Austria's Best Two-Week Trip by Train
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Rick's Favorite Itinerary
Day 1: Fly into Vienna, sleep in Vienna
Day 2: Vienna
Day 3: Vienna
Day 4: Vienna, sleep in Vienna (or head to Melk in evening if biking or cruising Danube on Day 5)
Day 5: Danube Valley, sleep in Melk
Day 6: To Salzburg via Mauthausen, sleep in Salzburg
Day 7: Salzburg
Day 8: Salzburg
Day 9: To Hallstatt, sleep in Hallstatt
Day 10: Hallstatt and Salzkammergut Lake District, sleep in Hallstatt
Day 11: To Innsbruck, sleep in Hall or Innsbruck
Day 12: Innsbruck; to Bavaria, sleep in Füssen or Reutte
Day 13: Bavaria and castles, sleep in Füssen or Reutte
Day 14: Fly out of Innsbruck or Munich (or train back to Vienna)
With more time: Depending on your interests, you could easily spend several more days in Vienna (for museums, the music scene, going to cafés and wine gardens, day-tripping to Bratislava) and a couple more days in Salzburg (for the music scene, nearby sights, day-tripping to Berchtesgaden). The countryside of southern Bavaria and western Tirol are great places to linger and explore (consider a day or two of car rental).
With a car: Pick up your car when you leave Vienna. After Melk (in the Danube Valley), drive to Hallstatt, with a stop at Mauthausen en route. After Hallstatt, head to Salzburg. From Salzburg, you can drive (via Berchtesgaden, if you're interested) through southern Bavaria en route to Füssen or Reutte. Then drive eastward through Tirol's Inn Valley to Innsbruck to drop off your car.
Sightseeing Priorities
Depending on the length of your trip, and taking geographic proximity into account, the following are my recommended priorities.
3 days: Vienna
5 days: Salzburg
7 days, add: Hallstatt
10 days, add: Danube Valley, Tirol, and Bavaria
14 days, add: Innsbruck, Hall, and day trip to Bratislava
16 days, add: More time in Vienna
For up-to-date specifics, see the latest edition of the Rick Steves' Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol guidebook. We also offer free-spirited tours of Austria and Germany.