We will be in Salzburg, but also want to go on some day trips to the mountains....had a few recommendations previously...should we stay in the mountains and make a day trip into Salzburg?

Also, have heard Vienna is beautiful this time of year, but we had decided to bypass and go to Prague instead. Is this mistake...will all the x-mas decorations still be up around January 2nd???

Thanks for your help and suggestions!

Sorry, cut off first part of message...

Any recommendations for hotels in Salzburg? Looking for 100 euros or less...central location, etc. Looking to make day trips into mountains...maybe ski, etc.

I don't know if you will have a car or not, but I am planning a similar trip for June, and was recommended by a number of posters to stay in one of the hilltowns outside of Salzburg. After doing some research it seemed like the sensible thing to do. You can stay in a guesthouse for 35 euros a night in the beautiful countryside and day trip into Salzburg. I had spent a lot of time looking for a hotel in Salzburg with the same price range you mentioned and had enormous difficulty. A guesthouse seemed like a much better option.

Also forgot to mention: the hilltowns they recommended included Schonau am Konigsee, Ramsau and Berchtesgaden.

We were in Austria this summer and stayed in Mattsee, and did 2 day trips to Salzburg. We like the countryside and had cars. I think your answer about where to stay should depend on whether you like to be based in a charming city or in the beautiful countryside. Can't go wrong.

Tough question about Vienna vs. Prague. If I could only choose one, it would be Prague.

I would be interested in the name of the 35 Euro guest house near Salzburg, and which town it is in, also a website if possible. I would like to spend some time in one of the mountain/lake towns near Salzburg next February and open to suggestions.

capekidnappers, we stayed in Schonau in May. There are literally tons of guesthouses and vacation apartments in the area that are all within a price range of what was given.

Check this website and search for lodging. Once the lodging choices come up, you can click for more details and usually get to a website for the property.

http://www.berchtesgadener-land.info...1A71EAC9BC5CAF

We found our apartment on http://www.hinterbrandner.de/. The website is completely in German but can be translated at http://babelfish.altavista.com/ (just put in the website address into the "translate a web page". We stayed in a one bedroom apartment with a full kitchen, living room, bathroom and large balcony (with stunning views) for about 40 euro a night.

Good luck!
Tracy

Thanks everyone - Tracey is Schonau a town close to Salzburg, or a suburb?

Hi, I'll reply just to top for you. I think Schonau is just into German Bavaria. We stayed in Berchtesgaden and daytripped by train. I can't recall the time involved. Schonau is probably an excellent choice. Did you mention if you're training or driving? I was reading kind of fast. On the other side, but not in the mountains, is St. Gilgen, a pretty village on a lake, very near Halstatt. J.

capekidnappers, jmw44 is correct. Its about a 5 minute drive from Berchtesgaden and about 20 minutes from Salzburg. I loved this area! I also agree about St. Gilgen. Its about 20-30 minutes from Salzburg in the other direction (Austria as opposed to Germany) but its a very cute little town on a pristine lake and very close to all that the Salzkammergut has to offer. Both are ideal locations for Salzburg if you don't actually want to stay in Salzburg itself. The hotels/guesthouses will be cheaper and you would get a taste of the beautiful countryside.

Tracy

Do Salzburg as a day trip--you will be happy to return to lodgings outside the city, which will be absolutely overwhelmed by tourists during the great Mozart anniversary next year. I was there last week, and it was wall-to-wall people, including many who had come up from Italy.

In my opinion, you get the best of both worlds in Anif. It is actually a suburb of Salzburg, but gives you very much the feeling of being in the country. We have stayed many times at the Hotel Freisacher, a charming guesthouse with wonderful facilities and a great Austrian feel to it. You can take the bus to Salzburg in about 15 minutes. If you are driving, the hotel has parking, free when last we stayed there three years ago. It is an easy drive to Berchtesgaden or the Konigsee where there is a bobsled run where we watched a race several years ago. If you are going in January, take WARM clothes. Have fun!

Yikes! Underhill, we plan to be in Salzburg for four or five nights at the beginning of December next year. Would we be more likely to miss the crowds if we went earlier, like the last few days of November?

TravelsWithStD, I will look at your recommendation. We will not have a car; do you know if the bus from Salzburg to Anif runs later in the evening?