Vienna to Salzburg
 

Hi, we will be staying in Vienna (downtown) in mid-may for a few days. We plan to rent a car and drive towards Salzburg but going the south route through Baden-Bruck-Liezen-Bad Ischl. Would anyone know how the roads are in that area at that time of the year and approximate time of driving? Many thanks.

Question is whether you want to drive this route without break(s) or overnight stops. The route you picked is very scenic, and I wonder if you want to do it all on the Autobahn (motor highway) or travel in a more relaxed way on minor roads (Bundesstraßen).
In May you don't have to fear snow anymore, so road conditions are good.
In Bad Ischl, don't miss the fabulous cakes at Café Zauner. The one on the Adalbert-Stifter-Promenade with its terrace over the river Traun is my favourite. There is another in the center of Bad Ischl.

Hi Viennese,

We don't plan on staying along the way since we are booked in Fuschl. I thought we would rent the car from the Vienna airport and make our way to Fuschl via the south route. I guess this should take most of the day, right? We are used to driving long distances in one day, so this is no prblems. Any advice on places to stop along the way? The next day, we plan to go to Grossglockner; would the pass be opened? I'll make sure to stop for the cake...! Many thanks

From Vienna to Fuschl via Baden, Liezen and Bad Ischl it would be about 350 km - estimated time of driving about 4,5 hours.
Places on the route worth a stop are Semmering, Bad Aussee, Wolfgangsee (at least in my opinion).
If you are staying in downtown Vienna, why would you want to rent a car at the airport? There are rental companies downtown, meaning you can head south directly from downtown which is more convenient.

We will return from Fuschl to Vienna to catch our flight back to Canada at the end of the afternoon. We thought we might save time by going directly to the airport and drop off the car instead of going downtown and take a taxi. Not a good idea?

Hi Andree,
it's always a good idea to save time and do things the most convenient way ;-)
Whenever I took a rental car in the past it was possible to pick it up at one station and return it at another station. Sixt e.g. has a station at the airport and in the city (Südbahnhof). Avis has a station at the airport and on the Ringstrasse (Opernring).
The Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse (High Alpine Road) is closed now and will be reopened in May. I don't know about the exact date. Please take a look at http://www.grossglockner.at, English version is available. You made a brillant choice to go there, it's fabulous if you like mountains and enjoy driving on alpine roads. We did it a few years ago in a Mercedes roadster in summer, big fun!

Dear Viennese,
Since you seem to be very knowledgeable about Austria (are you a local or just a big fan?!!), allow me to pick your brain even more...! We will be staying at the Grand Hotel Wien (Kämtner Rig 9, A-1010, Wien); where would be the most convenient rental car station? (i.e. Avis). Their website shows various locations in the city, but I have no idea if one of them is close to the hotel. I thought at first that there might be a drop off fee if we were picking up and dropping off at a different location, but I don't think so according to the rate I got from them. Then, it would make much more sense to pick up in town and drop off at the airport :-). Have you ever heard of or used AutoEurope for car rental? I will also take your advice and follow the minor roads. Can't wait to be there! Thanks again for all your valuable advices; greatly appreciated.

Dear Andree,
yes, I am a local AND a big fan! Actually I am from Germany but my family is partly Austrian. I have been living in Vienna for 10 years now, and I love it very much. That is why I try to help travelers on this board.
I am living very close to your Hotel. Grand Hotel is gorgeous! There is a roof top restaurant called "Le ciel", and in fact it is heavenly. The food and the service are superb. I had dinner there several times and loved it very much.
I have good news for you: There is a car rental station across the street of your hotel, and that is AVIS! Your hotel is on the Kärntner Ring, and the next part of the Ringstrasse is called Opernring. So you'll take a very very short walk and there you are!
I never used Autoeurope myself, but I have seen some postings on this board which seemed to be all positive.
I hope you will enjoy your stay in Austria! If you have further questions, please don't hesitate. I will do my very best to answer them.

I just came to my mind that there is Hertz car rental on Kärntner Ring. It is even closer to the Grand Hotel. As distance from your hotel is not a big difference, you should decide on the fare you get from from AVIS or Hertz. Both are really convenient to reach! My best wishes to Canada!

Thank you so much for all this information. Now, I'm looking into AutoEurope and they have many locations in Vienna; two of them are downtown, one is 3-5 Opernring and the other is Schubertring 9. Is this close to our hotel? They have good rates and we can drop off at the airport. How much is fuel these days in Austria per litre? Is diesel less expensive? Since I'll have limited time in Vienna, maybe you can let me know what are the best buys. I like to bring back souvenirs that are very representative of the country I visit (local art, etc.)

I understand why to are so enthousiastic about your country and want to share your knowledge. I do the same for Canada on that board whenever I can. Maybe we can thank you for your help with a nice cup of java in Vienna!! Vielen dank! (hope the spelling is ok!)

I just noticed other AutoEurope offices in the city: Ketzergasse 120, Am Stadtpark Hilton Hotel and 202 Erdberg Strasse. Cheers!

My understanding is that Autoeurope is an agency, not a car rental company itself. Opernring 3-5 is AVIS, Schubertring 9 is Europcar. Both are in close proximity to your hotel.

Yes, Diesel is less expensive. I checked today's average prices in Viennna: Diesel is about € 0,79 per liter, Normal is 0,91 and Super 0,93 € per liter.

Talking about souvenirs... hmm, that's difficult. As far as I can guess what you would probably like, I want to recommend something that is not mere tourist stuff. On the Kärntner Strasse (one of the main shopping streets) there is a shop called "Wiener Werkstätte" (Vienna handicraft) that was founded in 1903 or so. There you can find some very nice reproductions from designer pieces from the Jugenstil era, e.g. candle sticks or flower vases. Or coasters for wine glasses with pictures of famous composers (Mozart, Haydn...) or Austrian castles or emperors. I like to buy gifts there because they are very individual, they are not a world wide brand.

Java is coffee, right? Yes, why not a share a cup of coffee - as long as it is in a traditional Viennese Café (and not Starbucks :-) ) When will you be in Vienna? We probably should not make an appointment on this forum, so please send an email to [email protected] if you like.