Salzburg and other destinations for 2 week trip

Far from complete and it probably misses a lot of smaller sweet spots. But its something.

Train 6 hours or less (not all are direct)

Linz ~1 hour 10 minutes
Zell am See ~1.5 hours
Innsbruck ~2 hours 15 minutes
Hallstatt ~2.5 hours
Graz ~3 hours 30 minutes
Werfen ~90 minutes
Nuremberg ~3 hours
Stuttgart ~4 hours
Ljubljana ~4 hours 15 minutes
Zurich ~5.5 hours

Plane 2 hours or less (non-stop)

Düsseldorf
Frankfurt
Berlin
Hamburg
Amsterdam
Rome
Belgrade

Plane 90 minutes or less (non-stop)

None of these destinations has a non-stop flight to/from Salzburg.
Edit: the above list has been corrected.
https://www.salzburg-airport.com/en/flights-arrival/flights/destinations-a-z
(Click on "Show direct flights only")

wmt1, I didn't check my homework. Google Flights included Munich airport two hours by train away. You are absolutely correct, very little within even 2 hours by plane worth going to from the Salzburg airport.

Thank you for catching that. I fixed it.

But stretching to 2 hours does open up Belgrade. From there you take the scenic sleeper train to Bar on the coast of Montenegro. Great idea. I am guessing a little bit here, but you should be waking up about the time the train goes through the mountains of Montenegro and that's, reportedly, the best part of the trip (I will know more in about 10 days).

What time of year? My winter recommendations would be different from my summer recommendations.

Thank you!!!

We plan to travel in March or early April.

Ok, that’s still winter in the Alps, snow likely at higher elevations and mud elsewhere.

I would go south, to warmer weather. I’d pick Venice, Ljubljana or Verona.

Appreciate it!

Verona! Gwad I love Verona! And its under 7 hours on the train and 1 change for less than 50 euro.

Yeah we did a week there once. Day trip to Venice, day trip to Lake Garda, and plenty to do in Verona.

We are traveling soon and had looked both at Cesky Krumlov and/or Graz as part of our itinerary. Train through Semmering Pass between Vienna and Graz was in play and was looking at Bean Shuttle that includes point to point routes between Vienna, Salzburg, Hallstatt and Cesky Krumlov as part of their services.

Bean and CK Shuttle are both pretty good. For private transfers with sightseeing stops tgere is Daytrip.com.

Cesky Krumlov is interesting and pretty as can be. Graz is on my lst to get to in the next year. The Hungarian national rail service (MAV) runs a train to Graz through the Semmering Pass each spring. Their better carriages with huge windows, a dining car or table service dinner at your seats. Thats how I want to get to Graz.

The trouble is neither is worth a week and tgey are in opposite directions from Salzburg. If you dont pair Salzburg with Munich or Vienna, its tough to spend 2 weeks with out doing several 1 and 2 night stands.

Early April better than March.

Salzburg --> Klagenfurt/Graz --> Ljubljana

Dave, that’s an excellent suggestion, and maybe the best idea available, I just couldn’t make a two-week trip out of it.

Obviously, this is about style and interests. For me Salzburg 3 nights (been, done, was enoug), Klagenfurt/Graz 4 nights (to give both some justice, would have to think how I approach it though), Ljubljana 3 nights (probably fair). I could throw in Lake Bled for a night, not that I am that interested in it, but I flew all the way here so .... and Hallstatt for two nights (oddly enough I enjoy Hallstatt) and that would get me to 13 nights. The last two nights, doesnt really matter where, but I would shoot for 15 nights so that my aifare is with the time. 15 nights is 2 weeks plus the extra weekend.

But too many stops and just dont want to pack and unpack so much. Now, I ask myself, why am I going when I am stretching things to justify going? Trips are precious for me on cost alone. Every trip thins the goat heard, so every day has to count. Again, this is just me. Others would have the time of their life. So tossing out all the ideas imaginable is a worthy endevour. Somehting will speak to someone.

Mr É--

Hmmm... I could easily get 2 weeks out of those 3 sites in late spring/summer/fall, but I will grant that March to early April would be harder because higher elevation stuff will be closed or not very accessible (Ice Caves at Werfen, Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden, hike to Röthbachfall at Königssee, Vršič Pass in Slovenia, Velika planina, Logarska dolina).

I think I could still get a week out of Ljubljana with a day trip to Bled, day trip to Radovljica, day trip to Škofia Loka, day trip to underrated Kranj.

If too many day trips, how about Salzburg --> Klagenfurt/Graz --> Ljubljana --> Zagreb?

Or how about a few days in a small Bavarian town (Mittenwald?) --> Salzburg --> Klagenfurt/Graz --> Ljubljana?