Hello! I hope that this post doesn't appear twice, but the one that I posted earlier tonight seems to not have made it. I would love to hear from those of you who have traveled in Austria, particularly Innsbruck, <BR>Salzburg and Vienna. I am in the process of doing the planning for our first European trip. I have 5 or 6 days left with which I can play around with; we will be coming from <BR>Northern Italy by train. Everything that I have read on this forum says go to Switzerland to see the Alps, but my 17 year old daughter would love to go to Austria, so I am doing some comparing. Please give me your thoughts and suggestions. I have filled a briefcase with ideas from this forum. I enjoy it very much. Thanks so much.

Kathy <BR>Your post was in 11/98. This may be redundant, so I will keep it short. <BR>Innsbruck is a wonderful 'bruck' (bridge) town over the river 'Inn.' Salzburg is worthty, be warned, tho, <BR>of the construction that is going on there, and the noises that accrue. Salzgammegut, the area around it, is bucolic country. <BR>P

We flew into Zurich in May 97 and took the train through the alps, Lichtenstein, and a corner of Germany to Salzburg, and drove from there to Vienna. I've heard that the train ride from Italy is as beautiful, if not more, than that from Zurich, if you take the scenic route. We were constantly entertained with the breathtaking views from the train as we travelled. It's awesomely beautiful country! I especially enjoyed sitting in the dining car looking out as we ate. Not often you get to enjoy a meal with such a superb and ever-changing view! <BR>From Salzburg we drove down to the tiny town of Schladming, site of some former olympic ski trials, and stayed in a charming B & B there. I think that was the best nights sleep I ever had on a first night of a trip! Love those down duvets! And to wake up and step on the balcony and view the snowcapped peaks... I'll never forget that! We drove up into the mountains around, and further to the hidden village of Hallsted on the edge of an alpine lake - magical! <BR>Driving to Vienna, we stopped in several fascinating towns (if you want more specifics let me know and I'll look up details in my journal at home), drove along the Danube, and spent some time at the magnificent Melk abbey before getting to Vienna (drove on the super speedy autoroute part of the time). <BR>As a piano professor, Vienna was heaven for me-music on every corner - and what music! Fun shopping too. <BR>Have a wonderful trip!

Salzburg: Large city with a lot of construction going on. You need one full day to see the Old Town, which is all I'd bother with except for the old castle on the hill. <BR>Innsbruck: Fantastic scenery and a lovely old town. Stay in the hills at one of the quaint hotels around Igls. <BR>Vienna: This is a large city with much to see, a lot of history and filled with music and wonderful pastry shops. It's a sophisticated city and quite lovely. I'd spend most of my time here. In fact, I do spend most of my time here when I'm in Austria. <BR>

Kathy, <BR>I love Austria, I think it is one of the most beautiful countries I have been to. I studied abroad in Vienna, so naturally I would recommend it. <BR>Innsbruck is a beautiful little town. I didn't really think that there was much to do, but sometimes that is nice. The best part is that it is surrounded on all sides by the Alps. <BR>Salzburg is probably the most popular destination for Americans in Austria. I am not all that fond, I find it over-touristy and expensive, but that is my opinion. The Sound of Music Tour, despite its touristy nature, can be a lot of fun. Salzburg has a cute downtown and beautiful gardens (the mirabella gardens.) A suggestion that I am going to follow on my next European tour is taking a trip to Hallstatt, which seems like the cutest town. It is a small town wedged between the edge of a mountain and a lake, you will have to take a ferry there. It looks typical Austrian, with colorful houses and beautiful flowers. <BR>Last but not least, I would defnitely spend the bulk of my time in Vienna. There is so much to do, but do your research. It seems like people are disappointed if they step off a train and expect everything to be in front of them. Please do not hesitate to email me with any questions about Vienna, I love talking about my favorite city. Have fun!

Jeanie: Thanks for the information. I have been reading since we first started thinking about this trip; almost a year now! I feel that I have done lots of planning, and sometimes I almost get to the point of NO MORE! But, I keep reading. I feel that I am well prepared for this trip, but if you have any additional tips or information, please share them with me. I am at the point where I am definitely ready to travel. June 11, we leave! Thanks Kathy

Since you don't leave till June, here is one man's opinion: Salzburg is noisy, dusty, construction is all over the place, just like Maureen said. Hence it rates one day for the aldstadt. Many people have good things to say about the Sound of Music tour. I did not take it, to me it sounded too much of a racket, more along the lines of 'the hills are alive wth the sound of cash registers (cha-ching/cha-ching)'. <BR> <BR>I found a piece of heaven 72 km away, called Hallstatt. Anne will probably agree with me that it rates at least three days. It's funny how whenever you read something online about it, by someone who's been there, you always can find the word 'magic' in there. It IS. <BR>No words nor pictures can describe this place. I go back next fall for a longer time. <BR> <BR>Innsbruck is a true tyrolean gem. I stayed at the Mondshein. It looked a little dilapidated from the outside, but I had chosen it for its location, across the bridge from the aldstadt. I was surprised to see how pleasant the rooms were on the inside. I had reserved my room there on-line, and had paid for it in advance. They gave me the best room in the house! it overlooked the river and you could watch its rapid waters from your window. Thank you Frau Ilse! <BR>Try to be there on a weekend. They have a great farmers market in the old town complete with the traditional band playing those l-o-n-g horns; and the sausages, the cheeses, WHOA! Tea at the 'Cat's' Cafe (or is it the black cat?) is a very sophisticated affair, not in terms of tuxs, or prices or anything, just the style of service and elegance. Follow it up with a late dinner at the Goldener Hirsch. Ah! <BR> <BR>I also stayed in two other small towns one high up in the alps with a population of 800, and the other a gutshof (great farm in the middle of nowhere! Every item of food in their dining room had been grown, harvested and whatever else, was home grown. <BR> <BR>A word of caution: you are going there right around the high season, so start looking into hotel reservations NOW! There are excellent sources of info online. Try these two: <BR>http://www.tiscover.com <BR>http;//www.salzburginfdo.at <BR>You can preview rooms, lobbies, rates location, et al. <BR>Have fun!

Since you don't leave till June, here is one man's opinion: Salzburg is noisy, dusty, construction is all over the place, just like Maureen said. Hence it rates one day for the aldstadt. Many people have good things to say about the Sound of Music tour. I did not take it, to me it sounded too much of a racket, more along the lines of 'the hills are alive wth the sound of cash registers (cha-ching/cha-ching)'. <BR> <BR>I found a piece of heaven 72 km away, called Hallstatt. Anne will probably agree with me that it rates at least three days. It's funny how whenever you read something online about it, by someone who's been there, you always can find the word 'magic' in there. It IS. <BR>No words nor pictures can describe this place. I go back next fall for a longer time. <BR> <BR>Innsbruck is a true tyrolean gem. I stayed at the Mondshein. It looked a little dilapidated from the outside, but I had chosen it for its location, across the bridge from the aldstadt. I was surprised to see how pleasant the rooms were on the inside. I had reserved my room there on-line, and had paid for it in advance. They gave me the best room in the house! it overlooked the river and you could watch its rapid waters from your window. Thank you Frau Ilse! <BR>Try to be there on a weekend. They have a great farmers market in the old town complete with the traditional band playing those l-o-n-g horns; and the sausages, the cheeses, WHOA! Tea at the 'Cat's' Cafe (or is it the black cat?) is a very sophisticated affair, not in terms of tuxs, or prices or anything, just the style of service and elegance. Follow it up with a late dinner at the Goldener Hirsch. Ah! <BR> <BR>I also stayed in two other small towns one high up in the alps with a population of 800, and the other a gutshof (great farm in the middle of nowhere! Every item of food in their dining room had been grown, harvested and whatever else, was home grown. <BR> <BR>A word of caution: you are going there right around the high season, so start looking into hotel reservations NOW! There are excellent sources of info online. Try these two: <BR>http://www.tiscover.com <BR>http;//www.salzburginfo.at <BR>You can preview rooms, lobbies, rates location, et al. <BR>Have fun!