Salzburg to Lake Hallstatt by Train and Ferry Combo

Nearby ice caves are amazing!

The ferry across the lake only takes maybe 15-20 minutes, so in the unlikely event of an overflow crowd it would be back shortly.

I've visited Hallstatt by train/ferry and I don't think that many people get there that way. IMHO, it's the most scenic way to arrive.

An alternative, more scenic route is: Salzburg to Bad Ischl by bus, followed by Bad Ischl to Hallstatt by train (and ferry).

In 2012 I went from Salzburg to Halstatt by bus. Yes, the bus trip through the Salzkammergut is scenic. You go through the town of St Gilgen and along the south shore of Wolfgangsee, across the lake from St Wolfgang. In my case, I wanted to see the SOM wedding church at Mondsee, so I went there from Salzburg first, then took another bus from Mondsee to Bad Ischl (the one that went through St. Gilgen).

I could have then taken the train from Bad Ischl to Hallstatt station (across the lake) and the boat to Hallstatt, but because I was going to a Privatzimmer up the Echerntal from Lahn, which is about a km walk south from downtown Hallstatt, where the boat from across the lake, I took the bus from Bad Ischl directly to the bus ZOB in Lahn.

the path down to the ferry is very obvious, and most people will be going there. The ferry isn't small and there is room for quite a few folks. When I took it the town was busy but the ferry was no problem.

You should be fine. The only people getting on the ferry are generally the ones getting off the train. We stayed in Hallstatt last year for 3 or 4 nights, and used the train/ferry and ferry/train combo several times...never a shortage of space.

We didn't visit the salt mine, but we did take the funicular up the hill, and enjoyed a glass of wine at the restaurant overlooking the lake and the city, and then did the leisurely walk back down to Hallstatt. A great way to spend a few hours, and get some exercise as well.

If it's a nice day, the Seehotel Gruner Baum has a lovely terrace on the lake and serves a very nice lunch. Perhaps a bit pricier than other locations, but the magical setting is worth the extra euros!

Just two weeks ago I traveled from Salzburg to Hallstatt by bus after doing research on the best, and most scenic way to do so. BigBoy Travel has a great video, and detailed written instructions with pictures as well, on how to do so. It only costs 15€ one-way per person, and it is faster than going by train. https://www.bigboytravel.com/europe/austria/hallstatt/gettingtohallstatt/
The only difference I experienced from the detailed instructions from BigBoy Travel is there was not a 20-minute layover at Bad Ischl, the bus we needed to transfer to - 542 - was already there waiting. You are dropped off at Hallstatt Lahn, after a quick ride on a third bus) and it took us only a few minutes to walk to our hotel. We did leave Hallstatt by train so we took the ferry, 3.50€ per person cash only, and it departs 20 minutes before each train arrives. It's a good sized ferry, so I don't see a problem with capacity at your arrival time by train.

We stayed at The Seehotel Gruner Baum and enjoyed their restaurant very much. Great food, service, and an amazing view. We did not visit the Salt Mine. After reading reviews we decided it just was not "our thing" and we instead enjoyed the spectacular lakeside view from our terrace and never wanted to leave. Enjoy your stay!

Speaking of arriving Hallstatt by ferry, has anyone parked at this public parking location in Obertraun, across the lake?

https://goo.gl/maps/qqDpjS1N83dBSRWd8?coh=178573&entry=tt

From the parking lot, it would entail a 20-minute walk to the ferry location, and then the ferry across the lake. Looks like a small lot, but perhaps less used.

I'm considering this as a "Plan B" in case of full parking lots in Hallstatt (day trip from Salzburg), and as a backup plan, it might even enhance the experience (scenic walk along the lake, and ferry boat arrival).

Yes, I know we can avoid the potential hassle and just take train travel, but we'll have a car anyway and would like to have sightseeing freedom along the way.

On an unrelated note, has anyone visited Hallstatt very recently and encountered this wood fence erected to block the iconic view??

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/travel-news-hallstatt-austria-selfie-fence/index.html

That wood fence had been removed already.

From the parking lot, it would entail a 20-minute walk to the ferry location

Or, a 6 minute walk to the Obertraun station and take a 3 minute train ride to the Hallstatt Bhf (and ferry) across the lake from Hallstatt.

Or, from the Obertraun Bhf, take a bus around the south end of the lake to Lahn, which is where the big parking lots for people coming to Hallstatt by car are located. From there it's a 1 km walk into downtown Hallstatt.