Help on overnight stays between Vienna and Saltzburg
Sep 7th, 2012, 07:30 AM
#22
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Or you could take the train to Innsbruck, spend three lovely days there as well - or via Innsbruck and Austria, by train or car, to Fussen - a nice base not only for the castles but just a lovely area.
Dresden could be great for 3 nights if you do day trips like to fabulous Saxon Switzerland, just south of Dresden - can take boats on the Elbe or drive or train right along the river - seeing such hot spots as the Basteii - fortresses on tall pinnacles, Konigsberg (sp) fort, etc. - just a lovely river valley. Otherwise Dresden for three days itself I would only spend two for that.
Dresden could be great for 3 nights if you do day trips like to fabulous Saxon Switzerland, just south of Dresden - can take boats on the Elbe or drive or train right along the river - seeing such hot spots as the Basteii - fortresses on tall pinnacles, Konigsberg (sp) fort, etc. - just a lovely river valley. Otherwise Dresden for three days itself I would only spend two for that.
Sep 7th, 2012, 09:03 AM
#23
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Are you going to the Salzkammergut - the Lake District just east of Salzburg to look around - a great easy day trip from Salzburg by postal bus if you do not have a car - Munich for 7 nights - well for a base but I think it nice to stay in a place like Fussen or Garmisch - lots of neat day trips from those towns as well - especially Garmisch - I also love the Chiemsee area - Prien - a neat day trip also from Munich to Herrenchiemsee, the Bavarian Versailles - a creation of Mad King Ludwig to kind of copy Versailles on an island in this placid Alpine lake.
One of my favorite day trips from Munich - Nurnberg - a surprisingly nice city for one blitzed in WW2 but of special interest if you are intrigued by Third Reich relics - self-proclaims itself as having the finest relics of the Third Reich in Germany - Hitler's and Nazis' old parade grounds a few miles south of the city center - stadium and his box from which he famously reviewed goose-stepping Nazi troops is still there as are the vast parade grounds with large granite blocks recently uncovered, etc.
One of my favorite day trips from Munich - Nurnberg - a surprisingly nice city for one blitzed in WW2 but of special interest if you are intrigued by Third Reich relics - self-proclaims itself as having the finest relics of the Third Reich in Germany - Hitler's and Nazis' old parade grounds a few miles south of the city center - stadium and his box from which he famously reviewed goose-stepping Nazi troops is still there as are the vast parade grounds with large granite blocks recently uncovered, etc.
Sep 7th, 2012, 11:49 PM
#24
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Whew! Thanks for the info Palen - but now I'm really in a quandry. 3 days to fill - 20 different bases to satisfy the void. Hang on, let me google!
Just checked out Garmisch-Partenkirchen images - looks unbelievable. My wife and I didn't think we would ever find a place on earth as postcard-worthy as Switzerland - but we stand corrected! Wow. Some unbelieable scenery in Austria and Germany that is for sure.
Now, I have to advertise my ignorance again here. I thought Hallstatt, St. Gilgen, St. Wolfgang and Bad Ischol WAS the Salzkammergut! BTW, I also would like to get to "Bad Aussee" as posted by KayF if for no other reason than a snapshot - I am an Aussie after all.
So, enlighten me please. What is Salzkammergut and what are Hallstatt, St. Gilgen, St. Wolfgang, Bad Ischol and Bad Aussee?
I really do like the look of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Oh, and another poster, ozgirl, highly recommends Berchtesgaden as a base. Have you been there?
Just checked out Garmisch-Partenkirchen images - looks unbelievable. My wife and I didn't think we would ever find a place on earth as postcard-worthy as Switzerland - but we stand corrected! Wow. Some unbelieable scenery in Austria and Germany that is for sure.
Now, I have to advertise my ignorance again here. I thought Hallstatt, St. Gilgen, St. Wolfgang and Bad Ischol WAS the Salzkammergut! BTW, I also would like to get to "Bad Aussee" as posted by KayF if for no other reason than a snapshot - I am an Aussie after all.
So, enlighten me please. What is Salzkammergut and what are Hallstatt, St. Gilgen, St. Wolfgang, Bad Ischol and Bad Aussee?
I really do like the look of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Oh, and another poster, ozgirl, highly recommends Berchtesgaden as a base. Have you been there?
Sep 8th, 2012, 04:58 AM
#25
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Hallstatt is quite a way away from what I understand the Salzkammergut to be - the Lake District just east of Salzburg - Hallstatt is in the high Alps and a few hours drive or train/bus (via Bad ischl) from say St Gilgen or St Wolfgang - Hallstatt IMO is too far from the classic Lake District to use it as a base to explore the Lake District (a k a Sound of Music Country in that many scenes in the film were filmed on location there - and also in Heilbronn palace just south of Salzburg.
I did the Lake District once as a day trip from Salzburg - just an hour by postal bus or so but if you have time a few days there could be sweet.
Salzkammergut would entail St Gilgen and St Wolfgang and Bad Ischl on its eastern edge. Maybe Bad Aussee as well not sure about that - never been there, just passed thru it.
You can take boats on Lake Wolfgang between St Gilgen and St Wolfgang, which to me is the nicest of many nice towns there and a great place to stay if not day tripping from Salzburg - or when going between Hallstatt and say Salzburg, via Bad Ischl, you could stop off in say St Wolfgang and the lakes for some hours.
Cheers!
I did the Lake District once as a day trip from Salzburg - just an hour by postal bus or so but if you have time a few days there could be sweet.
Salzkammergut would entail St Gilgen and St Wolfgang and Bad Ischl on its eastern edge. Maybe Bad Aussee as well not sure about that - never been there, just passed thru it.
You can take boats on Lake Wolfgang between St Gilgen and St Wolfgang, which to me is the nicest of many nice towns there and a great place to stay if not day tripping from Salzburg - or when going between Hallstatt and say Salzburg, via Bad Ischl, you could stop off in say St Wolfgang and the lakes for some hours.
Cheers!
Sep 8th, 2012, 05:03 AM
#26
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Well Wikipedia says of the Salzkammergut that is does indeed include Bad Aussee and Hallstatt as well.
so I guess I misunderstood how large the area was - let me now say the Sound of Music or Lake District country that is directly east of Salzburg as the classic part to me at least of the Salzkammergut - but it does indeed include Hallstatt and Bad Aussee as well - a rather large area.
so I guess I misunderstood how large the area was - let me now say the Sound of Music or Lake District country that is directly east of Salzburg as the classic part to me at least of the Salzkammergut - but it does indeed include Hallstatt and Bad Aussee as well - a rather large area.
Sep 8th, 2012, 10:59 PM
#27
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Hi Palen,
My original intention was to stay in Hallstatt for 2 nights because I thought St Gilgen, St Wolfgang and Bad Ischl were in the same area. This was also the reason for hiring the car.
However, if I now understand you correctly, could we now:
1. Make our way to Hallstatt from Vienna via public transport for 1 nights overnight stay
2. Then, also via public transport, make our way to St Wolfgang for a 2-night stay - and while there, also be able to see St Gilgen and Bad Aussee
3. Make our way to Salzburg for 2 or 3 nights stay.
Then on to Germany. I now need to choose between Munich, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Berchtesgaden and Fussen for "base" stays.
Before you make your recommendations, during our last 56 night trip to Europe, the majority of our stays were 3-5 nights with two 7-nights stays (Amsterdam and Paris). We found we were sooooo happy being able to dump our gear in our accommodation and know that we were not moving for the next week.
With that in mind, I don't expect to have all our German bases 7 nighters, but I really don't want to spend 1 night here, 2 nights there, 2 more nights there etc etc.
By my rough calculation (if we drop one night of Dresden) at the point we leave Salzburg for our final leg in Bavaria, we should have around 9 nights left. So, supposing I had a 4-night and a 5-night stay where would you suggest?
Sorry for the mind-numbing questions but it really does help.
Regards,
Steve
My original intention was to stay in Hallstatt for 2 nights because I thought St Gilgen, St Wolfgang and Bad Ischl were in the same area. This was also the reason for hiring the car.
However, if I now understand you correctly, could we now:
1. Make our way to Hallstatt from Vienna via public transport for 1 nights overnight stay
2. Then, also via public transport, make our way to St Wolfgang for a 2-night stay - and while there, also be able to see St Gilgen and Bad Aussee
3. Make our way to Salzburg for 2 or 3 nights stay.
Then on to Germany. I now need to choose between Munich, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Berchtesgaden and Fussen for "base" stays.
Before you make your recommendations, during our last 56 night trip to Europe, the majority of our stays were 3-5 nights with two 7-nights stays (Amsterdam and Paris). We found we were sooooo happy being able to dump our gear in our accommodation and know that we were not moving for the next week.
With that in mind, I don't expect to have all our German bases 7 nighters, but I really don't want to spend 1 night here, 2 nights there, 2 more nights there etc etc.
By my rough calculation (if we drop one night of Dresden) at the point we leave Salzburg for our final leg in Bavaria, we should have around 9 nights left. So, supposing I had a 4-night and a 5-night stay where would you suggest?
Sorry for the mind-numbing questions but it really does help.
Regards,
Steve
Sep 8th, 2012, 11:52 PM
#28
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Your original intention has actually been a pretty smart one.
Even by European standards, the Salzkammergut is a fairly compact area and does encompass (more now by colloqiual understanding than by historic borders) all the places from the the lakes close to A1 motorway to Halstatt.
It would be an area which is "doable" by public transport, but that is hardly the first choice for the majority of people visiting it. It's not as if there was a bus waiting every 30 minutes on each route you plan to take.
Aside from the towns and villages, many people would explore it by car and just drive around and stop at panoramic viewpoints to take pictures or walk/hike a bit.
If you don't wish to drive all the way from Vienna, which is indeed not excessively scenic as the A1 motorway stays north of the mountains, you can take the train to Linz, and rent a car from there for those two days until you drop it off in Salzburg eventually.
Even by European standards, the Salzkammergut is a fairly compact area and does encompass (more now by colloqiual understanding than by historic borders) all the places from the the lakes close to A1 motorway to Halstatt.
It would be an area which is "doable" by public transport, but that is hardly the first choice for the majority of people visiting it. It's not as if there was a bus waiting every 30 minutes on each route you plan to take.
Aside from the towns and villages, many people would explore it by car and just drive around and stop at panoramic viewpoints to take pictures or walk/hike a bit.
If you don't wish to drive all the way from Vienna, which is indeed not excessively scenic as the A1 motorway stays north of the mountains, you can take the train to Linz, and rent a car from there for those two days until you drop it off in Salzburg eventually.
Sep 9th, 2012, 01:25 AM
#29
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Hi Cowboy, thanks for the update. I will look into renting from Linz - sounds a better option than from Vienna, I think.
Hi Bardo,
Sorry for the late reply, I had a lot of incoming at the same time and then forgot to reply.
As I mentioned in a couple of posts after your post I really do like the look of Garmisch. We are giving it top consideration at this point. Thanks again for your input.
Steve
Hi Bardo,
Sorry for the late reply, I had a lot of incoming at the same time and then forgot to reply.
As I mentioned in a couple of posts after your post I really do like the look of Garmisch. We are giving it top consideration at this point. Thanks again for your input.
Steve
Sep 11th, 2012, 08:03 AM
#30
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Kay - oh - I definitely understand. Sometimes places don't seem as wonderful because of off-putting things like the weather, or a nasty hotel person, or you are tired, or your partner or in-laws are getting on your nerves... Places I don't particularly like that almost everyone else likes - London, Edinburgh, Salzburg, Florence, Avignon.
Steve - Garmisch is a good choice. The Zugspitze is right there. If you wake up and the sky is clear, go up the Zugspitze immediately. And Garmisch is convenient to other places like Mittenwald (oh - Kay - I am probably the only person alive who does not like Mittenwald), Ettal, Neuschwanstein, Wies, Linderhof. If you stay a few days in Garmisch, or Fuessen, then you won't need to venture into the Bavarian Alps as a rushed day trip from Munich.
But you really should return the car in Austria to save the hefty drop-off fee otherwise. Maybe drop it off in Innsbruck.
Lots of people dislike Innsbruck but I thought it was great. Loved my hotel there and loved going up the mountain whose name I remember as Hafelekar but could be wrong.
Renting the car in Linz rather than in Vienna is a great idea if you are going to skip the Wachau. Otherwise, you're going to need to pick up the car in Vienna.
Steve - Garmisch is a good choice. The Zugspitze is right there. If you wake up and the sky is clear, go up the Zugspitze immediately. And Garmisch is convenient to other places like Mittenwald (oh - Kay - I am probably the only person alive who does not like Mittenwald), Ettal, Neuschwanstein, Wies, Linderhof. If you stay a few days in Garmisch, or Fuessen, then you won't need to venture into the Bavarian Alps as a rushed day trip from Munich.
But you really should return the car in Austria to save the hefty drop-off fee otherwise. Maybe drop it off in Innsbruck.
Lots of people dislike Innsbruck but I thought it was great. Loved my hotel there and loved going up the mountain whose name I remember as Hafelekar but could be wrong.
Renting the car in Linz rather than in Vienna is a great idea if you are going to skip the Wachau. Otherwise, you're going to need to pick up the car in Vienna.
Sep 11th, 2012, 11:03 AM
#32
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I have not been to Bad Aussee but have been a few times to all over sites mentioned in Salzkammergut - hallstatt, St Gilgen, St Wolfsgang and between hallstatt and Bad sichl by train to change to bus to St Gilgin or St Wolfgang and can say that public transportation is very easy and frequent - buses to/from Salzburg hourly if I recall and boats on Lake Wolfgang are a neat way to go between towns like St Gilgin and St Wolfgang - renting a car for a few days can be really costly and a return in Germany may entail extra fee, etc.
I would not call public transporation here spotty at all but a great way to see this compact area (the classic Salkgammerkut)
I would not call public transporation here spotty at all but a great way to see this compact area (the classic Salkgammerkut)
Sep 11th, 2012, 11:26 AM
#33
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I wouldn't say that public transportation is spotty in the Salzkammergut either, but you do not want to be schlepping your luggage from place to place as you explore the region. For example, if you want to stop for lunch in St. Gilgen on your way from Hallstatt to Salzburg, do you really want to bring your bags from the bus stop to the restaurant, and back, and wait for a bus?
For some reason I am now picturing Fraulein Maria riding the bus with a knapsack and a guitar.
For some reason I am now picturing Fraulein Maria riding the bus with a knapsack and a guitar.
Sep 11th, 2012, 05:53 PM
#34
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Robertino, Palen and Cowboy - your comments are both helpful and entertaining.
Firstly, let me assure you that we will not be missing the Wachau. However, we are staying in Vienna for 5 nights so our plan is to make a day trip of visiting the Melk Abbey and then travel by river to Durnstein.
Secondly, we would prefer not to hire a car if possible, and if that's the way we go, we will travel directly from Hallstatt to Salzburg and then see the Salzkammergut as day trips from there - sans luggage.
I know you have already helped me greatly but I now have one more query before having this itinerary sorted.
After Salzburg, our plan now is to stay in Berchtesgaden, Garmisch and Munich. To enable us to visit each place in a leisurely manner and not miss any "must sees", we need 2 more nights.
Currently our itinerary has us staying for 2 nights in both Hamburg and Dresden. I refuse to stay anywhere for 1 night, so I'm thinking of discarding one of those two places. I have heard that Dresden has a lot of charm and is well worth seeing. I have also heard that Hamburg is a big city, a party city and the main attraction there is a sail around the harbour. If this is the case then Hamburg might be the logical omission.
Could you guys please shed some light on this? Also, we do bypass Hamburg that would mean travelling from Denmark to Berlin. Is that doable by train easily?
Thanks and regards, Steve.
Firstly, let me assure you that we will not be missing the Wachau. However, we are staying in Vienna for 5 nights so our plan is to make a day trip of visiting the Melk Abbey and then travel by river to Durnstein.
Secondly, we would prefer not to hire a car if possible, and if that's the way we go, we will travel directly from Hallstatt to Salzburg and then see the Salzkammergut as day trips from there - sans luggage.
I know you have already helped me greatly but I now have one more query before having this itinerary sorted.
After Salzburg, our plan now is to stay in Berchtesgaden, Garmisch and Munich. To enable us to visit each place in a leisurely manner and not miss any "must sees", we need 2 more nights.
Currently our itinerary has us staying for 2 nights in both Hamburg and Dresden. I refuse to stay anywhere for 1 night, so I'm thinking of discarding one of those two places. I have heard that Dresden has a lot of charm and is well worth seeing. I have also heard that Hamburg is a big city, a party city and the main attraction there is a sail around the harbour. If this is the case then Hamburg might be the logical omission.
Could you guys please shed some light on this? Also, we do bypass Hamburg that would mean travelling from Denmark to Berlin. Is that doable by train easily?
Thanks and regards, Steve.
Sep 11th, 2012, 06:00 PM
#35
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Oh, Robertino and Kay - I forgot to mention. Further to your comments about Hallstatt, Florence, Salzburg etc, we could start up a whole new thread with the theme "Great places marred by circumstance" or whatever.
Eg: One of my planned "highlights" on our last trip was to surprised my wife with a 3 night stay in Bellagio on Lake Como. It rained incessently the whole time we were there; the whole lake was shrouded in mist to the point we could not see farther than 5 metres in front of us and my wife was insulted by an ignorant restaurant proprietor. So there you go. Another example of a potential paradise forever marred by circumstances. LOL
Eg: One of my planned "highlights" on our last trip was to surprised my wife with a 3 night stay in Bellagio on Lake Como. It rained incessently the whole time we were there; the whole lake was shrouded in mist to the point we could not see farther than 5 metres in front of us and my wife was insulted by an ignorant restaurant proprietor. So there you go. Another example of a potential paradise forever marred by circumstances. LOL
Sep 12th, 2012, 02:58 AM
#36
All this talk of places you should have loved but didn't....we had 5 days in Vancouver and I just couldn't see what everyone raves about. It rained the entire time and I was glad to get in the hire car and move on. I wonder if we ever went back if the sun would shine and I'd think differently?
Kay
Kay
Sep 12th, 2012, 02:44 PM
#37
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Steve,
For train travel between Denmark and Berlin check bahn.com or dsb.dk
As train/ferry/train takes some time, most "locals" would probably also check whichbudget.com for flights.
Hard to say whether you will like Hamburg or not. i suggest you browse the TI website of the city
http://www.hamburg-tourism.de/en/
You really can't compare Dresden and Hamburg, apples and oranges.
For train travel between Denmark and Berlin check bahn.com or dsb.dk
As train/ferry/train takes some time, most "locals" would probably also check whichbudget.com for flights.
Hard to say whether you will like Hamburg or not. i suggest you browse the TI website of the city
http://www.hamburg-tourism.de/en/
You really can't compare Dresden and Hamburg, apples and oranges.
Sep 13th, 2012, 08:41 AM
#39
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Hamburg to me is one of the relatively few cities in Germany to have a totally unique feel and look - too many city centres IMO are cookie cutter copies of towns that were rebuilt after WW2 - even though Hamburg was obviously also blitzed its lay out over many many rivers and canals and lakes makes it so so sweet - said to have more bridges than any other city I think - called the Venice of the North
The Bohemian red-light district St Pauli is also unique - a classic living sailors' quarter.
I would not linger a long time in Hamburg but it could be a sweet base from which to hop to such gems as Celle, Goslar or Wernergirode (sp?) and the Hartz Mountains.
The Bohemian red-light district St Pauli is also unique - a classic living sailors' quarter.
I would not linger a long time in Hamburg but it could be a sweet base from which to hop to such gems as Celle, Goslar or Wernergirode (sp?) and the Hartz Mountains.
Sep 13th, 2012, 02:34 PM
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Hamburg is also a very reasonable trip by train now from Copenhagen - and taking the train ferry to me is always a thrill - in first class the train cars, at last time I did it, actually rolled on and off the ferry at each end - 2nd class passengers get off and reboard a waiting train car at the other end.
But in probably 3-4 hours or so you are in Hamburg.
But in probably 3-4 hours or so you are in Hamburg.
