We are planning to arrive in Austria mid-September 2024 to do sightseeing and some hiking. We plan to fly to Munich, take the train to Innsbruck from there take a day trip by train to Seefeld. We hope to see other villages and do more hiking and gondola rides. Any suggestions? This is more of an outdoor trip to enjoy the Alpine area of Austria. We will then travel to Vienna by train; we are trying to avoid renting a car. Is travel by train practical in this area? Any suggestions on getting around from Innsbruck. After our time in the mountains we will possibly stay a day or two in Vienna before we fly to Athens to join a tour. We have been in Vienna before and really enjoyed our time there. Our experience was outstanding; friendly helpful people and just a relaxed time. I noted others say it is difficult to get your check at restaurants. If you ask for it when you order, it will come with your drink or meal. No waiting for it. Just say "und Rechnung, Bitte" (and check please) We are looking forward to a fun time again.
Posted by
Maryland
866 posts
From Innsbruck main train station one can go east to the station at Jenbach where you can pick up the Zillertalbahn that goes along the entire Ziller Valley. I have been there mostly in winter for skiing, but there are half a dozen ski areas with lifts on both the east and west sides of the valley for access into the higher country. At the southern end of the Valley you will find Mayrhofen with lots of pensions or hotels and gondolas and a bus to the glacier south of town.
https://www.zillertal.at/en/summer.html
https://www.zillertalbahn.at/page.cfm?vpath=index&switchLocale=en_GB
From Innsbruck one can also take a bus from outside the main train station to the Stubaital south of town which had excellent places to stay and hike. It is much less developed than the Zillertal.
Have fun!
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Thank you so much for your insights. I will check out your links. We really appreciate your help. Mark and Wendi
Posted by
Oberpfalz, Germany
1295 posts
From Innsbruck you can take the Stubaitalbahn to Fulpmes. Top of Tyrol at the end of the Stubaital by bus. Take a train by the Brenner Pass/Wipptal to Sterzing, Italy. https://www.sterzing.com/en/sterzing-vipiteno-southtyrol.html If you have the time you can visit by bus from the train some of the less touristed valleys like the Gschnitztal: https://www.foto-webcam.eu/webcam/bremerhuette/ or Obernberger See etc. https://www.wipptal.at Ötztal is nice. Famous for skiing places/villages like Sölden. The Big Three Platforms all over 3000m https://www.soelden.com/ Maybe a trip to the Achensee? The Rofan is nice. A walk to the Berggasthaus Dalfaz Alm from the top? Great views of the Achensee and Karwendel. https://www.achensee.com/ https://www.dalfazalm.at/ Lots of options. Maybe a stop here near Seefeld: https://www.foto-webcam.eu/webcam/moesern/
Posted by
City of Seattle
1781 posts
My suggestion is don't stay in Innsbruck. It's bigger and more industrial than you might imagine, and near the mountains but not in the really beautiful parts. And you are burning a lot of time walking to public transit, waiting, riding, even before you walk to a gondola, que for tickets, que for ride, etc. If you want to hike and do gondola rides, stay in a big, pretty village in the magnificent mountains where you can access things easily out your door.
Many excellent options listed above! I've only passed through Achensee, but there's plenty there to keep you well occupied, and you could launch all the same tourist forays you plan from Innsbruck. In addition:
From Munich Garmisch Partenkirchen is a no brainer for what you desire.
Or stay in Seefeld and go visit Innsbruck if you want.
Maybe try my absolute favorite authentic Tirolean region, where in two weeks visiting I encounter one other English speaking group (older Aussie couple), Tannheim in the Tannheimtal.
And then there's Berchtesgaden, the Salzkammergut, Zell Am See. Awesome little Schruns, Ernest Hemingway's favorite alpine place, farther to the west. And many others.
Point being that if I was looking for what you want, I'd stay in every one of these listed places no question before Innsbruck.
Also, I'd skip Brenner Pass. Biked up and down it twice last summer. It's one of the least scenic alpine passes I've ever crossed, and the shopping zone at the top is ugly, odd and not worth a destination visit, quite the transitory feel to the people visiting, a bit like a truck stop sort of feel, random people stretching their legs on a long drive and browsing an Adidas outlet or such ...
Posted by
NYC area
2908 posts
While I love the immediate Innsbruck area, I second the Zillertal suggestion. We stayed in Finkenberg in the Zillertal, on a plateau overlooking the valley below. Absolutely breathtaking. The further south into the Zillertal you go, the more high alpine vistas you’ll be surrounded by. For your interests, I can’t imagine being disappointed here.
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1532 posts
I have spent 7 to 20 days each year in the last 30 years in Igls, that is a suburb of Innsbruck but much higher in elevation and with a mountain feeling. You have the best of two worlds: you are in an alpine area, but in 10 minutes with bus J you can be in the center of Innsbruck (shopping, art, music, monuments). All the other suggestions you were given are much more distant from city center. Also Lans and Vill have good bus link with Innsbruck, other villages less so. Probably the villages along the Stubaital tram line have similar features.
Posted by
Los Angeles
4412 posts
It's very easy to train to Vienna, the whole rail system is kind of set up for that. Only thing to keep in mind is there are two different rail companies on that Salzburg-Vienna route and their tickets are not interchangeable - you are either Team OBB or Team Westbahn. Per the Man in Seat 61 they are essentially the same and Rick agrees, his only thought was that Westbahn can be cheaper if you're buying day-of tickets. That was certainly my experience a few weeks ago. Oh and you end up in a different train station depending on your train company. If you're on a pass, you must use OBB. There were announcements on my Westbahn train reminding customers that OBB and DB tickets were not acceptable on the route.