Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol Guidebook
Guidebook corrections:
Please note: The following corrections were submitted by readers and have not yet been confirmed by Rick. Check updates from Rick for the latest.
1) Feast of Ascension (May 9 this year) is a holiday in Austria. Most places & transport on Sunday schedule. 2) "Zu ebener Erde und erster Stock" restaurant, Vienna, open to 22.00, M to F. Owner wanted you to know!!
Ron Pipe in Holliston, MA USA 05/17/2013
Please add Adrienn to your next guide book.
Michael Quirk in Belleville, IL USA 11/23/2012
Thank you for your helpful guidebooks! This is a small clarification on the 2012 Munich, Bavaria & Salzburg snapshot guidebook. I recently used it for my trip, and wanted to comment on the travel between Salzburg and Munich. On page 189 under Salzburg Connections, it says Salzburg can be visited on a railpass covering Germany including Bayern-Ticket, which is true. It also says that trains are 1.5 to 2 hours between the two cities, which is also true. But Bayern-Ticket is not effective on the 1.5 hour trains to Munich. We didn’t know, and the train attendant made us pay the full ticket price of 39 euros per person. I hope that this info helps someone. Thanks!
Veruca7 in Chicago, IL USA 11/05/2012
Demel chocolate & desert shop in Salzburg is closed.
Pat Martin in Seattle, Wa USA 08/18/2012
In Salzburg, the Museum and Panorama are NOT open late on Thursday nights, but on Friday nights. Also, saw several folks mention they did not get Audio guides at the Mozart Residence. We just returned (June 2012) and received audio guides.
Tracy Baker in San Leandro, Ca USA 07/05/2012
Suggestions on bike lanes in Vienna and Saran Essbar restaurant in Salzburg below.
Joanne in San Rafael, CA USA 06/09/2012
In the 'survival German', some of the phrases are inappropriate for Vienna / Austria. Nobody asks for the check by asking for 'rechnung', in Austria, it is 'zahlen', with the z being a 'tz' sound. So, 'bitte zahlen' is the common phrase. Also, in Vienna 'lecker' is not used to refer to food being delicious - in fact, it is a distasteful term, as the Germans call everything good 'lecker' - food, a building, a girl, etc. (as we were told). In Austria, something is delicious as 'es hat geschmekt' (has good mouth?). If you use 'lecker', you will get a sour look, but they are polite and don't say anything - well, one waiter did.... thankfully.
Pat Leathrum in Corvallis, OR USA 04/01/2012
In Salzburg, at the Mozart's Residence (Wohnhouse), no audioguides were being provided when I visited in December (I asked about them).
Steve Macfarlane in Carmichael, CA USA 01/16/2012
It would be wonderful if Rick would rethink his negative comments on the Vienna Boys Choir. They are terrific! And the Vienna Chamber Orchestra was great too!
Barb in Columbia, SC USA 01/06/2012
Many of the fees listed were incorrect.
R. Kanazawa in Saratoga, CA USA 10/27/2011
You must reinstate HAUS GASSNER, Moosstrasse 126B, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria in your sleeping recomendations for Salzburg. On our most recent visit we drove into Salzburg on Sept 28 to find the hotel we had booked was not available because we had mistakenly booked the 27th. For some reason we remembered Moosstrasse for which we set our GPS. Thank God for small favors we recognized the area and building as we approached and Maria had accomodations which were extra clean and warm with a delicious breakfast the next morning as usual. There were 3 of us, my wife, my sister and myself and Maria charged 29 Euros each which we thought was an excellant value for the money. Do everyone a favor and put her back in the book. Incidentally, she proudly displays in the breakfast room, a framed photo of a very young Rick Steves and another fellow with a castle in the background.
LOWELL HANCUH in EAGAN, MN USA 10/07/2011
Mozart's Residence (Wohnhaus) no longer has an audio-tour (discontinued sometime during summer 2011), and without it, it's quite a dull experience. Really, don't bother. There is no attempt to capture what the house might have been like when he lived there, and other than letters and books, very little of Mozart himself in evidence. Skip it.
John Warner in Lambrecht, Germany 09/25/2011
The room rate for the Hotel Trumer Stube in Salzburg does not include breakfast. On page 20 of the book in the box "Sleep Code", it says that all rooms include breakfast unless otherwise noted. The write up on the hotel on page 296 talks about "big made-to-order breakfast" as though it is an ammenity. No so. They wanted 7 euros per person. While the price probably wasn't too bad, I didn't partake because I was surprised that my 114 euro single didn't include breakfast. I protested, but Marianne said that it never included breakfast. This should be noted in future editions.
Diane Teakle in Dublin, CA USA 09/20/2011
1. Cantinetta La Norma Restaurant (p.182) is easier to find by going down Singerstrasse away from St. Stephen's, right on the corner of Franziskaner Platz.
2. The p. 43 blurb about the Wochenkarte seems to imply that if you don't start it on a Monday, you're cooked, when actually you can start using it any day of the week you buy it for. It's worth it even if you start as late as Thursday and do at least a few rides daily. Be sure you're getting it for the right week!
Bill Gordon & Nancy Weiss in Miami, FL USA 07/17/2011
The hike to Mauthausen KZ is doable but is probably more around 1.5 hours than 1 hour and could be rather uncomfortable on a hot day. If you have any type of luggage with you, do not take it with you. Also there are no lockers at St Valentin or Mauthausen train stations to leave luggage but we did find the wonderful stationmaster in Mauthausen will watch bags for you.
Karen Lee in Calgary, AB Canada 06/10/2011
The Hohensalzberg Castle is no longer free to walk the grounds. Even if you walk you still must pay 7.50 euro for adults to enter the grounds. Fenicular rates were 10.50 euro for adults. We were very disappointed that we had to pay when we walked up to the entrance to the castle grounds.
Kevin W in Colorado Springs, CO USA 05/20/2011