ravenwing

We have a few days in Vienna followed by a few days in Munich. I would like to do a day trip to Salzburg at some point and was thinking of either doing a day tour with a company or taking the train ourselves from Vienna. Then I noticed the train trip is slightly shorter from Munich. I am more interested in Sound of Music sites than Mozart ones, but really just want to see the highlights of Salzburg itself. Would be grateful for any advice on going from either Vienna or Munich.

neckervd

Take the train from Vienna to Munich instead of the plane and you will save a lot of time and money!
Salzburg railway station has luggage lockers.

Dukey1

Are you willing to get up early in Vienna and do that day trip on the way to Munich? Use the lockers at the station, see the things you'd like and take the train to Munich afterward.

ravenwing

Thanks, but I'm on a round the world ticket so need to do a day trip from and to the same place - either Vienna or Munich. Not sure which is the best option.
Witv rthanks.

neckervd

All depends on the time you need for the transfer from your hotel to Wien Hauptbahnhof resp. Muenchen Hauptbahnhof.
Travel from Munich if the difference is less than half an hour.

annhig

Not sure why being on a RTW ticket means that you have to do every transfer by plane, but perhaps you do.

Some of the Sound of Music sights are outside Salzburg e.g. the Church where they get married which is in Mondsee about 45 mins drive from Salzburg.

To see all the sights, a guided tour might be best; google found this for me:

https://uk.viator.com/tours/Munich/S...ch/d487-285012

Also a discussion on Rick Steves board about the relative merits of doing a tour from Munich or Salzburg plus links to tours from Salzburg:

https://community.ricksteves.com/tra...ic-from-munich

Good luck!

whitehall

Why not spend a night in Salzburg? It's cheaper than Munich, and it is a spectacular place. The many Sound of Music sights, the castle, a great beer garden. Our friends, Christopher and Marianne operate the Villa Trapp, the one Sound of Music experience that few Salzburg visitors ever see. They can help you arrange the best tours. It is the real former home (not the movie one) of the von Trapp family. After the Trapp family fled the area, Heinrich Himmler used the house as his headquarters. Because the home is in a residential neighborhood, it is rarely part of any tours. Their prices are less than the lowest form of accommodations in Munich.

fourfortravel

We have taken visiting family and friends to Salzburg for day trips from Vienna, and they're always surprised at what they simply don't have time to see in one day. If you wish to see Salzburg and do a Sound of Music tour, you would do well to spend the night in Salzburg. As others have mentioned, some of the sights are outside of Salzburg proper; and even getting around Salzburg for SOM sights can take a fair amount of time.

PalenQ

Yes really need a day to see Sound of Music sights - many in the Lakes District just east of Salzburg and on outskirts of Salzburg so would need a day for Salzburg itself -one of nicest looking cities in Europe IMO - and one for the Sound of Music tour - tour would be best to see major SOM sights around Salzburg and in Lakes. Trains - book either on Austrian or German sites fr cheaper fares -www.westbahn.com is an always low-cost competitor to Austrian Railways so check that too if coming from Vienna - www.bahn.de/en from Munich or use the bargain Bavarian Ticket with unlimited regional trains for 30-35 euros total for both - see bahn.de/en for info. www.seat61.com has laods on booking own tickets online - general info trainswww.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. 2 days in Salzburg would be fine -if possible en route between Vienna and Salzburg.

sassy27

I've been to Salzburg twice. Once for 5 days from Munich then again on a day trip from Munich. The day trip was long and we barely got to see everything. We only looked around the center but I was also with someone who couldn't walk well and we got there around 10am. I'm glad I went for the day but agree a night stay would be best. If you can only spare the day then go for it. As I said, we didn't see all the SOM stuff but I did it before and still go would for the day if that is all I could fit it.

ravenwing

Thanks everyone. I am locked into a flight from Vienna to Munich so have to stick with that. Will take your advice onboard and keep thinking. Thanks for your help.

PalenQ

I'd fly first to Munich then go to Salzburg for a few days - seems better than backtracking thru Vienna and cheaper train wise because you could use the bargain Bavarian Pass to get to Salzburg and back.

annhig

Ravenwing - as you are locked into flying from Vienna to Munich, why not go straight from Munich to Salzburg for a few days, then go back to Munich and continue your trip from there?

PalenQ

Does Ravenwing have to take that leg of flight to have rest of ticket remain OK? Probably but if not just do not use that segment.

sassy27

I did exactly what Ann suggests my first time to Salzburg. I flew in to Munich and went immediately to Salzburg. I then went back to Munich to finish my trip then home. So either way is doable but when I was in Vienna on another trip, I went to Hungary for a day trip. You have a lot of options depending on how much time you have.

Dukey1

Before you rush to Salzburg thinking you are going to actually see what are supposed SOM "sites" please pay attention to what has been posted above.

The exterior shots in the movie were taken of Schloss Leopoldskron which is now in private hands after belonging to the Salzburg Seminar for years. I believe some of the supposed "interiors" in the movie were actually filmed on a soundstage.

That gazebo was, as I recall, eventually shut down by local authorities because someone decided to imitate the movie scene it was prominent in and broke their leg doing so.

The city offers a lot of authenticity nonetheless and I suspect you won't come away disappointed even if Maria has long gone.

fourfortravel

Ah, but Maria is not long gone! (At least not the real Maria). Late last year Salzburg opened a, "Sound of Music" Museum on Getreidegasse that focuses on the story of the real von Trapp family. We will all be in Bavaria next weekend, weather permitting, and I am planning an overnight in Salzburg specifically to see the museum. I am a diehard SOM fan...

Dukey1 is correct in that the SOM are scattered around; now that I have been to Salzburg several times I know how to steer visiting family and friends, but was quite glad to have taken a half-day tour on our first visit. The Festsaal where the fictional family sang their final concert is not generally open for touring; the church where the real family sang their final concert is open, but is outside of Salzburg. Schloss Leopoldskron is an upscale hotel; only guests staying can tour some of the rooms where movie scenes were filmed. (Still on my list.) The gazebo is sealed and sits in the park outside Schloss Hellbrunn; which, again, is not in the AltStadt.

In any event, good luck with your planning!

PalenQ

https://www.panoramatours.com/en/sal...nes-locations/

ravenwing

Thanks to everyone for their input. I have decided that in order to do Salzburg and SOM justice, I need more than one day. We will be back this way in the future as Munich is a major hub and will go to Salzburg then. I am going to spend the extra day in Vienna instead. Have heard about the wine district and will look into that for a day out of the city.

Many thanks for your help.

fourfortravel

The "wine district." By this do you mean the vineyards around Vienna; the Wachau Valley; or someplace else? Depending on the time of year for this holiday, you may find the region buzzing and the vines bursting with grapes; or, you may find the heurigers closed and all of the grapes harvested.