Graz is located in southeastern Austria, near the Slovenian border. It’s the capital of Styria and Austria’s second-largest city. From Vienna, it takes about 2.5 hours to reach Graz by train.

The best month to visit Graz depends on what you’re looking for. Do you want the best weather, fewer crowds, or the best value? Following are our suggestions for each.

Graz has a temperate climate. Spring and fall are cool and comfortable for walking. Summers are relatively mild, and winters are cold but manageable if you plan to stay indoors.

Below is a chart showing the average high and low temperatures for each month so you can decide what is best for you.

The best balance of weather and crowd levels is in April–May and September–October. We visited in October and found it ideal for sightseeing—cool during the day, with light jackets needed in the evening.

April and October tend to offer the best prices on accommodations and fewer visitors than the summer high season. These months also align with our preferred weather for walking and outdoor exploration.

We recommend staying near Hauptplatz, the city’s main square in the historic center. The area is walkable, close to most major sights, and easy to reach by tram. On weekends, large parts of the Old Town become pedestrian-only, making it an especially convenient base for exploring the city. 

Use the map to browse options by price, availability, and location. 

Graz Airport (code: GRZ) is the primary international airport serving southern Austria. There are no direct flights from the United States to GRZ. You will need to connect through one of the connecting airports in Germany and Austria.

Graz Hauptbahnhof, Europapl. 4, 8020 Graz, Austria, is the main train station.

CEST — Central European Summer Time · CET — Central European Time (UTC/GMT +2 hours)

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German – Graz is a city where English is abundantly spoken.

Citizens from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia don’t need a visa to visit Austria if they stay 90 days or less. For more information on visa-free travel in Austria, check out our article on traveling visa-free.

Austria’s electrical outlets are Type F. They have a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz. Travelers from the United States will need an adapter.

If you have many items to plug in, we recommend a travel power strip with multiple USBs and standard plug-ins. Using a power strip, you will only need one adapter to plug the strip into the wall.

Local SIM cards work well for extended stays or heavier data use, but they often require in-store registration with your passport.

We typically use eSIMs like Airalo, which can be purchased online and activated upon arrival—convenient if you only need light data and want service as soon as you land. 

The fantastic train system in Austria makes rental cars unnecessary for most destinations. However, rental cars are needed to reach smaller towns and explore the countryside. In addition to the major car rental companies found in the United States, Sixt and Europcar are common throughout Europe. For a comparison of rental car offers from large, international brands and smaller regional brands, we recommend Discover Cars.