Optional tour of Salzburg

[outandabout]

Hello! On our itinerary, there is an Salzburg optional tour in Passau. Wondering if DIY is an option. Has anybody done this before? We could take the train to Salzburg and from there we will be picked up by a tour company. The cost of the tour is less than the ship's.

 

Any thoughts? Thanks.

[caviargal]

Does your boat drop you in Salzburg and return you to Linz?

 

We have done DIY to Salzburg and plan to do so again later this month. We spend our day in Salzburg walking the city and do not take a tour. Salzburg is gorgeous and easy to get around.

 

The most complicated part was finding the boat in Linz as the directions the front desk provided were poor.

[outandabout]

Caviargal---

 

We are being dropped off at Linz and picked up at Passau. I called GateOne to get the details because this doesn't show on their itinerary at least the one on their website. The tour in Salzburg we are thinking about is Bob's Tours and it includes the "Sound of Music" filming location and some drive through scenic countryside. For 4 hours it cost $45/pp. We plan to see more of Salzburg (on our own) after the tour before we head back to Passau.

 

I am collecting information about train to Salzburg (from Linz) and Passau (from Linz). We may be able to see Salzburg for less $$ than the ship's cost of $99.00.

 

If you have other details, appreciate if you can share. thanks.

[boards]

We did Salzburg while on Uniworld cruise on the Danube, it rained almost the whole time.

Ever tried to listen to guide on those monitors in rain, not much fun, but it still turned out to be fun. Almost got lost in those winding streets.

[caviargal]

Caviargal---

 

We are being dropped off at Linz and picked up at Passau. I called GateOne to get the details because this doesn't show on their itinerary at least the one on their website. The tour in Salzburg we are thinking about is Bob's Tours and it includes the "Sound of Music" filming location and some drive through scenic countryside. For 4 hours it cost $45/pp. We plan to see more of Salzburg (on our own) after the tour before we head back to Passau.

 

I am collecting information about train to Salzburg (from Linz) and Passau (from Linz). We may be able to see Salzburg for less $$ than the ship's cost of $99.00.

 

If you have other details, appreciate if you can share. thanks.

 

If it were me and I wanted so see Salzburg, I would not choose a tour that took me out of town. While the area where SOM was filmed is very scenic, I just love Salzburg and have spent months there over the past 30 years.

 

For one day only I would stay in the city center and not travel to the outskirts.

 

From the train station in Salzburg you can walk to the center in about 20 minutes or take a bus which drops you off in the center of the Altstadt. Last year the bus was 1.50 Euro per person.

[outandabout]

We did Salzburg while on Uniworld cruise on the Danube, it rained almost the whole time.

Ever tried to listen to guide on those monitors in rain, not much fun, but it still turned out to be fun. Almost got lost in those winding streets.

 

We're going in April and what I dread most is the rain...cold! Will pack a light raincoat and umbrella!

 

Happy Holidays!

[outandabout]

If it were me and I wanted so see Salzburg, I would not choose a tour that took me out of town. While the area where SOM was filmed is very scenic, I just love Salzburg and have spent months there over the past 30 years.

 

For one day only I would stay in the city center and not travel to the outskirts.

 

From the train station in Salzburg you can walk to the center in about 20 minutes or take a bus which drops you off in the center of the Altstadt. Last year the bus was 1.50 Euro per person.

 

Sorry, I don't see your point. Where SOM was filmed, is that a long drive from the city center?

 

Thanks.

[caviargal]

Sorry, I don't see your point. Where SOM was filmed, is that a long drive from the city center?

 

Thanks.

 

SOM was filmed in multiple locations and most of them are well away from the center. I put my mom on a half day SOM tour while we were in Salzburg and there was no time spent in the center at all. I am sure the tour company can provide specifics.

 

If you spend 4 hours on the tour there will not be much time for visiting Salzburg, once you factor in travel time to and from.

[outandabout]

Glad you pointed out the travel time logistics. thank you!

[trinitygirl]

Hi there, I am in Munich at the moment and yesterday I did a day trip to Salzburg: when I arrived at the train station there was a hop-on hop-off bus pulling in in front of me, so I made a split second decision to join it: it was a fabulous day. I went up to the fortress via the funicular and had lunch up there, i visited 4 christmas markets (the one in front of Mirabelle Palace, the one in the cathedral forecourt, the fabulous market at Hellbrun Palace, and another one), and went on a complete circuit of the bus route (which takes 1.15 hours) at 5pm in the dark to see all the christmas lights: by that time it was snowing (in the morning it was blue skies so i got fantastic views from the fortress, then at 3pm it started to go grey and by 5pm it was a blizzard) and the whole thing was spectacular. I also had afternoon tea at Hotel Sacher and got to try to famous sacher torte. it was a wonderful day and the point of my posting was to say, absolutely DIY - it's a small city and very easy to get around in.

[caviargal]

Hi there, I am in Munich at the moment and yesterday I did a day trip to Salzburg: when I arrived at the train station there was a hop-on hop-off bus pulling in in front of me, so I made a split second decision to join it: it was a fabulous day. I went up to the fortress via the funicular and had lunch up there, i visited 4 christmas markets (the one in front of Mirabelle Palace, the one in the cathedral forecourt, the fabulous market at Hellbrun Palace, and another one), and went on a complete circuit of the bus route (which takes 1.15 hours) at 5pm in the dark to see all the christmas lights: by that time it was snowing (in the morning it was blue skies so i got fantastic views from the fortress, then at 3pm it started to go grey and by 5pm it was a blizzard) and the whole thing was spectacular. I also had afternoon tea at Hotel Sacher and got to try to famous sacher torte. it was a wonderful day and the point of my posting was to say, absolutely DIY - it's a small city and very easy to get around in.

 

That is a great way to spend the day! We love the market at Helbrunn and always visit the Fortress. Snow was a big bonus for you and really made it magical. We had 22 inches last year in the 16 days we were in Austria and Germany and it was spectacular!

[outandabout]

Hi there, I am in Munich at the moment and yesterday I did a day trip to Salzburg: when I arrived at the train station there was a hop-on hop-off bus pulling in in front of me, so I made a split second decision to join it: it was a fabulous day. I went up to the fortress via the funicular and had lunch up there, i visited 4 christmas markets (the one in front of Mirabelle Palace, the one in the cathedral forecourt, the fabulous market at Hellbrun Palace, and another one), and went on a complete circuit of the bus route (which takes 1.15 hours) at 5pm in the dark to see all the christmas lights: by that time it was snowing (in the morning it was blue skies so i got fantastic views from the fortress, then at 3pm it started to go grey and by 5pm it was a blizzard) and the whole thing was spectacular. I also had afternoon tea at Hotel Sacher and got to try to famous sacher torte. it was a wonderful day and the point of my posting was to say, absolutely DIY - it's a small city and very easy to get around in.

 

very encouraging news! glad to hear you had a wonderful time DIY. done hop-on hop-off in other cities before. it really is a convenient way to sightsee. do you remember what the cost is? thanks.

[trinitygirl]

hi, sorry for the delay. i'm 6 days into our cruise on AMA Lyra, and we've been busy!

 

the hop on hop off bus was,. from memory, 12 euros a person, for one day.

[steamboats]

Check out http://www.oebb.at/ or http://www.bahn.de/ for train connections.

 

A quick search showed that there are frequent direct trains from Linz to Salzburg. Depending on the train it´s a 1 hour to 1:15 ride.

 

But there don´t seem to be any direct trains from Salzburg to Passau. The main train route is Munich - Salzburg - Linz - Vienna. So you have to change trains at least once and it´s up to 3 hours.

 

The ships tour might be the more convenient option.

 

steamboats

[outandabout]

hi, sorry for the delay. i'm 6 days into our cruise on AMA Lyra, and we've been busy!

 

the hop on hop off bus was,. from memory, 12 euros a person, for one day.

 

no worries, trinitygirl! i could just imagine...pretty busy but "fun" busy, right?

 

thanks for the info...quite a deal$ !

[outandabout]

Check out http://www.oebb.at/ or http://www.bahn.de/ for train connections.

 

A quick search showed that there are frequent direct trains from Linz to Salzburg. Depending on the train it´s a 1 hour to 1:15 ride.

 

But there don´t seem to be any direct trains from Salzburg to Passau. The main train route is Munich - Salzburg - Linz - Vienna. So you have to change trains at least once and it´s up to 3 hours.

 

The ships tour might be the more convenient option.

 

steamboats

 

 

thanks for the advance info. i did checked the website too---you are right ...3 hr w/ connections---i'm quite leary about this. "what if" scenarios come to my mind---might end up being left behind by the ship. (at this point i don't have the ships' exact itin as to what is departure time from Passau)

 

also, after adding the costs of train tix and HO-HO bus in Salzburg, there's not really a whole lot of savings. although i like the flexibility of DIY.

 

question pls--- could i purchase train tix at the train station on the day of travel? or do i have to purchase it in advance online? btw, which train station name in Passau? there were several listed. i think Linz/Salzburg is just one from what i see.

 

thanks!

[steamboats]

Yes, you can buy the train tickets at the counter. No need to buy them online in advance. Seat reservations are only applicable for IC, ICE trains in Germany but not for regional trains. As for Linz: If you stick with the regional trains you can buy the ticket at the counter. But I think there´s a RailJet connection to Salzburg. This is sort of a special train and I think you need to buy a ticket for this one in advance (as they do have reserved seats). But I can´t tell you for sure.

 

Passau Hbf or Passau Hauptbahnhof is the correct name (Hauptbahnhof is central station or main station).

 

steamboats

[outandabout]

Yes, you can buy the train tickets at the counter. No need to buy them online in advance. Seat reservations are only applicable for IC, ICE trains in Germany but not for regional trains. As for Linz: If you stick with the regional trains you can buy the ticket at the counter. But I think there´s a RailJet connection to Salzburg. This is sort of a special train and I think you need to buy a ticket for this one in advance (as they do have reserved seats). But I can´t tell you for sure.

 

Passau Hbf or Passau Hauptbahnhof is the correct name (Hauptbahnhof is central station or main station).

 

steamboats

 

Thanks for sharing these helpful info. Let me google some more to see if I could get additional info about the RailJet connection.

[steamboats]

I´ve checked but can´t come up with a final answer. The Austrian website doesn´t say anything. But I found out that you can make a seat reservation up to 20 min prior to departure at the train station. RailJet trains and many other Austrian trains do have free WiFi onboard.

 

steamboats

[caviargal]

We did this last week. It was 2:20 to Salzburg from Linz and we took the 8:00am train. We were in the center before 11am and stayed til the 5pm train back which was 1:02.

 

We used Westbahn, a new private rail service. It was superb and no more than OEB or DB. Trains were fab. We actually used it by mistake on the way to and liked it so much we used it on the return. We bought tickets on board.

 

We took a cab from the train station at Linz and were back by Happy Hour.

[outandabout]

I´ve checked but can´t come up with a final answer. The Austrian website doesn´t say anything. But I found out that you can make a seat reservation up to 20 min prior to departure at the train station. RailJet trains and many other Austrian trains do have free WiFi onboard.

 

steamboats

 

I guess we will have to make sure that we're at the station about half an hour early. Seat reservation---is that an extra charge on top of the regular price of the ticket?

 

Thanks!

[outandabout]

We did this last week. It was 2:20 to Salzburg from Linz and we took the 8:00am train. We were in the center before 11am and stayed til the 5pm train back which was 1:02.

 

We used Westbahn, a new private rail service. It was superb and no more than OEB or DB. Trains were fab. We actually used it by mistake on the way to and liked it so much we used it on the return. We bought tickets on board.

 

We took a cab from the train station at Linz and were back by Happy Hour.

 

hi caviargal...do you mind if i ask a few questions? 1) did you also took a cab from the ship's dock to the Linz train station? how long was the ride and how much was the taxi fare? i just want to make a mental note of these details. 2) do you still remember how much was the train fare? do they accept credit card payment? and lastly, 3) how often does the train run?

 

from what i understand, we will be dropped off in Linz but we will board the ship in Passau. Salzburg to Passau travel time is close to 3 hrs. (which makes for a very short stay in Salzburg). we have to be very careful that we get back on time if ever the ship will pull out of dock (i wouldn't worry so much if we are staying overnight in Passau).

 

thanks for your help.

[steamboats]

Outandabout,

 

The website of the Austrian train service is driving me crazy!! I finally found out that a seat reservation is 3 Euro /pp/per ride. Some trains do include the seat reservation but there a word was used which isn´t used at any other place of the website. I can only guess that the RailJet does include the seat reservation.

 

For buying tickets on trains: In Germany you do have to pay an extra fee. Don´t know if that´s the same in Austria.

 

As for the train station in Linz check here

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Bahnhof+Linz,+Bahnhofplatz,+Linz,+%C3%96sterreich&hl=de&ie=UTF8&ll=48.307437,14.285756&spn=0.004279,0.008256&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=58.164117,135.263672&vpsrc=6&hq=Bahnhof&hnear=Bahnhofplatz+7,+Innenstadt+4020+Linz,+Ober%C3%B6sterreich,+%C3%96sterreich&t=h&fll=48.306626,14.286041&fspn=0.004279,0.008256&z=18

 

You can see several ships docked right at Nibelungenbrücke. There´s a square called Hauptplatz below the bridge. Follow the street at the end of the square (Landstraße) and you end up at Hauptbahnhof (right after the garden area called Volksgarten). Tram 1,2,3 are getting you close to the train station too.

 

steamboats

[caviargal]

hi caviargal...do you mind if i ask a few questions? 1) did you also took a cab from the ship's dock to the Linz train station? how long was the ride and how much was the taxi fare? i just want to make a mental note of these details. 2) do you still remember how much was the train fare? do they accept credit card payment? and lastly, 3) how often does the train run?

 

from what i understand, we will be dropped off in Linz but we will board the ship in Passau. Salzburg to Passau travel time is close to 3 hrs. (which makes for a very short stay in Salzburg). we have to be very careful that we get back on time if ever the ship will pull out of dock (i wouldn't worry so much if we are staying overnight in Passau).

 

thanks for your help.

 

We got off the ship in Passau and took a 5E cab ride to the station at 7:20am. Our boat was due to arrive in Linz at 6pm at leave at midnight so we had a good amount of time.

 

The tickets was 10E each Salzburg to Linz and the taxi 11E back to the ship. The tickets were 38E to Salzburg from Passau, and these were called a Mini/Max fare which the counter person gave us automatically.

 

We used the bus at the station for 2.10 E to get to Marienplatz and then went from there.

 

Hope that helps a bit. I would not stress about buying tickets in advance. Check out http://www.westbahn.at for info on the new train service. It was only their 2nd week in operation when we were there.

[outandabout]

We got off the ship in Passau and took a 5E cab ride to the station at 7:20am. Our boat was due to arrive in Linz at 6pm at leave at midnight so we had a good amount of time.

 

The tickets was 10E each Salzburg to Linz and the taxi 11E back to the ship. The tickets were 38E to Salzburg from Passau, and these were called a Mini/Max fare which the counter person gave us automatically.

 

We used the bus at the station for 2.10 E to get to Marienplatz and then went from there.

 

Hope that helps a bit. I would not stress about buying tickets in advance. Check out www.westbahn.at for info on the new train service. It was only their 2nd week in operation when we were there.

 

i have to put my "thinking cap" for awhile to figure out which direction you were going. you started in Passau to (Salzburg) to Linz. we're going on the opposite direction. anyways, it's very helpful info. thanks.

 

something else i can't get. westbahn website doesn't show Passau destination (from Salzburg). i see Salzburg and Linz. how did you do it? if there's no direct train, where should we connect? it really is a great help knowing their schedule so we can plan our day better.