Travel from Hallstatt, Austria to Fussen, Germany

Thank you very much. I think will we rent a car when leaving Salzburg rather than purchase a rail pass.

I am not sure how much of this information you already know: If you do not have a lot of time, a car would probably be your best option, and rentals are not that expensive when considered against the total cost of a vacation. Unless you rent before going to Hallstatt, you do have to get back to Salzburg, but, once there, you can avoid the cross-border auto rental expenses by either renting in Salzburg and returning the car in Innsbruck or renting next door in Freilassing, Germany, instead of Salzburg, and returning the car in Southern Bavaria or Munich after you leave Füssen. The location for return will depend on which company you rent from. Your choice, also, depends as much on where you go afterward. Before deciding on a rental company, check the Rick Steves, Fodors and TripAdvisor boards carefully. There are lots of reputable companies out there, but some companies - Bookbinder in Austria and Dollar and Thrifty in Germany - have drawn loads of complaints. They may or may not be good companies, but I prefer to stick with brands I trust.

This is great information as we are going to Castelrotto after Fussen. Dropping the car off in Innsbruck is excellent advice.

Question - what is the real difference between "basic" and "inclusive" - in addition to cost?

Are you referring to quoted rates for car rental? Then I believe the difference is how much insurance is included--in particular, the CDW.