Day trip to Hallstat

The only part of your question I can knowledgeably answer is "how do we get around Hallstatt if we don't travel by car?" It is very east to walk everywhere in Hallstatt. We were dropped off by our tourbus, walked along the lake to the town square (where our hotel was), walked up to the Catholic church and around. No car is necessary in Hallstatt.

Go by train, very scenic. When you get off in Hallstatt you are actually on the other side of the lake and boat will take you across the lake to the town. Those who come by car or bus are deprived of this super-scenic boat ride.

Hallstat is a very small village that can be walked from end to end in minutes. No transportation is necessary once you get there, other than your legs!

If you go just to Hallstatt, the train is probably the best way. Connect in Attnang-Puchheim on the main line from Salzburg to Vienna to the train that goes via Bad Ischl to the Hallstatt station across the lake from the town. Hallstatt is very small; it's easy to walk everywhere. In fact most vehicles are not allowed in Hallstatt. You have to use one of the parking lots in Lahn and walk along the lakeside road into town.

If you also want to see the Salzkammergut, there are Austrian Post buses between Salzburg and Bad Ischl. In 2009, I took a bus from Salzburg to Mondsee (SOM wedding church), then another bus to Wolfgangsee where I changed buses to go to Bad Ischl. From Bad Ischl you can take the train to the Hallstatt station or take another bus to Lahn. There are a lot of places to stay in Lahn.

The Austrian Rail website, www.OeBB.at, will show the bus connections along with the train connections.

How much time do you really have?
The fastest train connection between Salzburg and Hallstatt needs 2:15 hours, e.g. departure 7:12am, return 6:32pm. That gives you 9 hours in Hallstatt.
Visiting the town, the salt mines and the ice caves in one day with children is a tough untertaking.
To see lake Wolfgang (Wolfgangsee) you may use the bus #150 from Salzburg to Bad Ischl, and the train to Hallstatt from there. The bus route runs along the southern shore of the lake, but the town St. Wolfgang is on the northern shore.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful feedback. I will go with the bus & train connection via bad Ischl which will also save me quite some money. I am only not sure if I will be able to cover hallstat town, salt mines & ice caves in 1 day after all the time which goes in travelling.

I will go with the bus & train connection via bad Ischl

Then you have a 30 minutes layover in Bad Ischl. If you hurry up you may walk (about 6 minutes one way) to the Zauner pastry store to buy one of the famous "Zauner-Stollen", a delicious renowned cake you get only at this place.

What time of year are you going, and what ages are the children?

My husband and I stayed in Hallstat for three nights in early October 2015. We loved Hallstat and enjoyed walking in the tiny town and feeding the swans. We took a short walking tour of the town through the TI. We were the only ones on the tour.

Another day we took the bus to the Dachstein Mountain Cable Car to Schonbergalm and the Giant Ice Caves (Riesen-Eishohle). It was a lot of walking and could be a full day right there. We went to the lowest cave and took the tour. If you go higher, there are more sights. There's a playground and some tiny museum huts right where you get off the cable car.

On another day, we went to the salt mine and took that tour.

I really don't see how you can do it all in one day. I'd pick either the ice caves or the salt mine, not both.

Here is a link to some more information: http://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/en
Have a wonderful time!

Hello Michael,
The quote which I got for the car was from a car rental company- 1cares.com. If you could suggest me a good and reliable driver we could hire him for a day ... if not for hallstat then maybe to go to leicsteinklamn gorge.