Salzburg day trips - would love recommedations

Bad Ischl is a nice little town; there is the summer villa of the Austrian imperial family (Sissi and Franz Joseph), I do not know of the visit in winter is. Travel time by car would be about one hour, I suspect it would be easier to do by bus than by train, as the road is shorter. The road through the Salzkammergut is one of the more scenic in Austria.

Berchtesgaden is an obvious day trip - again, better in summer than in winter, I suspect. Bad Reichenhall is a sleepy spa town, not particularly interesting.

Munich is not so distant and a good day trip from Salzburg. About midway there is the Herrenchiemsee castle, on an island in the middle of a lake.

Perhaps if it isn't too hard to reach by public transportation, give Burghausen a look. The castle here (depending on exactly how you define the word "castle") is supposedly the biggest in the world, and remarkably well-preserved.

I vote for Bad Ischl, very doable by bus from Salzburg Hbf. Bad Ischl was the summer residence of the Emperor Franz Joseph. See the Kaiservilla which can be seen by tour.

Thank you. We are headed to Bad Ischl on Monday. We didn't know about the thermal spas there so will definitely be checking it out. We appreciate the input!

Nice to hear you are going to Bad Ischl. On the bus sit on the left side for best views over the lakes (on the right side returning).

Do not forget a visit to Konditorei Zauner, one of the largest cafes and pastry shops in Austria (the Konditorei in Pfargasse is much more interesting than the restaurant along the river). When in good old days Franz Joseph was on holiday with all his government in town, it was said that Zauner had the highest concentration of diplomats and spies per square meter in Europe :-)

A walk around Gosausee would be lovely. St. Wolfgang is also a wonderful village on Wolfgangsee.

What about Red Bull's Hangar 7? Have you been to Hellbrunn?

Mel,

A few thoughts.....

• Travel to Hallstatt is a bit more effort by train as it always involves a change in Attnang-Pucheim, but you could contact Bob's Special Tours to see if they're operating at this time of year, as that would be easier and quicker.
• If you visit Hallstatt and want to see the Salt Mines, be sure to enquire on whether they're open at this time of year.
• You could also take a day trip to Berchtesgaden. As I recall, the red DB Bus departs frequently from Salzburg, and it's a relatively short trip. The Eagle's Nest won't be accessible at this time of year, but you may be able to visit the Dokumentation Centre & Bunkers, which are just above the town. There's also a Salt Mine there, but be sure to check on whether they're open.

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions. We ended up at a great spa in Bad Ischl for a day that we wouldn't have even considered had it not been for your suggestions! Much appreciated.