Driving Itinerary - Lake District and Grossglockner
 

I need some advice in planning part of our vacation. We will be finishing a river cruise in Budapest. We plan on taking the train to Salzburg for two nights, renting a car and touring around the Lake District, where should we base for a couple of nights -Hallstatt- or somewhere else? Continuing to the Grossglockner -where to start, and do you do a complete circle or just the main part to Helligenblut and backtrack? After which basing ourselves in berchestgeden for a couple of nights then returning the car to Salzburg. I really don’t want 8 hours a day in a car, but I also want to see as much as possible. Thank you in advance for any and all advice.

My guess is that most everyone who responds will offer their favorite base in the Salzkammergut, myself included. We are fond of St. Wolfgang, particularly because we can then use the ferry to visit the other villages on the lake, St. Gilgen and Strobl. Hallstatt for two nights could work, depending on what you want to see and do.

We took a long weekend from Vienna to tour the Großglockner a couple of summers ago, and based for two nights in Lienz (for its Italian flair). We drove from the South entrance, however, to the Kaiser Franz Josefs Höhe and back, and with numerous stops for photos and lunch used the better part of the day. From Lienz the following day we toured the Krimml Waterfalls on our way to Kufstein for the night. The total drive time was about three hours, not including stops for scenery, hiking the water falls, and lunch. Hopefully this will help with your planning.

Thank you....I’m trying to stay somewhere around the lakes area that would made the drive doable in one day to include the Grossglockner.i like you idea of staying in st Wolfgang but I believe that will add to much distance/time to our day. If we started in Berchestagaden to include the grossblockner drive, realistically where could we end the day in the lake area.

I based in Zell-am-See for the Grossglockner and Krimml, but I was using public transport. (Also stayed in nice hotel in Kufstein on that trip.)

Realistically, starting from either Berchtesgaden or somewhere in the Salzkammergut, you'll need close to 2 hours to reach the north entrance to the Großglockner. Driving the alpinestraße north to south, and then again south to north to end up somewhere in the Salzkammergut will easily consume the entire day. All told, many hours of your day will be spent in the car. Are you dead set on ending your day in the Salzkammergut?

Does this make more sense? We will stay in st Wolfgang....drive to Heiligenblut overnite there then continue on the Grossglockner to Berchtesgaden.

Does this mean you will skip Hallstatt? The drive from St. Wolfgang to Heiligenblut will take about 4 hours; you could enjoy time in Hallstatt before heading to Heiligenblut, though you will miss Hallstatt at its most magical, at night when the day trippers have departed, and then again in the early morning before they arrive. From Heiligenblut along the Großglockner highway and then to Berchtesgaden will probably mean the better part of the day in your vehicle.

Just a friendly PSA. Even after six years of living in Austria (Vienna), whenever we visit Tirol or any of the alpine areas west of the WienerWald, it takes so little to distract me, and then before he knows it, DH is either pulling the wagon over for me to take photos, or we're exiting because "something" looks interesting. :)

That is what I had planned, to stop in Hallstatt for a few hours. Is it better to base there, or go with my previous thought of st. Wolfgang? There are so many places I want to see.....but only so much time......and money.

St. Wolfgang as a base is closer to the other villages around the the lake; Hallstatt is somewhat "isolated" in that regard. St. Wolfgang has more stores and restaurants; Hallstatt, meanwhile, can be traversed in about 10 minutes, not counting time for photos and window-shopping. Once the day trippers leave, Hallstatt becomes very quiet, whereas St. Wolfgang remains livlier. If your Hallstatt plans include the salt mine, ice caves, the hiking trails and/or renting a rowboat, then you'll need more time as appropriate. All other considerations being equal, I would base in St. Wolfgang and visit Hallstatt on the way to Heiligenblut.

I really appreciate all your suggestions. Can you drive from Berchestagaden to heliegenbault and back the same day?

The drive one way will be close to 3 hours. Are you now thinking of driving the Großglockner as a day trip from Berchtesgaden?

That’s my problem, I don’t know what I want to do.