Von Trapps Villa

I am told on good authority that Sound music Von Trapps villa has been being converted into Hotel.

How romantic I can almost hear Julie Andrews with her dulcet tones singing again.

?True

Regmaiche

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It was in most news items yesterday, including an article in The Telegraph.

I think it%26#39;s scheduled to open in July, but not sure.

Stoofer

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Here is the item from the BBC website:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7402411.stm

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Sorry to tell you the villa will definitely not be opened for public until earliest end of the year. Reasons are missing official documents and protests of neighbors who are afraid of additional traffic.

Wolfgang

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I wonder, had they taken any advance bookings?

Stoofer

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As far as I know there were lots of requests, but don%26#39;t ask me if anything had been confirmed in advance. There will be an official opening in summer, but only with %26quot;private friends%26quot;, as they are not allowed to open as a hotel. I really hope they will be able to get all permissions soon and have the paperwork done!

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I always wondered about objections from neighbours as it is in a very quiet, residential street. But I suppose if they get car parking sorted out it should be OK. I beieve a holy order occupied the building until recently so it will be a big change for local residents.

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It%26#39;s supposed to be called progress. Few residential homes are safe from the relentless march of capitalism. Have to feel for residents.

Reminds me of a good friend in U.K., ploughed lifes savings into a Country House, for retirement with dependent large extended family, younger generations. Cost a fortune, his outlook is now a building site, soon to be 2000 houses and the value plummeting as a consequence with no compensation.

Can%26#39;t afford to move, doesn%26#39;t want to stay. Very sad.

Possibly irrelevant to Salzburg, but couldn%26#39;t resist the rant:-)

Stoofer

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Removed on: 1:22 pm, September 28, 2009

Euro 2008 Preparations

I see from the webcams that preparations are underway in both Residenzplatz and Mozartplatz, for Euro 2008. It looks as though seating is being erected in Residenzplatz so no doubt screens will be showing the games throughout the tournament. Both these squares will be very busy but all the usual tourist sights will be accessible despite the crowds. If any Salzburg resident members have more information we%26#39;d love to hear it.

Liz.

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Hi Liz,

you are right, the city center of Salzburg will be the official EURO fan zone during these days. If you intend to visit the sight in the city center you definitely should do so in the morning, after 1pm you have to be aware of crowds of fans. More informations here:

http://www2.salzburg.info/euro2008_4475.htm

There will be no influence on other sights such as Hellbrunn castle or all the tours like Sound of Music, Bavarian Mountains, Salt Mines and so on.

One more thing: I strongly recommend to carry an ID with you at all the time you are in Salzburg, police will be very careful in these days.

Wolfgang

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I wanted to travel to Salzburg for a day trip on June 25th. Do you think its still a good idea with all the Euro activity going on? Sounds like a lot of fun but I really wanted to see all the tourist sights. Also do you think we will have trouble finding seats on the train to and from Munich using the Bayern tickets?

thanks

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Hi Wolfgang, thank you for the info, particularly about ID. We always stay in Aigen and hire a car so we will probably avoid the city at times the games are shown.

Sungoddezz, the match being played on June 25th is played at 8.45 in the evening. I see no reason to cancel your plans. I can%26#39;t answer your question about the trains though.

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Removed on: 1:20 pm, September 29, 2009

Hotel , Area , General Advice please

Hi folks,

I%26#39;m going to Salzburg for 2 nights next month and was looking for a heads up on the city. We%26#39;re a couple staying in STAR INN HOTEL SALZBURG ZENTRUM.

Anyone reccomend how to get there from the train station / how far is it?

Also, we%26#39;re looking for an idea of prices in Salzburg - some people say it can be expensive - how much would I pay for a beer / reasonably nice meal? Are taxis expensive?

One last thing (as Columbo might say) we%26#39;re hoping to go on a Sound of Music tour (tack I knw, but hey.. I do what I%26#39;m told) Are there loads to choose from or can anyone reccomend a good one?

Thanks in advance

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From the main railway station you can reach the hotel with trolleybus line number one (take the direction to city center), as soon as you have passed the tunnel through the mountain hop off the bus and you are in front of the hotel. Drive time apx. 15 minutes, by foot 40-45 minutes.

The hotel has a perfect location very close to the city center, good choice!

Yes, Salzburg is expensive, you should carefully look out where to buy your beer, in the city center usually it is more expensive ... but that%26#39;s the same as in Belfast I trust. Try the local Stiegl beer! A %26quot;Halbe%26quot; (= half liter) would cost you between EUR 2,50 and 4,-.

For Sound of Music I only can recommend the %26quot;Original Sound of Music Tour%26quot; by Panoramatours (www.panoramatours.com - online booking is easy!), which is also the top tour rated by Tripadvisor. They really did the bus services for the film crew in those days and they REALLY know everything...

Best regards

Wolfgang

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Many thanks Wolfgang - you%26#39;ve been very helpful

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Removed on: 12:17 pm, September 29, 2009

Hallstatt & Berchtesgaden Day Trips

Hello everyone! I will be visiting Salzburg next July for three days, one of which I would like to use to take day trips around the area. I%26#39;ve done a bit of research, and the two towns that I really want to visit around Salzburg are Hallstatt and Berchtesgaden. Will I have time to visit both towns in one day? If not, which one should I focus my attention on? Thanks in advance!

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Hello,

You haven%26#39;t mentioned if you are hiring a car or doing these trips by public transport. It would be easier to advise you if we knew this information. But in the meantime I would say that it would be tricky to do both trips in one day, even with a car.

Hallstatt is best viewed on a clear, sunny day. The whole allure of the place is its wonderful lakeside situation with a backdrop of glorious mountains. On a rainy day the view is obscured and can seriously spoil your sightseeing. I%26#39;ve done the trip on both types of days so can speak from experience. Hallstatt is about an hour away from Salzburg by car. By train it would be a longer trip. By car you could visit other Salzkammergut locations either on the way there or on the way back. On a good day Hallstatt is utterly magical and I highly recommend a visit there.

Berchtesgaden is much closer to Salzburg and can be reached in about forty minutes by car. The town is tiny and can be viewed very quickly indeed. It could be visited in half a day but I would combine it with a trip down to Konigsee which is just south of Berchtesgaden. This is a wonderful lake, surrounded by mountains. If the weather is good you could take the Jenner cable car to the top of the mountain for spectacular views of the lake and Berchtesgaden.

If you could only do one of these trips, and the weather is good, I would recommend you go to Hallstatt.

Hope this helps,

Liz.

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By public transport (Hallstatt by train; Berchtesgaden by bus) these two places cannot visited in one day.

By car it%26#39;s pushing it a bit; won%26#39;t have a lot of time to do much visiting, especially in Berchtesgaden, the sights of which require some time.

You could go from Salzburg on the unnumbered road past the airport via Schwarzbach - Gross-Gmain to Bad Reichenhall. Take the B.R. by-pass and on to Berchtesgaden. It%26#39;s about 25km to Reichenhall and 20km from there to B%26#39;gdn. All good roads. Takes about 1 hour

B%26#39;gadn take the B-305 (it leads past the Railroad Station) to Hallein and pick up the Autobahn A-10 south to Golling. You will need an Autobahn user%26#39;s vignette. Look it up under %26quot;search%26quot; on this site.

At Golling, take Route 162/166 to Hallstatt, 56km from B%26#39;gdn. Probably will take you 1 1/2 hrs.

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Thank you both for your replies! I will be doing both trips by public transportation.

I will be doing the Sound of Music Tour while I%26#39;m there, and I%26#39;ve heard that the tour covers quite a bit of the Salzkammergut Lake District so it wouldn%26#39;t be necessary for me to tour it a second time.

I%26#39;m bummed that I can%26#39;t make it to both locations on the same day, though. I guess I could consider staying in Salzburg an extra day if I really need to visit both locations.

Thank you both again for your input! :)

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If you do the Sound of Music Tour (I suggest the Original Tour with Panoramatours) you will see many locations which are also visited with a regular Hallstatt tour, so you better really do Hallstatt on your own with public transport.

Regarding Berchtesgaden I would recommend the tour %26quot;Berchtesgaden and Bavarian Mountains%26quot; which will not only bring you to Berchtesgaden, but also to the wonderful Lake Koenigsee and much more. Have a look at

panoramatours.com/salzburg-Berchtesgaden--Ba…

and make up you mind!

Best regards from Salzburg

Wolfgang

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Thank you for your reply! Yes, I will definitely be taking the SoM Tour with Panorama Tours.

The Bavarian Mountains tour that you posted looks very promising and interesting. If I decide to go the Berchtesgaden route, I will probably go with this tour!

Thanks again!

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Removed on: 12:19 pm, September 29, 2009

What resort for a week

My husband and I are visiting Austria for a week in August. We are flying into Salzbury and will use public transport. Last year we caught bus 150 and stayed in Fuschl. We would be most grateful for some suggestions where to stay this year, which is easy to get to. We enjoy walking. I thought about Unken but cannot find much information about the resort.

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Zell am See is easily reached by train from Salzburg (less than two hours). The scenery is wonderful and there is ample opportunity for walking.

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Unken and Lofer would be a great place to relax and enjoy nature, maybe you have a look at

http://www.lofer.com/en-index.htm

Besides, the suggestion of Liz with Zell am See is excellent as well, you have a city, a lake, mountains, even a glacier close by and you could go up to Austria%26#39;s highest alpine road from there!

Best regards

Wolfgang

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Removed on: 2:17 pm, September 29, 2009

Innsbruck apartment

Can anyone recommend a good mid priced holiday apartment in or near the city centre?

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I know this post is a couple of years old but I was looking recently for apartments in Innsbruck central and couldn%26#39;t find a thing as they hardly exist. There are lots of guest houses attached to peoples%26#39; homes but they are outside of Innsbruck in the villages and on the hills.

Anyway I just thought I%26#39;d put this web address on as I was in Innsbruck last month and saw a sign up for these short let apartments. Cannot vouch for the quality or anything like that as I didn%26#39;t stay there but may be of help to someone else who is looking for central Innsbruck apartments.

The address is:

www.appartement-innpark.at

Hope this is of help to anyone looking for an Innbruck apartment.

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The other website that may be of help for accomodation in Innsbruck/Tyrol that doesn%26#39;t come up on the search engines is

tiscover.at/at/…acco.html

These accomodations seem to be outside of the centre and probably helps if you speak some German when you ring them!!

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Removed on: 3:20 pm, September 29, 2009

Geneva to Salzburg by bus?

Hi. I want to travel from Geneva to Salzburg preferably by bus. I have checked out eurolines however, their isn%26#39;t a bus on the day i want to travel (16.06.08). Can anybody help me?

Thanks in advance:)

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Since Eurolines is not just one company but the cover of pretty much all European long-distance bus companies, it means that there is no bus on the day you want to travel.

Why not a train?

www.sbb.ch

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Thank you for your reply Altamıro...I had no idea Eurolines controlled almost all bus companies routes. This piece of info came in very handy:)

Answer to Q: I like to travel by bus:)

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%26gt;I like to travel by bus:)

You like it uncomfortable and slow?

To each his/her own! :-)

In any case, Eurolines is more like a common booking system than a company. It doesn´t make economical sense for a company NOT to participate.

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Removed on: 2:19 pm, September 29, 2009

Klagenfurt Train Station

Can someone tell me approximately how far away the Klagenfurt train station is from the Europcar East office (Villacher Strasse 213)? We will be dropping our rental car off at that location and will need to get to the train station in order to catch our train to Vienna. I assume we will need to take a taxi; how long should I anticipate that taking?

Thanks for any help!

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I don%26#39;t think that it%26#39;s walkable.

You can either catch a taxi or take the public bus.

http://fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/en

From (City, Street Hno): Klagenfurt, Villacher Strasse 213

To: Klagenfurt Hbf. (or Vienna or whatever)

If you click on %26quot;walk%26quot;, it will also show you a map.

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Removed on: 3:19 pm, September 29, 2009

vienna, prague family trip

We have return tickets to Bratislava arriving next week and 10 days in between. We are a family of 2 adults and 3 children. I%26#39;d like us to visit Vienna and prague +/- budapest. I believe the soccer/football is on in Vienna at the end of next week. Can anyone advise on a good itinary accounting for children ie better to start in prague then to Vienna? Or is it better to avoid Vienna during the soccer? Ditch Budapest and only go to the 2 cities? Is train better than coach between the cities?

I%26#39;d appreciate your experienced advice.

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Well, the European championship is hosted by Austria and Switzerland, therefore the encounters take place at different stadiums in Vienna, Salzburg, Klagenfurt, Zurich........

If you can make it to arrive between the %26quot;hot%26quot; days you could enjoy normal activities.

http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/index.html

I%26#39;d suggest the following sequence: Bratislava %26gt; Prague %26gt; Vienna %26gt; Budapest %26gt; Bratislava

I would definitely go for the train as it is much more comfortable. You can stand up, walk around and your children will probably find it more exciting to be on a train than on a coach. Normmaly you have a restaurant car incorportated, and sometimes a children%26#39;s entertainment car depending on the route.

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Removed on: 1:19 pm, September 29, 2009

Dinner Christmas eve

We will be staying in Salzburg this Christmas and would love to know a good place to book for dinner on Christmas Eve. We are travelling with our daughters aged 13,16 and 18 so would like somewhere that would suit us all.

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Previous posters who have spent Christmas in Salzburg have recommended Stiftskeller St Peter for Christmas Eve dinner. The location and restaurant are certainly superb. I%26#39;ve never eaten in the restaurant itself so can%26#39;t give a personal recommendation, but others have said it was good. It is the oldest restaurant in central Europe, dating back to the year 803. Take a look at the website:

http://www.haslauer.at/

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Thanks for your suggestion. I%26#39;ll certainly look up the site.

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Removed on: 1:21 pm, September 29, 2009

accomodation in Budapest

my friend planning trip to Vienna, Budapest and last Prague flying from Gap. she will leave Gap on 2nd of Aug, 08 she doesn%26#39;t know where first to head. just wanted to know how far budapest from vienna or to prague. she is plannig to stay 2 days in each city. she started searching for accomodation in budapest but found it very expensive above her budget 70 euro per night. she will be travelling alone. can you advice other options for cheap accomodation where she can stay in safe, decent place. I am not sure if using the curise cabinet. i heared some countries they offer accomodation in the cruise ship. I want to know the train cost for the round trip also as she might stay in one cheap accomodation of one of the mentioned cities and travel on and off every day from that point. so which city would be the perfect center point for the travelling.

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Please ask the Budapest forum for accomodation advice!

Distance between Vienna and Budapest not that big. Train ride takes approximately 3 hours and costs 34€/oneway. If originating from Budapest it might be cheaper because of the weaker Hungarian currency and economy, but don%26#39;t expect a mentionable difference.

For train schedule queries visit:

http://fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/en

Cheap accomodations can be found in hostels:

www.hostelworld.com

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Removed on: 4:16 pm, September 29, 2009

Help please. Need itinerary suggestions

I will be spending about 2 weeks in Austria in November, flying into Salzburg and out of Vienna. What places in between should I add to my itinerary? I want to see Hallstat. Would there be enough time to make a trip to Prague?

I would appreciate any help, I%26#39;ve never been to Austria before.

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Well, how good is your skiing? (Actually, my Dallas cousin skis in Colorado, so no chuckles, please). Since you are going into wintry weather, that will determine where you want to visit. Salzburg, Hallstadt, Innsbruck - all are lovely under the first snow. However, high mountain adventures are out, unless you are the REI type of mountaineer. By sticking to cities, you will have sure transportation and can indulge in indoor pursuits when the weather turns nasty (which it can). Pencil in a couple of days in Salzburg and Hallstadt area. Decide whether going to Tirol will make the experience unforgettable. Travel north to Linz, medieval/baroque Freistadt (also very pretty in snow) and then to Cesky Krumlov which will be a lasting memory. Head up to Prague for a couple of days. And then off to Vienna for 3 days at least.

There are lots of folk customs in the latter part of November that would be enjoyable to watch. A little research between now and then will be helpful.

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Well, November is likely to be not that friendly, but as the weather became more and more unpredictable you could probably enjoy sunny weather and acceptably warm temperatures.

Spend a few day in Salzburg, relax, recover from the long flight and tour the city. Then I would head westwards to Innsbruck, from where you could do some sidetrips up to the higher regions. You could also contemplate a layover at the Aqua Dome Hotel in the Ötztal valley, which is a relatively new premise offering wellness and SPA treatments.

www.aqua-dome.at/xxl/_lang/en/index.html

Then I%26#39;d go in Easterly direction through the mountainous region towards Zell am See and Hallstatt to see the gorgeous village itself, the salt mine and the ice cave in Obertraun close to Hallstatt. The region in which Hallstatt and lakes are located is named %26quot;Salzkammergut%26quot;, a really beautiful part of Austria. Then drive northward to Linz, the captial of the province %26#39;Upper Austria%26#39;, where you can enjoy urban comfort if you desire before you head to the Czech Republic to see Cesky Krumlov, Budweis and Prague. After you have done Prague get directly back to Vienna for your final!

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Removed on: 3:19 pm, September 29, 2009

Wien staatsoper - cancellation tickets?

Has anyone dealt with www.viennaoperaconcerts.com? I talked to them on the phone about some tickets to a sold out Opera in June and they mentioned they have some %26quot;cancellation tickets%26quot; available for a discount off the regular price for that category. Before proceeding with this I was hoping someone had some feedback on these type of tickets and if there anything I should be aware of with these tickets/resellers.

Thanks,

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This is a ticket broker- they are in business to make a profit.I have never heard of these companies selling anything other than valid tickets. But most all sell at a considerabe premium to the actual ticket price that you can buy the same ticket for directly through the venue.

Example tonights Opera Falstaff

the firm is selling tickets for 204 euro , 165 euro and 124 euro classified as Category 1- 3

Going directly to the State Opera Website

www.staatsoper.at

they offer tickets - hightest price 157, then 127 then 95 euro- unable to determine actual categories , but they seem to be the same.

Why would a broker offer a discount on tickets to a sold out Opera in June ?

I would take my time and closely compare prices.

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Thanks for this info. It helps. I%26#39;ve figured out the discount is from their published Internet rates rather than the venue%26#39;s prices. Those rates are a still bit more when comparing to the venue%26#39;s rates, but tolerable given the fact it is sold out.

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Look carefully at the location of the tickets- you will find a seating plan on the State Opera website.

Some seats do not have the best views - perhaps 1/2 of the stage especially those seats in the 2nd or back row of the boxes located along the side of the venue.

An offer of a discount for tickets to a sold out performance ( if correct ) are not usually offered at anyones discount - Again why sell a good ticket at a discount to a sell out ?

If you wish it - always standing room available 80 minutes before the performance -

or various other ticket offices when you visit - example Lienerbrünn.

Or if you stay at a larger hotel inquire of your concierge or front desk. They can always find good tickets - but again at a premium- but then you can compare prices.

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Thanks for that wealth of information.

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Removed on: 11:20 am, September 29, 2009

Solo female traveller - Trip report

After all of the wonderful advice/suggestions I received on this forum I wanted to share my own WONDERFUL Salzburg experience with you all!!

I spent two fabulous days strolling around the city, soaking in the sights. As a solo female traveller I NEVER felt unsafe/uneasy even at night -- so thank you all for your reassurances!! The hotel recommendation (Weisse Taube) I received on this site was spot on. Clean, comfortable rooms/facilities, reasonable rates, friendly/helpful staff and EXCELLENT location. I purchased the Salzburg 48 hour card at the front desk upon arrival -- made excellent use of it too.

Day 1: I hit the Fortress first, taking the funicular to the top. The views were spectacular. You see pictures of places but until you are there seeing the sights for yourself . . . breathtaking. I took the guided audio tour of the interior, wandered around a bit more and then headed back down. In all, I probably spent three or four hours poking around the fortress/grounds. Next off to explore the old town -- I stashed my map away and just let myself get lost in the city, peeking into the many cathedrals/churches and stopping to take more than one picture of a beautiful fountain/building/square. I walked around St. Peter%26#39;s cemetery and slowly made my way towards the river. It was a GORGEOUS day -- the weather could not have been better (sunny and around 21 C) and I had prepared myself to battle the elements!! There were soo many people sitting along the riverbanks, outside the cafes . . .

I walked along the river, stopping for a drink and a break on one of the many benches before crossing over to Mirabell Gardens. I was in heaven -- having just arrived from Edmonton (where the weekend before we were hit hard with a %26quot;winter%26quot; storm) I was loving the sight of GREEN grass, leaves on trees, flowers blooming, birds chirping -- let alone amazing architecture, beautiful mountain scenery . . . WOW!!

Day 2: I was at the Residenz by 10AM to take the audio tour, which I thought worth while. I then made my way to the riverbank and boarded the boat to Hellbrunn. I believe the trip took about 30 min -- can%26#39;t quite remember. I had originally hoped to bike along Hellbrunner allee; however, it was raining off and on that morning, so I opted for the boat ride!! The tour of the grounds/trick fountains were a highlight of my visit to Salzburg -- just beautiful (a reoccurring theme!!) and much fun as our guide took great pleasure in soaking our group!! Also, thankfully the weather ended up turning for the better and I was able to spend a good portion of my second day exploring the premises of Schloss Hellbrunn. I decided to walk back to the city along Hellbrunner allee as I really wanted to see the Sound of Music Mansion. Whether your a SMS fan or not, I would definitely recommend either walking/biking this route -- so peaceful and I really enjoyed the scenery (mountain backdrop and interesting houses along the way). When I reached the city I walked up to Nonnberg Abbey -- great views here too!! I spent some more time wandering through the old town, passing Mozart%26#39;s Geburtshaus before heading over to Kapuzinerberg -- more fabulous views!!

By the end of these two days my legs felt like jell-o from all of the uphill climbing -- and I consider myself to be in decent physical conditioning too!! Word to the wise: BRING COMFORTABLE WALKING SHOES!! I don%26#39;t know how some of those girls survive the cobblestones/hills in their heels!!

I was very happy with what I was able to see during my short visit. Had time allowed, I would have liked to tour the Festival venue, take the Monchsberg lift/wander around that area, take in a concert and DEFINITELY see some of the surrounding countryside -- another time, a second visit!! I did learn that I enjoy a slower pace of sightseeing -- I definitely like to stroll!! I would NEVER have been satisfied spending only a day in this breathtakingly beautiful city -- it would have felt too rushed for me.

Well, I think I%26#39;ve rambled on long enough!! In closing, I just wanted to thank everyone who helped in the planning of my first trip to Salzburg (particularly Liz R) -- for all advice, suggestions, reassurances . . . THANK YOU!! And of course, to all who are thinking of visiting this AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL city -- GO!! You won%26#39;t regret it!! :)

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Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip! I think Salzburg is a great destination for the single female traveller, since it is so civilized, with the added bonus of being pocket-sized for walking about! I%26#39;ve never done the boat journey all the way to Hellbrunn but that sounds like great fun. I might try the Hellbrunner Allee walk next time - except it takes quite a while on the bus so I don%26#39;t know if these old-lady legs are up to the hike!

Do take the walk over the Monschberg in your next trip - it is beautiful and if you liked the views from the fortress, there%26#39;s even more to enjoy on both sides of the Monschberg. It%26#39;s a peaceful green haven when the city gets thronged with tourists in the summer months. If you exit the fortress on foot rather than down the funicular, you can walk out onto the Monschberg about half-way down after passing the ticket desk in the fortress gates, rather than going all the way down into town. It can also be accessed (with much less effort!) from the Monschberg lift up to the modern art museum).

For another view of the city you can also climb the Kapuzinerberg on the other side of the river (steps and path up from the Linzergasse) which I fully intend to do one of these days when feeling exceptionally energetic ;)

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Like Roley I%26#39;m delighted you enjoyed your visit so much and it%26#39;s very helpful indeed for you to post your trip report as it%26#39;s a further reassurance to other solo travellers.

I%26#39;m also thrilled that you decided to take a stroll on the Hellbrunner Allee. We did the walk one Christmas after attending the Christmas market at Hellbrunn. Having no traffic (other than bikes and horse drawn carriages) it was so peaceful and we took loads of photos along the way. That beautiful moated house is a sight not many tourists see!!

I agree about comfy shoes. I have long since discarded fashion for comfort when walking in Salzburg.

Thanks again for a great report.

Liz.

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Did you only fly over the Atlantic Ocean to see Salzburg?

Come back as soon as possible to visit Vienna!

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Salzburg was just the first stop on my trip; however, the only one I did solo -- I did make my way to Vienna eventually!! Loved it there too!!

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Ha ha -- I just noticed that I had posted %26quot;SMS fan%26quot; -- meant SOM fan!! Whoops!! :)

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Removed on: 3:20 pm, September 29, 2009

Xmas and easter shops in Salzburg

Hi I have read in the forum quite a few months ago ,about a xmas shop and an easter shop some where in Salzburg. I never kept a copy of the addresses and now cant find the information again. Could some one please give me the addresses and also are the shops open all year round. We will be there at the beginning of July. Thanks for your help , the information from people on the forum is invaluable.

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The Christmas shop is in the very heart of the old city center, the adress is Judengasse 10 and the shop name is %26quot;Christmas in Salzburg%26quot;, phone number +43 662 843762

Just next door you can find %26quot;Easter in Salzburg%26quot; at the adress Judengasse 13, phone number is +43 662 841794

If you need any more informations, let me know!

Wolfgang

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Thank You very much Wolfgang. We are only in Salzburg for 4 days and its so much better to be organized and know addresses ,so we can go straight there.

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You are very welcome. If you need any more adresses let me know. I had such a wonderful time in Brisbane last November and all the people were so friendly so I hope I can help you a little bit in return :-)

Wolfgang

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The VAT tax in Austria is 20%. This tax has been already added to price displayed but you can get 15% refunded when you leave the EU.

In Austria, to qualify for the refund and to get the refund form completed you must buy at least 75,01 € from single a merchant. The Easter in Salzburg and the Christmas in Salzburg stores have the same owner and when requested they will combine purchase(s) so that you can meet the minimum.

www.globalrefund.com/default.asp…

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Thank You very much for that information, we are first time travellers in Europe and did%26#39;nt know this. Every bit of money saved is great.

Could you tell me the hours of the shops over there .

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Each EU country has a different VAT tax rate and a different minimum to qualify for getting a refund form started. The Global Refund service charge is generally 2% of the total refund. A good summary is at -http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/vat.htm

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Removed on: 1:17 pm, September 29, 2009

London or Paris to Innsbruck - HELP!

Looking to go from London or Paris to Innsbruck (Austria) for the Spain vs Sweden Euro 2008 match on 14th June 2008

We would like to arrive there on 13th June and leave on 15th June

Looks like it%26#39;s a tough place to get cheap flights to. Also thought about maybe a train from Munich

Anyone have any ideas what%26#39;s the cheapest and quickest way to get there from Paris/London for June 13th to June 15th?

Thanks in advance

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EasyJet flys to Innsbruck,

or you could fly from London with Ryanair to Salzburg, and then take the train from there to Innsbruck.

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Obviously Innsbruck is nearest airport but I%26#39;ve used Munich from where it%26#39;s around 2-1/2hrs to Innsbruck by train (line S8 every 20 mins from airport, change at Munich East - expresses run every 2 hrs from ther to Innsbruck).

As well as Salzburg you might consider Friedrichshafen (which would mean using Ryan Air from Stansted); from this small airport it%26#39;s a 4km bus or local train ride to Friedrichshafen City then train to Bregenz where you change for Innsbruck. I recall the trip%26#39;s a bit under 3hrs which is similar to that from Munich airport but at Friedrichshafen it%26#39;s possible to be off the plane and at bus / train stop in 5 or 10 minutes!

Last time I made this trip (to a stop just short of Innsbruck) I went the whole way by train leaving London at 0832hrs changing at Paris and Zurich, arrive Innsbruck 2120hrs (11hrs 48min with time change). As per your post if you are travelling only from Paris then train is definitely an option, for example 0824hrs from Paris East, just 1 change (Zurich), arrive Innsbruck around 1720hrs. That might well be cheaper option if flights are heavily booked as %26#39;walk-up%26#39; rail fares on this route are not that expensive.

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Many Thanks for your answers - looks like we%26#39;re gonna do Munich and have a night there as well

Thanks again

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Removed on: 1:22 pm, September 29, 2009

small villages with hidden gems

we visit austria every summer and will stay in lech for 1 week but also wonder if anyone knows of any small villages with hotels with good food at a reasonable price.

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Which area of Austria were you thinking of exactly? I guess in the Alps too?!

Are you searching for a remote area? Not very touristy, but beautiful and traditional?

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definetly looking for somewhere non- touristy and in the tirol region

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Two places I can recommend from my travels are the Achensee area with the small town of Pertisau, easily reached by train from Jenbach and the entire Stubai Valley, especially farther up toward Neustift.

At Pertisau, check out the Sporthotel Entner (excellent food) and in Neustift we stay either at the Neustifterhof (excellent staff and outstanding food) or a bit closer to the glacier at the Hotel Fernau. I still remember their huge buffet - definitely not traditional morning repast.

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I real gem is the East Tyrol - it is just wonderful and by far not soo touristy than the Tyrol.

The Defereggen Valley is really pittoresque, f.e. St. Jakob.

http://www.osttirol.com/

tiscover.at/at/…home.html

tiscover.at/at/…home.html

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we have visited pertisau lots although not stayed there - and it is beautiful but st jacob LOOKS like a great possibility, looks like our kind of place and have done a little of that area but only for 1/2 night stops- a long drive for my orther half but !!!!! if we get what we want, its worth it

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Removed on: 8:19 am, September 29, 2009

Train from Salzburg to Zurich

Can anyone tell me about the train trip from Salzburg to Zurich? We will be doing it on the 26th December and as we are a family of 5 expect we would have to reserve seats early??

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You could check the english website of the Austrian railways

http://www.bahn.at/en/

to find the schedules. There are a few direct trains to Zurich (travelling time a little less than 6 hours) and some connecting trains as well. Schedules will be online about 2 months in advance and YES you should make reservations to make sure that you can sit together.

As there are quite cheap train ticket offers on the Australian market I suggest you contact one of the Australian tour operators specialized in Austria (such als Holiday on Location, Beyond Travel) and ask about Eurail offers, they are not available in Europe!

If you don%26#39;t know yet what to do in Salzburg on December 25th here is an idea for you:

panoramatours.com/salzburg-Pferdeschlittenfa…

Wish you a pleasant travel!

Wolfgang

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Thankyou for your reply.

We will look into the Australian train sites.

We have actually booked a sleigh ride for the 25th but are just wondering where to eat on the night of the 24th?

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As the eve of 24th is mostly a family event in Austria most normal restaurants have closed, but in nearly every hotel there will be a special Christmas dinner. In which hotel are you going to stay? Maybe they have their own celebration there...

What you should not miss is a walk across the Christmas market in the center of Salzburg before you have your dinner.

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All European train schedules are re-adjusted on the 2nd Monday in December = 08.12.2008. Websites will have the new schedules around November 15th. Any changes from todays schedules are usually only by a few minutes.

The normal one-way 2nd class fare via Germany is 87,40 €. From the DB website, beginning 89 days in advance, it would be possible to purchase and print-out a discounted 2nd class ‘Europa-Spezial Schweiz’ ticket for 39 €.

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

For travel on December 26th, you will definitely want to make seat reservations several days in advance.

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Thankyou so much for your help and I will look into this site for the train tkts.

I may need to ask more questions later.

We are staying at the Wolf Dietrich Hotel. We are also meeting up with some friends who are staying in an apartment.

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Hi dougb328,

I know I can%26#39;t book tkts until 89 days before but where do you find the Europa- Spezial Schweiz tkts you mentioned?

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That special fare is only for trains that transit through Germany. Those trains depart Salzburg at 07:09, 07:53 or 14:11.

Go to http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

From: Salzburg

To: Zürich

select date and time

click Search connection

- next page –

enter travelers and age for each

click continue

- next page -

in the Savings fare column click on ‘Check availability’

I believe that you are only able to purchase and make reservations for up to 4 tickets during a single transaction. The system will automatically select seat reservations that are together. Children under 6 travel for free and do not need a ticket. Children 6 to 14 travel for free but must be ticketed.

Information about the Self-print Online ticket is at - bahn.de/international/…onlineticket.shtml

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I%26#39;ve travelled the western part of this rail trip several times in winter. The train stops at St Anton and Langen Am Arlberg (for Lech), both are very busy ski resorts and many use the direct Salzburg / Zurich trains to transfer to Zurich airport. You should most definitely reserve seats especially if you are to be seated together.

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Removed on: 1:21 pm, September 29, 2009

weather

I am in Salzburg this Friday until next Tuesday,what weather and temperatures can I expect.Many thanks

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Friday should be quite hot (up to 31 Celsius), maybe some thunderstorms in the evening.

Saturday cloudy with a good chance of rain, temperatures with a maximum of 24 Celsius.

Sunday partly cloudy, sunny moments as well as light chance of rain

Monday, tuesday hot again, lots of sun, 30 degrees expected

And don%26#39;t forget: there is no bad weather, just bad clothes!

Wolfgang

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there are so many weather related websites where you can find the weather, unless you just wanted someone else to do your homework! :)

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Many thanks Dumbo 13.As for you XYXYXYX,mind your own business!!!

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The sad thing about the Internet is that we have no body language or facial expressions. XYXYXYX did put a smiley face after the posting inferring that this was a teasing comment rather than sarcasm.

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Removed on: 3:16 pm, September 29, 2009

1 and a half days in Salzburg

Hi! I%26#39;m from a group of 3 girls (aged 20+) and we%26#39;ll be in Salzburg in June from 2-7pm on day 1, and 9-7pm on day 2. I%26#39;d like your help on planning out an itinerary! I%26#39;ve got a rough plan as follows:

Day 1:

Get a bike and tour the city, including the Sound of Music sites. For about 4 hours.

There have been excellent reviews on the SOM tours and all of us are huge fans of the movie, but since our train arrives at 1350, catching the 1400 tour would be pushing it a bit! So we decided to tour it on our own. Is it possible to complete everything in 4 hours? What are the sights we should include which the tours also have?

Day 2:

9am - arrive in Salzburg and tour more of the city. I thought places like Hohensalzburg which is further from the SOM area would need more time. What other places are there in the city which shouldn%26#39;t be missed?

1pm - Werfen Ice Caves tour

The reason we couldn%26#39;t have the SOM tour on day 2 is coz we want to see the ice caves! They%26#39;re really awesome right? Is it better to do it on my own or is the tour worth it? I%26#39;m thinking of going with Panorama. Is the whole tour conducted too quickly with not enough time to see the caves properly?

6pm - return to salzburg. Walk around till 7pm.

We have to leave salzburg at 7pm as our hostel%26#39;s in Bad Gastein (couldn%26#39;t get one within the city itself!) and the next train is a little too late for 3 girls to take!

Thanks so much for your help! :)

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The SOM tour does not only cover the city of Salzburg but will bring you out to the lake district, to Mondsee church where the marriage was filmed and many more places that can%26#39;t be reached by bike. So I suggest you try to reach the 2pm tour which leaves from Mirabellplatz on your arrival day. Mostly the tour is delayed for apx. 5-10 minutes so you should be able to make it. Anyway you don%26#39;t take any risk if you just walk in and you can inform Panoramatours that you might come, just contact them at office@panoramatours.com and try to find a solution. Can%26#39;t you come to Salzburg one hour earlier?

Regarding the walking tour in Salzburg the fortress would be perfect, also all the narrow alleys in the old city center, that would easily fill your half day. But ATTENTION! We have the European Football Championship in June and all the big squares in the city center would turn into fanzones in the afternoon, which would not be the best place for three young girls at that time... When do you plan to come?

Ice caves are phantastic and YES, Panoramatours would be the best choice. You can easily book online at www.panoramatours.com

Have a nice time in Salzburg

Wolfgang

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Hi! Nope unfortunately we are bound by these timings. We%26#39;re coming from Budapest and this is the earliest time we can reach! Thanks a lot for your help! Also, we%26#39;re gonna be there on 10th and 11th - it%26#39;s AWFUL I know, but we didn%26#39;t really have a choice :( thanks!

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Well, on the 10th there is the match between Greece and Sweden, so expect many, many Greek and Swedish fans in the city - it might be great fun, but unfortunately in the afternoon some parts of the city center will be blocked. The inner fan circle with restricted access is around the cathedral and Mozartplatz, the outer fan zone may include Mirabellplatz as well. Make sure you always carry your ID and avoid glass bottles and any dangerous items such as knives (even pocket-knives), umbrellas and so on because if you enter the fan area you might be forced to leave those things behind. Even if the fan zones cover the squares in the city center there are tourist routes that lead you around this areas so that you are still able to reach all parts of the ols city.

However, if you follow Liz%26#39;s wonderful descriptions you can be sure that the EURO will not influence the Hellbrunn castle, Leopoldskron castle and Mirabellgarten. Even St. Peter should be easy to reach if you walk to there from the festival district.

If you rent a bike you easily can avoid the fanzones and see lots of SOM sights as well.

On this map you can figure out where the basic fan zones are:

www.salzburg.info/pics/sbginnenstadtplan.pdf

Have fun!

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Thanks for the map! Um does this mean that throughout the day, there will be fans in the Old City (Mozartplatz, Residenzplatz, etc) and we won%26#39;t be able to sightsee there properly?

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You WILL be able to sightsee. Please don%26#39;t worry about this. The city will be crowded (like it is at music festival time) but it won%26#39;t be a problem. I will be there during the tournament too and I am not worried at all. There will be a great atmosphere in the city and besides, many of the tourist sights are away from the fanzones. I%26#39;m sure you will have a wonderful time.

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Removed on: 3:20 pm, September 29, 2009

Bus/train availabilty from Soll, Austria, to Salzburg. May

Hi,

Can anyone tell me if it is easy to get to Salzburg and back, via bus, (or train) from Soll, Austria?

We need to travel at the end of May/beginning of June. Was thinking of travelling there and back in a day, just to see Salzburg, while holidaying in Soll.

How long is the journey?

Is there a regular bus service in May/June, between Soll and Salzburg?

How much does it cost, approximately?

Thanks,

DJC, England

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http://fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/en

(fare information for train legs only)

For a particular reason all regional buses from Söll go to St. Johann, where only regional rail is available. Using this parameters a trip to Salzburg City would be time-consuming. If you can organise transport to Wörgl, you have numerous connections to Salzburg.

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Thanks for the advice!

DJC England

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Hey, Im a local I live in Söll and i gotta tell you that it%26#39;s pretty complicated to get to salzburg..

first of all you would ned to get to either wörgl or kufstein by bus. Takes you about 30 mins. You find the timetable at http://www.postbus.at

finally you arrived at wörgl/kufstein you have to go by train, which will take you about 1,5 or 2 hours to get to salzburg. Same thing when you%26#39;re going back, but be sure that you are back in wörgl/kufstein before 18.30, because thats the time when the last bus going to söll leaves from there. otherwise you would need a taxi to get back.

hope i could help you.

greetings out of austria!

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You could ask in the Soll Tourint Information Office if there are any bus trips to Salzburg.

When we were in Austria last year we asked in the local T/I for any day trips to Hallstatt. We were informed one of the big package tour company has a weekly bus tour to Hallstatt. They got in touch with the Rep for us and we went with them to Hallstatt.

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Removed on: 1:18 am, September 28, 2009

Stubi Glacier

I have heard that the Stubi Glacier is well worth a visit.

My fiancee and I are spending 7 days in Innsbruck as part of our summer Austria trip. We will be using public transport throughout... I drive alot as part of my job and just looking forward to not driving for a few weeks! We are both keen outdoors people hence we are spending a longer time in Innsbruck as part of our trip.

What is the best way to get to the glacier from Innsbruck?

What is there to do when we get there?

Is there cable cars up etc?

Does anyone have a suggestion for an itinery for a day which includes the glacier.

Thanks.

Mark

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www.stubaier-gletscher.com/index.php…

From Main Railroad Station:

Get aboard a %26quot;Stubaital%26quot; Line Bus at the Innsbruck Bus Terminal (Main Railroad Station) and take a scenic ride to Neustift/Mutterberg.

Get aboard the Stubaital Tram (opposite of the Main Railroad Station) and head for Fulpmes. There, change for a %26quot;Stubaital%26quot; Line Bus and take a ride to Neustift/Mutterberg.

THE STUBAI GLACIER AT A GLANCE:

-An hour´s drive away from Innsbruck

-Experience the TOP OF TYROL,The summit platform at 3,200 m above sea level with fascinating 360 degree all-round views over the Tyrolean mountains (opens end of July 2008)

-The Jochdohle, Austria´s highest mountain restaurant at 3,150 m above sea level

-The Schaufeljoch panoramic cableway with the observation point in the mountain terminal

-3,000 m summit victory on the “Small Isidor”. Accessible via secured via ferrata; 20 minutes from the Jochdohle

-Enjoy going skiing in summer (snow conditions permitting)

-Secured glacier trail from the Eisgrat mountain terminal to the Jochdohle

A-ction-packed glacier hikes: starting point for many mountain and glacier tours

-The Fernau climbing park: via ferrata, climbing routes and – new! – a bracing, challenging sports trail for serious climbing enthusiasts

-The WildWater Trail: feel the energy of water

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Ulrike pretty well covered it - I consider the Stubai Valley one of Tirol%26#39;s finest (and so close to more expensive ski areas too!). There are also gondolas and lifts to surrounding mountains, such as the Elfer just outside of the valley%26#39;s major town, Neustift. Great hiking up there. We generally stay at the Neustifterhof in town, or the Alpenhotel Fernau on the way to the glacier route.

There is a little Alm (Alpine farmstead) to the right of the gondola base station in a nearby valley, easily reached on foot, and we had a great time dining, singing to live music, and trying to keep the billy goats away from our youngsters. Try to make a stop there . . .

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I see from the web site above that you can take a hiking day trip ticket in the summer. Has anyone done this... how long would you get there... I mean when is the first and last bus? Is it easy to spend the phole day there?

Mark

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Removed on: 11:20 am, September 29, 2009

Bratislava daytrip

We will be in Vienna later this month and want to do a daytrip to Bratislava. I was thinking that it might be best to do the Twin City Liner one way and the train the other as the 8:30 departure only has 1 seat available on the day I want to travel.

If we were to take the train to Bratislava, would we need to purchase a ticket in advance for a Thursday morning at the end of May?

If we were to take the Twin City Liner back, I assume that we should make advance reservations? If we caught the 18:30 boat, would it still be light enough to see? 14:30 would be too early to leave.

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No need to purchase your train ticket ahead of time, the train between Vienna (Wien) and Bratislava runs frequently and I’ve never seen it full, think “Metra” and you won’t be far off. As for the Twin City Liner, never taken, but at 18:30 there should be plenty of light left.

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At 18. 30 there will be enough light! And you will not need more time in Bratislava - it is relatively small and you can see everything within half a day.

I would take the boat back as well - it is a really nice trip and the boat runs between the two inner city centers, very convenient.

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Thanks for your replies! I found a website that said that the sun was setting at around 8:50 pm (20:50) this week so we should have light all the way back.

Is the Twin City Liner the only option? Is it the best option? It looks like it%26#39;s 26E for the time we are sailing.

Another option would be to take the 12:30 sailing from Vienna to Bratislava which would get us in at 13:45 but is that enough time to see Bratislava? Is 4-5 hours enough?

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I would personally take option two, arriving in Bratislava at 13:45 then take the train back to Vienna. Trains heading back to Vienna run late into the evening so theoretically you could stay more than 4 to 5 hours. I would characterize Bratislava as more of a café destination and it’s most enjoyable in the evening. IMHO, 4 to 5 hours is enough time to visit the old town area, after that, find a nice place to have dinner then visit an outdoor café, head back to Vienna at your leisure.

The train ride use to be about 45 to 50 minutes, it may be shorter now that Slovakia is a member of Schengen and I’m assuming they have stopped border checks.

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how much is a trip to vienna by bus and train respectively? to which station is the bus arriving from brastilava? Is the bus trip frequent? 10x

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This subject with travel alternatives, information and prices discussed often on this forum

just type in %26quot; trip to bratislava %26quot; and %26quot; bratislava %26quot; in the search box for these.

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ÖBB (Austrian Railways) has a special offer for day trippers to Bratislava:

14€ (return) including city transport in Bratislava. Easy purchase at all ticket vending machines (Press Euregio-Tickets on the top of the screen).

Bratislava is mainly served by regional trains, which cannot be reserved. And as the trains run twice an hour you won%26#39;t definitely face any problems. All trains bound for Bratislava depart from Station %26quot;South/East%26quot; One train line takes the Northern track via Marchegg to the main station, the other one takes the Southern track via Bruck/Leitha to Petrzalka, a station South of the city centre. As the main station is not in or close to the centre it doesn%26#39;t matter where to bound to.

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Removed on: 1:16 pm, September 28, 2009

Travel to Vienna with my 3 children aged 15, 12, 9

Can you advise me on good places/area to stay? Is bauernmarkt a central location? Any recommendations on things to do in January would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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We visited Vienna with two boys 15 and 13 and and they loved Schonbrunn Palace, and Schonbrunn Zoo. We particularly loved seeing the Pandas, monkeys, penguins and bears. The zoo is set up very differently to Australian zoos. The animals are much easier too see. We enjoyed it alot.

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Bauernmarkt is a very central location in the center of the city - easy walking distance to much sightseeing, restaurants etc.

It appears you look perhaps to the City Pension or Hotel Schweizerhof as both are in that area.

for much sightseeing with children.

look to the Vienna tourist web site

www.info.wien.at

click on specials - you will see the section Vienna for Children .

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For children, I especially would not miss the House of Music museum, which I have visited my 14 year old. He absolutely loved it. It%26#39;s between St. Stephen%26#39;s Cathedral and the Vienna State Opera.

http://www.hdm.at/en/2.htm - English website

It is lively, interactive and truly fun. You can sing in a shower, conduct an orchestra and do so many other interesting things. It is unique and also a wonderful break from history, although the museum of course goes gives much information on Austria%26#39;s musical heritage.

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Removed on: 9:19 am, September 29, 2009

family ski trip lech march 09

we are planning a family ski trip to lech in march 09 and would ike to stay in an appartment. I have looked at the Anna Maria and fuermesli.

I would be booking independently as I can%26#39;t find any tour operators who offer appartments. Does anyone know either of these two? Are they near the ski school? My children are very young and couldn%26#39;t take a long walk.

Also, will I be ok hiring ski equipment, passes on arrival. I%26#39;ve never done a D.I.Y trip before and it feels a bit daunting.

All advice welcome!

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Removed on: 8:03 am, August 19, 2008


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Thanks for reply. I%26#39;ve had a look. Problem is, map is not terribly clear as to where they are and doesn%26#39;t give distances to the key areas. (i.e. ski school etc). But it was very useful to see them and others so again, thanks. Best wishes, Francesca

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Thanks again for your help. It%26#39;s very kind of you!

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We stay at the Anna Maria every Xmas. It is literally on the doorstep of the main lift and the ski school meeting place is just outside the lift. There is a really good hire shop next to the Anna Maria. If you stay there the owners are very hospitable and will help you to sort everything out that you need, the lift passes also double as house keys, so Gunther will arrange these for you too. They have 2 children, so are child friendly! Hope this helps.

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Why don%26#39;t you phone the Anna Maria and speak to Gunther or Andrea, they both have excellent English and if they can%26#39;t accomodate you, will be able to recommend somewhere else.

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I will do that. Thanks so much. Out of interest, do you recall seeing the Fuermesli apartments? Just wondering.

Thanks again for your help.

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No I%26#39;m sorry, I don%26#39;t recall seeing them. If you go to the lech tourist board site, they might be able to send you their brochure, which is very good. Also they could advise you too.

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thank you again !

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Removed on: 7:16 pm, September 25, 2009

Need a " Day room" in Vienna (long layover)

Hello,

I am traveling with my child and I will have a long layover between my flights. I will arrive to Vienna at 8:30 and my next departure at 23:00. So, I am looking for place to stay from 10:00 to 19:00.

Maybe someone could recommend me hotel or pension with 50-65 Euro price range in the city center. Vienna airport hotels charge 90 Euro for a day room. My kid is little, so, a jet lag and long layover are disadvantages in my case.

Maybe someone knows also how to book a transit hotel room that located in the transit aria of Vienna airport.

Thank you in advance.

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Vienna Airport is not that big... so you won%26#39;t find transit rooms there.

Hotels usually don%26#39;t show rates for day rooms on their websites. Best is to send them an e-mail.

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The only hotel at the airport is the NH just across the street from the main terminal. I assume that is the hotel you refer to as being too expensive.

No other accomodations at the airport.

Probably the best and least expensive is the ETAP Hotel - about 45 euro.

You can reach this hotel via public transport - SBahn train to Wien Mittee and then transfer to the UBahn ( subway ) line U-3 to Gasometer stop then a short walk - minus to this hotel is not in the city center but near to a shopping cente with stores , eating places etc.

about 35 minutes travel time from airport.

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hotel website

www.etaphotel.com

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My suggestion isn%26#39;t probably helpful, but I would probably pay the 90€ and stay at the airport. The NH hotel (if it is the one you mean) is across the street at the arrival level. You would not need any transportation, you just walk over one hour before your connecting flight is due to leave. As you will already be in possession of your boarding pass no need to rush. No threat of traffic congestion or other problems. Maybe you can contact your airline (I suppose you travel Austrian Airlines on OS88 and then on to Eastern Europe...), which can probably get you a discount.

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Thank you very much.

I sent plenty emails and got some offer that I will greatly accept. I am going to the city center anyway. I love Vienna city center as well as my child. So we will stay in pension and will enjoy city walking, too.

Thank you everybody again for advices.

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Removed on: 6:26 am, December 18, 2008


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@bikbua

I found the same website but not one available day room on various dates.

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The website quoted above only lists the NH Hotel for Vienna- at 90 euro. the same hotel original poster already rejected.

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Removed on: 3:17 pm, September 29, 2009

Cheap Pensions vs Cheap Hotels

My boyfriend and I are looking for an inexpensive pension for 3 nights fr. 3 Jul to 7 Jul before we head off to CARINTHIA for his Ironman Austria 08.

I have read thru most of the reviews and have shortlisted the following:

1) Pension Baltic (Euro 70 w/o bkf per rm/nite)

2) Pension Schweizer (Euro 89 w/ bkf per rm/nite)

%26amp;

1) Hotel Allegro Wien (3nite stay @ Euro 312 w/ bkf)

2) Suitehotel Wien Messe (3nite stay @ Euro 276 w/o bkf)

Pension Suzanne is a bit high on my side. Most of the pension recommended are mostly fully booked.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could give me some advice as I%26#39;m not too sure which to choose at? Are there other options which we should be looking at?

Thank you.

Rgds

Mowaxchua

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The Schweizer is the best of those listed in my opinion. It has the better location in the city center - it is a small pension

easy access from the airport by public transport-

easy walking distance to many restaurants -

public transport nearby but you are able to walk to many sights in 10- 15 minutes.

appears best priced too and with breakfast included - usually a buffet.

Baltic - another small place but located away from city center - need to take streetcar or other transport to find most things.

Suite Hotelm is relatively new - but again out of the city center only near to the prater

Allegro- in 5th district - not near much - mixed reviews.

Other options in city center - Hotel Austria , Pension Pertschy , pension Arenberg.

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Thank you for your reply Vertical.

I would like to ask another question. It seems that most pension accept cash payment, is this norm?

I%26#39;m concerned is becos I don%26#39;t wish to bring so much cash with me.

Rgds

Mowaxchua

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Quite a few of the smaller pensions take cash only (it%26#39;s less common in Vienna than elsewhere). I usually go to a Bankomat (automatic teller machine) and draw out the cash to pay when I need it. Perhaps you could check with your home bank whether you would be able to use any of your bank cards (debit cards in the UK) to draw cash from a bank in Vienna this way. The rates usually compare favourably with exchange rates for cash bought at home.

rol

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It is not unusual for pensions especially the smaller ones to ask for cash-euros.

They must pay a commission to the credit card companies if they accept this payment method.- often a substantial amount for them.

Hopefully you have access to Bankomat - ATMs. They usually offer the best exchange rate and are found everywhere. Some available 25 hours daily.

A safe and secure way to access your money- Do not take travelers checks - often not accepted anywhere today.

Cash can be a security problem as mentioned.

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Vertical - I%26#39;d no idea the Viennese day was an hour longer than in the UK ;-)

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Most everything better in Vienna.

Even in Salzburg - just ask the manager at the new Trapp Family Villa Hotel- Edel Weiss.

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This hotel must now be top of my list to visit!!

Is it true that the hotel restaurant will be called %26quot;The Lonely Goatherd%26quot; which will open every afternoon at %26quot;16.00 going on 17.00%26quot;, will feature %26quot;Doe, a deer%26quot; as its signature dish and will let you take home any uneaten food in %26quot;brown paper packages, tied up with strings%26quot;?

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Thanks for the good laugh, Norman! I had to have a nose at this, it sounded so funny - but the reality looks rather stuffy. I wonder what market they aim at (would any Austrian care to stay there surrounded by SOM fans?) Their website is

http://villa-trapp.cc/index.php

for anyone who wants a peek!

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Rol - how can you be so cynical about the place?!?!

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I think it might have been looking at their high-season prices for single rooms (make sure you%26#39;re sitting down first!)

vertical

sorry I screwed up my reply

thank you for your reply

now another question

does this mean that banks in rural austria may not cash travelers cheques?

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You can easily send him a private message!

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Kanuk 08

Ask your questions where you wish.

General questions listed here are often useful to others in addition to the poster.

Regarding travelers checks- I must assume that country banks would often be less likely to cash checks as they also do not wish the paper work with small commission earned.

Most european travelers use their home bank card - like a debit card to access their money. Thus banks do not see many travelers checks anymore.

Country towns that cater to many tourists may be slightly more likely to exchange.

I would advise to try the larger cities like Vienna, Salzburg , Innsbruck - much more likely to have success. When attempting to cash the checks bring your passport and only sign the checks in front of bank personnel.

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thank you so much vertical it is wonderfull to have a forum like this to have questions answered by knowlegable pople like you and others

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Removed on: 6:20 pm, September 29, 2009

Arriving in Vienna & leaving for Budapest

Hello - We%26#39;ll be arriving at the Vienna airport around 9:30am on Monday, June 23. We%26#39;ll then be needing to catch a train to Budapest. There are 6 people in our group. I%26#39;m a little hesitant to buy train tickets ahead of time in case our flight isn%26#39;t on time. Do we run the risk of the train being full? There are trains from Westbahnhof at 10:40am, 11:52 and 12:40. Any suggestions are appreciated!

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I don%26#39;t believe I would be concerned with the train being full. I have used the trains extensively and never found that to be a problem in 1st or 2nd class. I%26#39;ve been on a couple that were crowded. Also wanted to point out that you can catch the bus from the airport to Westbanhof for 6 Euros. If it%26#39;s full, use the CAT train to Wein Mitte and catch the Underground from there. 9 Euros that way.

Lummy

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The 9 euros only covers the CAT. For the underground you need an extra 1.70 euro ticket which you can purchase at the CAT statiuon at the airport. You can book the CAT online and save one euro:

http://www.cityairporttrain.com/home/

You can also catch the suburban train from the airport S2 which leaves from the platform next to the CAT. This costs 3.40 euros including the underground and takes 8 minutes longer than the CAT.

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There are two possibilities:

Direct bus from the airport to Budapest:

eurolines.at/fahrplan/…6000_Budapest7.pdf

or the bus/train combination via Westbahnhof or other chaning points:

http://fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/en

Usually a ticket is valid for any train within some days or weeks, you also shoud get a group discount. If you feel better, you can buy a seat reservation in advance (seat reservation and ticket are two different things).

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I just realized that we%26#39;ll be trying to get into and out of Vienna during Euro Cup 2008. Will that make a difference as to how full the trains are to Budapest?

Thanks!

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Removed on: 10:16 am, September 29, 2009