🇦🇹 Austria — OpenVan.camp

Austrian tent specialist GentleTent launched the inflatable B Turtle microcaravan in 2018. In May 2025 the company filed for bankruptcy and went into liquidation, ending production.

The startup Moxi from Herzogenburg near St. Pölten has developed a system of wooden modules that converts large family vans into campers with a kitchen, hob and sink in around three minutes without tools. The modules attach to a vehicle-specific system floor using 20 anodised aluminium mounting shoes and five lashing eyes, enabling more than 18,000 possible interior layouts. Module prices start at around €700, and the Base-Camp Set Plus costs around €3,900. At launch the system fits only Stellantis EMP2 platform vans of the medium 4.96-metre length: Citroën SpaceTourer, Peugeot Traveller, Opel Zafira Life, Fiat Ulysse and Toyota Proace Verso. Market launch is planned for the first quarter of 2027, with an early-bird phase currently running on moxi.at.

Six campsites in Tyrol have been ranked among the 100 most sought-after in Europe in a user analysis by the Berlin-based portal camping.info, published in a press release. The study evaluated which of more than 23,000 listed campsites in 44 countries were viewed most often from January to September. Falkensteiner Camping Grubhof in St. Martin bei Lofer (Salzburg) took first place, followed by Camping Vidor Family & Wellness Resort in Pozza di Fassa (Welschtirol) and Camp MondSeeLand in Tiefgraben near Mondsee (Upper Austria). Five of the top ten are in Austria, three in Germany and two in Italy. The top 100 includes 47 sites in Germany, 23 in Austria and 18 in Italy. According to camping.info, a night for two people with a caravan, electricity and local tax costs around 40 euros in Austria and about 30 euros in Germany; Croatia is the most expensive at 41 euros and Albania the cheapest at 14 euros.

Camping Resort Riegersburg took third place in the audience award category at the Camping Star industry awards. The ceremony was held in Wels, with the trophy presented by the Austrian Camping Club and Messe Wels. The result was decided by votes from the public and the resort's own guests. The site received silver in the same audience vote the previous year. The resort opened in March 2024 and is part of the Gebetsroither Camping Resorts group.

On Saturday, 7 November, from 10:00 to 16:00, five campervans from Hannes Camper will be on display at the farm of Christina Leobacher and Stefan Leimüller in Bayerham, Seekirchen. The young used vehicles are available for purchase; visitors can receive advice, book a camping holiday or commission an individual camper. Light snacks and drinks will be provided.

Styrian campsites recorded a 1.8% increase in guests in summer 2026 compared to the previous year, according to the campinginfo portal. The campsite in Fürstenfeld, established in 1980, has capacity for 48 day guests and 41 permanent pitches and is already well booked for the next season. Sales of new motorhomes in Austria are falling due to high taxation, including CO2 tax and NoVa, while rentals are performing strongly.

Campsites in Villach and Villach Land reported a strong 2026 summer season, with Seecamping Berghof am Ossiacher See recording an overall increase and Campingbeach Annenheim calling the season optimal. Operators noted the absence of Dutch guests and a boom in camper vans and tents linked to cost-saving behaviour. From early November 2026, Carinthia's new tourism law raises the tourist tax from 2.70 to 4 euros per person per night; critics propose exempting stays under 24 hours.

A caravan trailer overturned on the B311 in the Pinzgau area. The Schwarzach im Pongau fire brigade secured the scene, set the trailer back on its wheels and towed it away. No injuries were reported.

Resurfacing work on the Lueg bridge on the A13 Brenner motorway will take place from 19 to 22 October. During the day only one lane per direction will be open, and from 22:00 to 05:00 vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, including buses and heavy motorhomes, will be banned. Buses will be diverted via the B182, and police will check vehicles at entry points to Tyrol. The restrictions fall in the week before the autumn holidays, which start in Austria on 24 October. The Lueg bridge has reached the end of its service life; one lane per direction has been open since January 2025, and work on a replacement has been under way since late March 2025.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is showcasing several Austrian premieres at the Caravan Salon Austria in Wels (until 18 October 2026, Hall 20). The ID. California Cruise, the first fully electric California based on the ID. Buzz, makes its Austrian debut with a two-person sleeping system, a 2.03 m by 1.20 m bed, and Vehicle-to-Load capability. Also on display are the updated California Beach Camper, California Ocean, Multivan with Gute-Nacht package, and Caddy California Camper Maxi. The ID. California Cruise is not yet on sale; the electric California family will expand by 2028.

The Caravan Salon Austria in Wels welcomed 46,235 visitors from 14 to 18 October 2026. The fair had more than 20% more exhibitors than the previous year.

The Austrian Camping Club and Messe Wels presented the Camping Star for the second time. Winners were chosen by jury and public vote.

Austrian campsites recorded more than 4.6 million overnight stays in July and August, an increase of 8% year-on-year. In Upper Austria, the growth was almost 40%. At the Caravan Austria trade fair in Wels, discussions focused on who camps today and how holidays on wheels are changing.

Lindau and Wasserburg are in conflict over the planned "Sondergebiet Wohnmobil und Reitsport" development, which would create a motorhome site and equestrian facility in Wasserburg. Lindau fears increased traffic through the Bad Schachen district and is examining, with a consultancy, whether to file a norm-control application against the plan; the city council will decide. Lindau's main committee approved a 15-point package, including a permanent traffic counter at the Enzisweilerstraße/Schachener Straße intersection costing around €20,000, consideration of a bollard-based road closure at Schachener Straße/Höhenstraße, and temporary truck bans. A 20 km/h zone and an expanded 30 km/h zone were deemed legally unfeasible; the existing 30 km/h zone remains. An enlargement of the Wackerstraße underpass, which could alter the situation, is planned for 2031.

MOE Konzepte GmbH, based in Villach, has taken over exclusive distribution of Carpento caravans for Austria. On Saturday, 17 October 2026, at 9:00, the Carpento 380 will be presented at ATRIO Villach. Three models are offered: Carpento 330 for two people from 25,375 euros, Carpento 380 for three to four people from 26,625 euros, and Carpento 430 for up to four people from 27,875 euros. Depending on model and equipment, the caravans weigh around 700 kg, making them towable by electric cars, compact SUVs and mid-range passenger cars, subject to towing capacity and weight limits. Features include a 270-degree panoramic window, a kitchen with stove and sink, a refrigerator, a cassette toilet, a water tank and an on-board battery; chassis and braking systems use AL-KO components.

Austrian campsites recorded around 4.67 million overnight stays in July and August 2026, up 8% year-on-year. Foreign guests accounted for three-quarters of all stays.

Austrian company Marchi Mobile produces the eleMMent series of luxury campers. The most expensive units cost up to three million euros, with design based on Luigi Colani's work.

From 12 to 15 and 19 to 22 October 2026, only one lane in each direction will be open on the Lueg Bridge on the Brenner Pass due to urgent resurfacing works. Additional night driving bans apply: from 21:00 to 5:00, trucks over 3.5 tonnes may not use the bridge if their destination is only reachable via it; from 22:00 to 5:00, all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are banned between the Matrei-Steinach and Brenner Nord junctions, affecting buses and heavy motorhomes. Buses can use the B 182 federal road. Austrian motorway operator Asfinag announced increased police checks. The works are weather-dependent and should be completed by 23 October at the latest.

Ronald Wytek and Benjamin Krisa have developed a modular system that allows vans to be equipped for camping without tools. A van parking area is provided near the outdoor pool in Herzogenburg. After a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for camping in the region is rising again. Wytek recommends renting a camper or van via online platforms before buying; he bought his first camping vehicle at 48.

As the camping season ends, motorhome owners are advised to winterise their water systems to avoid costly frost damage. According to CHIP, if no compressor is available, an inflated balloon can be used to blow residual water out of taps and lines. The process involves switching off the electrical system and water pump, opening all taps in a mid-position, treating the system with a special cleaner, and rinsing with clean water. Water should also be drained from siphons, filters, and check valves.