Taxi from Salzburg to Freilassing to pick up rental car

I've spent some time in Freilassing, usually coming from Munich by train and going to or coming from Salzburg by train. I assume you are talking about picking up the car at Europcar on Lugwig-Zeller-Str (right where the street out of Salzburg, Salzburger Str., turns into Münchner Str. It's about a half mile walk from the Freilassing Bahnhof to Europcar, and there are regular trains and S-Bahn from Salzburg Hbf to Freilassing Hbf. If you were coming from the oldtown Salzburg, I would suggest you come out on bus 24; it stops right there at the intersection of Salzburgerstr and Zellerstr.

However, from where I see the Salzburg City HI, it's kind of a toss-up. Do you walk ¾ of a mile to the Salzburg Hbf, take the train into the Freilassing Hbf, then walk ½ mile to Europcar, or do you walk 1 mile to Ferdinand-Hanuschplatz (across the river in the old town) then take bus 24 directly to Europcar.

It look like there is also a bus-bus connection taking O-bus 2 from near the HI to Esshaverstr where you catch bus 24 to Europcar. Less walking, but it requires a transfer.

I know nothing about taking taxis in that place. Maybe take a taxi to the Salzburg Hbf, then a train or S-Bahn to the Freilassing Hbf. Stash your luggage in a lacker, walk to the Europcar place, drive back to the Freilassing Hbf and get you luggage.

Thank you, Lee. One possibility is to leave our luggage at the Salzburg HI hotel, take public transport to Europcar, and then drive back to the hotel to pick up our bags. Since the HI is on the southeastern side of Hbf, there is no need to drive through Salzburg downtown. So, my guess is that this drive is not that bad, correct? I have read about horrible traffic in downtown or old town Salzburg.

I've never had what anybody would call horrible traffic in Salzburg.

If it is rush hour it gets a bit busy. I park under the mountain or by our hotel southwest of town and never had any trouble.

Thanks. I am concerned about traffic in Salzburg because almost every single piece of advice I get in any travel forum is not to drive in Salzburg. The city discourages driving and parking is very limited. I won't need parking this time, but am concerned about city driving with lots of traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. I am not used to this.

Just a thought, you are obviously trying to rent a car in Freilassing because it is in Germany, and from there you are going to be traveling in Germany and ending you car rental there, and you don't want to pay for a 2nd country drop fee.

I don't know where you are planning to travel in Germany, but I would strongly advise you to consider doing the rest of your trip by public transportation.

I have traveled extensively in Germany, Bavaria in particular, and I have never found I could not get to somewhere I wanted to go using rail and bus. Germany has a very extensive rail system, THE most extensive in Europe, and second in density to Switzerland's by only 1%. I've spent 158 nights in 36 German towns. Over half of those nights (85) have been in 13 towns with under 8,000 population, so the people that say you can only use the trains to travel between large towns don't know the system very well.

Get to know the German Rail schedule and fare website. There are usually fare deals using regional passes and advance purchase ticket that will save you beaucoup euro vs a car rental.

Hi Lee, thanks for the advice. I am actually planning to drive to Austria and Northern Italy. Rental prices are far lower in Germany than these two countries.