Advice on our travel schedule for Austria and Spain
 

Woohoo! I love when I get to post on here because it means I have a trip coming up :-) I'm hoping some of you knowledgeable in European travel can offer some insight for our situation...

Basically at this point our hotel is booked July 3-10 in Malaga, Spain for a family vacation.
My husband was just asked to go to Austria on business, and he needs to be in Linz on July 29 and then Salburg on July 30. So, we are going to combine the trips, going to Austria first, then head to Spain. Here's my question, as I was just looking at multi-city flights, etc and am a little perplexed:

We would fly from the US to Linz. We'd probably drive/take the train (??) from Linz to Salzburg and stay in Salzburg until we need to be in Malaga on July 3. Looking at flights from Salzburg to Malaga, it seems like a very long flight and I'm wondering if a train would be more practical? In checking the schedules I'm not finding info there though.

What are our best travel options for going from Linz, to Salzburg, then to Malaga? Thanks for any advice!

p.s. of note we will have our 4-year old with us so any advice on good things to do in Austria is welcome, haven't started that research yet.

The flights from Salzburg to Malaga would be shorter if there were a non-stop. But it's 2,500 kms and will take some time.
You can check whichbudget.com for non-stop flights from Munich (easily accessible by train from Salzburg), or bite the bullet and get a probably costly one-way with one connection.
Taking the train from Salzburg to Malaga is not an option.

From Linz to Salzburg is a short and easy train ride.
check www.oebb.at for schedules.

Flying is really the only sensible choice between Salzburg and Malaga - train takes from 25 to 30 hours with multiple changes - there is no direct route. If you can't find decent flight - then look at nearby airports for better flights.

I assume you mean your husband's business trip is in June, rather than July.

Not sure if you have been in Spain in the summer - but the south is incredibly hot - daily high over 100 degrees are common and it's not something I would do with a child. We have been to the south twice- in April - and the highs were well into the 80s then - with beaches and pools in full use.

Not sure if flying into Linz makes the most sense - since I don;t know where you are coming from and where you would have to change planes. It might make more sense to take the train from wherever than it - not sure. for train schedules you best info is at bahn.de (fare are good only for Germany but it has schedules for all of europe)

I am not sure about flights from Salzburg, but you might look at flights from Munich to Malaga (2.5 hours by train from Salzburg to the Munich airport).

A train trip from Salzburg all the way to Malaga could take a while!

Thanks everyone, very helpful.

Yes, my apologies for the typo - we'll be in Austria late JUNE before going to Spain in July. I just did a quick search based on your recommendations and it's looking like one-way flights seem to be our best option, along with the Munich suggestion, too. Thanks a bunch.

Re: Spain weather, yes I did a lot of research but it appeared that Malaga should still be pleasant during that time. Guess we'll find out, too late now as our plans can't be changed there!

Actually, since it seems to be a royal pain to get to Linz from the U.S. (3 flight stops, ugh) it appears that a one-way flight to Vienna and then a short train ride to Linz from there, may be the way to go? (Keep in mind I have a 4-year old so the most practical means of travel is best).

That puts us at only 1 plane change to get to Vienna and then a 2 hour-ish train ride upon landing, which seems much more pleasant.

Any flaws on my thought process re: this?

The flight into Vienna and then a train to Linz makes more sense.

Trains to Linz leave from the Vienna Train Station Westbahnhof.

The train will take about 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours depending which one you take- frequent service too.
www.oebb.at

for schedule - tickets available at the ticket counter in the station.

Trains , especially the Railjet are very comfortable

Fronm the airport to the train station - every 30 minutes a transfer bus cost 7 euro - ticket from the counter or payable to the driver . They depart on the hour and half hour.
The bus is found immediately outside of the Arrivals Hall in a special bus area.
Just check to be certain you are on the correct bus as several different buses use this facility. - signage will guide you so no real problem. A very short distance from the baggage claim area to the bus - 100 meters perhaps.
Adequate storage space for luggage in the compartment under seating area. Most times a porter at the bus to assist you.
The transfer will take 30- 45 minutes depending on traffic.

Train are much easier for little kids than planes. there is no long waiting around in airports, there's lots to see out of the window and they can walk up and down the aisle without interfering with meal services.

If possible I would try to find a flight to Vienna without a stop - but not sure if possible based on where you're from. If there is another option - where you can fly directly into another city and then a longer train ride to Linz I would do that rather than 2 flights plus a train.

(From Munich to Linz appears to be only about 3 hours - I would look into flying there and then training to Linz - it looks like the trip would be shorter overall assuming you can get a nonstop to Munich.)

Are you sure you will need 3 stops to get to Linz by plane?
If you need just one to get to Vienna, you should need just one more transfer there to get to Linz.