Road trip from Switzerland to Austria

What's going to get you is the rental car drop off fees.

We usually fly into Munich and drop down into the Austrian Alps--avoiding a much more expensive Switzerland, The Alps in Tirol are incredibly beautiful and we'll often take in the Grossglockner High Alpine Highway and the Dolomites.
Sometimes it's best taking the trains from city to city--renting cars for day trips.

We are concerned that the drive between Lauterbrunnen and Innsbruck is too long. Is it manageable?

That answers it. drop the car in Switzerland and take a train to Innsbruck and rent another one there.

As David says, look up the drop off fees. Returning a Swiss car in Vienna will be very expensive.

You do not want a car in Vienna.

Thank you for your advice! Is it possible to just forget about it the car and use trains? Will that limits your ability to check out the surroundings of the cities and towns? Also there are four of us, so the cost of so many training rides will probably be more than the car rental, including the drop off fees, which is about $500. Thanks again, carol

All the places you have listed are easy with trains, and with some planning and strategy can be reasonably priced.

You may find that using the trains allows you to all hang out and chat and watch the scenery.

I suggest you use the trains in Switzerland, then pick up a car once you reach Austria. I have a 4 week trip with 4 people planned next year that will have us in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and eastern France. I understand the thinking about the car being less expensive than train tickets for 4 people. I've devised a route that will start in Munich and end in Frankfurt so that there won't be a problem with returning the car to another country. Additionally, we will be staying in and exploring the countryside, where a car is an advantage. In Salzburg you should find a place to stay with free parking. A few years ago we spent a week in a small town about 20 miles from Salzburg. We drove in one day and the parking was expensive. We ended up going another day and decided to take the train in from where we were staying.

At this point our itinerary has the following stops: Zürich, Lucerne, Lauterbrunnen, Innsbruck (or Fussen or Reutte), Hallstatt, Salzburg, possibly Melk and Vienna.

Comments on your list of stops:

• You have 7 places in 2 weeks, even excluding the "optionals". That's too many. Have a minimum of 2 nights in each location, preferably 3.
• Skip Zürich, its a city. not the mountains. Skip it. If you want a Swiss city, do a day trip to Bern.
• Do Lauterbrunnen first (direct from Zürich airport), then Luzern. That way you aren't doubling back.
• Switzerland to Innsbruck is easy. Switzerland to Füssen (or Reutte) is more difficult, both by road and even more so by train. Mountains in the way ☺
• Also Innsbruck to Salzburg is easy (by train or car), and Füssen/Reutte to Salzburg is difficult.
• Vienna requires minimum 3 nights, and no car.

Thank you so much, this is very helpful! For the Swiss part, do you think we should take trains or rent a car? Is the traffic manageable in June? We would like to save time and money (family of 4) by driving, also to avoid lugging our luggage around. But I also heard great things about swiss trains. Is it worth it to take trains only in Switzerland and then rent a car in Innsbruck?

I would definately do the Swiss part by train, you don't want a car in Luzern or Lauterbrunnen. And you can't use it in cities. There is a good train from Switzerland (starts in Zürich) to Innsbruck. I was on it a few weeks ago. Runs every 2 hours.
Info on this train (including a video, scroll down): https://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Switzerland.htm#Switzerland-Vienna

Possibly pick up a car in Innsbruck. Use it to visit Füssen (difficult to get to from Innsbruck by train), and dump it in Salzburg. Then train again to Vienna (where a car is useless).