We will be in Vienna for four days before heading to Salzburg for four. Once in Salzburg we are planning to rent a car and explore the surrounding areas (lakes, etc). But I'm wondering, should we rent the car in Vienna and travel a different route than the train on our way to Salzburg? Are there any "must sees" that we should see elsewhere, and should we consider re-routing? We are considering a day trip to Melk from Vienna while staying there, so we wouldn't necessarily need to stop there on the way to Salzburg again. I do worry that we may be missing some major landmarks further south, so I'm wondering if we should try to re-route by car or train, or if that isn't worth the hassle. Thanks all!
Posted by
New York, NY
1586 posts
It's best you rent a car in Salzburg then tour the country side. However, there is a lovely town along the way toward Salzburg called Linz so if you do decide to rent a car from Vienna then you can make a stop in Linz. Other notable places along the way would be:
Kahlenberg
Burg Liechtenstein
Graz
Steyr
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32384 posts
Given the circumstances that you mentioned, I'd probably take the train to Salzburg and then rent a car there. From Salzburg you can tour the Salzkammergut lakes area or head to Berchtesgaden if you're interested in WW-II history. Note that parking in Salzburg can be pricey.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5518 posts
So many better things to see from Salzburg vs. on the way to Salzburg. Plus, that stretch of highway is not fun to drive as it has lots of construction and traffic. Take the train and save your time for the good stuff.
Posted by
OP
22 posts
Thank you all. This is very helpful.