traveling to Salzburg in April

Your trip sounds amazing! Definitely visit Hohensalzburg Fortress for incredible views, and the Eagles Nest in the Bavarian Alps is a must-see for history and scenery. A cooking class would be a fun way to experience local culture too! Enjoy your time in Salzburg!

Your post is a bit confusing as you seem to have copied and pasted a description of a Bavarian Alps tour?

I would definitely add in a Sound of Music tour and a visit to the Hellbrunn palace. With three nights, you likely also have time for a day trip to Hallstatt and/or the villages on the Wolfgangsee.

I hadn't been to Salzburg before this past summer, and I loved the place. Personal favorites include the Augustiner Bräu Mülln beer garden, the Altstadt (old town) in its entirety, and the Volksgarten. My wife loved doing the Sound of Music stuff, which didn't interest me as much.

Hello - more qustions. I am trying to book my jettrain from Zurich to salzburg. 10:40 train - shows Interrupted service: Zürich HB - Ötztal due to construction. Is there a way to determine if we will be able to do this? We are hoping to go through the Arlburg tunnell. Should we wait to book the train until we are in Switzerland? Thank you again.. Mary & Dan

Rail replacement service means that you just will be going by bus this part of the journey where the train tracks' maintenance will be. As the bus is slower than the train, the total travel time is likely to be longer, and the departure time maybe actually earlier.

If you don't want to go by bus, you can take at 9:33am the EC 99 and then change to the RJX 67. (The travel time is the same as going by a regular RJX 165.) You will have one change in either case, anyway.

Hello again - You have all been so very helpful. So two more questions:
1. The Arlberg jettrain - we are about to order our tickets and I read a review that said since we are having to go on bus we will miss the best part of the trip. Do you agree? The valley and route looks amazing, the ticket is much more expensive, but looks worth it.

2. Hallstatt - yes or no? we have 3 nights in Salzburg. Tickets for Dinner and a Concert at the Fortress, considering a cooking class. It looks like we will have at least a full day to roam whereever.. We have tried the hop on hop off bus in other places, The Eagles Nest looks like it will be closed for the season (until May). I loved the Sound of Music = but not excited about the tour. Thank you again.. Mary & Dan

... since we are having to go on bus we will miss the best part of the trip.

What is the best part of the trip, in your opinion?

I really don’t know…. The valley, then through the tunnel to Arlsberg pass?

Here is what I have learned. Both the Arlberg railway and highway follow the same basic route including a long tunnel at the top of the Arlberg Pass. Both wink in and out of tunnels between the Arlberg Pass and Oetztal. The difference is that the railway was there first, 140 years ago. The 4-lane Superhighway was much later of, course, so there was not much room in the valley with the railway and subsequent development. The high way thus has much longer tunnels in this stretch, so not as many viewing opportunities from the bus.

Mary & Dan - A lot of people make the mistake of buying train tickets from resellers/not the official websites. May I ask where you are purchasing your tickets from - which website?

Take the train. I drive and avoid the autobahn and tunnel Mout/tolls by driving secondary roads. I drove this Lech to Fernpass beginning of February. The bus might be cheaper and quicker dependent on your final destination. I would think the train is more comfortable. Shouldn't be any Stau or tunnel and pass waiting in April on the roads

If you want to do the tourist thing then do it. Your time is short.

The bus we are talking about is a rail replacement bus for a temporary closure of the Arlberg line from April 24 to April 29.

Interrupted service: Zürich HB - Ötztal
Interrupted train service between Zürich HB and Ötztal.
This is due to construction work.
The restriction lasts from 24.04.2025, 00:00 until 29.04.2025, 23:59.
You have to expect cancellations, changed timetables and different connections.
Passengers travelling between Sargans and Ötztal please use the replacement bus service (EV).
Bikes cannot be transported.
Please consult the online timetable for your service.
The online timetable will be updated.

Thank you again - we are planning on purchasing tickets from the OBB site for Austria. I think that is where this group has recommended.