i want to visit Innsbruck in may for one week

Salzburg, yes. Munich, yes, although it would be better to just stay in Munich. Zurich, no, too far. I don't know about Verona.

Eurail passes are usually one of the most expensive options for train travel.

I assume that you mean train early in the morning to one destination, look around a bit and train back the same day?

All of the places you have listed are key sightseeing areas in their own right (except Zurich - why Zurich when there are many equally easy to reach and way more scenic and interesting parts of Switzerland?) which each are worthy of two or three days each, so day trips will not be doing them justice.

But, if you must,
Verona, scenic through the Italian Alps, 3:30 each way, 7 hours on the train in a day.
Zurich, scenic through the Austrian Alps, check off a country as you pass Lichtenstein, lots of tunnels, 3:40 each way, 7:20 on trains in the day.
Munich, OK countryside with a great World Class city with hundreds of attractions at the end, around 2 hours if you get a fast train, closer to 3 if you catch a connection, so between only 4 hours and up to 6 hours on the train in a day.
Salzburg, a seriously beautiful city, only 1:45 to 2:00 each way, a reasonable day trip.

Innsbruck ---> Verona is 3.5 hours each way
Innsbruck ---> Zurich is 3.5+ hours each way
Innsbruck ---> Munich is 2 hours each way
Innsbruck ---> Salzburg is 2 hours each way

All of these times are by train; schedules can be found using www.oebb.at, the website of the Austrian National Rail Service. Many of these journeys would be much too far for a day trip. Personally, I feel that a smaller town, such as Mittenwald or Seefeld makes a much nicer alpine base than Innsbruck.

Eurail passes would make no sense as many of these journey can be booked in advance, very cheaply from the website mentioned above.

The reason to stay at Innsbruck is because i would be getting one week stay through my membership of club mahindra and i would be travelling with family And one more week stay would also include excursions to Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, graz or linz. And for this much travel i think a family eurail pass should be worthwhile because it allows us to take faster trains also though with additional reservations charges. hope to get some fruitful n worthy guidance.

The reason to stay at Innsbruck is because i would be getting one week stay through my membership of club mahindra and i would be travelling with family And one more week stay would also include excursions to Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, graz or linz. And for this much travel i think a family eurail pass should be worthwhile because it allows us to take faster trains also though with additional reservations charges. hope to get some fruitful n worthy guidance.

But you don't need a Eurail pass to take the faster trains!

If you are with family, you might also want to consider renting a car. Makes life easier for just about everyone. Just don't plan on using the car within the larger cities.

Thanks Nigel and Emily. Can u guide which smaller options to go for if Zurich is to be left out.
P. S. I probably forgot to mention in my last post that I would be taking one week stay at Vienna because my flight to back home would be from there and Yes u people are correct in assuming that going out early and coming back late night to my hotel is my plan.

Emily, i m from India. can I get a driving licence instantly in Austria ? Actually I was also thinking about a car hire but Was not sure about the formalities attached with it.

Emily, i m from India. can I get a driving licence instantly in Austria ? Actually I was also thinking about a car hire but Was not sure about the formalities attached with it.

I suspect Club Mahindra could send you to Bon Alpina hotel in Igls, that is a suburb much higher than the city and a very nice alpine village - no reason to go to Seefeld or elsewhere, in Igls you are in the mountains and you are still only fifteen minutes by bus from the nice city center of Innsbruck. I spend my summer holidays in Igls and after twenty years or so we are still coming back.

Munich and Salzburg are possible day trips, a bit on the long side but still very possible. Zurich and Verona are too distant and not worth the trouble. Garmisch and Mittenwald are easy day trips by train. With a car you could try Neuschwanstein (but do not try in winter if you are not experienced in winter mountain driving).

Please read the following link with regards to driving in Austria for non-citizens:

http://www.austria.info/us/practical-information/driving-regulations-in-austria-1084578.html

Specifically, here is a quote you will find helpful:

An international drivers license is required and can easily be obtained from your local auto club. The major U.S. rental companies are represented in Austria as are a range of European firms. Many credit cards offer free supplemental rental car insurance, which might let you save on optional car insurance. Check with your credit card company.

To put it simply, you just need to get an international driver's license in India before you travel.

Frau Dr. Petra Stolba who owns the website mentioned above has made an error on her website. Anything marketed as an "International Drivers License" (IDL) is marketing a fake or a scam. These are available on the internet and will help not at all in an incident.

The correct document is an "International Driving Permit" (IDP) and it is the only document which complies with the 1949 treaty (other than an approved translation). Without research I don't know where it is available in India; I don't know which auto clubs might issue it.

I see this link http://rto.kar.nic.in/IDP-PROCcss.html which details the 500 rupees fee, the 3 photos required, the medical certificate and the personal appearance at the Regional Transport Office of the region or state where the normal driving license is from.

One further point , Failure to produce an IDP ( in conjunction with your home - issued driver's license ) in the event of a mishap , is also likely to result in your insurance provider refusing to indemnify you for damages on the grounds that you are not a licensed driver , regardless of who the insurance underwriter is ( i.e. credit card , third party , or rental agency , to name a few ) .

The page quoted above is, I think specifiy to US residents, not everybody requires an IDP. The page you want is here. It says "Valid driving licences issued by member states of the European Union are recognized in Austria. Travellers from non-member states with which an agreement does not exist need an international driving licence. Please contact the competent national authority or your local automobile club in order to determine whether the licence is recognized.".
And yes, it is called an International Driving Permit you require NOT an International Driving Licence (or License) in English. This is probably a translation error.

And yes, and IDP is a certfied translation of your licence, you must carry BOTH the IDP and your licence.

I've found that travel throughout the mountainous Tirol is best done via automobile. The roads in the region are well paved and easily driven.

The trip to Munich, Salzburg and Verona is by controlled access toll roads and quickly traveled to. I have no desire to visit Zurich again as it's just another large business city. Other places in Switzerland are more worthy of my time.

One of our favorite things to do is just to drive up on the mountain above Innsbruck and just drive from village to village.

Another day excursion for me would be the Grossglockner High Alpine Highway which is entered south of Zell-Am-See. It takes you over the second highest peak in Europe, and is a place of incredible beauty. You end up in Linz, Austria which is just outside of Cortina, Italy in the Dolomites. It's easy to drive west and catch the motorway back into Innsbruck.

Yes, a permit is a better term to use than a license.

The easiest option by far, actually, which is not mentioned here yet, is to visit the OeAMTC office upon arrival in Austria. This is essentially the equivalent to the AAA in the US and they will issue the correct document you need to drive in Austria within a few minutes. They are conveniently located on the Ring in Vienna, and other places around Austria. You might want to give them a call.

http://www.oeamtc.at/portal/internationaler-fuehrerschein+2500+1133654

http://www.oeamtc.at/portal/telefon+2500+++10178

Thanks David And Emily, Emily can i get that site in English as I am not able to understand German.

Emily, I was under the impression that you had to get your IDP in the country that issued your driving licence. Getting an IDP (Internationale Führerschein) in Austria would only be possible if you have an Austrian licence, in which case you don't need an IDP for Austria!
The corresponding site for the British Automobile Assocation says they can only issue IDP's for holders of UK licences.

myocardial_infarct, no there isn't an English version of the Austrian IDP site. Why should there be?, the site is for Austrian residents.

Chris - my husband (holder of a U.S. driver's license), got his permit at the OeAMTC office in Vienna, no problem. I know other Americans who have done the same. I suggested that the OP call to see if this would work for Indians. Sorry, OP, my German isn't good enough to translate. Either use google translate or call them.

As Emily writes above , the Austrian issuing authority will issue a document that provides for driving in Austria, and is in fact roughly equivalent to AAA in the USA . What they issue is not an IDP . Having read the link that Emily provided , the Austrian office makes it abundantly clear , that the document they issue may likely NOT be accepted by various rental agencies , and the onus lies with you , the renter , to have the appropriate licensure . As I pointed out earlier , not having a true IDP , can cost you dearly if you are involved in an accident . Nigel has kindly provided the link for obtaining an IDP in India . The choice is yours .

Thanks everyone,
I have Already started doing my homework on getting an idp. Hope to get it done in time. if it doesn't work out then I will have to go with the rail pass options.

I'm just curious about the name you chose - or didn't choose, but can choose by editing your profile.

Are you saying that you are a heart surgeon, or that you had a heart attack?

It is unusual, so I wonder.

Hi Nigel,
Actually I am an Orthopedic surgeon, this name is with me since Last 15yrs when i was a medical student. I had interest in cardiology in those days. I made up a mail id with this name n i m using it till date.

I called the OeAMTC office in Austria to check on a few things.

Holder's of an Indian Driver's License can visit an OeAMTC office in Austria and receive an International Permit which will allow them to rent a car in Austria and drive legally. The cost is 21.60 Euo and the person would need to bring a passport photo with them.

Myocardial/infarct - Please heed everyone's advice and do not purchase a rail pass, even if you do not end up renting a car. You will waste so much money. Instead, purchase your long distance travel tickets in advance from www.oebb.at. Tickets for regional travel can be purchased on the day of travel.

Hi Emily,
Its So Kind of u that you yourself called the authorities in Austria to help me out. Atleast i have got an option that even if I may not be able to get an idp in India but Still I hav chances of securing it in austria.

I see that you are asking about day trips. I would suggest that you spend no more than 1.5 hours each way on a day trip; any longer will make it too long for everyone leaving you with no time to explore the actual destination.

Verona, Zurich, Munich, Salzburg - why is it that everyone thinks of Europe as a few big cities separated by desert? There is a lot more to see in Europe than big cities. From Innsbruck you could go down the Inn to Brannenburg (1H15M by train) and take the cog rail to the top of the Wendelstein. You could take the train over the famous Brenner pass to Italy (Fortezza, 1H20M, or Bressanone1H30M); don't know if there is anything to see there, but the trip over the pass, on the Austrian side, is scenic. You could go down as far as Bolzano, but that would be more than 1½ hours each way. About 1¼ hr west by train is St. Anton; 2 hrs east is Zell am See. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is about an hour away; on the way are Seefeld and Mittenwald. There is a lot to see in the area without going to big cities, and most trips will cost less with tickets than with a rail pass.

In Bressanone/Brixen (Italy) the Diocean Museum is very interesting. If going to Bolzano/Bozen, be sure to include the "Ice Man" exhibit at the Museum of Archaeology. Both are well worth the trip.

Paul