My husband and I are traveling to Austria in September. We are considering renting a car in Salzburg to explore spots like Hallstatt, the Dachstein Skywalk, and Bad Ischl. Should we rent a car or is it better to do it by train? Are there enough "off-the-beaten-track" places to make it worth renting a car? And, how is the parking situation in these small picturesque towns? Any ideas and advice are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Posted by
Seattle
4637 posts
For that you don't have to rent a car. If you want to see little bit more of countryside, then yes, it would be indicated.
Posted by
Florida
509 posts
September in Austria; us too. We are opting for a car, mostly for flexibility and the possibility of spontaneous detours if something catches our eyes. The RS book on Austria includes helpful advice on the ease of parking in Hallstatt; and similar advice for other likely destinations. (We did think twice about taking the train to Hallstatt because of the frequent positive comments about the arrival experience -- the boat ferry across the Lake into Hallstatt after getting off the train. However, we'll still drive to Hallstatt where we'll rent one of the little boats for an hour to get the famous view of the town from the water.) All that said, a few years ago we used trains exclusively in/around the Jungfrau Region in Switzerland and had no regrets about doing so. It's just personal preferences.
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3391 posts
We prefer having a car in this part of the world! We had one while in Salzburg ttwo summers ago and found it very convenient for exploring the area. We like the flexibility and freedom of going where we want, when we want, and heading down random roads to see where they lead!
You won't need the while you are in the city of Salzburg but there is plenty of public parking there. Several very large garages are scattered immediately adjacent to the main part of town.
The only place you mention where parking is at a premium is Hallstatt. There are several public lots that you can use and, although we have always been able to find a spot, there are PLENTY of people there.
Posted by
Melbourne, Australia
35 posts
Its up to you really and what you might want to see or do. But back in 2013 we spent 13wks travelling Europe only by trains. And this included Hallstatt, Salzburg and Vienna in Austria, and other surrounding countries.
One thing to be mindful of is your travelling in a busy season so if you go by train and know your itinerary it may pay to reserve seats.
We fell in love with Hallstatt so much when we arrived that we cancelled all our activities out of the town to just stay within the town for two days & two nights to just soak in its beauty...