Lakes and Mountains Holidays

Would you consider camping?

http://www.canvasholidays.co.uk/regions/austria.asp

I would indeed. Maximum budget for both is £1800 for 2 weeks but obviously the more we save on accommodation, the more we can spend on extras. Thanks for that link FTG, off to have a look!

Would you consider a DIY holiday? The tour op prices for summer hols in these kind of locations are considerably more than you would pay if you booked yourself, and there are now plenty of no frills flights to and from these kinds of places.

Certainly in Austria, you can just book an apartment, hotel or B&B through the tourist office website of the resort you want to visit. The local rates are a lot less than in winter (for skiing), yet the companies like Crystal and Thomson charge similar prices to winter.

D

That was my initial instinct Delia, I just don't have a clue where to start. I suppose I could get an idea from various websites what the different areas are like and then try to book direct through the hotel or tourist site.

It might help if you pop into a travel agents and find a brochure. They are good for getting inspiration and then you can book the separate bits yourself.

Agree with pru, get some brochures to get a feel of where you would like to go, and then look at the different resort tourist info sites. Certainly in Austria this works really well. The tourist offices usually have a system whereby you can send one enquiry and choose to get 5, 10 or 15 replies etc. If you need any advice or opinions on specific areas/resorts in Austria in particular let me know, as I used to live there and still have property over there so spend a few weeks every year in Austria.

Slovenia is very driveable from Austria (i.e. by hire car), especially the lakes & mountains areas like Bled for example. Germany is obviously also very driveable, Croatia a bit further, but trains would be an option for any of those places for a second week. Either way you would also get to see lots of places on the way, so it might not just be a two centre hol, you could overnight on the way.

D