Hello,
We are planning a 7 day trip from Munich to Frankfurt in the end of March. The plan is to rent a car after we are done with Munich , head to Salzburg, then The Kings Castles (stay in Fussen), then drive to the Rhine Valley and spend a couple days there before returning the car in Frankfurt (we are flying out from there).
2 questions:
1) I just checked the website for the King's castles (Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau ), and there's enough snow that Mary's bridge is closed. Now I'm a bit worried about renting a car. Will the roads be clear? Do we need to get snow tires (or do they come automatically with the rental during these months)? How's driving in general in those areas that we described, during this season? Is there a chance of big snowfall?
2) Do we need an international driver license to drive in Austria?
Thanks!
Tanya
Posted by
Bavaria
2481 posts
(1) That's just a snapshot of today. Yesterday and tonight we had a storm here in southern Bavaria, which brought a load of snow, but the snow is already melting away. And Füssen is not up high in the mountains, so winter tires are unnecessary at the end of March (mid-March is usually the "state wide" tire change).
(2) Yes, and you also need a vignette if you want to drive on motorways (even for the short leg from the Bavarian border into Salzburg). Depending on the point of sale, that's either a windshield sticker or just a receipt that your car has been electronically registered. For registering, keep your plate # ready. It's available at any filling station along the Munich-Salzburg motorway.
BTW, the fastest route from Salzburg to Füssen is via the German A8 to Rosenheim, then the A93 to Kufstein, the Austrian A12 via Innsbruck and Telfs or Imst and finally the Fernpass. So I would at least factor in a few hours for Innsbruck, if you pass by anyway.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33875 posts
and the Fernpass can be slow or it can be very slow.
Regardless of the time of year.
Posted by
San Diego, CA, USA
321 posts
Add to Nigel's point- on weekends the Fernpass is usually very very very slow...
Have a great trip!!!
Posted by
Bavaria
2481 posts
Well, how many "very's" should we place before the alternative routes? Innsbruck - Garmisch - Reutte? Three at least, I'm afraid. Rosenheim - Garmisch etc.? Anyone who has ever been stuck in a decent stau at the end of the motorway near Oberau has given up counting, I guess. It's simply not an area for autobahn-burning businessmen.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you all for your replies. I understand the point about traffic and roads being slow. We plan to travel on Monday/Tuesday on that road, so hopefully it won't be as slow as on the weekend.
I was more concerned about road conditions in case it does snow... do roads usually get cleaned up off snow pretty quickly?