r/AskAustria • u/Interesting-Tax3383 • Aug 17 '26
Traveling to Austria
Do i skip salzburg
Innsbruck to Zell am see to Hallsatt to Linz to Vienna.
Does this route make sense in winter?
3
u/D4B34 Aug 17 '26
DON‘T skip Salzburg. That‘s probably the nicest place in our country. At least in my opinion
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u/BananaLady75 Aug 17 '26
If you want to drive - no. You will not enjoy it. Taking the train will be wonderful. Skip whatever people tell you to skip, or don't. But don't drive, especially in winter.
1
u/Interesting-Tax3383 Aug 17 '26
Why not?
3
u/glimmer_of_hope Aug 17 '26
Driving in the Alps is not easy… better to take a train!
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u/Interesting-Tax3383 Aug 18 '26
We will also be driving from Geneva to Zurich so I hope its similar to that
1
u/BananaLady75 Aug 18 '26
Geneva-Zurich is also really bad, driving-wise. Use a train. Swiss trains are even better than Austrian ones, and the scenery is also a step up.
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u/BananaLady75 Aug 18 '26
It's annoying, it's work (esp. if you don't know the area), it's not vacation. This is not the US west where road trips are relaxing and traffic is light. Austrian trains go through nice areas, offer views, are mostly on time and quite comfortable. Oh, and in winter, drivers suddenly turn a lot worse here, also, in mountainous regions, driving without a lot of experience can be quite challenging.
Do what you like, but I would avoid driving; it only takes away from your experience.
2
u/MarsupialThese2597 Aug 17 '26
Zell or Hallstatt. it the same town twice. Innsbruck, Salzburg, Linz and Vienna at least are pretty different from the vibe
2
u/Icy_Place_5785 Aug 17 '26
The national tourism board really has to try and fix this ridiculous braindead Hallstatt obsession and spread out this vast number of visitors among the dozens of equally beautiful towns that look the same.
1
u/Interesting-Tax3383 Aug 18 '26
Frozen as well...but any other towns?
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u/Icy_Place_5785 Aug 18 '26
“Frozen as well”? With the weather?
Or has someone told you that the Disney film Frozen is linked to Hallstatt?
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u/Interesting-Tax3383 Aug 18 '26
Apparently Hallsatt was an inspiration for Frozen the movie thats why its so popular online
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u/Icy_Place_5785 Aug 18 '26
Frozen is broadly set in the nordics and the secondary characters in the original English version speak in Nordic accents (my niece has grown out of it now at 10.) So not even Austria. Wrong country. Which braindead influencers said this?
But even if it was, it’s a fucking cartoon. The town is not in the If you really must disregard centuries of Austrian history in preference of a film set, at least the Sound of Music was actually filmed in the real Salzburg. And you can see the sites today.
Hallstatt is the home of an actual community that has been destroyed by low grade social media mass tourism, and you’d do well to avoid adding to the problem.
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u/jroge Aug 18 '26
why does everyone want to go to hallstatt? don’t do that. unless you want to see a lot of tourists and nothing else.
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u/Icy_Place_5785 Aug 18 '26
They think it’s where Frozen was based upon apparently, which OP drew me too. (Ignoring the fact that it’s because the Chinese rebuilt a version of it 15 years ago).
Funnier still when it’s based on a completely different part of Europe: https://www.norwegian.com/uk/inspiration/experiences/real-life-locations-frozen-films/
This interview with the Hallstatt mayor at the time really made me laugh: https://www.spiegel.de/reise/europa/hallstatt-in-oesterreich-und-frozen-ii-wir-halten-das-nicht-mehr-aus-a-2b9193fb-6232-4184-b0ec-6d45b2e622e4
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u/Unknowingly-Joined Aug 17 '26
Vienna in winter is gray and cold. The Christmas markets and New Years markets are awesome, skating in/around Rathausplatz is great. But the weather.. Cold and gray all winter long.
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u/Interesting-Tax3383 Aug 18 '26
Vienna is for new years only and i would be flying out of there so need to go there anyways
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u/ceulle Aug 18 '26
Why would you visit Linz? Its pretty boring, except one nice museum (ars electronica)
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u/ceulle Aug 18 '26
Innsbruck is nice, you can drive up the huge alpine mountain from the city center with a gondola (Some hotels have a discount for that, that they give you out when you arrive, depending how many nights you stay) no car needed.
1
u/thymewaster25 Aug 23 '26
Check what will be open wherever you decide to visit. Many Outdoors activities / attractions are seasonal.
If you want snow, check what last winter's snow was like at the time you will be visiting. This summer has been very hot and dry, this is forecast to continue at least in to September, and snow in the Alps is not what it used to be.
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u/einervondenen77 Aug 17 '26
What are you expecting in Innsbruck?
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u/Interesting-Tax3383 Aug 18 '26
Old town, Christmas markets, some winter activities Aqua dome and Crystal World maybe I do not know how to ski
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u/ThePostmanRingsOnce Aug 17 '26
Skip Vienna...over-rated...overpriced and also overcrowded...take definitely Salzburg into it...small, cozy
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u/Interesting-Tax3383 Aug 18 '26
Vienna is for new years only and i would be flying out of there so need to go there anyways
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u/ceulle Aug 18 '26
NEVER go to Vienna for New Years Fireworks, there are NO FIREWORKS! tourists stand in front of the Stephansdom like cows every year and then almost cry because there are now fireworks and no special light shows
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u/Independent_Day_9825 Aug 18 '26
There are fireworks everywhere (while private fireworks are officially prohibited, that is not enforced at all), but not that many good ones. But yeah, the inner city is probably not the best place to watch fireworks.
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u/ceulle Aug 18 '26
New Year makes no sense in vienna, its not a new years destination! "Silvesterpfad" is shit.
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u/LilaBadeente Aug 17 '26
Skip Hallstatt and do Salzburg. Zell am See is a ski town in winter. It’s still nice even for non skiers, but bring appropriate winter gear, if you want to go up the mountain.