Salzburg to Vienna: Ride Train or Drive Car ?

A big downside would be what to do with the car when you get to Vienna. Driving and parking near the city center would be difficult.

My plan is to go straight to car rental and return car once I get to Vienna. Question is, how about the cities in between, like Melk, Halstatt, etc. ?

Looks like I answered my own question. I found out about the Einfach-Raus-Ticket for 28 Euros, which can be used by 2-5 persons! I guess train it is! Anyone ever use this ? Is it the same price at the station and online (unlike Germany) ?

Hey, Sonny. the drive is beautiful. Hertz doesn't charge any one-way drop off fees, and is actually well priced in Austria, surprised me.

The drive is nice, Melk is easy to stop off in, and beautiful.

There is also a nice/crazy rest stop with this gorgeous gourmet buffet that you can eat a la carte, or buffet style along the way. It's not cheap, but the food is great.

If you have the extra time that day, I'd recommend car. Cheers!

It could be more convenient and faster. Will surely consider it. Thanks!

If I may just piggyback on your post. I'm planning a drive from Salzburg to Vienna with a stop in Cesky Krumlov. Is one day enough?

Also, While in Salzburg we are planning on spending a day driving to nearby sights. Is it too much to try and see Haalstadt and Berchtesgarden in the same day? Any other suggestions for the immediate area around Salzburg?

Sonny, you're in luck because I just did this (just got back last week), but in a slightly different form. Picked a car in Munich, drove northwest to hit the Czech Republic (just to say we were there). Drove just south of Cesky Krumlov. Headed south into Austria, went east at Linz to Vienna. A few days later we did your proposed drive in reverse and drove from Vienna to Salzburg.

OK, I definitely enjoyed the drive. We took what was called the "Austrian Romantic Road". Fantastic drive through the country. Stopped at Melk and spent about 2 hours at the Abbey. The route goes along the Danube. Stopped at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp which is also along the way. You can hit some small lakeside towns as you leave Salzburg (Mondsee for one).

If you're feeling it's taking too long, there are various places where the Autobahn is very close to hop on and make up time. Don't hesitate to take the auto. Stop and take pictures along the way. But, know that as you enter a town in Austria, the town sign is also your notice to take your speed to 50KM. You won't see the maximum speed sign like you do everywhere else, it's really the town sign (we found out from the police that stopped us in one small town along the way - thankfully no ticket).

To Eric, I think visiting Cesky Krumlov sounds like a great side visit (I saw the episode also and the town looks very exciting and had thought about visiting too), but I think it would be tough to add for a stop if you want to spend some time there and see other things along the way (Melk Abbey). Either get the room at the "Castle View" that Rick stayed at and spend a night, or take a pass. The mileage doesn't look like too much, but the roads aren't always that fast and whatever you're figuring for driving time, maybe double it. We left Munich at 2PM, thought we'd get to Vienna by about 6 based on the mileage, but didn't get in until 9,and that's with doing some autobahn driving from Linz to make up time.

Thanks, Gary! Since you mentioned Mauthausen Concentration Camp, did you also go to Dachau ? I will be in Munich for 2 days and I'm not sure if there is enough time to make a trip to Dachau. I'll probably pick one of the two. Rick seems to prefer Mauthausen.

Hi Sonny

Sorry for the tardy reply, I've had alot on my plate the past few days.

We didn't go to Dachau. We originally had planned to do this prior to leaving since it was so close to Munich, but the window opened to visit Mauthausen as part of the drive and we opted for that. Not sure I could advise as to which is better to see, I think the emotions can get you at either location.

Mauthausen did have a museum that offered some exposure to the other sights - pictures and some mementos. They had a few barracks you could enter (most have been removed and you could see where they were, but now weeds grow around the foundations). They also had the various areas well marked for quarantine areas, etc....

Change of plans...looks like I could get an Einfach Raus ticket that will stop in Linz and Melk, then on the Vienna...all for 28 Euros for 2persons, with no worries of car insurance! Catch is it will be on slow regional trains.

Anyone done this ? Are tickets always available, i.e. no need to reserve or buy online?

Hi Sonny

Unfortunately I don't have the answers for you on this one, but I do think it sounds like a great plan for decent money. Makes good economical sense (and cents -haha). I hope someone has your answers, and if you go through with this plan I hope you let us know how it works out!

gary

We drove from Salzburg to Vienna with stops at some of the Sound of Music sights ( So we didnt have to take the tour) ,Hallstat - spent a few hrs ( would have liked to stay there longer), drove through bad Aussee and AltAussse since there was a daffodil festival...stopped at Gmunden for dinner and reached Melk at 9:00 pm , spent the night there and drove from Melk through Kerms to Vienna the next day...The drive was beautiful, a little hectic..but that was the only 2 days of our trip we drove and loved every bit of it..the scenery was fantastic.