After-Trip Report

Anyway, back to the report.

The information I received from the "Helpline" over the course of time was extremely valuable and helpful. While there was always differing opinions in what I should consider, it was vital to hear all sides. I followed up all the points raised, and made decisions on many aspects that I would not have other-wised considered. As my trip involved driving, I got lots of great info and websites to visit to avoid things like school vacations that could affect the drive and the dreaded "Stau", but also valuable sites for things to hit like festivals, and the “must-see” stops, etc....

My questions were varied and went over a host of issues, some rather basic (and probably stupid), but required answers to help me plan the trip. I can unequivocally say that this trip was soo much more successful than it would have been had I not come upon this Helpline! Even in the beginning of my investigations when some posts had me considering picking up the car and dropping it off immediately for it's shipment to the USA, and then continuing my trip via public transportation. I'm so glad I didn't, but there were times . . . . . I could certainly understand why public transportation is so often recommended. The transit system is so reliable and understandable, we used it at each destination once we arrived. The car only was used to essentially get us to the location.

I found so many good things along the way (no I didn't try the lederhosen, but I found places that sold them), and a few bad ones (let me tell you a few things about Bob's Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg).

I'm glad to be a part of this ever expanding family and hope I can assist others the way I've been helped. Continue to give as much information as you (we) can to questions, no matter how many times they re-surface and no matter how different our views may sometimes be. All of this is important and valuable.

The Helpline works!!

A few interesting points:

Accommodations:

Vienna – The Hotel Alstadt! One of the most unique places we ever stayed. Designer rooms and some more traditional rooms too. 10 minute walk to the center of the Ringstrasse. Staff goes out of their way to assist you and make sure you enjoy your stay.

Salzburg – If you're a Sound of Music person the only place to stay is the Villa Trapp – the actual home of the von Trapp's when they lived in Salzburg. Listed as a B & B and located a short bus ride from the center of Salzburg. You could stay in the actual room Maria stayed in (as we were lucky enough to do), see the room that Heinrich Himler used to send orders from when the Nazi's occupied the home (it has now been converted into a chapel), see the banister the von Trapp kids slid down, etc... There is no other place you would want to be! A true hidden gem!

Transportation:

While we loved having the car, once at a destination we took advantage of public transportation and were very impressed. Buses, trams and subways all ran on time, were simple to navigate, and affordable.

Food:

Augustiner Bräu – Salzburg. A must! Pay the lady, grab your mug, rinse it out, get it filled with some of the best beer you'll ever try, grab a seat and enjoy! Oh, and there's plenty of great food too.

Grinzing area – Vienna. Plenty of food options, some touristy type places to either enjoy or avoid (but you are a tourist), great food and excellent wine. Try to watch the locals and see which place they go in, then you found your place. Avoid the tour groups.

What to see:

Vienna - Any/all of the museums (there are many and all good), The Treasury, Schönbrunn Palace, the Sisi museum, the Imperial Crypt Vaults

Salzburg – The Fortress, Mirabell Gardens, Mozart House, Halstatt and the Salzkammergut region.

Concerts, concerts, concerts – enjoy as many as possible.

Stay away from:

Bob's Sound of Music Tour - Limited SOM Knowledge, few SOM sights

Gary, thanks for the report. Sounds like your trip was everything you expected and more. I agree that this site helps put it all together. I also have been using this site for my 19 day trip scheduled for Sept. So much info here to help everyone that wants help. I was scared trying to figure out Paris and getting to Bayeux. With this site and other info, I am now comfortable with what I have to do. Rick's books offer so much info. I have his book from 1989 that I used for Germany and Austria. Went to a place in Munich called Yodelvert. It is a small local bar in an alley upstairs that is impossible to find if not for Rick's book. I took 5 others there and we had the best time there and we still talk about that night. Thanks for your post on your trip and the positives regarding this great site.

So glad you enjoyed your trip Gary. I always think it's great when folks post their thoughts after a trip.

I love Austria :-)

Gary,

Thanks for posting your report. It's always great to get details on Hotels, etc. as the information is really useful for planning future trips.

If you're like most of us here, you've probably already got another trip on "the drawing board".

Cheers!

"see the banister the von Trapp kids slid down"

Maybe for real, but not in the movie.

Villa Trapp was not used in the SOM movie. The Von Trapp home (outside views) in the movie was Schloss Frohnburg, which had nothing to do with the Von Trapps. The inside scenes were in a sound stage in Hollywood.

This is the first time I've seen someone be criticized for saying he saw the real sight and not the movie set. Usually it's -- that wasn't the real bannister; that was just the one they used in the movie.

Anyway, I assumed Gary was referring to the real bannister.

Great report, Gary!

Hi Lee

As Carroll suggested, I was referring to the real banister from the real von Trapp home and not a movie set. The sliding down the banister part was a quote from the younger Maria (she's now 95) that she made last July when she visited the home for a celebration of what the home has become. She made the mention as she viewed the banister for the first time sine she left the home.

Over the past year I've done a tremendous amount of research both regarding the movie and the von Trapp's real life and saga I know the interior shots were done in Holywood.

I also visited the 2 buildings used for the outside - the exterior was the Schloss Frohnburg which is now the Salzburger Universität Mozarteum and the Schloss Leopoldskron which gave us the portion of the home (patio, gardens, and gates to the water) next to the water where they fell out of the boat in the movie. And yes, the area had to be duplicated and created nearby as the Schloss Leopoldskron did not want the actual area to be used in the film.

Dear Gary:

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences! A+ reporting and I gleaned much information for my trip planning.

Sounds like a fantastic adventure and I hope you’re enjoying your new vehicle.

Thanks again!

Gary,
I think I would rather stay at the real Von Trapp home and see the actual bannister, like you did, then take a tour of phoney places that weren't really used in the movie.

The interesting thing, I think, is that those scenes between the captain and Marie, with the Frohnburg (which was not on the water) and the lakeside patio, behind them, was actually shot at two different times and two different places (see Mean Joe Green, Kid commercial).

Thanks Lee

I couldn't agree with you more. Staying at the real von Trapp home was a must, and as crazy as you probably think this sounds, was one of the major factors in deciding on even going on this trip. Yes picking up the car was the initial reason, but when I first caught wind of the Villa Trapp, it was one of those "must" moments, when it became mission.

I also agree that it was amazing how they did those shots between the 2 locations and at different times. Seamlessly spliced together and who would have known.

Also, I actually probably owe you a thank you as it was an early thread I posted many months ago that sent me down this path. You had some strong feelings about the phoniness of the movie, and you pointed out things I was unaware of. That got me going and the passion began. (you might actually be impressed on some of the locations I found that aren't on the "tour" map). But I also met Johannes and that just added fuel to the fire.

Anyway, need SOM info, I'm your new tour guide. And there's still alot of mis-information and conflicting stories out there (no surprise).

Jan

Thanks for your thanks! It seems for months there's been some low level discussions of how we never hear back from our efforts to help so I decided I'd try to start a trend.

I actually think the webmaster should consider adding a new category for people to report back like this so we can see how things pan out. I think it might be both helpful and fun to get reports back.

Thanks again!

Hi Gary:

That is a fabulous idea! While somebody's trip is reasonably fresh and the memories easily grasped, posting feedback and experiences of the adventure in a forum designed specifically for that purpose can certainly be advantageous to many.

While I have traveled several times abroad, it was always with my husband. I am now single and making plans to make a solo journey (gulp). Albeit, it is a long way off (next June), but it allow copious amounts of time to plan, study and anticipate…all delightfully fun things incidentally. Therefore, I will be on this site often seeking guidance, advice and input from the others.

That said, ANY shared journeys surely would be of help. Of course, I have been a follower of RS for years and years, but reading your enthusiastic and informative post is of tremendous value too.

Grazi Gary!

thanks for the report! One question, though; why didn't you like Bob's tour? We took it and enjoyed it. The one I went on stopped at the outside of the bldg used as the backdrop for the filming, went to the current location of the actual gazebo used in the filming, went to the church where the wedding was filmed, and had lots of beautiful scenery along the way. And our guide was pretty knowledgeable about the film, had actually worked for one of the bigger bus companies doing SofM tours and had changed to this smaller one.

Hi Mike

I guess my disappointment with Bob's has a few parts. For the most part, I really felt as it was just a waste of time. It says "Sound of Music" tour, so why did we need to stop for strudel and a drink? Did we really need a break? Then a stop at a gift shop? Not enough in downtown Salzburg? A good 1 1/2 hours gone! Their website suggests the old tobaggon ride, but thankfully we vetoed it.

Yes the visit to Mondsee made for one less stop I'd have to do on my own, so that was good.

The guide we had was not overly knowledgeable. Some of her information was misleading and some just wrong. She wasn't overly accommodating and when we did get to a SOM sight we felt rushed.

We did get out of the van to see the Schloss Leopoldskron which gave us the portion of the home (patio, gardens, and gates to the water) next to the water where they fell out of the boat in the movie. She drove past the the Schloss Frohnburg which is now the Salzburger Universität Mozarteum at about 70Km and wouldn't stop. (This is the building used for the house in the movie). Their website shows a picture of this, but we couldn't get one or even see it at 70Km.

Now I admit I've been somewhat possessed by the story of both the movie and the von Trapp's actual life. I've spent the past 12 months or so researching and I'm not in anyway trying to act like a know-it-all, but I think I know alot. I can assure everyone that there is still alot of conflicting information out there, but when I found some in conflict I leaned towards the best sources including interviews with Robert Wise (the director), Julie Andrews and Christopher. I also spent time at the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont gathering more. Read Maria's books, found enough web sites to make most people sick.

But I promised and fulfilled my wife's request to be pleasant and not correct the tour guide. So I guess just alot of things. I could go on, but I see my word counter rapidly disappearing.

Gary, thanks for taking the time to reply. I guess if asked I'd term the tour a SOM-themed tour of Salzburg and vicinity, which was fine for me but maybe not what real aficianado's want. I enjoyed the trip to Mondsee so much that I want to go back there someday to stay for a few days; it seems like a much more enjoyable place than Hallstatt. RS talks up Hallstatt so we stayed there for a nite, not worth more than a stop on the way to somewhere else IMHO.

Gary,

I want to stay at the Von Trapp Villa now too. Our trip is not till Sept. 2011. I would also like to stay at their B&B in Vermont. I have not heard about Maria's book? Can I find it at a local book store? Germany, Ausria and Switzerland are my favorite countries so far. What did you think about the Autobahn? Pretty cool when you are driving a BMW. Great report and I vote for the after trip report link.

I think one of the Von Trapp daughters wrote a book. She said they didn't exactly cross the Alps on foot to escape Austria. It was more like crossing the street and catching a train. She also said the real Maria was no Julie Andrews. Maybe I should read the book. My impression is that the movie is merely "based on a true story."

Maria (the mother) wrote "The story of the Trapp Family Singers" it is the book the movie is very , very loosely based on. It is an excellen, and easy read. There are also books written by other members of the Trapp family.

Hi all

Thanks for all the kind words. I'm glad you have enjoyed my reporting.

A few things from the new questions. There are many books out there and some have multiple printings. Plus as you might imagine, there are many books written by others about the von Trapp family and the movie.

Lots of authors in the family -

Maria wrote a couple of books and you may be able to find them locally but you can also find them on-line from places like Amazon. Georg von Trapp wrote his memoirs and was originally published in 1935. Agathe von Trapp (1st daughter Georg von Trapp had with his first wife - Agathe Whitehead von Trapp) also wrote a book. There's more too!

Swan is correct about the way they left. When they departed in 1938, they literally walked to the end of their property where the Bahnhoff Aigen train station was located and caught the train to Italy. The train stop is still there (not the actual station anymore), but the train stop is there and is one of the many along the line. The bus stop is also there for transit to the center of Salzburg.

As far as the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe Vermont, you can find them at:

http://www.trappfamily.com/

Lot's of info her including a recommended book list! It's also a fun place to visit and Johannes is there everyday.

The autobahn with a BMW. Truly amazing!! While I'm not a particularly fast driver by nature (how can you be in the US), it was fun to let all out over there, and I wasn't the fastest by a long shot!

Regarding Mike's thoughts on Hallstatt, I agree. we at one time were looking for a place to spend a night there ,but never found one. I'm kind of glad as we did a day trip there and pretty much saw it all. I also think Mondsee would be worth more viewing based on the brief visit. I'd also like to go back.