Current plan is to train from Munich to Budapest, then train to Vienna where we would rent a car for drive to Melk and Mauthausen on the way to Salzburg. Last trip is train from Salzburg back to Munich for trip home. Would it work to skip renting a car in Vienna and just take the train to Salzburg with stops at Melk and Mauthausen on the way? Is a rail pass a better option than point to point train tickets? Grateful for any suggestions. Thank you.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15784 posts
Long train ride to Budapest. If you can't fly open-jaw Munich/Budapest, then fly from Munich to Budapest and work your way back by train. I don't know about Mauthausen, but Melk is an easy day trip from Vienna. On the other hand, a road trip through Austria sounds really nice. Check the rental rates, you may find that it's about the same price to drop the car in Salzburg or in Munich. (some time ago I was looking at rental rates and it seemed that there were no big drop-off charges between Austria and Germany)
Rail passes are rarely a bargain.
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Hi,
How often would you use the rail pass if you were to get one? I use a rail pass but don't do so anymore in Austria since I need all the days of travel for Germany. . The advantage is you need not be concerned with having the right ticket and would have max flexibility if you get a Select Pass with Germany, Hungary, and Austria. No mandatory reservations for trains in Austria and Germany.
If you take the night train Munich-Budapest to squeeze out another day, reservations are mandatory. I would drop the rental car option. With the pass going from Vienna to Salzburg, you can stop at Melk and then proceed to Linz for Mauthausen. Basically, you're going the west-east-west lateral, very doable.
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7161 posts
If you haven't already bought your flights it would make more sense to fly into Munich and home from Budapest. Use trains for the rest - no rail pass needed, just point to point tickets, some are cheaper bought in advance if you know your travel dates. Munich to Salzburg, Salzburg to Linz (for Mauthausen), Linz to Melk, Melk to Vienna, Vienna to Budapest. The longest of those train rides is Vienna-Budapest at 2-1/2 hrs, the others are all <2 hrs. If you don't want that much moving around you could visit Salzburg as a day trip from Munich and Melk as a day trip from Vienna, visit Mathausen as a stopover in Linz between Munich and Vienna.
Posted by
OP
Webster Groves, Missouri, USA
76 posts
Due to exceptionally low air fare, flights are already booked. Thank you all for your help. Your advice has made it much easier to make final decisions for this trip.
Dave
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
By train, the frustrating connection is between Melk and Mauthausen, requiring 2 or 3 changes. And while Melk train station has luggage lockers, Mauthausen station does not. See p. 227 of Rick's Vienna+ book, if you have it. You have to take a taxi from the train station to the camp and then roll your bags uphill to a storage option at the museum (not the visitors' center).