Car Rental in Austria

I go to Seefeld fairly often. Are you comfortable with very steep mountain driving? Between Innsbruck and Seefeld is straight up on a road with many bends and hairpin turns. Forgot to mention the heavy trucks. If you're not familiar with that sort of driving you may find it a bit difficult. Not all Seefeld hotels include free parking - not really a thing.

Just my comments, Seefeld is lovely. For over 10 years we have been at the same place...

Definitely pick up the car at the airport when you are leaving Vienna. The last thing you need in Vienna, or any big city, is a car. Vienna has excellent public transportation. Sorry I can't recommend a rental company, for the last 20 years we have gone the lease route.

I did a similar trip, and i’d strongly suggest not renting the car until you leave Vienna, i did spend a few days in Vienna without a car, and it was honestly the easiest part of the trip, the public transport is excellent, and driving or parking in the city is more hassle than it’s worth, you really won’t need a car there.

For St. Gilgen and Seefeld, having a car makes a big difference, it gives you flexibility to explore the lakes, small villages, and mountain areas at your own pace

As for companies, i don’t have much personal experience but i’d suggest looking into a few options, comparing them, and reading recent reviews, it’s better to decide based on up to date feedback than to go with a random choice

You don't need a car in Vienna. Go to Salzburg by train and pick up your rental car there to drive then to St. Gilgen.
Check the rental car locations, all major ones have several. It is not necessary to pick up the car at an airport far out of a city.

Rental cars at Salzburg's main train station:
https://www.salzburg.info/en/travel-info/arrival-traffic/car/rent-a-car

Car return at Innsbruck airport:
https://www.innsbruck-airport.com/en/passengers-visitors/arrival-parking/car-rental/

We always try our best to rent at a location within walking distance or a short ride from the apartment/hotel to pick-up in the morning before leaving a big city. Commuting to the airport and back eats up precious vacation time. This time, we rented at a Sixt location near our rental. All the major companies have branches across the city.

I agree that...

1. You don't want a car in Vienna.
2. You don't have to go back to the airport to rent a car. For example, I once picked one up a car at a neighborhood car rental location within a few blocks of the autobahn on the south side of of Berlin when I was headed south after a stay in Berlin.
   
3. There is not necessarily one company better than others. I tend to rent from Hertz out of habit, but I have used Sixt, too. Not much difference.
   

I live in Vienna and have taken multiple family trips to both Sankt Gilgen and Seefeld in Tirol, with our children.

Absolutely zero need for a car in Vienna. It would be a huge hindrance. For perspective, we are an American family living now in Vienna for nearly 20 years. We've never had a car.

As stated above, take the train from Vienna to Salzburg. If you feel that you need a rental car for the rest of your stay, then rent your car in Salzburg. Trust me, you don't want to drive from Vienna to Salzburg. Sixt, Avis, Budget, Thrify and Hertz all have offices right outside of the Salzburg train station. If you do decide to rent a car in Vienna, then please do not go all the way back to the airport to rent your car. There are offices of all of the major rental agencies in the city.

We always use Sixt.