Ben and Claire crossed from Poland into Austria via Czechia for one of their longest drives of the trip so far, in search of somewhere to settle for a few days. Here’s how that search, and the drive itself, went.

Poland to Austria meant one of our longest single drives yet, seven to eight hours, with just a few short stop-offs for the toilet and snacks. We crossed through Czechia on the way, and again found no border control at all between countries, the same seamless crossing we’d already found between Slovakia and Poland.

Preparing for a long one

With a drive this long, we made sure we were well set up for it: activities, plenty of snacks, and travel sickness tablets, both Claire and our daughter can struggle in the car over long stretches. It paid off, the kids handled the day well.

The scenery coming into Austria was mind-blowing, one of the most beautiful drives of the trip so far.

Why we changed our plan on where to stay

Earlier in the trip, we’d researched and written about some larger family resorts in Austria that looked brilliant for kids. But by the time we came to actually book, since we’re working last-minute now rather than months ahead, most of what we liked was already gone, and what remained was firmly at the high end of the price range.

We thought it through carefully. If this trip were a single two-week holiday, that extra cost might have made sense. But eighteen months into a longer journey, spending that much on five days somewhere didn’t sit right. We’d also, by this point, stayed in a fair few hostels and resort-style hotels where meals were included but space and independence weren’t, and we found ourselves craving something different for Austria: somewhere that actually felt liveable, in a way included breakfasts and shared rooms never quite manage. Separate bedrooms, a kitchen, a living space, room to just exist rather than constantly be out the door for included breakfast times or eating food we wouldn’t normally choose simply because it came with the price.

A cabin found on the fly

We set off without a fixed destination, just heading generally south into Austria and planning to see what we found. After seven or eight hours of driving, with the children getting tired and Ben having done a long day behind the wheel, we decided to stop for the night. We pulled into St. Pölten, had a walk round the local town, and found somewhere to eat, and while we were there, started looking for somewhere to actually stay.

Ben found us a standalone cabin, a bedroom, a living room with a sofa bed, and a small kitchen, plus a brilliant set of facilities on site: a lake to swim in, a park, a football area. All for around £80 for the night. We arrived in pitch darkness, with no street lighting, and only realised the next morning that we’d driven right up into the mountains to get there, a fairly interesting drive taken very slowly, but well worth it once we saw where we’d actually landed. A real family-friendly find.

Settling in Mittersill

From there we continued towards Mittersill, where we’d booked four nights, deliberately choosing somewhere we could settle rather than just pass through. We stopped in Salzburg for lunch on the way, a lovely break in the journey, then continued the final three hours or so to Mittersill through thunder and lightning the whole way, another one taken slowly and carefully, with the kids kept entertained throughout.

Our accommodation in Mittersill, the Felben Apartment, listed on Airbnb as “Home in Mittersill” (you can take a look here), was exactly what we’d been craving. A ground-floor apartment styled like a wooden lodge, flowers outside, two bedrooms, a separate kitchen and dining area, a separate living room, and a proper boot room for coats, clearly built with a ski village in mind. It sat right in the middle of the breathtaking landscape of the Hohe Tauern, in picturesque Mittersill, a valley with mountains on every side, in a quiet, quaint little town with just enough going on, bars, shops, a supermarket, cafes, without ever feeling busy.

The hosts had thought of everything, toiletries, cleaning products, a fully equipped kitchen, a drawer of games for the children, and honestly the most comfortable bed and pillow either of us has had in three months. Outside, there was a small football pitch with nets, a Wendy house, a treehouse, sand pits, and toys scattered around for the kids. It’s a family-run place, and the hosts were consistently warm and happy to chat whenever we crossed paths.

One thing worth knowing if you’re considering somewhere similar: part of our stay included what’s called a summer park pass. Mittersill is very much a ski village at heart, so in winter there’s an equivalent winter pass, but in the summer months the pass gives you free or discounted access to different attractions around the area, museums, local parks and nature sites among them. It’s a useful perk that isn’t always obvious when booking, worth asking about directly if a destination has that ski-village setup.

Getting settled fast

One of the first things we did on arriving in Mittersill was find a laundrette just a kilometre away and get everything washed, after failing to find anywhere convenient in Poland, we didn’t want to fall behind again. We did a big food shop at the same time, also just a kilometre from the accommodation, and both of those small errands made us feel instantly settled.

A day of doing absolutely nothing

Our first full day in Austria became a real down day, and we all needed it. We were tired, fatigued from the pace of the last few weeks, and this accommodation felt so comfortable and homely that we simply stayed in. The kids relaxed with films, board games, and colouring, we fitted in a bit of reading, maths and schoolwork since we had the time and the space felt right for it, and the rest of the day was just breathing room, Claire on the bed watching a film, Ben pottering in the kitchen, the children on the sofa with Netflix and games.

Not every accommodation makes you want to actually spend time in it, some have felt like somewhere to sleep rather than somewhere to be. This one gave us that real homely feeling, and it was exactly what we needed.

That evening, after cooking all our own meals for the day, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, we went out for a bit of fresh air, which turned into another four or five kilometres up into the hills. We seem to be getting quite the workout on this trip one way or another. Showers, a film, and an early night followed, ready for a few more days of activities and exploring ahead.

What was on our doorstep

Mittersill turned out to be a brilliant base. Some days we walked straight from the door, a few hikes of around 5km into the surrounding mountains. Other days we drove a short distance to something bigger: a huge lake, Klammsee, with a hike up to a high viewpoint above it that we did with the children, the views from the top were spectacular, some of the best we’ve seen, the water below an almost unreal turquoise blue. Another day we hiked up to the Untersulzbach Wasserfall, with equally breathtaking views. Every direction in Austria seems to offer something beautiful, and everything felt remarkably natural and clean.

What it cost us

Austria worked out at around £80 a day on average, noticeably lower than several of our recent stops. Having a kitchen made the real difference here, we did one big food shop early on and largely cooked for ourselves from then, so daily spending was mostly just snacks and the odd evening meal out rather than paying for every meal.

What else is possible when “somewhere to stay” becomes somewhere to actually live for a while?

FAQ

Is it worth booking last-minute for accommodation in Austria? It can limit your options at busier times, as we found, but it also led us to a brilliant cabin we’d never have found otherwise. Worth weighing spontaneity against having a firmer plan if a specific type of stay matters to you.

Is an apartment-style stay better than a hotel for a longer family trip? For us, yes, particularly after a run of hostels and resort-style stays. Having our own kitchen and space gave us back a sense of control over food and downtime that included meals hadn’t.

Is Mittersill a good base for families in Austria? Genuinely one of our favourites so far, walkable hikes, a quiet town, and easy access to bigger sights like lakes and waterfalls within a short drive.

Related reading:

• Poland: Mountains, History, and Our Favourite City Break Yet
• Where We’d Actually Stay: Family Hotels on Our Radar in Austria and Switzerland
• Eight Weeks In: What We’ve Learned About the Places We’ve Stayed