Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz
Why we like it: Four-star hotel in a 1465 house in the old town, less than 100 m from the Golden Roof, with 48 rooms, a rooftop bar and 24-hour reception.
Duration2 nights, Friday to Sunday
From MunichDirect train, around 1 h 45
From SpainDirect flight to Munich and train
Getting aroundOn foot, tram, bus, funicular and cable car
Best timeJune – September and December
BudgetFrom about €350 pp excluding the journey
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving in Innsbruck on Friday afternoon by train from Munich and returning on Sunday afternoon, with the whole of Saturday for the mountain. The special dinner is on Friday, because Das Schindler is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and Sunday is museum day, as they are open every day. You don't need a car.
Friday
- 116:00Train from Munich
Direct train to Innsbruck. From the station, twenty minutes on foot or tram 5 to the Weisses Kreuz.
- 218:30Old town and the Golden Roof
A walk along the Herzog-Friedrich-Straße to the balcony of the 2,657 golden tiles, in the afternoon light.
- 320:00Dinner at Das Schindler
Ten minutes on foot along the Maria-Theresien-Straße. Three-course menu of your choice for €74. Book by phone: there is no online booking.
Saturday
- 19:00The Nordkette
Early breakfast and five minutes on foot to the Altstadt station. Funicular to Hungerburg and cable cars to the Seegrube and the Hafelekar, at 2,256 m: €59 return. Buy the 48-hour Innsbruck Card, €79, if you are also going to do the zoo, Swarovski and transport.
- 213:30Alpenzoo
Go down by funicular to the zoo stop: about 2,000 animals of Alpine species on the hillside. Open every day; in winter, until 17:00.
- 319:00Dinner at the Gasthaus Goldenes Dachl
On the Hofgasse, two minutes from the hotel. Tyrolean cooking until 21:30: Gröstl, tafelspitz or Kaspressknödel.
Sunday
- 18:00Breakfast at the Strudel-Café Kröll
Open from 7:00 every day. A savoury strudel and a sweet one.
- 210:00Ambras castle
Bus from the centre. Armour, the cabinet of art and wonders and the Spanish Hall. From €16 online; closed in November.
- 312:44Swarovski Kristallwelten
Go back by bus to the centre and take the 12:44 shuttle at the Congress/Hofburg stop; at 13:08 you are in Wattens. Eat there, at the Daniels restaurant, open from 9:30 to 19:00. Entry, €25 online; the return shuttle, €13.
- 417:35Return
Shuttle to the main station, at 17:59, and direct train to Munich.
Innsbruck fits into two nights and can be reached without a car: from Munich there are direct trains of around 1 h 45, the station is twenty minutes' walk from the old town and the mountain starts in the centre. In a weekend you see the Golden Roof, go up by funicular and cable car to 2,256 metres, visit the castle of a collecting archduke and the crystal halls of Swarovski, and eat Tyrolean cooking on the street next to the hotel.
How do you get there from Spain?
By plane to Munich (MUC), which has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga and other Spanish cities; see the "By plane" panel on the Innsbruck listing. From the airport, the S-Bahn S1 or S8 takes you to Munich's main station and from there the direct train to Innsbruck leaves. If you are already in Munich, it is just the train: around 1 h 45. Check the day's timetables on the ÖBB or Deutsche Bahn websites.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz | Old town, 100 m from the Golden Roof | For walking to everything and to the funicular, in a house from 1465 |
| Hotel Bierwirt | Amras, next to Ambras castle | If you arrive by car: free parking and the C bus to the centre |
| Ferienparadies Natterer See | Natters, 7 km | With a motorhome or tent, beside a lake and open all year |
And if there is no Nordkette?
The Nordkette closes for maintenance from 2 to 19 November 2026 and from 26 to 30 April 2027, and with the summit in cloud you see nothing. On those days, go up the Zaha Hadid Bergisel ski jump: funicular and lift to a terrace with the city at your feet, for €12. From November to May it is closed on Tuesdays.
With children
Innsbruck is comfortable with children. The Alpenzoo is on the same funicular line, the Seegrube has easy paths and Swarovski has a park and play tower. For sleeping with kids, the Weisses Kreuz provides extra beds and cots in some rooms; ask when booking. If you go by car or motorhome, the Natterer See campsite has a children's programme and a bathing lake in summer.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Innsbruck, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Innsbruck
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
By train from Munich and on foot around Innsbruck
Innsbruck is one of the easiest Alpine cities without a car: there are direct trains from Munich, the main station is twenty minutes' walk from the old town and the mountain starts in the centre, with the Nordkette funicular. Swarovski Kristallwelten has a shuttle from the station and Ambras a bus. The Innsbruck Card includes public transport.
120–200 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayAltstadthotel Weisses Kreuz, in the…
- Getting aroundDirect train from Munich to…
- Where to eatGasthaus Goldenes Dachl, on the…
- ServicesInnsbruck main station (Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof)
Where to stay
- Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz, in the old town, five minutes from the funicular
- Hotel Bierwirt, in Amras, with the C bus at the door and tram 3 nearby
Getting around
- Direct train from Munich to Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof
- On foot around the old town; tram and bus for the rest
- Nordkette funicular and cable cars from the Altstadt station
- Swarovski Kristallwelten shuttle from the main station and Congress
Where to eat
- Gasthaus Goldenes Dachl, on the Hofgasse, open every day
- Strudel-Café Kröll, for breakfast from 7:00
- Das Schindler, on the Maria-Theresien-Straße, for the special dinner
Services
- Innsbruck main station (Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof)
- Innsbruck Card, on sale at the Nordkette Altstadt station
By car around Innsbruck and its plateau
A car is superfluous in the old town, which you can only enter in the small hours to unload, but it is useful if you sleep outside the centre, if you arrive in a motorhome or if you want to combine Innsbruck with Wattens and the nearby valleys. Sleep where parking is easy and enter the centre by public transport.
90–170 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHotel Bierwirt, next to the…
- Getting aroundA12 motorway through the Inn…
- Where to eatGasthaus Goldenes Dachl, in the…
- ServicesAltstadtgarage, Innrain 4
Where to stay
- Hotel Bierwirt, next to the Innsbruck-Ost exit of the A12, with 70 free spaces
- Ferienparadies Natterer See, a campsite 7 km away, with the car on your pitch
Getting around
- A12 motorway through the Inn valley; Innsbruck-Ost exit for Amras
- In the centre, paid garages such as the Altstadtgarage, on the Innrain
- Swarovski Kristallwelten, in Wattens, with free parking
Where to eat
- Gasthaus Goldenes Dachl, in the old town
- Restaurant at the Hotel Bierwirt, Monday to Friday evenings
Services
- Altstadtgarage, Innrain 4
- Motorhome service area at the Natterer See
Fly to Munich and take the train to Innsbruck
Innsbruck has its own airport (INN), a few kilometres from the centre, but according to Geocalia's route table it has no direct flights from Spain. The usual way is to fly to Munich (MUC), which does have them from several Spanish cities, and continue by train: from Munich's main station there are direct trains to Innsbruck, and from the airport you go with one change.
- Getting thereMunich (MUC): S-Bahn S1 or…
- Getting aroundOn foot, by tram and…
- Where to stayAltstadthotel Weisses Kreuz, 20 minutes…
- ServicesInnsbruck main station (Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof)
Getting there
- Munich (MUC): S-Bahn S1 or S8 to München Hauptbahnhof and a direct train to Innsbruck
- Innsbruck (INN): the F bus drops you in the centre in about 15 minutes
Getting around
- On foot, by tram and by bus around the city
- Nordkette funicular from the old town
- Hire car only if you are going to the valleys or sleeping outside
Where to stay
- Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz, 20 minutes on foot from the station or one tram away
- Hotel Bierwirt, 15 minutes by taxi from Innsbruck airport
Services
- Innsbruck main station (Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof)
- F bus between Innsbruck airport and the centre
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're drivingif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Bierwirt
Why we like it: Four-star family hotel in Amras, next to Ambras castle, in a house from 1615: 62 Tyrolean rooms, a sauna, a restaurant and free parking.
From €118
View details
Ferienparadies Natterer See
Why we like it: Five-star campsite beside a bathing lake in Natters, 7 km from Innsbruck: 180 terraced pitches, mobile homes and lodgings, open all year.
From €55
View details
Where to eat
Where to eat in Innsbruck
Gasthaus Goldenes Dachl
What to order: the Tiroler Dachl Gröstl (€19.80), the tafelspitz soup with Kaspressknödel (€9.80) or the Tyrolean veal schnitzel (€33.50), and for dessert the Kaiserschmarrn.
Every day 11:00 to 23:00 · Kitchen 11:30 to 21:30
Strudel-Café Kröll
What to order: a savoury strudel, spinach or vegetable and potato, and a sweet one of apple (€6.40) or curd cheese and sour cherry; if you don't know which, the assortment of three small ones.
Every day 7:00 to 18:30; in summer until 21:00
Das Schindler
What to order: the three-course menu of your choice (€74) with the organic Angus beef tartare, the Schwaz char or the Wiener Schnitzel, and for dessert the Wiener Melange of Topfenknödel and Kaiserschmarren.
Tuesday to Saturday 11:30 to 1:00 · Closed Sunday, Monday and public holidays · Bookings by phone only
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Check the Nordkette webcams early on Saturday. If the summit is clear, go up; if not, swap Saturday for Ambras and Swarovski and leave the mountain for Sunday.
We'd skip it
Don't go in November: Ambras castle is closed all month and the Nordkette for a good part of it.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway cost?
Without the journey, with a hotel in the old town, the Nordkette, the visits, dinner at Das Schindler and meals, from about €350 per person for the two nights.
Do I need a car?
No. The centre is done on foot and the rest by funicular, tram, bus and the Swarovski shuttle.
Is the Innsbruck Card worth it?
With the Nordkette and two more visits in two days, yes: the 48-hour one costs €79 and includes public transport.
What is the best time of year?
June to September for the mountains, and December for the Christmas markets. In winter you can ski at the city's gates.