers, vignettes, tunnel tolls, parking in historic cores, mountain lift costs, ski rental, and higher peak-season hotel pressure in lake and alpine regions. ### 7. Deliver Operational Plans Output should include: - Base-city strategy - Day-by-day flow with transfer windows - Reservation deadlines and weather-sensitive items - Rail-first and car-first variants when relevant - Safety, payment, and emergency notes ## Common Traps - Treating Austria like a quick checkbox between larger European stops. - Combining Vienna, Salzburg, Hallstatt, Innsbruck, and multiple ski or lake regions in too few days. - Using a car inside Vienna or central Salzburg where parking cost and traffic destroy value. - Assuming alpine routes, lifts, huts, or scenic roads behave the same in June, September, January, and March. - Planning Hallstatt or Christmas markets without crowd timing and overnight logic. - Underestimating Sunday closures and early dinner timing outside the biggest tourist zones. ## Security & Privacy **Data that stays local:** Trip preferences in `~/austria/` **This skill does NOT:** Access files outside `~/austria/` or make network requests. ## Related Skills Install with `clawhub install <slug>` if user confirms: - `travel` — General trip planning and itinerary structure - `car-rental` — Better rental strategy and handoff logistics - `booking` — Reservation workflows and confirmation hygiene - `food` — Deeper restaurant and cuisine recommendations - `german` — Language support for bookings, transport, and service interactions ## Feedback - If useful: `clawhub star austria` - Stay updated: `clawhub sync`

path: accessibility.md
content: # Accessibility — Austria

## Good Default Assumption

Austria can work well for accessible city travel, but historic cores, mountain transport, and older guesthouses create uneven conditions. Confirm the exact mobility need before recommending a route.

## Better-Performing Contexts

- Vienna transit-backed city stays
- Newer hotels near major stations
- Large museums and flagship attractions
- Lake and mountain viewpoints reachable by lift or car rather than steep trails

## Friction Points

- Cobblestones in old towns such as Salzburg center
- Steps in smaller pensions or heritage buildings
- Alpine paths marketed as "easy" that still include gravel, slope, or uneven footing
- Rural bus stops and platform gaps

## Planning Rule

Recommend fewer bases and more verified routes. In Austria, accessibility failures usually come from charming but impractical lodging or from underchecking the last mile.

## Ask Before Finalizing

- Wheelchair or low-mobility needs
- Lift access vs stair tolerance
- Accessible bathroom requirement
- Whether user wants scenic mountain access without hiking


path: accommodation.md
content: # Accommodation — Austria

## Base Selection Logic

| Trip style | Best base pattern | Why |
|-----------|-------------------|-----|
| First-time city trip | Vienna or Salzburg center with rail access | Easier arrival and no car dependency |
| Alps without full ski focus | Innsbruck, Kitzbuhel area, or one valley town | Better than sleeping in a different village each night |
| Lakes summer trip | One lake base plus optional city arrival night | Cuts packing and parking friction |
| Christmas markets | Central hotels near station or tram/U-Bahn | Cold-weather movement matters more than views |

## Vienna

- Prioritize districts with easy U-Bahn or tram access over ring-road postcard views alone.
- The 1st district is convenient but expensive and crowded.
- The 6th-9th and parts of the 2nd and 7th often balance access, food, and calmer nights better.

## Salzburg

- Old town and station-adjacent zones both work; choose based on luggage tolerance and budget.
- For lake days, a station-friendly base is usually more useful than a pure romantic location.

## Tirol and Mountain Regions

- Choose lodging based on exact valley logistics, not generic "Tyrol" branding.
- Check whether lifts, ski buses, or trailheads are walkable or require a car.
- In winter, ask whether parking, ski storage, and sauna/wellness access actually matter to the user.

## Summer Lakes Regions

- Lakeside hotels book early and can be poor value for short daytime-only use.
- A slightly inland base often trades a better room and parking for only a small drive or bus ride.

## Common Cost Traps

- Paying premium old-town rates while taking day trips every day
- Booking remote alpine lodging without understanding evening dining and transport limits
- Choosing free-cancellation only in peak periods and losing the best-located stock
- Underpricing parking, breakfast, spa supplements, or local tax


path: alps-lakes-and-outdoors.md
content: # Alps, Lakes, and Outdoors — Austria

## Choose the Outdoor Product First

| User wants | Best Austria pattern |
|-----------|----------------------|
| Easy alpine views | Innsbruck or Salzburg-region lifts with city backup |
| Swim-and-relax summer | Salzkammergut or Carinthia lake base |
| Serious hiking | One mountain region with weather-flex days |
| Scenic driving | Short selective loops, not a whole-country road mission |

## Summer Alps Logic

- Mountain weather can flip faster than city users expect.
- Build one low-altitude backup per hiking day.
- Cable cars and panoramic roads are not interchangeable; verify what experience the user actually wants.

## Lakes Logic

- Salzkammergut is better for classic postcard density and day-trip variety.
- Carinthia works better for warmer-water, slower-pace summer stays.
- Do not combine too many lakes unless the user explicitly wants sampling over depth.

## Hut and Trail Reality

- Start times matter more than total distance because storms and cloud can erase views or margin.
- Good shoes, layers, and water are the baseline even on popular routes.
- If the user is inexperienced, keep hikes well-marked and cable-car assisted rather than selling big vertical days.

## Safety Rule

Avalanche and mountain-rescue context should be raised proactively for winter sports, off-piste ideas, or shoulder-season snow exposure.


path: border-hops-and-day-trips.md
content: # Border Hops and Day Trips — Austria

## Why This Matters

Austria sits in the middle of easy-looking map hops. The trap is assuming every neighboring-country add-on is as frictionless as a rail diagram suggests.

## Best Uses

- Bratislava from Vienna
- Bavarian add-ons from Salzburg or Tirol
- South Tyrol or northern Italy only if the user accepts longer transit
- Slovenia or nearby lake-border context from Carinthia

## Planning Rules

- Within Schengen, border control may feel light, but schedule, ticketing, and Sunday service still matter.
- Cross-border car rentals need permission checks even when passports are simple.
- Do not stack a same-day foreign add-on on top of a tight arrival or departure day.

## Day-Trip Filter

Good day trip:
- Understood transport cadence
- Clear reason to go
- Strong return options

Bad day trip:
- Three countries in one day for map bragging
- Border hop only because "it is close"
- Trip that sacrifices Austria's own strongest experiences

## Common Mistake

Turning a focused Austria trip into central-Europe sampling. Use border hops as selective bonuses, not as the route backbone.


path: budget-and-costs.md
content: # Budget and Costs — Austria

## Broad Budget Bands

| Style | Daily pattern |
|------|---------------|
| Budget | Hostel/basic guesthouse, supermarket breakfast, simple lunch, selective paid sights |
| Mid-range | 3-star hotel or apartment, cafe and restaurant mix, rail-heavy intercity movement |
| Premium | Central hotels, fine dining, private transfers, mountain wellness or ski lodging |

## Where Money Moves Fast

- Vienna museum-heavy days
- Ski resorts in peak winter
- Lake districts in July and August
- Last-minute Salzburg and Christmas-market weekends

## What To Price Honestly

- Rail tickets bought late vs booked early
- Local transport passes or station transfers
- Parking, tolls, and vignette if a car is added
- Mountain lifts, spa access, and gear rental
- Breakfast, city tax, and resort-area extras

## Good Value Patterns

- Rail-first city pairs such as Vienna + Salzburg
- Shoulder-season lake or wine routes
- Using one mountain base for multiple day plans
- Combining premium dinner plans with lighter lunch structure

## Poor Value Patterns

- One-night stops between major cities
- Renting a car for a pure Vienna/Salzburg trip
- Staying inside the most famous old-town core when the plan is mostly day trips
- Booking alpine weekends without checking event and school-holiday pressure

## Budget Guidance Rule

Give users a budget as a route model, not as one national average. Austria cost differences are driven more by season and micro-location than by the country label alone.


path: carinthia-and-lakes.md
content: # Carinthia and Lakes — Playbook

## Best Use Case

Summer lake holidays, slower Austria trips, warm-weather swimming, or cross-border routes that mix Austria with Slovenia or northeastern Italy.

## Core Advantage

Carinthia delivers Austria's most relaxed warm-season lake product, with softer pacing and easier water-led travel than the country's more transit-heavy Alpine circuits.

## Base Strategy

- Choose one main lake zone and stay there rather than hopping between many small bases.
- Lakeside stays win when the user values swimming and slow evenings; Klagenfurt or Villach works better for transport and mixed-weather resilience.
- Add mountain lifts or scenic roads only if the trip is long enough to absorb slower movement.

## Seasonal Rule

- Carinthia is strongest from late spring through early autumn.
- Shoulder season can still work well, but town energy and lake infrastructure drop outside the core summer pattern.
- This is rarely the best Austria choice for winter-first travelers unless the route is built around a specific ski area.

## Border Logic

- Carinthia pairs naturally with Slovenia and parts of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, but border-hopping only helps if the lodging and transport plan stay simple.
- Use it for a multi-country lake-and-food route, not for a rushed checklist.

## Transport Notes

- Rail can handle arrival, but a car often improves lake choice and day-trip flexibility.
- Driving becomes much more useful once the trip leaves the main stations and shifts toward smaller lake shores.

## Common Mistake

Planning Carinthia like a city-break destination. The value is the slow base, water access, and regional calm, so the trip should leave room for weather-led adjustments and idle time.


path: customs-and-border.md
content: # Customs and Border

Use this file when users ask what they can bring, how cash rules work, or whether neighboring-country hops are frictionless.

## Core Rules

- Austria sits inside the Schengen area, but customs rules still matter for goods, cash, alcohol, tobacco, and food.
- If entering or leaving the EU with EUR 10,000 or more in cash or equivalent instruments, users should expect declaration rules.
- Meat, dairy, and some plant products from outside the EU can trigger restrictions or seizure.
- Duty-free and allowance questions change based on where the user is arriving from: EU internal travel, non-EU flight, or land border crossing.

## Practical Travel Advice

- Keep medication in original packaging with a prescription copy for anything non-obvious.
- For ski or outdoor gear, pack smart but avoid carrying food items that can create customs friction on non-EU entries.
- If combining Austria with Switzerland, the Balkans, or the UK, remind users that customs logic may differ from the Schengen border experience.
- Airport arrivals feel simpler than some land crossings, but regulated goods and cash rules still apply.

## Border Habits

- Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Italy connections often feel seamless, but document checks can still happen.
- Rental-car border hops are usually easy inside the nearby Schengen zone, yet insurance, vignette, and parking rules still need explicit planning.
- Train users should still carry valid ID because random checks happen.

## Common Mistakes

- Assuming "no border" means no rules.
- Carrying large cash without understanding declaration duties.
- Packing restricted foods for alpine days without checking origin-country rules.
- Forgetting separate vignette or toll logic when a route crosses multiple countries by car.


path: danube-linz-and-wachau.md
content: # Danube, Linz, and Wachau — Playbook

## Best Use Case

Rail-friendly Austria route, wine-and-river scenery, short cultural detour between Vienna and Salzburg, or a slower trip that wants castles, abbeys, and villages without Alpine logistics.

## Core Advantage

This corridor offers one of Austria's easiest high-value contrasts: strong train access plus scenic river sections that feel distinctly regional without requiring full self-drive dependence.

## Base Strategy

- Use Vienna or Linz as the main transport anchor for short trips.
- Add Wachau as a day trip or one-night scenic contrast, especially in better-weather months.
- Stay inside the valley only if the user explicitly wants cycling, wine taverns, or a quieter rural overnight.

## Route Logic

- Wachau is best done as a deliberate slow day, not as a rushed stop squeezed between major rail legs.
- Linz works better as a practical culture-and-break point than as a headline destination for first-time Austria users.
- This corridor pairs especially well with Vienna plus Salzburg, or Vienna plus Upper Austria.

## Timing and Mode

- Spring through autumn is strongest for river views, cycling, boat segments, and vineyard atmosphere.
- Winter can still work for abbeys and city museums, but the scenic-product side is much thinner.
- Boat plans should be treated as seasonal bonuses, not the backbone of an all-weather itinerary.

## Transport Notes

- Rail handles the broad corridor well.
- A car helps for rural flexibility in Wachau, but it is not mandatory if the plan is narrow and well-timed.
- Cycling only works when the user is comfortable with weather exposure and luggage logistics.

## Common Mistake

Treating Wachau as a quick photo stop. The region pays off when the route leaves space for villages, food, and river pace instead of forcing it into a transfer day.


path: entry-and-documents.md
content: # Entry and Documents

Use this file before booking anything non-refundable.

## Core Logic

1. Confirm nationality and residence status.
2. Check whether user enters Austria as an EU/EEA/Swiss traveler, a visa-free Schengen visitor, or a visa-required traveler.
3. For non-EU/EEA visitors, verify passport validity rules before the itinerary is locked.
4. If the route includes neighboring non-Schengen segments or long stays, re-check the whole legal path rather than Austria alone.

## Practical Rules

- Austria applies Schengen entry logic, so the legal answer often depends on the whole Schengen trip, not only the Austria dates.
- EU/EEA/Swiss travelers usually use a valid national ID card or passport.
- Many non-EU/EEA travelers need a passport issued within the last 10 years and valid for at least 3 months beyond planned Schengen departure.
- Visa-required travelers should work from the Austrian representation or official visa portal, not blog summaries.
- As of March 9, 2026, ETIAS is still not operational; official EU guidance points to a later 2026 start, so confirm status before travel.

## Ask These Before Advising

- What passport is being used?
- Is Austria the only Schengen country or part of a longer Schengen route?
- Total planned days in Schengen?
- Any previous visa refusal, overstay issue, or dual-nationality complexity?
- Is the user entering by air, rail, or car from a neighboring country?

## Common Mistakes

- Treating Austria entry as separate from the rest of the Schengen trip.
- Assuming visa-free means document-free.
- Discovering passport validity issues after booking ski hotels or summer lake stays.
- Ignoring that residency, work, or study questions stop being tourism advice.

## Official Direction

- Austria government portal for entry and residence basics
- Austrian foreign ministry / representation pages for visa-required cases
- EU travel portal for ETIAS status and Schengen updates


path: family-travel.md
content: # Family Travel — Austria

## Why Austria Works Well

- Clean, organized transport
- Strong city-plus-nature balance
- Walkable historic centers with short transfer legs
- Good fit for multi-generation trips when pace is kept realistic

## Best Family Patterns

- Vienna for museums, parks, zoo, and easy transit
- Salzburg for compact old town and low-friction short stays
- Lake regions for summer with one base and slower pacing
- Innsbruck-area stays for easy mountain access without full resort isolation

## Planning Rules

- Keep intercity travel to one move every 3-4 nights for families with young children.
- Choose lodging near stations or direct tram links.
- Protect nap or downtime windows instead of stacking every museum and lake in one day.
- In winter, reduce ambitious same-day transfer plus activity plans.

## What To Flag

- Old-town paving, steps, and luggage friction
- Mountain weather cutting cable-car days
- Weekend crowds at famous lake towns or Christmas markets
- Restaurant timing if traveling with very young children in smaller villages


path: food-guide.md
content: # Food Guide

Austria is not only schnitzel and dessert. Use food as a routing and timing advantage.

## City and Region Logic

- **Vienna:** coffeehouses, schnitzel, Tafelspitz, pastries, Heuriger wine taverns, stronger global dining depth than elsewhere in the country.
- **Salzburg region:** dumplings, pastry culture, richer comfort-food rhythm, easy pairing with lakeside inns.
- **Tyrol:** alpine food, hut lunches, cheese, game, stronger value in mountain inns than in central tourist strips.
- **Styria:** one of the best food-and-wine regions for travelers who want pumpkin-seed oil, seasonal produce, and slower restaurant rhythm.
- **Carinthia:** lakeside fish, summer terraces, southern influence, good fit for relaxed family dinners.

## Practical Rules

- Reserve for destination restaurants, top Heuriger, and popular lake or ski village spots.
- Lunch is often the easier moment for traditional dishes in tourist zones with better value than dinner.
- Coffeehouse time is part of the experience, not a rushed caffeine stop.
- Sunday and holiday closures matter; hotel restaurants and tourist centers cover the gap, but quality varies.
- In ski areas and mountain huts, weather and lift timing should shape the meal plan.

## Useful Food Moves

- In Vienna, separate the coffeehouse plan from the Heuriger plan. They are different products.
- In Salzburg and Hallstatt-heavy routes, sleep outside the hottest photo spots if food quality matters.
- In Styria, build vineyard lunches or farm-to-table detours into the route instead of treating the region as a quick transit stop.
- In Tyrol, use a long lunch strategically on poor-visibility days.

## Tourist Traps

- Eating every meal inside landmark-adjacent old-town cores.
- Treating famous pastries as a substitute for one real local meal.
- Booking no dinner plan in ski towns during peak weeks.
- Driving wine roads without clear tasting and driver logic.


path: graz-and-styria.md
content: # Graz and Styria — Playbook

## Best Use Case

Food-led Austria trips, lower-friction city breaks, wine-country detours, or a softer alternative to Vienna for repeat visitors.

## Core Advantage

Graz offers a compact, livable city with strong dining, easier pacing, and access to southern Styrian wine-country logic without full Alpine complexity.

## Base Strategy

- Stay in Graz for city-plus-food trips and short breaks.
- Add a countryside stay only when the trip is explicitly wine-led or slow-travel oriented.
- Graz combines especially well with Vienna by rail or with Slovenia if the user is building a cross-border route.

## Route Logic

- Use Graz as the urban anchor and South Styria as the scenic day-trip or overnight contrast.
- Wine-road plans need a driver, tour, or conservative tasting schedule; they are not ideal spontaneous transit days.
- Do not overload the same trip with Graz, Vienna, Salzburg, and Tyrol unless the stay is long enough to absorb transfers.

## Timing and Style

- Graz works well year-round because the city is compact and less crowd-dominated than Austria's classic headline stops.
- South Styrian hills are strongest in late spring through early autumn.
- Harvest and sunny weekends increase demand for wine-country lodging and restaurant reservations.

## Food Notes

- Graz is one of the best Austria bases for users who care more about market culture, bakery stops, and relaxed meals than landmark density.
- South Styria suits long lunches, scenic drives, and mixed wine-and-countryhouse pacing.

## Common Mistake

Treating Graz as just a quick stop between bigger names. It works best when the trip values pace, food, and regional contrast rather than attraction count.


path: innsbruck-and-tyrol.md
content: # Innsbruck and Tyrol — Playbook

## Best Use Case

Alpine scenery, ski-focused travel, mountain sports, or a short city-plus-mountains route where transit quality matters.

## Core Advantage

Innsbruck gives rare access to a real city base with immediate mountain infrastructure, while broader Tyrol supports resort stays, hut routes, and scenic drives.

## Base Strategy

- Use Innsbruck for mixed trips that need rail access, urban dining, and flexible weather pivots.
- Use valley or resort bases only when the trip is explicitly ski-led, hike-led, or spa-led.
- Avoid changing bases too often across Tyrol unless the user already accepts weather-driven replanning.

## Weather Rule

- Tyrol plans are invalid without month, snow reliability, and altitude awareness.
- Valley weather and mountain weather are often effectively different trips on the same day.
- Build weather fallback into every ski, cable-car, or panoramic-road promise.

## Transport Logic

- Rail works surprisingly well for Innsbruck and some flagship resorts.
- Car helps more once the trip shifts to smaller valleys, trailheads, or hut access.
- Winter self-drive only works if the user accepts vignette costs, parking limits, and real snow-equipment rules.

## Trip Design

- For first-time visitors, Innsbruck plus one nearby valley usually beats a rushed cross-Tyrol loop.
- Ski trips should optimize for one reliable area rather than collecting resort names.
- Summer trips should separate scenic driving days from serious hiking days.

## Common Mistake

Treating Tyrol as easy road-trip terrain in all seasons. Transfer times are short on paper, but snow, tunnel traffic, cable-car schedules, and fatigue change the real experience fast.


path: itineraries.md
content: # Itineraries — Austria

## 4-5 Days: One City + One Contrast

### Option A: Vienna + Wachau
- Days 1-3: Vienna museums, coffeehouse rhythm, one Heuriger evening
- Day 4: Wachau or Krems/Melk day trip by rail/river season permitting
- Day 5: Buffer and departure

### Option B: Salzburg + Lakes
- Days 1-2: Salzburg old town and fortress
- Days 3-4: Salzkammergut day structure with one lake-town focus per day
- Day 5: Buffer for weather or return rail

## 7 Days: Two-Base Classic First Trip

- Base 1: Vienna for 3-4 nights
- Base 2: Salzburg or Innsbruck for 3 nights
- Keep transfers daylight-first unless the user explicitly wants a late arrival
- Do not add both Tirol and Salzkammergut unless the user accepts a faster pace

## 10 Days: Cities + Alps

- Vienna: 3 nights for major museums and urban culture
- Salzburg: 2 nights for compact old town and lake access
- Innsbruck or a Tirol base: 3-4 nights for mountain lift or valley plans
- Final night near the departure airport if flying out early

## 14 Days: Austria With Depth

- Vienna / Lower Austria: 4 nights
- Salzburg / Salzkammergut: 3 nights
- Tirol: 4 nights
- Graz or Carinthia: 2-3 nights
- Use rail for city moves, then add a local car only if lakes, alpine valleys, or winery roads truly need it

## Seasonal Patterns

- Winter city trip: Vienna + Salzburg works better than forcing long alpine hops
- Summer lakes trip: pair Salzburg region with Carinthia or Salzkammergut, not every lake district
- Ski trip: pick one valley cluster and stay put instead of hotel-hopping
- Christmas markets: two cities are usually enough; crowd friction rises sharply on weekends

## Itinerary Quality Checks

- Keep one macro-region per 4-5 travel days
- Add a lighter day after long museum or mountain sequences
- Protect the last night before departure in the departure city
- If weather drives the trip, keep one indoor backup day in every 3-4 day block


path: memory-template.md
content: # Austria Trip Memory

## Status
- **Planning stage:** [researching / booking / confirmed / traveling / completed]
- **Entry status:** [ready / pending visa / pending passport check / unknown]
- **Last updated:** YYYY-MM-DD

## Trip Details
- **Dates:**
- **Duration:**
- **Main regions:** [Vienna / Salzburg region / Tyrol / Styria / Carinthia / Danube corridor / mixed]
- **Cities/Bases:**
- **Travelers:** [solo / couple / family / group]
- **Kids:** [yes (ages) / no]

## Preferences
- **Trip style:** [cities / lakes / hiking / skiing / Christmas markets / food / mixed]
- **Budget:** [budget / mid-range / premium]
- **Pace:** [relaxed / moderate / fast]
- **Transport preference:** [rail / car / mixed]
- **Food priorities:** [traditional / coffeehouses / wine / alpine huts / mixed]
- **Mobility:** [full / limited / wheelchair]

## Constraints
- **Must-see places:**
- **Must-avoid:**
- **Weather tolerance:** [heat / rain / snow / fog / shoulder-season uncertainty]
- **Driving comfort:** [none / local only / mountain roads ok]
- **Border add-ons:** [none / Germany / Czechia / Slovakia / Hungary / Slovenia / Italy]

## Reservations and Deadlines
| Item | Needed by | Status | Notes |
|------|-----------|--------|-------|
| Visa / passport check | | | |
| Rail tickets / seat reservations | | | |
| Hotels | | | |
| Rental car / vignette plan | | | |
| Mountain lift / ski / spa / festival bookings | | | |

## Working Plan
- **Current route draft:**
- **Backup weather plan:**
- **Open decisions:**

## Lessons Learned
-

## Next Trip Improvements
-


path: regions.md
content: # Regions

Use this file to choose the right Austria shape before suggesting cities.

| Region cluster | Best for | Main strengths | Main cautions |
|----------------|----------|----------------|---------------|
| Vienna and Lower Austria | First trip, museums, coffeehouses, Danube, wine, easy rail | Best arrival infrastructure, strongest year-round city product | Crowds, expensive central hotels, easy to overfill the schedule |
| Salzburg and Salzkammergut | Classic postcard route, music, lakes, compact old towns | Beautiful short-trip contrast of city plus scenery | Hallstatt crowd pressure, car-vs-rail decisions matter |
| Tyrol and western Alps | Ski, hiking, alpine villages, mountain sports | Strong scenery, Innsbruck hub, serious outdoors | Weather volatility, winter pricing, tunnel and pass logistics |
| Graz and Styria | Food, wine, design, slower city pace | Underrated city break, southern vineyards, less crowd stress | Weaker fit for ultra-short "must-see Austria only" trips |
| Carinthia and southern lakes | Summer swimming, active families, slower lake bases | Warm lakes, low-stress rhythm, border-friendly extensions | Strongest in summer; thinner value in shoulder and winter without a niche |
| Danube corridor and Upper Austria | Monasteries, cycling, Wachau, Linz culture stops | Rail-friendly, easy add-on from Vienna or Salzburg | Better as corridor or contrast region than first-ever standalone Austria trip |

## Fast Selection Logic

- **4-5 days:** Vienna only, Vienna plus Salzburg, or Salzburg plus lake district.
- **6-8 days:** Vienna plus Salzburg region, or one city plus one alpine or lake base.
- **9-14 days:** Add Tyrol, Styria, or Carinthia depending on season and transport style.
- **Winter:** Prioritize one ski zone or one city plus Christmas-market circuit, not both plus long alpine transfers.
- **Summer:** Choose whether the trip is city-led, lake-led, or mountain-led. Austria works better when one mode dominates.

## Transport Heuristic

- Rail-first works best for Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, Graz, and Innsbruck.
- Mixed rail plus short rental car works well for Salzkammergut, Wachau, and selected lake regions.
- Full car logic makes more sense for family lake holidays, remote alpine villages, or multi-country scenic loops.

## Good Combinations

- Vienna + Salzburg
- Vienna + Wachau + Salzburg
- Salzburg + Salzkammergut
- Innsbruck + Tyrol valleys
- Graz + South Styria
- Carinthian lakes + Ljubljana or northern Slovenia

## Weak Combinations

- Vienna + Salzburg + Hallstatt + Innsbruck as a rushed 4-5 day trip
- Vienna plus western ski resort with no weather buffer
- Summer lakes plus too many one-night city stops


path: road-trips-and-driving.md
content: # Road Trips and Driving — Austria

## Best Use Cases

- Salzkammergut lake circuits
- South Styria wine roads
- Carinthia multi-lake stays
- Tirol or Vorarlberg valley itineraries where lifts and villages are poorly linked for the user's schedule

## Poor Use Cases

- Vienna city-only trip
- Vienna + Salzburg classic first trip
- Short Christmas-market routes focused on old towns
- Ski trips where rail + shuttle works and the user dislikes snow driving

## Core Driving Rules

- Check vignette and route-specific toll requirements before promising car savings.
- In winter, snow conditions, chain requirements, and parking access matter more than map distance.
- Mountain roads and passes can change plan quality fast; keep a conservative daylight bias.
- Treat old-town cores as arrival friction zones, not easy parking destinations.

## Rental Strategy

- Add the car after the Vienna leg when possible.
- Ask whether the user truly needs a car every day or only for 2-4 scenic days.
- If border driving is planned, confirm rental-company permission early.

## Current Planning Reminders

- Austria's motorway system uses vignette logic through ASFINAG.
- Users crossing the Brenner or other high-pressure corridors should check live works and queue conditions on the travel date.
- Seasonal pass or road closures should be verified before building "shortcut" itineraries.

## Common Mistake

Treating Austria like a simple all-car country. For most visitor routes, the winning pattern is rail for major moves and selective driving only where lakes, wine roads, or mountain valleys actually reward it.


path: safety-and-emergencies.md
content: # Safety and Emergencies — Austria

## General Safety Profile

- Austria is a high-trust, generally safe destination for visitors.
- Main urban issues are petty theft, crowded-station vigilance, and tourist-area complacency.
- Main outdoor risks are weather exposure, slips, and mountain overconfidence rather than crime.

## Emergency Basics

- EU emergency number: 112
- Police: 133
- Ambulance: 144
- Fire: 122
- Mountain rescue context should be raised for hiking and ski itineraries.

## Urban Safety Notes

- Vienna and Salzburg are usually straightforward, but station areas and packed transit still need normal city awareness.
- Do not overstate crime; the real value is helping users avoid disruption.

## Outdoor Safety Notes

- Weather, avalanche reports, and lift status can matter more than the original plan.
- Encourage early starts, layers, offline maps, and conservative route choices in shoulder season.
- If the user is inexperienced, steer away from off-piste or long exposed ridge plans.

## Disruption Types To Watch

- Snow or wind affecting mountain access
- Fog/inversion changing view-based plans
- Heat and storms in summer hiking windows
- Rail works or road queues around major holiday periods


path: salzburg-and-salzburgerland.md
content: # Salzburg and Salzburgerland — Playbook

## Best Use Case

High-aesthetic old-town stay, music-and-baroque city break, or gateway for a Salzburg plus lakes-and-mountains route.

## Core Advantage

Salzburg gives a compact historic center with unusually easy access to lakes, scenic rail corridors, and day trips that do not require a long urban stay.

## Base Strategy

- Stay in Salzburg city for first-time visitors, rail users, and short trips.
- Move toward the lake district only if the trip is explicitly landscape-led and the user accepts slower evening options.
- Salzburg works well as a two-to-three-night bridge between Vienna and western Austria.

## Route Logic

- City plus one lake district day is usually stronger than trying to cover Hallstatt, Wolfgangsee, and mountain lifts in one compressed stop.
- If Hallstatt is the headline, plan around first-arrival and last-departure timing to reduce crowd friction.
- Do not promise broad Salzkammergut coverage without a car or deliberate bus-and-boat planning.

## Timing and Crowds

- Salzburg center gets crowded fastest around summer midday, major concert windows, and Advent weekends.
- Shoulder months keep the city elegant without the same old-town saturation.
- Winter works well for city atmosphere, but mountain and lake plans need weather and daylight realism.

## Transport Notes

- Salzburg is one of Austria's best rail-connected second bases.
- A car helps in the lake district, but it is usually a burden inside the city.
- If the user is continuing west, compare direct rail versus picking up a rental only after leaving the city.

## Common Mistake

Using Salzburg as if it covers all of western Austria. It is a beautiful anchor, but Tyrol, deep Alpine valleys, and farther lakes need their own base logic.


path: setup.md
content: # Setup — Austria Travel Guide

When Austria comes up for the first time, create a lightweight local memory and gather only the context that changes the route.

## First-Time Setup

Create the workspace:

```bash
mkdir -p ~/austria
```

Create `~/austria/memory.md` from `memory-template.md`.

## What To Learn Early

Start with the trip-shaping facts instead of generic preferences:

- Entry path already solved or still unknown
- Travel month and flexibility
- Cities only, lakes and mountains, skiing, Christmas markets, food and wine, or mixed route
- Rail-first comfort vs willingness to rent a car
- Budget band and hotel style
- Hiking level, snow comfort, driving confidence, and kid or mobility needs
- Whether user wants Austria only or Austria plus neighboring countries

## Returning Users

If `~/austria/memory.md` exists:

1. Read it silently.
2. Reuse known trip style, transport bias, and constraint history.
3. Ask only what changed: dates, region focus, budget, weather tolerance, or border plans.
4. Update the memory with deltas and unresolved decisions.

## Quick Start Responses

**"I want Vienna and Salzburg."**
Then use: `vienna.md`, `salzburg-and-salzburgerland.md`, `transport-domestic.md`, `accommodation.md`.

**"I want lakes and mountains in summer."**
Then use: `regions.md`, `alps-lakes-and-outdoors.md`, `weather-and-seasonality.md`, `carinthia-and-lakes.md`.

**"I want Austria for skiing."**
Then use: `winter-ski-and-christmas.md`, `innsbruck-and-tyrol.md`, `road-trips-and-driving.md`, `safety-and-emergencies.md`.

**"I only have a few days in Austria."**
Then use: `regions.md`, `itineraries.md`, `transport-domestic.md`, `budget-and-costs.md`.

## Important Notes

- Rail works extremely well for classic Austria routes, but alpine edge cases still change the answer.
- Weather and daylight matter more than map distance.
- Hallstatt, Christmas markets, ski weeks, and top lake towns need earlier planning than casual visitors expect.
- Austria often works best as fewer bases with better local depth.


path: sources.md
content: # Sources — Austria Skill

Last checked: 2026-03-09

## Entry, Visa, and Border

- Austria government portal, entering and residing: https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/en/themen/leben_in_oesterreich/aufenthalt.html
- Austrian foreign ministry, visa information: https://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/travel-stay/entry-and-residence-in-austria/visa-information
- EU travel portal, ETIAS: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

## Customs and Cash

- Austrian customs and travelers: https://www.bmf.gv.at/en/topics/customs/travellers.html
- EU travel cash controls overview: https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/customs-4/customs-controls/travelling-cash_en

## Rail, Public Transport, and Roads

- OeBB travel planner and tickets: https://www.oebb.at/en/
- OeBB Nightjet: https://www.nightjet.com/en/
- ASFINAG vignette and tolls: https://www.asfinag.at/en/toll/vignette/
- ASFINAG traffic information: https://www.asfinag.at/en/traffic/traffic-information/
- OeAMTC driving in Austria: https://www.oeamtc.at/thema/reiseplanung/

## Safety, Mountains, and Weather

- Austria travel information and practical planning: https://www.austria.info/en-us/service-and-facts/getting-around
- GeoSphere Austria weather portal: https://www.geosphere.at/
- Alpine safety platform: https://alpinesicherheit.at/en/
- Avalanche reports portal: https://lawinen.report/

## Official Tourism Backbone

- Austrian National Tourist Office: https://www.austria.info/en-us/
- Vienna official travel guide: https://www.wien.info/en
- Salzburg official tourism: https://www.salzburg.info/en
- Tirol tourism: https://www.tyrol.com/
- Graz tourism: https://www.graztourismus.at/en
- Carinthia tourism: https://www.visitcarinthia.at/
- Lower Austria / Wachau tourism: https://www.niederoesterreich.at/en

## Seasonal and Experience Planning

- Austria in winter: https://www.austria.info/en-us/things-to-do/ski-and-winter-vacation
- Austria hiking and alpine summer: https://www.austria.info/en-us/things-to-do/hiking-and-mountain-sports
- Austria lakes and swimming: https://www.austria.info/en-us/things-to-do/lakes-and-waterfalls
- Austria Christmas markets: https://www.austria.info/en-us/things-to-do/christmas-markets


path: telecoms-and-apps.md
content: # Telecoms and Apps — Austria

## Connectivity Basics

- EU roaming rules help many travelers already inside the EU.
- Non-EU travelers should check eSIM or local-SIM value if they need constant navigation and messaging.
- City coverage is rarely the problem; mountain valleys and hikes are where offline planning matters.

## Useful App Categories

- OBB for rail planning and tickets
- City transit apps such as WienMobil when Vienna is the backbone
- Weather and warning apps for mountain or lake-heavy trips
- Offline maps for hiking, scenic drives, and weak-signal valleys

## Practical Advice

- Download tickets, reservations, and hotel confirmations offline.
- Save station names in German when they differ from the user's mental shorthand.
- Carry power during long rail days or mountain excursions.

## Payment and Connectivity Link

If the user depends on mobile payments or app tickets, remind them that battery loss is a real transport failure mode during full-day outings.


path: tipping-and-payments.md
content: # Tipping and Payments — Austria

## Card vs Cash Reality

- Cards are widely accepted in cities, chain hotels, and rail systems.
- Small cafes, huts, market stalls, or rural guesthouses can still be cash-friendlier than users expect.
- Tell users not to assume every low-value purchase is card-safe in alpine or village contexts.

## Tipping Pattern

- Austria usually uses rounding up or a modest service tip, not U.S.-style percentages.
- Restaurants: round up or leave a moderate amount for solid service.
- Taxis: small rounding up is normal.
- Hotels: optional for luggage or exceptional help, not automatic.

## Payment Habits To Explain

- Say the total tip amount clearly when paying, especially if paying by card at the terminal.
- Service is usually included; tips are appreciation, not salary replacement.
- Public toilets, coat checks, and small kiosks may still favor coins or small notes.

## ATM Strategy

- Use bank ATMs in city centers, stations, or known banks.
- Decline dynamic currency conversion when offered and pay in EUR.
- Keep a modest cash buffer for huts, village cafes, and backup use.

## Common Mistakes

- Treating Austria like a fully cashless Nordic market
- Leaving no cash margin during mountain or Christmas-market days
- Over-tipping because of imported habits


path: transport-domestic.md
content: # Domestic Transport — Austria

## Mode Selection Framework

| Route type | Default winner | Why |
|-----------|----------------|-----|
| Vienna-Salzburg-Innsbruck-Graz | Rail | Fast station-to-station movement and low parking friction |
| Vienna city-only trip | Walking + transit | Dense core and strong U-Bahn/tram network |
| Salzburg with lake day trips | Rail/bus mix | Better than relocating the car constantly |
| Tirol valley trip | Rail + local bus, or local car if remote base | Depends on exact valley and winter gear load |
| Rural lake or wine route | Local car only where needed | Add after the city leg, not for the whole trip |

## Rail-First Rule

- Start with OBB for intercity planning before discussing cars.
- Austria is one of the easier European countries for city-to-city rail routing.
- For classic visitor routes, the car often adds parking cost and old-town stress without saving time.

## Transfer Reality

- Vienna airport to city or onward rail is easy, but protect buffer if using separate tickets.
- Salzburg and Innsbruck are compact, yet mountain weather can still affect the next leg.
- Do not promise tight same-day flight-to-ski or flight-to-hut transfers without slack.

## Buses and Regional Links

- Regional buses matter most for lakes, valleys, and shoulder-season villages.
- Frequency drops outside main corridors and outside peak visitor periods.
- Sunday and evening service can be the hidden constraint, not headline train time.

## Tourist Trap To Flag

Renting a car from arrival for the whole trip because "Austria is small." The better pattern is usually rail for the backbone, then a short car rental only where it clearly improves execution.


path: vienna.md
content: # Vienna — Playbook

## Best Use Case

Best first base for a first Austria trip, culture-heavy city break, Christmas-market trip, or rail hub before moving into lakes or Alpine regions.

## Core Advantage

Vienna combines the country's strongest flight and rail connectivity with dense museum, cafe, and palace coverage that works even in bad weather.

## Base Strategy

- Keep the historic core for short museum-first stays and early departures.
- Use districts just outside the center when the goal is better hotel value and stronger evening dining.
- Add outer wine-edge districts only if the user explicitly wants a quieter stay near Heuriger areas.

## Pace Rule

- Vienna rewards half-day clustering better than landmark hopping.
- Pair one major museum or palace block with one neighborhood walk, then leave evenings for coffeehouse or wine-tavern rhythm.
- Do not overload the same day with Schonbrunn, inner-city museums, and Danube-side plans.

## Food and Local Rhythm

- Coffeehouses are best used as deliberate pauses, not quick caffeine stops.
- Heuriger evenings work better when they replace a formal dinner plan, especially in shoulder season or on a last night.
- Landmark-adjacent restaurant rows are rarely the best value.

## Transport Notes

- Vienna usually works best without a rental car.
- Airport rail links are efficient enough that hotel-to-station access matters more than driving convenience.
- Use Vienna as the arrival and departure anchor if the rest of the trip is rail-first.

## Common Mistake

Treating Vienna as a checklist city, then rushing Salzburg or the Alps. The better pattern is usually three focused Vienna nights or two nights only if the main goal is elsewhere.


path: weather-and-seasonality.md
content: # Weather and Seasonality — Austria

## Austria Is Not One Weather Product

| Context | Typical planning consequence |
|--------|------------------------------|
| Vienna and eastern lowlands | Hotter summers, cold gray winter spells, shoulder-season city strength |
| Salzburg and lake districts | Rain and cloud can reshape outdoor days quickly |
| Tirol and alpine regions | Strong altitude effect, snow logic, storm sensitivity |
| Southern Austria and Carinthia | Better warm-weather lake appeal |

## Best Use Windows

- Late spring and early autumn are often the easiest balance for cities plus light outdoors.
- High summer is strong for lakes and mountain lifts, but crowding rises in famous areas.
- December works for markets and winter atmosphere, not for long daylight sightseeing.
- Deep winter is best when the trip is genuinely built around snow.

## Weather Rules

- Ask the month first before recommending region mix.
- Keep indoor backups for Salzburg, lake districts, and shoulder-season alpine plans.
- Do not promise mountain panoramas without a cloud and wind fallback.
- Vienna winter can be culturally strong but visually gray; frame it honestly.

## Current Seasonal Reminder

For any route using passes, scenic roads, or high-altitude trails, verify current operating status close to travel dates. Austria's mountain logistics can change faster than a polished itinerary suggests.


path: winter-ski-and-christmas.md
content: # Winter, Ski, and Christmas — Austria

## Winter Product Split

| Trip type | Better pattern |
|----------|----------------|
| Christmas markets + culture | Vienna + Salzburg, possibly Graz |
| Ski-first week | One resort or valley cluster only |
| Mixed city + snow | One city plus one alpine base, not three stops |

## Ski Planning Rules

- Ask ski level, rental needs, and whether the user wants a resort village or a real city base.
- Innsbruck-area stays can work well for mixed ski + city users.
- Dedicated ski villages win for slope-first users but can feel too quiet for non-ski partners.
- School holidays and Saturday turnover can reshape price and traffic dramatically.

## Christmas-Market Logic

- Austria does Christmas markets very well, but weekends can turn compact cities into queue-heavy experiences.
- Two market cities are usually enough for a short trip.
- Daylight is short, so indoor anchors matter more than in summer.

## Winter Transport Notes

- Rail is often the calmer choice for city-market trips.
- Driving makes more sense when carrying ski gear or staying in valley lodging with weak transfers.
- Same-day airport arrival plus mountain transfer should be treated conservatively.

## Common Mistakes

- Booking ski lodging without checking transfer day friction
- Combining too many Christmas-market cities in one week
- Ignoring inversion, fog, and short daylight in December


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