Your thoughts on private tours in Austria?

I am with you, I don’t care much for driving myself around, I would rather be looking out the window, enjoying and day dreaming.

I think for each stage of the trip you are going to have to decide if you want a group tour company like the ones you mentioned which means your objectives may not coincide well with the tour, or private tour company, or a private tour guide, or a private driver for some period or all of the day. Budget might have something to do with the decision making. You haven’t listed the least expensive countries in Europe. Compared to Texas ... you might feel a bit of sticker shock (I moved here from Texas).

My inclination would be to try and piece together a self-guided tour using trains for long trips and private transfers and private guides to reach the smaller places. That way I do what works for me and my interests and don’t have to walk away from great opportunities because the tour group is moving on.

Sounds like you are more into the high country and less into cities so that might be Switzerland. If you wanted a bit of both country and interesting towns which you could balance yourself, then maybe Austria. Once you get a bit deeper into the thought process, I think one or the other will come to the top.

As an example, and maybe not even a good example but only for the style. I like themes and I would love this one. Fly to Austria and then use trains to get close to https://www.austria.info/en-gb/highlights/viewing-platforms/ Then use private transfers and drivers for the final destination and a half day of other visits in the same area. Then a train to city or town for the night or night and a day.

For instance, arrival in Vienna then a train to Wiener Neustadt for about $12 and hire a private transfer to Skywalk Hohe Wand with some stops in the area. Then train on to through the UNESCO Semmering Pass and on to Graz for the night and a day or two for a great town experience.

Then after Graz hop a train to Klagenfurt and again use a private transfer to reach Pyramidenkogel (maybe a taxi even) and then have him take you to one of the lakeside towns for the night. Then … well you get the idea. Just using that list there are a couple of similar stops on the way to Salzburg …. Easily a two week trip.

Probably not too helpful but my two cents. I did get something good out of it, I discovered a possible trip in the future. Looks pretty wonderful.

wow, what a thorough response! I appreciate all the time you devoted to writing all this up.

I will look into private transfers - I'm assuming this means a local driver, need to investigate what the term really means.

As I read through your comments and think more about it, I almost feel like our focus should be more on Salzburg rather than trying to work in Salzburg AND Vienna AND working in the Austrian Alps and smaller towns . . . I hadn't mentioned it before, but our trip will actually start with a couple days in Venice, after which we would probably take a train to Austria. Salzburg sounds more interesting than Vienna (I'm a former musician so the former stomping grounds of Beethoven and Mozart sound very cool). But the scenery and castles and lakes and (of course) mountains are my biggest burn on this trip.

It's just getting around to the various scenic locations that represents my biggest concern at this point.

Thanks!

Jeff, I think it depends on how much time and money you have and maybe how much help you get from places like this. I live near so I have been to Austria a few times but I am no expert.

One source for private transfers is DayTrip.com, but better with smaller providers and maybe with guides. You are just going to have to hunt and peck till you find them and I know you can. The only way you find those is to google. Be careful of consolidators. If the transfer or tour company doesnt have a local address and an "at" webpage, move on.

As for where you go, thats up to your desires. Dont compromise. Make it your perfect trip.

In Salzburg you will receive the mobility pass, which gives you free public transport on bus and train in the Salzburg region. You will get this from your accommodation so long as they are a registered lodging.

Jeff, you just need to do a bit of research to figure which train or bus goes here: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/grossglockner-high-alpine-road-austrian-260nw-2338453115.jpg

... you just need to do a bit of research to figure which train or bus goes here:

https://www.grossglockner.at/en/for-your-visit/glocknerbus

See, easy. This is Austria, so since the photography is important to you, if you tell the bus driver when you see that perfect shot, he will pull over and let you out. After you get what you need a phone call will get you a bus heading back to town within 5 minutes.

In seriousness it comes down to priorities. If doing your photography out of a moving bus and from the locations of the stops works (as bad with s camera that i am ... this would be more than enough), then a bus. If the photography is more important than that you are going to want a car, and hiking poles, for getting to the perfect vantage point. Only you know the answer.

The Australian waitress in the Scottish restaurant in Budapest, Hungary introduced me to a Texan guest last night. We got to talking and he reminded me of an idea for your next photo tour: the Albanian Alps. Maybe half the cost of Austria and breathtakingly beautiful.

Sorry for my slower response, we're battling a bit of a bug here which has slowed me down.

You guys are definitely guiding my trip planning, which is what I was hoping would happen. I've been to Italy three times, but other than a brief drive across the border, I've never spent time in Austria. So your inputs have been very helpful.

Mr E - Australian. Scottish. Budapest, Hungary, Texan . . . what, no Swahili connection? LOL!

You've made me reconsider the private tour company for the whole trip, as it will certainly be a more expensive approach. It may make more sense to pick two or three cities as our home bases and arrange day trips from those cities. That would make things less costly, if only because I wouldn't need the private tour company for the entire trip.

The photography and videography is definitely important - I have a travel photography website and Youtube channel, and I've been a photographer since 1981, so it's a major element of any travel I do. And my wife loves it too. Bouncy photos from the window of a tour bus would not be sufficient, unfortunately, and I don't expect a bus driver will pull over and wait every time we drive past a castle LOL. So private or very small group tours would be a must for several of the days would be important.

Also considering spending a few days in Austria and a few days in Bavaria instead of the entire trip in Austria. The videos I'm finding of the Alps in Bavaria are breathtaking.

Mr E - Australian. Scottish. Budapest, Hungary, Texan . . . what, no Swahili connection? LOL!

I heard the gentleman about 2 bar stools away order a drink, I looked at the waitress/bartender and mumbled "Texas", she responded he was an American and comes almost as often as I do. Then the guy spoke up and said one word: "Waco". Sometimes a Texas drawl is unmistakable (and I got lucky). Then the introduction came. He's an expat living in Budapest too. Geologist that apparently spent most of his career in Europe.

Anyway, your idea of bases and then driver or tours makes sense. And you still might be able to take some busses to some lookout locations. For budgeting you can check prices on https://daytrip.com/. Another you might look at is https://www.sidetriptours.com/.

Next trip: https://youtube.com/shorts/QJKQv-B-ZMA?si=xBX8khk05CUyQRb_