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Fussen to Innsbruck?

What is the best (quickest) way to get from Fussen, Germany to Innsbruck, Austria? The train and bus rides are laboriously long and we are short on time. Could I rent a car in Fussen and drop it off in either Innsbruck or Salzburg? Would this be incredibly pricey? Any special things I should know about crossing the border from Germany to Austria? We have an international driver's permit. Any suggestions appreciated! Thank you!

Posted by
16893 posts

I'd say that these are the more attractive public transport connections, but there are other variations, too:

train/bus combo at 8:00 that only takes 3.5 hours with 2 connections, or

all-train route with one connection at Munich which runs ever two hours, takes 5.25 hours.

Per a quick search at www.autoeurope.com, an economy car rental from Fuessen to Innsbruck costs $90 for one day or $125 for 3 days (from Europcar). AutoEurope does not indicate any car rental options across the border in Reutte.

Posted by
19636 posts

The shortest way between Innsbruck and Salzburg cuts through Germany. You could drop the car in Rosenheim and continue on to Salzburg by train, dodging any foreign drop charges. You will need an Austrian vignette which you can buy at the first gas station when you cross the border. They are 8.70 euro for a 10 day pass. You need it to drive on the motorways, which you will want to do going from Innsbruck to Salzburg.

Posted by
500 posts

I am not sure I have understood your question; Salzburg is about two hours driving from Innsbruck, a comparable time by train, it is much more distant from Füssen, so I can't understand how Salzburg could be an alternate destination for Innsbruck. Your question makes sense only if after staying in Innsbruck you proceed to Salzburg.

Driving Füssen to Innsbruck is much faster than taking the train, but if you have to pay drop off charges to a different country you would probably prefer going by train.

If you go on to Salzburg you can try to drop off the car at Freilassing, bordering with Salzburg but still in Germany, and a few minutes by train or bus.

All border installations between Austria and Germany have been removed. In some cases you can see the abandoned custom houses, in some cases you may not even realize you have passed the border. Fuel is much cheaper in Austria.

Ah. Yes, sorry the Salzburg bit is throwing everyone off. My itinerary is as follows:

Fussen --> Innsbruck --> Salzburg

So, when I say I could drop a car off in Salzburg, I mean that perhaps I could rent it in Fussen, drive it to Innsbruck, and then drive it to Salzburg and drop it off in Salzburg. (So, the question is... if I decide renting a car is my best option, would it be cheaper to drop off in Innsbruck or Salzburg?)

Anyone know what kind of cost I would be looking at for this kind of rental? Thank you all for your helpful comments!

Posted by
500 posts

Doing your itinerary by car is much faster than by train.
Salzburg lies on the border with Germany, so if you manage to drop off your car a few miles from your final destination you can probably save the the international drop off charge. You could even drive Innsbruck to Salzburg, drop off your luggage at your hotel and backtrack to Freilassing, drop the car there and go back to Salzburg by train or bus. I see, for example, that Hertz has an office in Freilassing within walking distance from the station.

While Salzburg is on the border and Freilassing could be an alternate destination, Innsbruck is not on the border so if you rent a car in Germany and drop it in Innsbruck you will probably have to pay added international drop off charges. Try to look for price quotes online.