Grossglockner Road detour worthwhile?
 

We are driving about 3-4 hours one day from Salzburg to Reutte. Is it worth detouring to drive a bit of the Grossglockner Road, or is the drive scenic enough in its own?

We drove the Grossglockner Road in June of 2010. It was fabulous! Worth a full day outing. There's no snow on the road, of course, but plenty of places to build snowmen or have a snowball fight. Quite cold at the Kaiser Franz Josefs Höhe Visitors' Centre, so bring warm clothing. There's a great cafeteria that's not too expensive.

We had visited the same area in 1989. Unbelievable how much the glaciers have shrunk...

Are you sure that you can put Grossglockner as a detour from Salzburg-Reutte? It looks to me that you would be ending in a completely different place. The Glossglockner drive is scenic, but you need to be already anywhere near. If you want detours on your itinerary, you could consider stopping and visiting Herrenchiemsee castle (several hours needed), Garmisch or Oberammergau or Linderhof castle, or a short stop in Innsbruck.

Hi LittleT,

For me, it wouldn't be a detour. This will easily wind up being a 7+ hour drive. Add a couple of stops and it goes over 7 hours to ? hours. If that's ok with you, then... just a bit too much for me, that's all.

For spectacular scenery/vistas, if you're spending a couple of days in Reutte, head to nearby (30 min. drive) Ehrwald, Austria and take the Zugspitze cable car trip, Gemany's highest peak, on the border with Austria.

www.zugspitze.at

www.worldisround.com/articles/351441/index.html

If you leave Salzburg early enough and the weather is clear, you'll already be passing Ehrwald on your drive and can do the Zugspitze cable car on the way. The single cable car ride to the top only takes about 15 to 20 minutes. You could spend an hour or two at the top and you're only 30 minutes from your destination of Reutte.

Just a suggestion.

Paul

Hi again,

I did have one question and an unsolicitd comment.
Why Reutte?

We visited Reutte twice. Once to see why Rick Steves recomends it (from our base in Fuessen) and the other time since we were again passing by to our second stay in Fuessen. I still don't "get it". In my opinion, if RS didn't recomend Reutte, no one would bother.

If there's a particular place in Reutte that you really want to stay at, I understand. That said, Fuessen is a very nice old town 5 to 10 min. from Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau and the Tegelberg cable car and luge ride (Sommerrodelbahn).

Paul

pja1 We are not actually going to Reutte, I just knew everyone would know where it is. We are staying in a quiet little guesthouse in between Reutte and Fussen for 2 nights. I wanted a quiet place to relax. We will be tackling the castles the day between. Our only agenda the day in question is to take in the scenery while driving there from Salzburg. Google maps claims it is only 4.5 hours by car via A12 so I thought we could see something along the way.

Hi again,

OK. For some nice scenery, etc., I'd go via the B305 - Berchtesgaden and just after, in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden, there's an extemely picturesque chuch with an alpine background, just a minute or 2 off the B305.

www.worldisround.com/articles/338872/index.html

At Schneizlreuth, take the B21/B178 to Lofer in Tirol, Sankt Johann in Tirol, Ellmau to Worgl, where you pick up the A12. This a a very scenic drive in my opinion.

FYI: a local road B171, runs parallel to the A12 if you'd rather not drive the highway.

By Jenbach, there's Tratzberg castle. You can see it from the A12.

www.schloss-tratzberg.at/startseite.html?L=1

We're partial to the old town of Hall in Tirol along the A12, a few miles before you get to Innsbruck.

www.hall-wattens.at/en/default.asp?Saison=3

At Innsbruck, you could stop and see Schloss Ambras.

http://www.schlossambras-innsbruck.a...a1afd262c4a608

You could then proceed via Mittenwald (we LOVE Mittenwald) and Garmisch OR via Telfs and the Fern Pass, which is more direct.

I still like doing the Zugspitze trip on your drive from Salzburg to Reutte in Ehrwald if the weather's clear.

Hope this helps.

Paul

Paul,

Wow, thanks for all your suggestions and links! That is exactly what I was looking for. I like both castles you mentioned. I also like getting off the highway.

Any suggestions for lunch along that drive? We will be traveling with kids, 13 and 10.

Teri

Hi,

Not sure of a particular place for lunch, but the old towns of Rattenberg or Hall in Tirol would be good. Just park and if it's nice out, find an outdoor table at a restaurant or cafe in the pedestrian zone. They are both right off the A12 OR you'll go right by/into them if driving the B171. Castle Traztberg (mentioned earlier) lies about midway between these two old towns, which are 30 or so minutes apart.

www.rattenberg.at/en/home.html

www.hall-wattens.at/en/hall-tirol.html

IF you decide to go the route via Innsbruck/Mittenwald/Garmisch, I'd suggest stopping in Mittenwald. Grab an outdoor table at "Der kleiner Kartoffelsack" in the charmng pedestrian zone.

www.derkartoffelsack.de.

Paul