We will be travelling to Austria in October, landing in Munich and then making our way to the mountains. While there we would like to do a mix of hiking and sightseeing and are considering possible day trips to Salzburg, Hallstatt, Kitsbuhel, or Innsbruck. Sightseeing interests would include historic castles, European medieval towns, and world cup skiing venues. Our home base would ideally have a good mix of things to do in town (restaurants, etc.) and (relatively) easy access to the day trips mentioned. For those who have spent time in the Austrian Alps, would you suggest staying in Maria Alm, St. Johann in Pongau, or Scladming? (Long story short, we need to decide between one of these three towns!) Thanks for any help you can provide!
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
Bumping up this topic.
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not here anymore
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depends on how you would travel around.
Be aware that many of the hotels and guesthouses listed as St Johann are actually in an area a few miles away called Alpendorf, the way they write addresses makes this look like a streetname. good bus connections daytime but little in the evening and some distance from the railway station, which does have a good service. If you are renting a car Alpendorf would be the place to go (from your options) BUT a german rental will need an austrian autobahn toll sticker (vignette) buying from a service station before reaching the border. You could avoid autobahns but the short stays stickers aren't expensive and the alernatives for getting around Salzburg are messy.
Maria Alm has no bus on Sundays or any evening and is a 20 minute ride to Saalfelden railway station when they do run.
Schladming has limited trains although enough to do your planned trips (just don't miss one, it's a 2 hour wait for the next!).
Without a car, either Schladming or try Zell Am See which is close to Maria Alm but much better connected and with the facilities you ask for. From Zell there are plenty of trains to Salzburg, enough to Kitzbuhel and Innsbruck and even a bus to Salzburg via the Berchtesgaden area of germany (borders don't count for much in these parts).