We like to unpack in one place and take day trips by train or bus to interesting towns and sights. Our preference for a "home base" is a smallish city with good transportation, easy walking, a good market, and some interesting places to shop and eat. Oh..and maybe a museum or stately mansion to tour...nothing too grandiose or time consuming. We've narrowed it down to either Salzburg or Innsbruck as both have excellent shuttle transportation to/from Munich airport. We'll be visiting in early December. Don't ski, but plan to visit some Christmas markets. Which city would be your choice for a week, and why?

Easily Salzburg. Innsbruck is a big city while Salzburg has a fairyland ambiance.

Salzburg is the bigger city of the two, but also the nicer, IMO.

But I will agree any time that Salzburg during Christmas time is a great place to be -- just as a few other ten thousand tourists per day. ;-)
Don't expect a quiet place that you will have mostly for yourself.

If that does not disturb you, Salzburg will offer many, many opportunities for day trips.
Even when you do not ski, you can still hike or have short walks in the surrounding mountains.

I'm with Bobthenavigator, Salzburg has charm and a lot to do on its own. Innsbruck is a city.

The answer may lie in where you want to daytrip to. Innsbruck will be closer to Northern Italy and to Garmish, Salzburg to Bertschesgaden, the Salzkammergut or Munich.

I think the answer to your questions is heavily dependent on what you want to do after you get there!

If you are trying to pick a city to visit, then there is really no comparison between Salzburg and Innsbruck. Salzburg would be the clear choice for me.

On the other hand, if you want a hub for excusions north, south, east and west, then I can argue for either one.

From Salzburg the area in all directions has attractions. The same is true of Innsbruck.

For example, from Innsburck you could easily drive to Garmisch, even Füssen for the castles. Or a little farther still, even to Munich, although I might be tempted to take the train to Munich because of parking difficulties in the central city.

Also from Innsbruck, the Ötztal with a glacier near Sölden and the Timmelsjoch at the head of the valley. Also there are some decent waterfalls and a recreation of a village that is based on the life and times of Ötzi, the Iceman whose frozen remains are at home in Bolzano (Bozen) on the other side of the border in Italy.

At that time of year, however, I don't see the attraction of being outside a lot. Days will be short and the weather for me at least would be very negative.

Given the time of year, I would try to be finished by Christmas day because many business shut for extended breaks at Christmas.

Also with it being Christmas, in the final analysis I would pick Salzburg.

bm