Day Trip: Salzburg from Munich

The train to Salzburg from Munich is easy. Its just step on and off. I would suggest to them that they use the train to get to Salzburg and then concentrate on getting a tour from the Salzburg train station. Another idea would be to take a Sound of Music Tour. We did Panoramic's tour (it goes into the mountains some and to the beautiful wedding church) and that was mostly on a bus. We really enjoyed it. They could taxi from the train station to the start of whatever tour they take.

Good and bad:

• there is a pretty decent amount of construction around and in the Hauptbahnhof, so if your parents take a train, make sure they leave enough time to make their way around the station, and don't be afraid to ask for help.
  

The last time I was there, my train ended up being diverted to the Ostbahnhof and I had to
take another train to get there and then find my real train at that station. It might be worth
planning the train part of the trip to start at the Ostbahnhof and cabbing it from whatever
accommodation they're staying at.

• if you buy ahead of time and the right train, 1st class tickets are not much more than 2nd class tickets. So the rail part of the trip would be fairly relaxed and give your parents a chance to rest out and back. I'd say it would be more comfortable than a car from Munich and a lot less $$.

You might search the forum for references to individual guides who could provide a better
experience. Rick's book mentions Salzburg Guides as a website for finding a guide.

What's the plan for getting them around Munich in the first place? Unless they'll be shuttled privately everywhere in Munich, I'd suggest the three of you rethink this. Munich is Germany's 3rd largest city, the kind of place that otherwise requires public transit and probably lots of walking, depending on what they choose to do there. Munich's municipal transportation system is great, but it's also a very complex one that isn't going to be transparent to less-experienced travelers and will probably challenge the average 70+ year-old. I traveled Germany with my in-laws when they were that age, and they had no mobility issues - but their endurance for day-after-day sightseeing was not so great. What worked for them? A slow pace with flexible options + a break back at the hotel whenever they felt the need to re-coup.

Just getting to Salzburg and back takes nearly 4 hours from a Munich base; this fact creates a rush to fit things in when you sign up for a tour. If they do end up staying in Munich... and if they do have to see Salzburg, then I think they'd be wise to spend at least one night there. Two would likely be better. And if you have to choose between Salzburg and Munich, I'd go with Salzburg under the circumstances.

They are seasoned, experienced travelers and know the importance of rest and a slower pace - hence the desire for a less intense tour. But thank you for the unsolicited advice.

I'm not sure if you are asking about a car from Munich or a car just in Salzburg. IMO most of sites in Salzburg are along both sides of the river and are mostly flat. To save walking, a quick taxi from the alt stadt to Mirabell would be a simple solution. Using Rick's walking tour as a guide, the first 8 stops have little elevation change and relatively flat stone sidewalks and streets.
The later stops require going uphill from the cathedral. Getting to the funicular station for Hohnsalzburg Castle is definitely a steep climb. It isn't far from the Cathedral, but it is all uphill. If I recall correctly their are some stairs and uphill treks to see all there is to see inside the castle itself.

Maybe someone who has been can comment on the horse drawn carriages available for hire near the residence. I don't know where they go and if they could be part of the solution.

This comment doesn't include a perceptive on SOM sites as I have never visited them.

If "unsolicited" also means "unwanted", my apologies. It's not simple to build a picture of these two travelers who are getting your help with planning, apparently very experienced travelers who may find a round-trip train ride to Salzburg difficult but will not struggle even more with the Day 1 train trip (with luggage) that they will likely need to make from MUC Airport (or somewhere else.) I have zero experience with Salzburg tours - but if they in fact CAN make this train trip, perhaps they will get the kind of tour that meets their needs from "Bob's Special Tours", which is prominent at the official Salzburg TI information page; scroll down, click on "book a sightseeing tour", then "Bob's Special Tours". Their homepage promises "Boutique and tailored Tours."

https://www.salzburg.info/en#sightseeing

No, your feedback was unsolicited. I was simply seeking recommendations of tours others may have enjoyed. If you have zero experience with Salzburg tours, don't answer a question about Salzburg tours. No one said they can't manage a train ride; they simply want a less strenuous tour after weeks of traveling. You felt the need to make assumptions about others mental and physical capabilities.

No, your feedback was unsolicited.

Some of it, for sure, which I knew. Some was also unwanted, it seems.

Most day trip tours I see rely on public transit (train) and hours of walking.

You presented the train ride as a problem, sande244, which is a prompt for a reader's thought and feedback... same for your comments on the travelers' age and conditions.

If you have zero experience with Salzburg tours, don't answer a question about Salzburg tours.

You said they were "interested" in tours from Munich - which implies they are "considering" that option.. I did not read that only responses only for specific tour companies were welcome, or that any alternatives to such tours would be unwelcome. You in fact asked broadly for "Any recommendations?" And you made it clear that your parents' age, abilities, and conditions were to be considered. Which is why I responded with the "Bob's Tours" suggestion. Not sure if you had seen that already or not since you didn't mention Bob's tours or any other specific tours you had checked out. But you see, others might just have helpful suggestions even if they have no such personal tour experience. This forum is full of posts similar to mine because people here are just trying to be helpful, as a rule, and it's very easy to just read right past any suggestions that you, as the OP, find unhelpful.

You're right, it is easy to read past suggestions that aren't helpful. But I won't read past judgemental, ableist commentary based off incorrect assumptions that distract from actual helpful responses.

You need more than a day trip day to see Salzburg.

Research what you want to do there before you plan.
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractions-g190441-Activities-Salzburg_Austrian_Alps.html

"if you buy ahead of time and the right train, 1st class tickets are not much more than 2nd class tickets" - this is true if you intend to travel before 09:00 Mondays-Fridays. But after 09:00 (and all day weekends and holidays) the game changes. Once the commuters have gone to work you can use a "Guten Tag Ticket" which covers amongst other things the journey to Salzburg on the RE5 regional trains and the Munich S-Bahn local trains for the rest of the day. Price starts at €31 for one person but you can add up to 4 other people to that ticket for €10 each, so for two people it's €41 round trip and local connections in Munich. And it doesn't need pre booking, it's bought from the multi lingual ticket machines at stations. For an extra €3 on the first person fare and then the same deal you get the buses, trams and U-bahn in Munich (plus a huge amount more than you won't have time for!).

The problem with the tour part is that many of the organised tours want to take you miles outside the city because the traffic and narrow streets make it difficult to offer much in the old town.

I took a month long trip to Europe with my then 20 year old daughters. We stayed Barcelona, Vienna, Salzburg, BO and Paris. When we were in Salzburg there was a blizzard and our BnB host suggested a day trip to Munich. We did it, and had a wonderful time in Munich with the time we had. Do people need more than a day to really see Munich, yes. But, the train journey was inexpensive and we made fabulous memories in Munich for, yes, just a day. Likewise, to really see Salzburg, people need more than a day. But, a wonderful experience can be had in a day. If they can squeeze an overnight into Salzburg, wonderful. If not, they still will have a good day.

The tricky thing about Salzburg is the area folks want to see is largely pedestrian only. I did some quick googling and found this:

https://www.salzburg.info/en/salzburg/barrier-free

Maybe some more web searches could lead to tours for mobility impaired. I still suggest the Panoramic tour. People that don't even like the movie (Sound of Music) do like the tour. Other ideas would be to contact tourist information, or contact the recommended guides for Salzburg in the Rick Steves guidebook and see if anyone offers a tour for those that are mobility impaired or if they could recommend one.

Note to Posters: The advice one receives on the travel forum may be worth exactly what you pay for it, but those of us who visit and post regularly hope it will be much more valuable. Folks here are trying to help, but sometimes miss. Some folks asking questions here may only be seeking specific information no matter how they ask the questions. Some folks asking questions may be seeking more general advice. It is hard for anyone to help much if they do not have sufficient information about the trip, i.e. previous experience, time of year, interests, capabilities, travel style preferences. So, maybe just accept that travel advice is a lot like baseball where a .300 batting average makes you a superstar but it also means you miss seven out of ten times.

You could use Daytrip.com. Or maybe just for the return for a bit more comfort and for pickup at a particular ending spot you pick so you dont have to screw with getting back to the train station.

Train in, taxi to an area for walking and lunch. Taxi to a second walking zone. Maybe a third. Car pickup and trip home to Munich.