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Austria travel after Vienna

We are taking the RS tour of Berlin, Prague, Vienna in 9/17. We have 4 additional days to travel. Was thinking of Salzburg for a couple. Any other suggestions. Looked into Innsbruck, but returning flight to US from Innsbruck is very long and expensive. Appreciate suggestions

Posted by
4137 posts

With four days , I would add Budapest , a fascinating place , and quite different from Prague and Vienna . I'm sure James will check in to give you some very appropriate details .

Posted by
1875 posts

Going to Salzburg is a good idea. You can make day tours from there, e.g. to Hallstatt, Bad Ischl, Innsbruck, Wattens (crystal worlds), etc.

Munich is rather close to Salzburg, and easily reachable by express trains. Check return flights to US departing from Munich instead of Salzburg or Innsbruck.

Posted by
8094 posts

I agree about Salzburg, as it's an easy train ride to the west.
You can also get down to Innsbruck by train easily. The Alps in Tirol is a breathtakingly beautiful place.
Easyjet.com flies into London Gatwick from Innsbruck, and their flights are very inexpensive. You can get back to the U.S. easier than many would think,

Posted by
17646 posts

geeeeee, Steven, that obvious? I would suggest the OP go to the Hungary forum and read and see if anything interests them. For starts its 2.5 hours by train each way.

Since you are doing a RS tour I am going to assume you are not a budget traveler. So here are some adventurous options; nonstop under 2 hours departing on Thursday 9/28 and returning on Sunday 10/01

Warsaw $182 RT
Kiev $349 RT
Sibiu $214
Bucharest $120RT
Belgrade $141 RT
Varna $310RT
Riga $233RT
Tirana $168RT
Sofia $131RT

But if you purchase an open jaw ticket you might be able to save a few dollars. I say might, because the Vienna Airport doesn’t have many discount airline connections and the big carriers usually charge as much and sometimes more for one way flights. These same destination can be under $100 out of Budapest on one of the discounts.

Posted by
7129 posts

Salzburg is a wonderful location and will give you some variety beyond big cities. There's nice options for day trips to see some scenery - Berchtesgaden area, etc. We returned to Salzburg for 3 days and then went to nearby St. Wolfgang and also stayed there for two nights - lovely, relaxing area. If you go, there's a quick bus ride to St. Gilgen and then take the boat to arrive at St. Wolfgang by water.

We bought the Salzburg Card and thought it was an excellent deal. We enjoyed several items on the card each day. Our hotel was the Weisse Taube (White Dove) in an excellent location in the Old Town area.

Posted by
5362 posts

I'd echo others and cast a vote for Salzburg for your remaining 4 days. Since your tour is focused on cities, I would suggest basing yourself in the Wolfgangsee area and renting a car (not absolutely necessary, but nice to have). You will more than fill your 4 days visiting Salzburg, Hallstatt, Wolfgangee, etc. Should also be a lovely time of year to visit.

Posted by
1875 posts

@James E.

You seem to have an inclination towards somewhat rotten, post-communist towns. :-)

None of these towns can compete with the beauty and culture of Vienna and Salzburg, or even Budapest, not to talk about the general situation in these countries (economically, socially, safety). The biggest improvement of these cities made Warsaw in the past decade thanks to the billions of Euro given by the EU for catching up after 50 years of communism.

Posted by
17646 posts

wmt1, all depends on what you travel for. Compared to my list, yes, Salzburg will provide a higher level of instant gratification.

Ive been to most of them and:

Beauty? some of those towns had the most beautiful people I ever met.
Culture? Compared to a lot of the US, the culture of some of these towns is much more impressive
Safety? None has had a terrorist attack, none has Barcelona's or Prague's issues with pick pockets.
Economics? You don't socialize with those less economically fortunate? Besides the economics make it a much more affordable trip.

Then there is this concept of gaining a better understanding of the world. Right now with Russia looming the way it is, it seems particularly important to understand this part of the world.
Some of these places are still under the veil of the last 50 years. Yes, you can still see horse drawn carts on the road. But its changing fast. So see it while you still can.

Posted by
69 posts

4 days seems like a lot but goes by quick so pick one only place. I'd pick either Budapest or Salzburg but not both. They are close to being equal train rides from Wien in terms of time. I have been to Salzburg 3 times and just returned from Budapest one week ago. Budapest would be cheaper and better for shopping (thinking Central Market). You would also be able to add a notch for another country on your travel belt. Whichever one you choose will leave you slack-jawed with delight. Either destination could keep easily you busy for four days. If you go to Salzburg in September, try to time it so you are there for Rupertikirtag. (St. Rupert's Fest) . That event would tip the scale towards Salzburg and away from Budapest for me, but then I love beer and folk festivals. I actually prefer it to Oktoberfest in some ways.

Posted by
17646 posts

The date isn't published yet, but if it is in keeping with past years, the 28th Sept till 1st October will be the Palinka Festival in Budapest and maybe a bit of the Jewish cultural festival.

Posted by
69 posts

Palinka is tempting. I should have brought some home but my vote is still for Rupertikitag as I have done this festival twice. If you have a bad time there then you're the problem. 😉

Without that fest I would recommend Budapest because it is so much different from other destinations, as another poster mentioned. Ljubiana looks interesting too but I haven't been there yet.

I guess it depends what you like.

Posted by
14482 posts

Hi,

For the four days if you want to stay in Austria, then head to Salzburg. While staying there, do take a day trip to Bad Ischl by taking the bus opposite of Salzburg Hbf. If you're into Austrian history, Bad Ischl was the summer residence, the yellow building of the Kaiservilla, of the Emperor to escape the oppressive heat of Vienna. It all ended at the end of July 1914 when Franz Joseph left it for the last time.

Posted by
1 posts

*** DO NOT ** fly outbound from London! The airport taxes are really steep.
(Flying into London is cheap.)
Before you book your airline tickets check prices one way vs round trip. It may be cheaper to ticket your travel as two one way trips. This will also give you more flexibility on your itinerary.