I will be staying in the Salzburg area for 10 days at the end of this month and am considering a day trip to Vienna by car. Is it practical to think I can drive from Salzburg to Vienna and return in 1 day? I really don't want to stay over night in Vienna. My wife and I have visited Austria 4 times in the last 10 years and believe it or not we have never gotten to Vienna.

www.viamichelin.com estimates that a car trip from Salzburg to Vienna would take about 3 1/4 hours...but there are trains that go direct from Salzburg to the Westbahnhof in Vienna in 2 hours and 40 minutes. Of course, there are variables, such as traffic (bad for the car), where you are arriving in the city (viamichelin.com plotted the trip to end closer to the city center than the Westbahnhof), whether or not you already have the car, etc.

Still, if you're just going to Vienna and back with no stops, you might as well get up early, catch the 6:00 am or 7:00 am trains to Vienna (on a weekday, these are the fast ones), and spend the day in Vienna without the hassle of driving, parking, etc.

Bill

I agree. I think driving from Salzburg to Vienna and back on the same day will be very exhausting and you won't really be able to enjoy the city as much. The train is definitely a very good option and still gives you a lot of flexibility, because there are trains between Vienna and Salzburg at least every hour and in rush hour even more often.

The intercity train takes about 2 1/2 hours. Vienna itself would be very difficult to drive around. The traffic is tough, as is parking, and there are many one way streets. You would be better off taking the train (migh even be cheaper with the cost of fuel), buy a pass and use their great subway system. That way you can visit the whole day and return in the evening with someone else doing the driving. As you would not be dealing with suitcases the trip would be a snap.