We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The Tripadvisor website may not display properly.We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.

10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary

Athens, Greece
Level Contributor
19 posts
11 reviews
15 helpful votes
10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary
Save

Hi guys!

I am planning a trip this Christmas in Austria with my boyfriend for 10 days.We are not into skiing a lot but we like traditional and romantic villages with snow. We also like medieval castles.

I make a research in the forum which was extremely helpful and I made the following plan:

Day 1: Vienna

Day 2: Vienna

Day 3: Vienna

Day 4: Cesky Krumlov (day trip) - return to Vienna

Day 5: Salzburg

Day 6: Salzburg

Day 7: Fussen

Day 8: Kitzbuhel or Zell am See or Seefeld

Day 9: Innsbruck -return to Vienna late at night

Day 10: Departure from Vienna

Is this plan doable? Should I skip a destination and add something else? Also, in day 8 which village to choose?

We are planning to do all this trips by trains. Do you recommend to rent a car? In general I am afraid of hiring a car especially if the weather conditions are not good.

Thank you in advance for your time.

Colne, United...
Destination Expert
for Vienna
Level Contributor
26,792 posts
106 reviews
209 helpful votes
1. Re: 10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary
Save

My colleagues who know the train network better will no doubt give you good advice, but my first impression is that you need to look at a map! To go Salburg to Füssen then back to Zell/Kitzbühel (which are close to Salburg) then over to Innsbruck (which is nearer to Füssen) means you're doubling back on yourself.

Personally I'd drop Füssen, not because the castles aren't romantic to visit (though they can be shrouded in mist in winter), but because it will be far more complicated and time-consuming to get to than the other alpine destinations.

Athens, Greece
Level Contributor
19 posts
11 reviews
15 helpful votes
2. Re: 10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary
Save

Thank you for your reply. Then I should swap day 7 and day 8. I will make the change now. Any other comments?

Updated:

Day 1: Vienna

Day 2: Vienna

Day 3: Vienna

Day 4: Cesky Krumlov (day trip) - return to Vienna

Day 5: Salzburg

Day 6: Salzburg

Day 7: Kitzbuhel or Zell am See or Seefeld

Day 8: Fussen

Day 9: Innsbruck -return to Vienna late at night

Day 10: Departure from Vienna

Swansea
Level Contributor
138 posts
52 reviews
34 helpful votes
3. Re: 10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary
Save

Hi,

My wife and I have just returned from 12 days in Austria.

1 night in Vienna

drove to Krems and stayed 1 night

drove to the lakes for a couple of nights

stayed 4 nights in a fantastic , cheap guest house in St Martin just south of Saltzburg.

Did the ice caves, the mountain drive (Grossglocker?)then drove back to Krems for 1 night before returning to the Hilton on the Danube for a fantastic 2 nights before flying home.

Personally I believe you are trying to squeeze to much in, especially Innsbruck.

No matter where or what you decide around every corner there is a pretty village with friendly people.

Stay at guest houses, they are a lot cheaper than hotels, better value and you get to meet some really hospitable people.

PS Far better by car as you have more control of where to go and where to stop.The distances are not far but the really nice roads take some time.Hope this helped

Lewis

Athens, Greece
Level Contributor
19 posts
11 reviews
15 helpful votes
4. Re: 10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary
Save

Thank you so much for your help. Appreciate it. How can I find guest houses? do you have e-mail or sth?

Athens, Greece
Level Contributor
19 posts
11 reviews
15 helpful votes
5. Re: 10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary
Save

Also which one should we choose: Kitzbuhel or Zell am See or Seefeld ???

Swansea
Level Contributor
138 posts
52 reviews
34 helpful votes
6. Re: 10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary
Save

I can wholeheartedly recommend GASTEHAUS EDER in St Martin which is south of Salzburg (30 mins) We did the ice caves, S/Burg, Grossglockner? and the lakes from here.Very very nice place in a beautiful village with a fantastic restaurant nearby.

Extremely friendly and hospitable with great b/fast.

19 euros per person per night. It was so good we stayed 4 nights.

http://www.haus-eder.at

If you don't fancy that I would stop at the tourist offices and ask about guesthouses, they always have a list of what is available.

I would certainly consider St Martin, its in a good location and you wont find better. Good luck.

Lewis H Rees

Swansea
Level Contributor
138 posts
52 reviews
34 helpful votes
7. Re: 10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary
Save

PS Zell am See is also very close.

Austin
Level Contributor
933 posts
12 reviews
34 helpful votes
8. Re: 10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary
Save

Since your destinations are major towns, you don't need a car. We (hubby, toddler and I) did a 2 1/2 week Innsbruck-Dürnstein-Vienna-Munich trip by rail. To make our trip even more lively, we rented bikes for our four-day stay in charming, medieval Dürnstein.

Previous trips to Austria have also relied on the trains and have worked out well. (And I'm not a train buff my any means. We usually rent a car when we travel abroad, but Austria is one of those great countries where train travel is convenient and inexpensive relative to renting a car.)

I agree with the other posters that you are trying to squeeze in too much. I would stay closer to the Vienna area and definitely skip Innsbruck and Fussen. (We visited Innsbruck since hubby had work there.)

Lots of castles and romantic villages in the Wachau region, a UNESCO Heritage Site an hour and a half from Vienna. My little girl fell in love with all the "princess castles" along the Danube and still talks about Richard the Lionheart's digs. Melk was lovely, too. Vertical and the other DEs would know if Dürnstein and the Wachau is worth visiting at Christmas. A friend, however, visited during the winter and brought back lovely snowy photos of the Melk Monastery.

Cocoa Beach, Florida
Level Contributor
16,074 posts
70 reviews
327 helpful votes
9. Re: 10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary
Save

We based in Salzburg for 6 nights last year and loved it (it was my 5th time there since I was in an exchange program during college and my husband's first).

We were there at the very end of November through the first week of December and our likes are quite similar to yours.

One day we took the bus to St. Gilgen and then ferried to St. Wolfgang. St. Gilgen is story book gorgeous at this time of year and we fell in love with it.

Another day we took the bus to Lake Koenigsee and did a boat ride then went into Berchtesgaden for lunch and strolling.

Another morning we headed to Hellbrunn and then back to Salzburg for lunch then a trip to the Fortress for the afternoon.

We visited the salt mines on another trip and spent some time in the surrounding area.

We loved our hotel, the Sheraton Salzburg, and the staff was simply wonderful. Rooms are large and modern with big king beds and big bathrooms. Of the hotels I have stayed in there, it was the best.

We discovered a small wine bar and would go there every night before having dinner at our favorite spots and we got to know the staff at the wine bar. We felt like locals and they would come and sit with us when they got off work and have a glass of wine.

We like to base ourselves in just 2-3 cities for a 12 day or so trip so we can really the area. For us, it works better than moving around a lot.

Our stay in Vienna was brief but 4 days seems good based on your plans.

We flew into Munich then headed straight for Salzburg for three nights after which we headed to Vienna. We had planned to spend three nights there as well but left after one and returned to Salzburg for three more than headed to Munich.

From Munich, we visited Linderhof Castle and drove through Fussen but did not tour the castle there.

We went to Garmisch another day and it was another fairy tale village at Christmas.

This year we headed to Berlin for 4 nights, then taking a 5 night river cruise and ending our trip in Munich. We'll day trip to Mittenwald and Regensburg from ther.

Have fun and I hope you find Austria as enchanting as we do!

10. Re: 10 days Austria_ Recommended itinerary

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

What are forum guidelines?
© 2024 Tripadvisor LLC All rights reserved.

This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in United Kingdom. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.