Parking in Salzburg Altstadt

I haven't driven to Salzburg since COVID, but what i remember is that parking in the Altstadt is a PIA. My favorite hotel is not too far from the seahorse fountain, and I actually found parking to be best on the other side of the river. You might consider parking at the train station.

Thank you for your quick response. I'll have to check how far the train station is from the sites I want to visit. I read an article that said arrival at the Altstadt A garage is recommended for before 9 am. This is doable, but I'm just wondering how much traffic is in and around that area in the morning. As you mentioned, if it's a PIA to get there, perhaps one of the P&R parking locations might be better. I just would prefer not to have a long shuttle ride from the parking spot.

Tiefgarage Mönchsberg (Altstadtgaragen A+B) as you mention is quite convenient to the Altstadt, there is an elevator, but it is also eye wateringly expensive. All day is more than €25, and yes, traffic in the city can be quite awful. At busy times you will wait in a considerable queue to park. If you don't like being under the mountain (the Mönchsberg) that could be an issue.

There is usually a special short term ticket at the Mönchsberg if you are willing to do some work for the €8.50 for 8 hours (cheaper for 3 or 5 hours) by getting a punch card and taking it to specific merchants and getting the cashiers to punch your card.

Very simple to use the P&R sites. €15 all day (shorter times same one price) gets you easy parking and a special bus ticket for the folks in the car up to 5. All P&R pricing is the same, with one summertime exception. The same deal is only €5 in July and August but only at P&R Messe.

When I drive to Salzburg from Germany I park under the mountain and play tag with the punch card.

Otherwise I stay in a small hotel on Moosstraße and take the 21 or 22 bus the short ride into town, hotel guests get a transportation card when they check in.

... bus (with transfers) from the hotel is a minimum of 45 minutes and limited to a schedule while driving is 15 minutes, so driving seems like the best option.

I cannot imagine that you can be three times faster with a car than the bus.

Check travel times from A to B: https://fahrplan.salzburg-verkehr.at/

You will get a travel pass from the hotel, granting free use of all public transport, not only in the City of Salzburg, but also in the whole State of Salzburg.

The travel pass mentioned is the Salzburg mobility pass. Giving you free public transport within Salzburg region. Provided by your accommodation.

The Park and Ride I'm thinking of is kinda on the edge of town off the main artery. And yes, they shuttle you into town on minibusses.

Alternatively, driving in the Altstadt isn't super fun but if you've driven Europe, it won't be anything daunting. There are parking garages you can find on a map. Word to the wise... the spaces in the underground garage we chose were really tight. We had an Audi A5 (not a huge car by American standards) and my family had to get out before I parked, folded in the mirrors and gingerly slid out. So my upshot advice is to rent a smaller car.

But have you considered just changing your hotel to one inside the city? I would trade a great hotel for a decent hotel that eliminated 30-45 minutes of mucking about every trip. Plus you can enjoy a beer or wine and stroll back through the city to your hotel.

I go here: https://www.salzburg.info/en/travel-info/arrival-traffic/car/parking/p-r-sued

P+R Combined Ticket: € 15.00
The combined ticket is valid for parking and as a day pass for up to 5 passengers traveling together on all trolleybus and bus lines within the city. The bus takes you right outside/next to the Altstadt. Obus-Line 3 und 8.

I usually stay near Berchtesgaden or Werfen and drive in. No need for an Austrian vignette when you do not use the Autobahns.

We’ve visited Salzburg many times, as recently as Dec. 2024. We’ve never stayed in Salzburg, but instead stay in either Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden or Schonau am Konigssee.

We’ve driven fro these to Salzburg many times and always use the Tiefgarage Mönchsberg (Altstadtgaragen A+B) . 25€ to park all day is rather reasonable, as it’s easily double this when we visit NYC.

Chis, thank you for your response and, yes, I did consider cancelling the hotel, but as I said in my post, my hotel reservation is non-refundable (I thought I had chosen a refundable one, but apparently I didn't) and it's too expensive to just blow off in favor of something closer. So for three days we will have to shuttle ourselves back and forth.

Thanks to Nigel, wmt1, expat-nomad, Chris, mchpp, and Paul for your responses. I have a bit more research to do and the suggestions you've provided have been very useful. As a former New Yorker, I'm fearless about driving into the city and as was mentioned, 25 euros while high is not nearly as bad as NYC. However, the P&Rs seem like a good option to consider. Again, you responses and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Nigel, I appreciate knowing about the short term parking because on one occasion we will be in Salzberg for a concert and will not be spending the whole day in the city as we'll be going on a guided tour earlier in the day. So the short term (3 or 5 hour) parking is just what we need.

Where is your hotel located that you are considering renting a car and using a P&R spot?

It's located 14 miles outside the Altstadt (Josef-Brandstätter-Straße 1, 5020 Salzburg, Austria) and according to Rome2Rio, it would take almost an hour by bus. Only 19 minutes by taxi but at a cost of $60-$75 per ride. I can rent a car for $200 for three days and go back and forth at will on my own schedule. My major concern is that if I park at one of the P&R locations, I will still be spending time on shuttle buses which will take away my time visiting the sites I want to see. That's why I'm considering the garages within the city despite the high cost of parking there. Trying to decide if a Salzburg card is a good option, and it would only be one if I had ample time in the city to use it for the various sites. Too many variables and unknowns, that's why I'm asking the more seasoned travelers who are familiar with Salzburg to give me some suggestions. I really wish I could cancel the hotel, but it's non-refundable and it wasn't cheap, so that's not an option.

I just used AI to search for transport into Altstadt from the hotel n Salzburg, and it's an easy bus ride or even walk (45 min) so I don't know where Rome2Rio is getting 14 miles. Thus I don't think I'll have to rent a car at all. At any rate, I've decided to contact the hotel directly and ask the question of distance to the city center and modes of transport. I can always rent a car once I'm there if public transport is not convenient. Thanks to all of you who've responded.

I know it's not fair, and one should never laugh at other people's difficulties, but I absolutely love the absurd answers that Rome2Rio comes up with. For me it is an exciting spectator sport.

Sorry they led you down the rabbit hole.

And yet they stay in business.

From the Cool Mama "Location and Arrival" page:-

https://www.coolmama.com/en/contact-info-service/location-arrival

Arrival by public transport
The COOL MAMA Hotel Salzburg is perfectly connected to the public transport system.
The bus line 1 stops in the immediate vicinity of the hotel (station: Salzburg Arena) and is easily accessible within a 2-minute walk.
The bus line 7 stops in the immediate vicinity of the hotel (station: Hagenaustraße) and is also a 2-minute walk away.
The bus line 8 stops at the station "Bessarabierstraße" and during school holidays and Saturdays right at the station "Salzburgarena".

and

The COOL MAMA Hotel Salzburg is located next to the Exhibition and Convention Center Salzburg and the Salzburgarena and profits from good accessibility to public transport systems. It only takes a few minutes to reach the old town.

Enjoy a nice walk or an adventurous bike ride along the romantic river Salzach, which runs within close proximity to the hotel.

The immediately adjacent Salzach rivers offer endless enjoyment of nature and sport activities where you can escape from your everyday life.

Curios to know how you came to choose this hotel?

Nigel, you are a godsend. I do so appreciate your efforts on my behalf and the wonderful information you provided. You saved me several hundred dollars in car rental and parking fees and the hassle of renting and returning.Thank you a million times over!

expat-nomad, top notch reviews of Cool Mama prompted the choice and now, thanks to Nigel, I know that it's not as far from the city as I was originally led to believe.

Let us know how your trip went.

glad it is working out... I love Salzburg

perhaps consider a piece of bread from the bread ovens at St Peters Abbey bakery - yummy and historic, oh and so tasty

in German, easy to translate, https://www.erzabtei.at/de/wirtschaft/index.asp?dat=Stiftsbaeckerei&id=277&title=Stiftsb%C3%A4ckerei+St%2E+Peter

Thanks, Nigel. We have St. Bernard's Abbey here about an hour's drive from Birmingham, AL and just today I purchased five loaves from them. The monks do a great job here, and since I know from experience that German/Austrian bread and rolls are by far better than what we get in the States, I look forward to tasting the bread from St. Peter's Abbey. Appreciate the suggestion.

expat-nomad, I certainly will let you know. We leave on April 26th and return home on May 22nd, so I'll post something after we return. I do so appreciate all the good advice and suggestions and am very much looking forward to this trip.

Glassygal. There are some really great restaurant/gasthouse in Salzburg.
Augustiner brew house is a great experience. Lots of locals not just tourists.
Short walk from aldstadt but as you will have free bus pass you can get on bus at Ferdinand hanusch platz. ( almost opposite billa supermarket) it’s about 3 stops. Get off at krankenhaus hospital.
You could park up and then use the free pass to get around.

Also eidelweiss cooking school is a neat morning or afternoon. Making you own strudel.

Thanks so much for the great suggestion, expat-nomad. I hadn't done any research on restaurants, and Augustiner sounds wonderful. Wish we had more time to do a strudel lesson...maybe next time.

Other eating places
Zum fideln affen
Zum wilden man
Zwettlers
Stadtalm. On the monchsberg great views. Take lift up to modern art museum. You do not have to go in. Just buy lift tickets walk along trail gasthouse is on left as you walk through the outer wall.

Great coffee stop on riverside walk cafe Am Kai

How many nights do you have in Salzburg?

I think I need to take you with me! Great suggestions, thank you. We'll be in Salzburg three nights. We arrive at 3:49 on the 30th so I think Augustiner Brauhaus might be our dinner spot for that first night. We have tickets to a concert in Marble Hall of Mirabell Palace that night. The next two days are sightseeing days with a Mozart dinner concert one of the nights. We plan to get a Salzburg Card and do all the tourist spots (Mozart Museum and Home, Hohensalzberg, Monchsberg, etc.). We leave for Ljublijana on the 3rd but the train leaves at 2:07, so we still have some morning time to spend in the city.