We will be landing in Zurich and traveling to Salzburg Austria (4 nights) and then Vienna (4 nights) back to Hall (3 nights) near Innsbrook and back to Zurich (4 nights). I'm renting a car in Zurich and returning it there.
We are traveling in mid April 2010, it appears that most of the travel is on main highways has anyone traveled by car on this route in April is there anything to be aware of, I do realize that parking is expensive in Salzburg and Vienna but am not interested in the train.

Driving from Zurich to Salzburg will take 5 hours (or more, depending on weather and traffic. Why not fly from Zurich to Vienna, one way from € 31 with Air Berlin. Then take a car to Salzburg and Hall and go back to Zurich. Additional drop off fees will apply, but you have to drive the route between Zurich and Salzburg only once.

Because you're going through Innsbruck on the return, I think it's not the long Zurich-Salzburg part that's being repeated, it's the Salzburg-Vienna part.

Unless a stop in Munich or elsewhere on the German segment is part of your plans, book an open-jaw ticket. Into Zurich and out of Vienna, or the reverse. Or follow grrr's suggestion of Air Berlin. I'd probably follow your original all-driving plan if this were a little later in the year.

As long as you stick to main highways, I can't think that you would have problems (barring a lot of snow, that is). We've gone to Switzerland in late March/early April every year for the past 20+ years. The only problems we've encountered were having to sit in long lines to go through the Gottard Tunnel if it happened to be Good Friday or sometime at the beginning of an Easter break for the schools.

Mountain passes are not open at this time of year. We've covered just about every part of Switzerland during this time of year and continue to travel there on an annual basis. We have seen snow, but not enough to cause us to stop along our journey and change course.

Enjoy your drive! We love driving in Europe.

flying from Philadeplphia direct rather not do connections, travel dates are April 13th through April 24th droping car off at the beginning of Zurich stay, about 95% travel is on main highways sounds like travel should be OK, no holidays and little chance of snow
Thanls

Bigwalley,

Don't forget the Austrian vignette and make sure the car has a Swiss vignette too.

Have a great trip