SOM tour

I went on the Bob's SOM tour last year and was really happy with the experience. They use smaller vans and have smaller groups.

Bob's tour was the one I took and the one recommended by Rick. It was a small van and we had only 7 of us and the guide. It was a good tour. A bit of a hoot, with the option to ride a luge. The luge is great! Do it! Pam

I don't know if you have a car or not, but you can do most of the sites yourself. The bulk of them are in the altstadt area and you can walk to them. A few are a little to the south and the west, and would require a car. I have all the sites on a GOOGLE map, and have visited most of them already. I plan on getting to the rest this July! The sites are easily obtained using the web (Search: SOM sites). If you wanted, I would even forward a link of my GOOGLE map to your e-mail. Simply reply.

Here's a third recommendation for Bob's Tours. We used them this past summer and it was great. Even though you can do many of the sites in Salzburg, the tour takes you around the city without you having to know where you are going or following a GPS. Also, you drive through the mountains, possibly stop for a luge ride, and stop for a snack about half-way through the tour (even though it is obvious that the restaurant has a deal with Bob's, it was still a great view). It was much better than the Big Bus tours (don't remember the name). We were able to get in and get out much quicker (and therefore not be bogged down in a line behind them to see things) and we were able to go to more places (ie the luge, the mountains, etc.). It was one of our best days in Salzburg (it rained most of the time we were there). :)

Before taking an SOM tour, I would suggest finding the DVD of SOM, the one with the commentary by Robt. Wise. I doubt you'll spend money on a tour after hearing him describe the sets used on the filming. Almost nothing they show you on the tour, except what you can easily see from town, is authentic. All of the indoors shots, as well as the singing and dancing at the "gazebo" were shot on sets in Hollywood. The gazebo you do see, was used only for the distance shots. The lake side patio scenes were shot at a temporary set made to look like the patio at Leopoldskron, which they try to pass off as the actual scene. The building in the background, when Maria and the Captain are talking "on the patio", is the Frohnburg, which is nowhere near a lake (trick photography). It is also the building used for outside scenes when she arrives at the "Von Trapp home". At least, after seeing the DVD, you'll realize that you are doing the tour for the comradery and and to sing do-re-mi with others on the bus, not to see anything real. In 2009 I visited the wedding church in Mondsee. The bus leaves from in front of the Hbf. RT cost €11,20 and takes 53 min one way.

We took a tour with one of the other operators (not Bob's) recommended in an earlier version of Rick's Austria book. I will echo what others have said, that the tour is quite doable, with some research, on your own, and probably more fun. Our paid tour involved some commentary, but was heavily padded (in terms of the overal length of time) with things like a stop at a restaurant for "authentic austrian tortes" and a stop at an alpine slide/tobaggan run. You'll likely need a car anyway, so I would recommend driving yourself to the various points of interest.

We took Panorama tours in November. They are identical to Bob's.

Be careful...Panorama also Big Bus tours, so if you choose them make sure you have a mini-bus. As for doing it yourself, that is up to you of course. What some consider easy, others consider more complicated. If you have done a lot of navigating in Germany and Austria and are really comfortable driving there and have the time to devote to figuring it out, then it probably isn't that big a deal. If, however, you aren't renting a car, don't speak any German, and aren't used to driving there any amount of navigation is probably going to be more a headache than an enjoyment. So it all depends on your personality and the time you want to spend on this. :)