Austria - Salzburg or Vienna?

[dancingirl21]

We go to Germany and Austria next month. I was finalizing our itinerary and looking into train options and I'm realizing we probably can't do both Salzburg and Vienna. It's looking like the travel time will take a lot of our time and I'd probably rather spend more time in one place versus trying to fit in 1.5 or 2 days in each.

We are flying into Frankfurt and driving the Romantic Road in Germany - stopping in Wurzburg for 1 night, Rothenburg ob der Tauber for 1 night, Fussen for 2 nights. We will then drop off the car in Munich and take a train to either Salzburg or Vienna. The train from Munich to Vienna is 4 hours, or 1.5 to Salzburg. We would spend 3 nights in whichever one. We fly out of Munich, so on the last day will need to take the train either 1.5 hours back to Munich from Salzburg, or 4 hours from Vienna. We are staying in Munich that night to fly out the next morning.

If we stay in Salzburg, we would be able to take a day trip or two, ideally to Hallstatt and maybe somewhere else. 

For anyone who has been to this region, any advice? I wanted to fit both in, but don't feel like we would be doing justice to either and will just exhaust ourselves. 

[mofongo]

Salzburg is beautiful and quaint! If your are a Sound of Music fan, like me, I’d do that. But, there’s definitely more to do and see in Vienna. So I’d probably pick that based on having 3 nights.

[dancingirl21]

mofongo, thanks! I should also clarify. We will have 3 nights, but will likely get to wherever late afternoon/evening the first night of our stay, so will really only have 2 full days and half(?) of our third day wherever we go. Does that change your mind?

[erbear]

Vienna. There is much more to do and see. Salzburg is really small once you’ve done the sound of music stuff.

[dancingirl21]

Hmm interesting. I was of the impression there is more to do in Salzburg than there maybe is. So in that case, maybe we can do both? I'll put my Austria itinerary here and see what others think:

Wednesday: Get to Salzburg early afternoon, wander, dinner, stay overnight
Thursday: Sound of Music tour 9am-1pm, lunch, train to Vienna (2.5 hours)
Friday: St. Stephen's Cathedral and Catacombs, Hofburg Palace, Hapsburg Crypt
Saturday: Schoenbrunn Palace (I've read this takes 1/2 day), train to Munich (4 hours)

Thoughts?

[mofongo]

Aug 10, 2023 21:06:33 GMT -5 dancingirl21 said:

Hmm interesting. I was of the impression there is more to do in Salzburg than there maybe is. So in that case, maybe we can do both? I'll put my Austria itinerary here and see what others think:

Wednesday: Get to Salzburg early afternoon, wander, dinner, stay overnight
Thursday: Sound of Music tour 9am-1pm, lunch, train to Vienna (2.5 hours)
Friday: St. Stephen's Cathedral and Catacombs, Hofburg Palace, Hapsburg Crypt
Saturday: Schoenbrunn Palace (I've read this takes 1/2 day), train to Munich (4 hours)

Thoughts?

I would do this!

[dancingirl21]

Aug 10, 2023 21:32:44 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Aug 10, 2023 21:06:33 GMT -5 dancingirl21 said:

Hmm interesting. I was of the impression there is more to do in Salzburg than there maybe is. So in that case, maybe we can do both? I'll put my Austria itinerary here and see what others think:

Wednesday: Get to Salzburg early afternoon, wander, dinner, stay overnight
Thursday: Sound of Music tour 9am-1pm, lunch, train to Vienna (2.5 hours)
Friday: St. Stephen's Cathedral and Catacombs, Hofburg Palace, Hapsburg Crypt
Saturday: Schoenbrunn Palace (I've read this takes 1/2 day), train to Munich (4 hours)

Thoughts?

I would do this!

Great! DH and I just talked and would like to do both if we can swing it. He suggested maybe not staying in Salzburg, but rather take a late train to Vienna on Wednesday night. That way we have 2.5 full days in Vienna. I'm liking that option. We see some of Salzburg and do the Sound of Music tour in the afternoon, then move on.

[pumpkin]

I enjoyed Salzburg but loved Vienna. And if you’re debating options in Vienna I would recommend Schoenbrunn over Hofburg.

Have a great time!

[wise_rita]

Ditto what everyone one is saying. Salzburg is too small for 3 nights, so I'd do Vienna even though I've never been.

[1yeartogo]

Just hopping in to say. When I was a teen we rode down on some type of contraption into a salt mine/underground lake and almost 30 years later it’s still one of the coolest things I ever experienced so if you can swing that I say go for it!

[candreco]

We didn't do Vienna but did love Salzburg. We had the better part of three days/2 nights and saw a lot. Hohensalzburg was pretty cool, and the kids' (ok everyone's) favorite was the trick gardens at Schloss Hellbrunn.

[pumpkin]

Aug 11, 2023 5:59:34 GMT -5 1yeartogo said:

Just hopping in to say. When I was a teen we rode down on some type of contraption into a salt mine/underground lake and almost 30 years later it’s still one of the coolest things I ever experienced so if you can swing that I say go for it!

The salt mines are pretty cool. If you spend the time in Salzburg, I would definitely do a trip to Hallstatt and visit the salt mine there.

[womet]

Aug 11, 2023 5:59:34 GMT -5 1yeartogo said:

Just hopping in to say. When I was a teen we rode down on some type of contraption into a salt mine/underground lake and almost 30 years later it’s still one of the coolest things I ever experienced so if you can swing that I say go for it!

Yeah! Berchtesgaden salt mines are so cool. And the Eagles Nest is also there. We're headed to southern Germany next month and will be taking a day trip there. We're also going to drive to Salzburg for a day-- we'll see the fortress, Mozart's' birth place, and do some shopping in the Getreidegasse (there is a great Christmas and Easter store there) in the morning and then take the afternoon Sound of Music Tour. On previous trips, we have stopped at Schloss Hellbrunn and done a tour. There are some neat fountains there. 

[mcsangel2]

Oh man, what a dilemma. I haven't been any of those places but they are VERY high up on my want to visit list. I would face the same issue if I had to choose between Salzburg and Vienna. I also am very interested in seeing Hallstatt, which is just not going to happen if you are not staying in Salzburg to do a day trip from. I would also maybe add a day trip to Innsbruck. Staying for a few days is the only way to get the ideal experience of really seeing Tyrolean/Alpine Austria. I personally would probably choose Salzburg in your specific situation, because your 3 nights/2.5 days would not be enough to see everything I want to see in Vienna. I could see you going either way though.

[dutchgirl678]

When we went to Bavaria and Austria we did Salzburg and skipped Vienna. We stayed outside of Salzburg though in the Salzkammergut area, and had only one full day in Salzburg. Still, I think there will be plenty to see and do. We went to Berchtesgaden and took a boat trip on the Koenigsee and went to Hallstatt and the salt mine there.

[sent]

You could do both in that time frame. I thought Salzburg was more interesting overall than Vienna but Salzburg is much smaller. If I had to pick only 1, I'd pick Salzburg. We also did the Berchtesgaden + Koenigsee side trip.

[dulcemariamar]

Neither. Go to Innsbruck. The city is absolutely gorgeous and there is so much to see and do especially related to the mountains that surround the area. Then you can catch a train and in an hour, you are in the Italian alps and in some of the most gorgeous towns ever and the train ride is breathtaking

[mofongo]

Aug 11, 2023 18:04:30 GMT -5 dulcemariamar said:

Neither. Go to Innsbruck. The city is absolutely gorgeous and there is so much to see and do especially related to the mountains that surround the area. Then you can catch a train and in an hour, you are in the Italian alps and in some of the most gorgeous towns ever and the train ride is breathtaking

My summer school was based there, it was SO magical!

[dearprudence]

There is definitely more to do in Vienna and I love the city - even lived there for a summer, but Salzburg is one of my favorite places in the world, so if I had to choose between the two, I'd pick Salzburg. (Although I also think it's doable to do both. I once did the train from Vienna to Munich with a stop for the day in Salzburg, but again I had plenty of time Vienna and wasn't trying to squeeze a lot into a short period)

[jennybee1018]

I love love love Vienna. I've been there 4 times (different seasons) and we always go back to our favorites, as well as discover new things. It's the most amazing city! (It's particularly magical at Christmas)!

Let me know if you need any recs!

[dancingirl21]

Thanks, all! We decided to do both. We are making a day trip of Salzburg on our way to Vienna. I wanted to see both, and while we won’t have enough time in either, we can experience both of them.

[dancingirl21]

Aug 12, 2023 8:25:26 GMT -5 jennybee1018 said:

I love love love Vienna. I've been there 4 times (different seasons) and we always go back to our favorites, as well as discover new things. It's the most amazing city! (It's particularly magical at Christmas)!

Let me know if you need any recs!

Sure! We will be there for 2.75 days total. First day is open for anything. Second day will be Schoenbrunn Palace in the morning followed by nothing that afternoon and 1/2 of the following day.

I know we want to do St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Catacombs.

We also love walking tours if there are any good ones.

[mich1]

We were in Vienna 2 days, and IMO it was not near enough time. I would try to take train to Salzburg, do the tour and leave immediately for Vienna. You’d get into Vienna late, but you’d have another full day there.

[dancingirl21]

Aug 12, 2023 13:01:25 GMT -5 mich1 said:

We were in Vienna 2 days, and IMO it was not near enough time. I would try to take train to Salzburg, do the tour and leave immediately for Vienna. You’d get into Vienna late, but you’d have another full day there.

This is what we are doing. The train gets to Salzburg around 12, tour is from 2-6, and our train out of Salzburg leaves around 7. It won’t be enough time but we want to see it.

[klingklang77]

It’s not clear, but are you spending any time in Munich? I gather you are gong to Füssen to see Neuschwanstein?

From what I gather, you are doing the drive and then driving out of Munich without sightseeing in Munich? But I see you are going to be there during Oktoberfest? I’m confused. 

Personally I would skip Neuschwanstein and sightsee in Munich and then head to Chiemsee and see another of Ludwig’s castles there instead.

Vienna is cool and has a nice coffee house culture. That way you would get more of a different feel than just “Bavarian”.

[midwestmama]

Aug 12, 2023 8:53:55 GMT -5 dancingirl21 said:

Thanks, all! We decided to do both. We are making a day trip of Salzburg on our way to Vienna. I wanted to see both, and while we won’t have enough time in either, we can experience both of them.

This is a great decision.  Better to find a way to see both places than only do one, especially if you don't know if you'll ever have the chance to go back.   I was happy we were able to get to Salzburg on our trip, and I loved it, so I hope you enjoy your day there too!  If you can squeeze in getting to a restaurant that serves Salzburger Nockerl, I was happy we were able to try it, and my family and I all thought it was pretty good.  (There is also the Sacher Torte, which is a kind of chocolate cake, that is specific to Salzburg, but we tried it and didn't like it.)

[klingklang77]

Balkon Grill in Salzburg for Bosna Sausage. You won’t be disappointed.

Sacher Torte is not from Salzburg. It is Viennese.

Gugelhupf is more from Salzburg and also Kaiserschmarren. 

Sorry to be pedantic. I live in Germany. 

[dancingirl21]

Aug 14, 2023 13:15:20 GMT -5 klingklang77 said:

It’s not clear, but are you spending any time in Munich? I gather you are gong to Füssen to see Neuschwanstein?

From what I gather, you are doing the drive and then driving out of Munich without sightseeing in Munich? But I see you are going to be there during Oktoberfest? I’m confused. 

Personally I would skip Neuschwanstein and sightsee in Munich and then head to Chiemsee and see another of Ludwig’s castles there instead.

Vienna is cool and has a nice coffee house culture. That way you would get more of a different feel than just “Bavarian”.

We are not spending time in Munich - we are going at the time of Oktoberfest, but won't actually be going to Oktoberfest. I realize that's odd, but the timing worked best for us and we aren't interested in going to Oktoberfest for this trip. We are going to Fussen and Neuschwanstein. 

[klingklang77]

Aug 14, 2023 16:31:47 GMT -5 dancingirl21 said:

Aug 14, 2023 13:15:20 GMT -5 klingklang77 said:

It’s not clear, but are you spending any time in Munich? I gather you are gong to Füssen to see Neuschwanstein?

From what I gather, you are doing the drive and then driving out of Munich without sightseeing in Munich? But I see you are going to be there during Oktoberfest? I’m confused. 

Personally I would skip Neuschwanstein and sightsee in Munich and then head to Chiemsee and see another of Ludwig’s castles there instead.

Vienna is cool and has a nice coffee house culture. That way you would get more of a different feel than just “Bavarian”.

We are not spending time in Munich - we are going at the time of Oktoberfest, but won't actually be going to Oktoberfest. I realize that's odd, but the timing worked best for us and we aren't interested in going to Oktoberfest for this trip. We are going to Fussen and Neuschwanstein. 

I understand not visiting Munich during Oktoberfest. It’s very crowded. Neuschwanstein is going to be packed at that time of year. I prefer Ludwig’s other castles, but have fun. 

Enjoy your trip!