Travelers,
My husband and I will be flying into and out of Vienna august 17-27. We would like to spend time in Vienna, Prague, Salzburg and Venice. Should we go by car or train? Would appreciate any recos on accommodations as we are looking for quaint b&bs (like hearing the cows moo on the hillside and windows open for fresh air/ mom n pop places)! We love the outdoors vs museums, palaces, etc. Restaurant/cafes moerately priced would be much appreciated too!
Thanks,
Sue from Cincinnati
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1532 posts
The only place where you could eventually hear cows mooing would be the outskirts of Salzburg - places like Wals or Grödig.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
We would enjoy the country side of the alps where the cows wonder the mountain sides!
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
Similar to the lack of cows, these cities are high on museums and palaces and low on nature hikes, although they do each have parks, rivers or lagoons, and nice areas to just walk and wander. Unfortunately, returning to Vienna will eat up some of your limited time. If you choose two big cities, you might fit in a smaller town en-route, such as:
Vienna-Melk-Salzburg-Halstatt-Vienna
Vienna-Prague-Cesky Krumlov and/or Melk (via Linz)-Vienna
Or just the one big city and then head for the hills. You can take a direct train from Vienna to Villach then drive around the mountains, lakes, and villages, on that Austia/Italy/Slovenia corner. Return the car in the same country where you got it.
Posted by
not here anymore
631 posts
It seemed routine until you threw in Venice, that's even more off plan than the cows, forget it! But did you mean you prefer countryside and scenery to museums. In which case it's all wrong! Vienna and Prague are big cities and although their cores are interesting there is a lot of residential and industrial zones before anything like open country. Salzburg isn't too big but it's so easy to reach from the outside villages I think you'd be better off staying in one of those.
Have a few days in Vienna then take the train to Bad Ischl and either stay there or continue to somewhere on the Postbus route towards Salzburg. All the scenery you can eat and still the option for a day or two in Salzburg city by local bus. Late august is about best time of year in these parts. If you want a value deal in a decent hotel look for Halbpension prices which include dinner and breakfast (unlikely in Vienna).
http://badischl.salzkammergut.at/en/homepage.html
http://wolfgangsee.salzkammergut.at/en
https://salzburg-verkehr.at/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/13-150-M-j17-10.pdf
Posted by
San Francisco
14520 posts
I recommend Bad Ischl too. It was the former Habsburg summer residence to escape the heat and politics of Vienna. The Kaiservilla was the residence of Franz Joseph. To see the Kaiservilla, you have buy a ticket and go on the guided tour, which is mandatory, ie no self-exploration is allowed. I've done the tour twice but with two different tour guides. The tours are given only in German. Very interesting, and poignant, if you are into the history as the war in 1914 starts.