Did YOU like the Sound of Music tour?

The SOM tour was enjoyable and not that expensive but if you are a fan of the movie you just have to know the real story and real locations where the movie was shot. They cover a few but there are others we have found that arent on the tour. What the tour did for us is show us the absolutely beautiful area outside of and around Salzburg all in four hours. We had a car and spent 2 days going back and spending more time at those areas hiking taking pictures and just enjoying the small towns. Without the tour I could have wasted alot of valuable time finding the places we really wanted to spend time versus the ones where we would have wasted time. The places we liked were of course the fortress and walking to Nonnberg Abbey. The huge 10 AM mass on Sunday at the large Cathedral was fantastic especially if you love organ and choral music. Slow walking downtown was a delight but the absolute best was walking the downtown Rick Steeves walking tour at night when everyone is gone. Everything is lit up and if you are with the one you love both of you will be talking about your night tour for a long time. Take a good digital camera that takes good nighttime photos. Salzburg to me was a vacation from all the heavy sightseeing we did in other places. Every time we go to Europe we put in 4 to 5 days in Salzburg right in the middle of the trip so we can relax and unwind from the other "busier" places we go before and after Salzburg.

Loved it! I am a big fan of SOM, sure it was silly, but i had a good time. I even dragged my husband and 10 year old son, even thought they would deny it, they enjoyed it too.
If you are not in Salzburg that long, it is a good way to see the lake region.

It is so incredibly easy to get to the SOM wedding church (Mondsee Basilica) using public transportaion. I did it last August. There are bus "slips" in front of the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. Bus #140 leaves from slip #5 at 8:40, 10:40, 12:40, etc. Say "Mondsee" (Moant zay) and give the driver €5,60 (he can make change). It's a direct, 45 min ride to the bus stop in Mondsee. No maps or GPS needed; the driver knows the way, and you can watch the scenery while he drives. From the bus stop it's a four block walk to the Basilica (1 blk No on Kreutzbergerstrasse, turn right, two blks east on Rainerstrasse, turn left, 1 blk No on Dr.-Franz-Müller Strasse to the Marktplatz).

There are also more frequent, non-direct connections using the S-Bahn and buses. These can be more difficult.

The trouble with the SOM tours is that there is almost nothing on them, except what you can readily see in town without a tour, that is authentic. You can see Meribell Palace (on the street between the Hbf and the old town), the Fortress, the old town, the Abbey, the Residenz, the plaza where she caught the bus, on your own. Hellbrunn and Leopoldskron were not used in the movie. The gazebo, originally on a temporary set, was moved to Hellbrunn, but it was only used for distant shots. The "gazebo" used for the singing and dancing was a set in Hollywood, as were the interior shots of the Van Trap home, the Abbey courtyard, and the cemetery.

My Father-In-Law and Mother-In-Law saw The Sound Of Music in the theater on their first date. Also, they are not terribly 'sophisticated' travelers, strongly preferring tours to any self-guided activities.

With both of those info tidbits out there...

After a 17-day trip I took them on, going to some of the most impressive sites in Switzerland, Austria and Germany... they said their single-most uber-favorite thing of the trip was the SOM tour.

Not to be missed in Salzburg? Slow down. The city itself is a jewel. Catch a concert in one of the churches. Go to the outdoor market. Other advice on this has sounded great so far.

My daughter and I absolutely LOVED it. Maybe it's not a guy thing. Have fun making lifetime memories!

Loved it. Have gone multiple times now. Even took the family last time. (We're all SOM freaks. lol). I do have to say though for the larger tour company try to get on the bus with the older male tour guide (forget his name). He's been doing it for something like 30 years now, and is hilarious. The other guide (female, 40's?) is/was nice, but dull.

I second the idea about driving around in a car. SO much fun in that area. Still take the tour though. Fun way to get your bearings! :)

I didn't do the SOM my first time in Salzburg and regretted it. Went on my second trip (currently planning my third trip - and we'll do it again, this time with kids).

SOM is not history. It is a musical/movie. Ok, now that we've agreed on that - the tour is a great way to see the city. Go on your first day then revisit any places that whet your appetite.

Pubs are great, too. We love Augustiner Braustubl. Rick has a pub crawl in his Vienna, Salzburg and Tirol book.

Yes. While the whole thing was fun it was the fact that you get out into the beautiful countryside, and get to take the luge ride (at least, my tour did), that made it really worthwhile. If you have a car you can do that stuff yourself but on my first Salzburg trip I didn't, so it was great to see the surrounding area too.