Austria by campervan: food and supermarkets

Where to buy food in Austria, which supermarkets to use, opening hours and practical tips for eating on the road. What to know before you go.

Published 18 September 2026Last checked 18 September 2026

Currency
Euro
EUR. Cards in towns, cash in huts and at small hosts
Language
German
Austrian German. English is common in tourist valleys
Driving
Right
130 km/h motorway, 80 km/h above 3.5 tonnes
Power
230V, type F
Same two-pin plug as most of Europe
Tap water
Safe to drink
Ask for Leitungswasser
Emergency
112
144 ambulance, 140 mountain rescue

Food and shops

The single most useful food fact in Austria is that Sunday is closed. The federal shop hours act permits trading Monday to Saturday only, and caps the week at 72 hours. A state governor can extend that in designated tourist places, so a big ski resort may differ, but the default across the country is that Saturday afternoon is your last chance until Monday morning.

A crowded market lane between awning-covered stalls, with fruit and vegetables piled on the right — Market stalls are cash, and often the best thing you eat

Where to shop

Best value: Hofer or Lidl.
Full range: INTERSPAR.
Camper access: Choose edge-of-town Hofer or INTERSPAR branches with surface parking.

Supermarkets, and what each is for

Chain	Good for	Notes
Billa and Billa Plus	The default Austrian supermarket. Billa Plus is the larger format with a bigger fresh counter.	Closed Sundays. Car parks usually take a van
Spar	Everything from a village shop to an Interspar hypermarket under one name.	The village ones are small and often the only shop for 20 km
Hofer and Lidl	The discounters. Cheapest basics and fresh produce.	Hofer is the Austrian brand of the Aldi group
Penny	Small discount stores, often in towns rather than out of them.	Limited fresh range
MPreis	Tyrol's own chain, and the one that reaches remote valleys.	Several branches have a Baguette bakery café attached

Eating out without getting it wrong

Lunch is the value meal. A Gasthaus Mittagsmenü is one or two courses at a fixed price, weekdays only, and usually finished by 14:00.
Ruhetag is the weekly closing day, and in a village it can be any day. It is posted on the door, and it is why a restaurant that was open yesterday is dark today.

Austrian words on a menu

Erdäpfel are potatoes, not Kartoffeln. Paradeiser are tomatoes.
Marille is an apricot, and the Wachau ones are the famous ones.

An almond croissant on a plate beside a cup of black coffee on a marble café table — Coffee is a sitting-down thing here, and nobody hurries you out