Camping Innsbruck – Kranebitten

After leaving Germany’s Romantic Road we decided to visit Innsbruck in Austria. A quick look in the campsite guidebooks and online revealed a couple of options. One was camping Natterer See, the other camping Innsbruck Kranebitten, named after the airport which it overlooks.

In truth Natterer See looked like a better campsite. It was a more attractive location and had better facilities including a shuttle bus to the centre of Innsbruck. The nightly rate was more expensive at Natterer See but it was the more what was included within the price that led us to visit Camping Innsbruck Kranebitten. Natterer See only includes 5kWh in the price whereas at Kranebitten it was unlimited. Being winter it was hard to know how much electricity we would use in such a large motorhome. The shock of the final bill at Camping Paradies Franken earlier in the trip was also fresh in the memory. Sometimes it’s nice to have some certainty in what you will be paying.

Camping Innsbruck Kranebitten – The Good Points

In winter the reception does not seem to be open. A sign greets you telling you to find your own pitch and then pay at the hotel nearby. The pitches were a good size with electricity and a water tap. Russell took the opportunity to give the motorhome a quick wash. The twin tub in the garage was put to use as you can see from the laundry on the line in the above photo. There is a large building that contains showers, toilets, laundry and washing up facilities. This building is heated and you will be issued a key when you check-in. The campsite also has free reliable wifi included in the price. The signal may be stronger closer to the reception. We were parked towards the back of the site but since I was using a USB wifi extender we had no problems with the signal. To visit the centre of Innsbruck you can either walk 50 minutes or take a bus. At the prices charged and what’s included I think Camping Innsbruck Kranebitten represents very good value for money in winter. In the summer when electricity usage is more predictable I would probably prefer to stay at Natterer See.

Camping Innsbruck Kranebitten – The Bad Points

There is not really anything negative to say about this campsite. Whilst it overlooks the airport, it’s not that busy or noisy. You do still have some views to the mountains in the distance but I’m sure Natterer See is more scenic. If you don’t like the long walk into the town centre then you could find the winter bus timetable less frequent than you would like. We only visited the city centre once though during our 2 night stay.

It’s not a very social campsite in winter. Most pitches were empty. Many motorhomes we did see seemed to be older vehicles, possibly fulltimers. One vehicle in particular was rather strange. It was a Hungarian registered motorhome with a family of 4 who were dressed head to toe in bright white. We couldn’t decide if they were part of some religious cult or whether white was the new trend in Hungary. For us none of the negatives were relevant but I mention them for the purposes of balance.

Camping Innsbruck Kranebitten – Summary

I don’t think Kranebitten can claim to be the best campsite in Innsbruck. When it comes to value for money however it takes some beating. This is especially the case in winter if your vehicle is not winterised or if you happen to feel the cold. It’s not a campsite that will live long in the memory. If you are visiting Innsbruck in winter though you could do a lot worse than give Camping Innsbruck Kranebitten a try.