EmilyC:
Many thanks for your great advice. I am printing the thread and taking it with me as I have sucessfully booked 2 double rooms (one with balcony) at the Turk. Do you recommend the English language mini-bus tour of Eagles Nest and other Nazi sites? It will cost approx. $200 for the four of us and tske up more than 4 precious hours. Is it a worthwhile experience?

No, I would not take the tour for that money. You will be located only a few hundred yards from the bus stop for the Eagle's Nest. Check the times for the English tours and schedule that. You can drive or walk over to the new museum and do a self tour with the English headphones. The bunkers below the aum Turken can be done on your own time. Frau Sharfenburg can advise you on other locations you may wish to check out.Be sure to drive the Rossfeldstrasse(high Alpine road above the Obersalzburg) on a clear day -it's easily reached from the zum Turken.
What is the cost for the balcony room at the zum Turken?
Be sure to get the Kurcard when you arrive from the zum Turken - this gets you discount admission and parking at the Konigsee and I believe on the busses to the Eagle's Nest.
For your driving in Austria you need to purchase a vignette from any gas station or open border stores.Car rental companies do not give you the vignette

EmilyC:
Thanks so very much for your continued help. Our balcony room at zum Turken is 98 euros, the non-balcony room is 82 euros. I think I just read that there are neither telephones nor tvs in the rooms at the Turk. Is that your recall? The lack of phones are not an issue, but no televisions will be quite a shock to my sons' sanity! LOL.
What is a vignette? Is is similar to the tax receipt in Switzerland that one needs to drive there? Where do we get a Kurcard?
Many thanks again.

What is a vignette?

It's a toll sticker. They are mandatory to use the autobahns in Austria. You can purchase one at the rest stop as soon as you cross the border into Austria from Germany. ((b))

There are no TV's in the rooms at the zum Turken. However, there is a "TV" room in the front of the house.Unfortunately, unless your kids speak German.....they won't like the TV.The Kurcard receipt will be given to you when you check in at the zum Turken....be sure to talk to them about it if you don't get it.

Budman & EmilyC:
Thanks once again for answering my questions. We leave in 6 days...and I currently have six family members staying with me all week while roofers replace our hail-damaged roof. I am dreaming of boarding the plane to escape all the noise and mess!!!

Have a wonderful trip! In honor of me (who's jealous!)please have a germknodel for dessert some nite, and a big piece of Esterhazy torte in any coffee house in Salzburg or B'gaden.Be sure to post a report when you return!

Have a great trip. When we were in the area 3 years ago, we made a point to hunt for the best apple strudel. We did find one at a small Austrian restaurant that my wife still raves about. The crust was paper thin. ((b))