In late July 2020 my wife and I, both in our 60's, will be going on an organized trip into the Tyrol Valley, Austria visiting villages, castles, etc. We have an early am flight into Munich, spend the day then bus into the Tyrol Valley for the week. We run over to Salzburg for 1 organized day then back to the Valley. We are thinking about extending our trip and taking the train over to Vienna or spending another day in Salzburg then on to Vienna, etc. We are very flexible and would like to stay another 4-5 days. This is our first trip to the area and my wife's first trip to Europe. We would welcome suggestions. Again, late July 2020.
Posted by
Puyallup, WA
133 posts
Vienna for sure. Salzburg is up to you and your interests. The major sights there can be seen in a long day but if your tour misses something you really want to see, go for it.
Vienna is a wonderful city. You can easily spend a week there. It is particularly easy for do it yourself travelers. The historic center is compact and easy to walk and public transit is efficient and easy to use (get a pass). Rick Steves book on Vienna is excellent. Covers Salzburg too. He has a video, too, that is available for viewing on his web site. Whether its art or history or music that interests you there is plenty to do in Vienna.
Personally, after a busy organized tour we like to spend a few days decompressing and doing things at our own pace. Sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast, maybe an evening concert, etc. We have done exactly that in Vienna and enjoyed it immensely.
Posted by
Oberpfalz, Germany
1287 posts
Tyrol Valley? Lots of valleys (Tal) in Tirol. Curious who the trip is with? I would explore as much as your time and resources allow in your 60s. I'm there with you. You will be in Austria in high summer season. Lots of lakes and mountains. Not long travel distances in Austria. Having one tour day in Salzburg already I would look at other options for you extended stay.
Posted by
12 posts
Here’s my $0.02 about visiting Austria in July and August ..... since I am planning a two weeks trip around that time too....
1) many hotels /pensions don’t have air conditioning, cost a fortune if they do ...
2) hotel price in Salzburg in July and August is brutal due to Salzburg Festival - and this coming summer, much worst, due to its 100th anniversary. Book your Salzburg hotel as early as possible
3) Vienna is such an amazing city that one could spend a lifetime there (if you love classical music); it isn’t that big - could technically see all the main sights in a day if you don’t go inside any museum nor attend any concert (nothing great in July/ August anyway), otherwise, 3-4 days would be more appropriate to enjoy the city in full.
Hope this helps
Posted by
Denver, CO
6 posts
Sounds like a great trip! Just a few thoughts: my wife and I spent 10 days in Austria this past July and found the weather to be far more mild than we were anticipating (high 70s-low 80s). If you are looking for a place to stay with Air Conditioning, we stayed in an AirBnb in the Innere Stadt with AC and it was reasonably priced. I would suggest adding a day in Salzburg so that you can take a day trip to Hallstatt and spend 2-3 days in Vienna (visit Grinzing on the edge of Vienna if you get the chance. Great wine and schnitzel). We primarily used public transportation and found it easy to use. We found Austria to be easy to navigate, and a great place to visit.