Living without air-conditioning in Salzburg!

We stayed at ABC Altstadt apartments in November, so we didn't need the AC, but they definitely have it. I just quickly read a couple of reviews on booking.com and someone mentioned how it was nice having the AC on a warm day. You can't beat the location, and Heide was great to work with. We loved staying here.

ABC Altstadt Apartments

Here's a slightly out-side-the-box idea. If it's going to be particularly hot, rent a car, stay in one of the high-altitude Alpine towns nearby, and visit Salzburg during the day. I've stayed at Obertauern specifically to escape the summer heat. It's a modern ski resort, and most of the hotels are only open during the ski season, but a few stay in business all year. Oberatauern's about 40 minutes from Salzburg, but there other similar towns may be closer.

You are asking about apartments with air conditioning, but they seem to be rare around Salzburg. AC is rare around there because extreme heat is rare. You might miss it altogether next summer, or the heat might be mild enough to escape it in the mountains, but I would not take that risk again. The only solution I have found, other than choosing another month for travel, is to stay in business class hotels, which may lack character but do have AC.

My biggest regret about visiting the Salzburg area in August a year ago was canceling my reservation at a Motel One in Salzburg for a place in Ramsau at the edge of the mountains, despite knowledge of a heat wave. We could not escape the heat, even at night, as the bed would soak up heat during the day and release it ever so slowly after dark, not until well after midnight. The higher elevations might have been better, but it was around 90 degrees F atop Mt. Jenner in the daytime.

We stayed at Hotel Elefant this past July and we made use of the room's A/C. It did the trick. The hotel is also in a fantastic location. If we ever go back to Salzburg, we will certainly stay at Hotel Elefant. Prior to going, I read lots of good user reviews of it on various travel forms.

I did it for a week last summer. Never again. If I book a hotel, apartment, etc. in the summer, it will have AC in the bedroom.

I must be missing something. Why not just go at a time other than August, when the weather is cooler? Or book accommodations with AC?

Yes, why travel during August with its heat, humidity (and crowds)?

Thanks all for your input. Our son is a teacher and we have to travel in the summer during his time off. There are six of us traveling and hotels tend to be very expensive as we need two rooms. We will be in Europe for 6 weeks and that adds up quickly which is why we prefer an apartment. Has anyone stayed in the apartment at Blobergerhof (just south of the city) during hot weather? Was it uncomfortably hot?

One thing I learned on my Berlin, Prague and Vienna trip was to ask for the fan at check in. It didn't matter if it was hot at the time, you wanted to ask for it immediately as there were generally a limited number. The fan made all the difference....

Pam

Why go in August? Everyone has his or her reasons, but sometimes you have no choice.

While I agree with Ray (Why August). dda explained why - family schedule limitation. Whole bunch of reasons NOT to travel in August starting with weather and adding air fares and crowds. Crowds - a whole bunch of others esp Europeans have reasons for joining dda.

Its easier for old people without kids to travel "off season". Its good to be old. Sometimes.

It's also well known that from about mid-July to the end of August the hotel rates in Austria and Germany generally are the lowest especially if they are 3 and 4 star. Of course, that factor of cheap rates has to be weighed with flight cost, the heat (oppressive, smothering, no A/C, etc), the crowds, and so. Mostly, I've travelled in July/August.