My fiance and I are in Vienna for almost 6 full days at the end of the month.

I know there is already a lot to see in Vienna, but Hallstatt has been one of those towns I have always wanted to visit. So we are planning to rent a car and since we'll already be driving westward, we are considering a 3-day car rental so we can spend a day in Hallstatt, and then make our way to Salzburg where we will be staying 2 nights.

Is this a reasonable itinerary? Should we just stick with Vienna, do a day or 1-night trip to Hallstatt, and forget about Salzburg?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Hi eee,

After some thought, I think it is a good plan.

You can plan your route at https://www.google.com/maps/
by entering Vienna --> Hallstatt --> Salzburg.

I suggest taking the E59/S6 SB from Vienna toward Wiener Neustadt.

At "St Michael in der Oberstelermark" transfer to the A9 --> Liezen to visit the Grundlsee and Bad Ausee before reaching Hallstaat. (About 6 hr drive).

Follow the Google/map directions to Salzburg.

You don't need a car in Hallstatt or Salzburg.

Check www.bahn.de for train schedules.

The most interesting way to get to Hallstat is by taking the train from Vienna to Obertraun-Dachsteinhöhlen and then taking the ferry across the lake.

You can proceed onto Salzburg directly from Hallstatt or by returning across the lake.

My trip report is dated, but you might find it useful.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...sits-europe---
may-2007.cfm

From whence will you be coming to Vienna and where will you be going after Salzburg?

I believe that 6 days in Vienna is a good amount of time there... some here wouldn't spend even that long.

If you drive, you can check out Melk Abbey which is about an hour west of Vienna on your way to the other towns.

You'll need the international driving permit if you drive in Austria, and make certain your rental has a valid vignette; (I'd think it would have it) but if it has lapsed, they are inexpensive to buy for a 10 day window of time.

While it is true that you won't need a car in Salzburg or Hallstatt, we really enjoyed driving around the other lakes in the area. I think you'll see some gorgeous scenery that might be missed if you take the train/bus.

Enjoy your time there!

ira and Trophywife gave you two good options to chose from.
While ira's the more Southern route gives you more mountain vistas, Trophywife's slightly more Northern route lets you visit the Wachau region.
I'd say the Southern route is somewhat more scenic, though on a sunny fall day I'd be leaning more towards spending some hours in the Wachau en route (and go via Krems, Dürnstein to Melk).
Since you don't need any reservations for an overnight stop en route I'd make the decision not until I got to Vienna.
The weather can be very different North of the Alps in comparison to driving more on the Southern edge and then thru the mountains.

Very good analysis, C

Rather serendipitously, we just returned from an overnight on Grundlsee via Langbathseen. The forecast for Vienna this weekend was, "Hot and Miserable," so we made last minute lodging plans on Friday and ad lib-ed the rest, and our return was the inverse of what Ira suggested. My only change-up might be to divert to Stift Admont if it fits in your itinerary; we have visited previously so it was not a priority for this overnight.

As for Grundlsee, the hike to Toplitzsee and lunch was fun, but I wouldn't feel remiss if we had found other plans. The walkabout Langbathseen was more preferred, at least for us.

A drive through the Wachau is never not enjoyable, though in late July the Marillen (apricot) harvest is over, and you may encounter Heuriger and Buschenshank that are, "Auf Urlaub."

Hallstatt is never a bad idea, so long as the weather is nice and you can stay overnight. As a day tripper you might perhaps find the tourist crush diminishes your experience. If you can, splurge on a lake-facing hotel (wth balcony, if possible.)

In general, with 6 days in Vienna in late July, I would get out of the city. In fact, we do! We are spending the first week of August in St. Gilgen, on Wolfgangsee. The temperatures are mild, the activities abundant, and each of the three cities on the lake are wonderfully devoid of day trippers at night.

I hope this is helpful.