I'm wondering what the extent of New Years closings are in Europe. I'm hoping to travel to Austria on January 1st, and want to travel around there and Slovenia for a week. Once I figure out my itinerary better, I'll double check openings, but since I'm just in the first steps of planning and need to find a good direction to take myself, do you think that much will be closed over that week or will everything be opened again on the 2nd? I know that January 6 is a holiday, so are businesses normally closed on that day? Would trains be busier or emptier around that time? Are hostels ever closed for holidays or is there a greater influx of travelers over New Years? I haven't decided if I want to arrive in Salzburg earlier or later on January 1st, but in the first case, would I not be able to do anything at all? Thanks!
Posted by
dallas, tx, usa
1358 posts
Many hostels and business will describe holiday hours on their webpages. I would check those you are interested in and email all you can.
If you email your reservation, you should receive a response indicating whether the hostel will be closed.
My wife and I stay in hostels when we can and I know of no times during the year when any of them close.
If I had set my dates, I would go and manage around any closings just as you would do during an emergency such as a flood or storm.
Posted by
Delft, Netherlands
242 posts
Many hostels have lock-in periods around New Years and Christmas where you have to check-in by a certain date and stay for a short period (I think it so they can run on reduced staff). I have found that on holidays trains and buses generally run like it was a Sunday, so they still run but not as often and not to all routes.