Austria Travel Forum

Can anyone recommend a route from Vienna to Innsbruck? The easiest way seems to be via Linz and Salzburg, but we’ve been to those places and would like to take an alternative route.

We would like to travel though the central part of Austria. I had a look at a road map but it is really difficult to tell whether any specific route is better than another. Also, are there any routes that should be avoided, especially since we'll be there in summer.

Ideally we are looking for a scenic route between Vienna and Innsbruck. We have quite a bit of time on hand, so it doesn’t matter too much if it is a long drive. Having said that, we don’t want to spend a whole day just driving from Vienna to Innsbruck.

An suggestions will be most welcome.

Hi there

Viamichelin has suggested me the following road:

http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/int/dyn/controller/ItiWGPerformPage?ie=utf-8&reinit=1&strStartCityCountry=EUR&strStartAddress=&strStartMerged=vienna&strDestCityCountry=EUR&strDestAddress=&strDestMerged=innsbruck&image2.x=0&image2.y=0#

go south, to Semmering - Hartberg is a lovely village as well
Graz - Klagenfurt - Villach (maybe a sidestep to Hochosterwitz)
then to Lienz - Grossglocknerstrasse (highest alpine-road, see my Zell am See-page)
Zell am See - Mittersill - Innsbruck
maybe 150 km more, very scenic, only half of the way is highway, you'll need at least 1 extra day !

Thank you for the suggestions. I shall have a closer look.

globetrott: The route you suggested seems really good. I have a few concerns though. Do you know how difficult it is to drive along those routes, especially the Alpine ones? Does it take a long time to make your way through them? Considering that we'll be there at the height of the tourist season, I'm concerned that it might take us quite long to complete the whole journey. Is 1 day realistic for the whole journey? We shall stop along the way, but will not linger at any places for too long.

2 days is the minimum, 3-4 days is better if you like to enjoy the detours !
The Grossglockner is no problem at all, if you are not in a hurry, it is also not really overrun by tourists in high season !

Again, thank you for your replies. Sadly I think we'll have to forego the idea of traveling the scenic route. We only have 1 day to travel from Vienna to Innsbruck. So I guess we'll be using the motorway to Salzburg and then the motorway to Innsbruck.

small detours on this route via Salzburg:
MELK
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1ffe4/4fb34/
from Melk you could also go along the right bank of the Danube in order to see the Wachau / Danube-valley
Aggstein would be a good idea for a stop:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1ffe4/5137a/
then you drive on along the Danube, and take the car-ferry at Duernstein or the bridge at Krems
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1ffe4/50dfa/
drive back to Melk along the left bank of the Danube
such a detour will cost you 2-3 hours
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another break, at about halfway to Innsbruck :
Mondsee
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1ffe4/4fa34/
or Himmelreich = at the airport of Salzburg,directely at the highway :
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1ffe4/504ba/
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stopovers in Tirol, in short distance of innsbruck :
Hall in Tirol
Kufstein