[Jash2709]

With Covid no longer being the pain it was and the European travel season having begun, I thought this was the best time to pen down my travel to Austria. The trip dates back to the tranquil, non-pandemic times of 2019; September end to be precise.

“Why Austria? Switzerland is the prettiest! Or go to Spain or Italy?” That’s what people would say. Austria enjoys a little less popularity among its European siblings and that’s a good thing right? So here’s why I opted for Austria:

1. Its right opposite to Switzerland on the other side of Alps. So I was sure it must be equally pretty. Instagram was quite helpful bolster this decision
2. It’s way less touristy than Switzerland or other countries where every next thing you see is commercialised and there’s a humongous queue to even look!
3. Okay, this point is by far the most important one. It’s CHEAPER!

The trip HAD to be a road trip, that’s where you can chill and have fun at your own pace right? No dragging your luggage from one platform to next or having nothing to worry about timings of public transport and I can give you a myriad of other reasons. It was later on that I came to know that it was a lot cheaper too as compared to public transport there.

So without further ado, let’s start with the trip shall we?


Day 1:
Mumbai -> Vienna:
Vienna had to be our entry and exit point since flight as well as car rentals become cheaper that way! Picked an early morning flight so that I wouldn’t have any check in issues at the AirBnb and yet I’d also get enough time to explore the city so that the day wouldn’t be wasted. It’s usually best to live right in the city center so that everything is at a walking distance but we were late on our bookings and thus had to settle with a location a little outside. We had a wonderful Airbnb to ourselves right in the district of Landstrasse. Getting there wasn't an issue from the airport as there are lot of airport feeder trains and buses. After freshening up and a hearty home cooked lunch we headed out to explore this fantastic city. The first task was to get hold of a local sim, primarily for GPS ( for car navigation as well as local navigation ) and inquire about vignette ( It's sort of Austria's Fastag, which I thought was to be procured by me but then it came along with the car). With tasks being completed we started walking toward Stephansplatz to see the St. Stephan’s Cathedral which was really awe-inspiring indeed. And boy! The city continued to amaze us! And How! Beautiful architecture and pretty streets everywhere! Today was supposed to be a stroll through the city since I had decided to use the Vienna pass for later into the trip. So only free stuff for the day! We walked through a couple of really pretty streets like the Sunhoff to finally reach the Innerestadt. It was completely mesmerizing! We immediately fell in love with the city and it's vibe. With heritage buildings all around and elegant architecture through and through, every other corner was a sight to behold! Open Cafe's along the high street, palaces like the Hofberg on the way and amazing shops everywhere. Seeing these I was so happy I chose this country! We ended up spending the entire evening walking aimlessly in awe of the splendid buildings and structures! Also, we tried a few Austrian delicacies at the famous café, Sacher Wien. The city reeked of history and culture! Good vibes through and through. I would strongly recommend anyone who wishes to travel to Austria to keep an evening or two just to wander aimlessly either in the inner district or by the Danube.

Sunhoff Street


St. Stephan's Cathedral


St. Stephan's Cathedral


Innere Stadt


Innere Stadt with Hofberg at the end

Day 2:
Vienna -> Gosau
We had to have an early start to the day as we had to collect our car for the trip and there was a loooottt of driving involved for the day! Collecting the car came with certain issues due to which we got a tad behind our schedule! Checked everything thoroughly, scratches, dents, equipment and there we were, ready to finally start the road trip! Oh, almost missed it! Since I had planned on crossing mountain passes, I stuck to team BHPs favourite corner carver, the 318D AT! TBH, I was pretty anxious driving a left hand drive for the first time but then few hours on the road and you adapt well. The idea of the road trip was that the journey should be as beautiful as the destination itself and considering that we never hesitated to take stops midst the journeys!

Since we were late in getting our car, first thing we did was to find a place to have lunch. We found a wonderful spot in the quaint town, Krems An Der Donau about 70 kms from Vienna. It was an hour drive to Krems and majorly highway.

Lunch Spot At Krems An Der Donau

Next plotting on the map was the town on Durstein in the Wachau Valley. It was barely 20 minutes from Krems An Der Donau and the route was really scenic with Danube flowing by one side and wineyards all over the other.
Along came this tiny town of Durnstein overlooking the Danube with it’s tiny alleys and rustic buildings, it sure gave a proper European village vibe.

Pictures from the beautiful village

After wandering through the tiny alleys and cute little shops we headed out to our next destination that was the Melk Abbey. With only a little time on our hands we decided to see it just from the outside. It was a place to behold, if only we had the time.

Melk Abbey

It was already 3 pm by then and we decided to reach Gosau directly now without any further delay. Gosau was a good 3 hour drive from melk and a beautiful one. Gosau is a tiny Austrian village with barely population of 2000 village; It is close to both Gosausee and Hallstat so it was an ideal destination to chose. Staying in Hallstatt is both expensive and very touristy, hence Gosau. Plains finally opened up into a mountainous topography with lush green meadows all around and occasional sightings of turquoise lakes. As soon as I took the exit for Gosau, It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. With dusk approaching and this little village in the midst of green meadows rolling all over to tall mountains in the backdrop and smoke coming off of chimneys; This was prettier than the prettiest European postcard I’d seen!

A couple of pictures of the beautiful Village

In fact the village was so tiny and peaceful, I came across couple of deers who'd descended from a forest above on one of my evening strolls!
Gosau has a lot to offer! Apart from the wonderful picture perfect landscape it also has a lake nearby, Gosauseen. As soon as we checked into our residence for the next two days, we headed out to see the lake. Finally into the backroads with twists and turns, I could not help smiling as the 3 never had to leave its track as and when I turned! Pure bliss!

It was dusk and the lake couldn’t look prettier. We removed our handy folding chairs from the boot, oh yes, we carried folding chairs for moments like these, and whipped out some hot tea and snacks and tried to take in as much beauty as possible. Perfect setting!

Evening Stroll Views


Gosauseen

Day 3:
Gosau -> Hallstatt -> Daschtein -> Gosau
I was really looking forward to this day as I was to visit the prettiest village on earth! Yes, Hallstatt is considered as the prettiest village ever. The drive to hallstatt was a short one, about 30 mins. It was a proper tourist spot with hordes of tourists getting off the bus every minute. Even though we went early in the morning, there was a lot of hustle bustle already going on and the sun smiled on us generously. Though the village is supremely pretty but with the number of tourists and the commercialization, I felt happy to have stayed at Gosau than at Hallstatt. I feel if only I had visited the village in the evening, when tourist buses roll out and the cacophony died down, I could have enjoyed the place more. There’s also the salt mine thing here but it did not entice me enough! There are two view points for taking in the best views of the village: 1. Aussichtspunkt 2. Badestrand. We went around the village for a couple of hours; saw the abbey and a couple of more things the village had to offer and then headed out to the next destination, The Dachstein.

There are two famous peaks by Hallstatt, 1. Ramsau Am Dachstein and 2. Dachstein Krippenstein. The former has the “Stairway to Nothingness” and the latter has majestic views of the surrounding lakes as well as Ice caves. We went ahead with the latter since it was closer and had a lot other activities to be done. I’d suggest to skip the ice caves here and check them out at Werfen, Salzburg. Also, there are a couple of beautiful Gorges in the are that could be done as an alternative or an addition to Dachstein. Back to Dachstein, the excursion involves a lot of walking so aged ones should be mindful. The topmost point or the Dachstein 5 Fingers is a viewing point from which you can see a wonderful view of multiple lakes in the Salzkamergut region.

Five Fingers and the View

Day 4
Gosau -> Obertrum Am See -> Salzburg
Day of the lakes.
Today was a chill day as there was not much driving involved and we started it by having breakfast by the langbathseen lake, a small detour from our path, and headed to the city of Salzburg. Salzburg is an hour away from Gosau but we chose to take the longer and prettier route and ended up reaching in 4 hours driving by the lakes in Salzkamergut region!

Breakfast at Langbathseen


Lakes en-route Salzburg

We checked into our AirBnb in Obertrum Am See, which is a mere 30 mins drive from Salzburg and gladly it turned out to be really pretty. Obertrum Am See had nothing much to offer as such save cheaper accommodation and better space than the Salzburg City. My apartment had an access to private orchard and a lake to dip into! Freshening up we headed to the beautiful city of Salzburg. Today was only strolling around to just get the feel of the city as we did not have much time and because I had taken Salzburg day pass which was to be used the next day. To our surprise, there was a festival going on which elevated our experience. The energy was amazing and there were local stalls lined up in the courtyard with local performances too.

Salzburg Festival

Day 5
Salzburg
Today was supposed to be about doing touristy things! Visiting museums, eating pretzels, walking down tiny alleys and shopping! The day fell short and we could barely manage to see the entire city. Dom Quartier took our breath away! Also found couple of locations to take a view of the city from! The Salzburg pass comes handy when you plan to cover the entire city. There are two distinct places from where the view of the city is stunning. 1. Hohensalzburg Fort 2. Monchsberg M32 café. There were lots of people who had suggested to skip Salzburg but I am glad I did not. The city is rich in heritage, history and art. One can witness the opulence of the ruling empire then.

Salzburg City

[Jash2709]

Day 6
Salzburg -> Innsbruck
Today we had to have a really early start since there were a many stops on the way to be seen. The way to Innsbruck goes through Germany and it was a good opportunity to see the famous Konigssee and take a sneak peak at the Bavarian Alps! To be honest, I did not even realize that I had crossed Austria and entered Germany, there was barely any difference. It was an hour long drive and we reached just barely on time to get seats on the boat! The idea was to sail through the Konigssee to reach a point called Salet and hike from there to another teeny tiny lake called Obersee. The journey to Salet was really pretty, with the Bavarian alps standing tall on both the sides and the tranquil green lake in the centre. Reaching Salet, we headed to Obersee. It’s a 15-20 min hike. Obersee was magical! It was worth coming so far! We stood there for a good 15-20 minutes taking in the scenery. The emerald green lake with the tiny lake side hut looked phenomenal.

Enroute Salet


Salet


Obersee

We hopped on our boat again and the next plot into the GPS was Alpbach. Yet another village to make it into world’s prettiest village list! It was a good 2 hours drive, but with couple of picture worthy stops on the road made the drive longer. On reaching Alpbach, I was pleasantly surprised to see every other house to be traditional wooden one with flowers grown all over. Taking a stroll through the village turned out to be a great rest stop.

Pretty Stops


Alpbach

Without further ado, we headed straight to Innsbruck where we checked into our airbnb and headed straight to bed after the ultra long day!

Day 7:
Innsbruck
Innsbruck has a lot to offer but we just had a day there. Since the day turned out to be cloudy, we decided to not go for Nordkette and instead headed to the Svarowski Museum. Folks, no matter what people say, It’s a must visit place. It was fascinating to see all their displays! Must Do! The rest of the day was walking through the downtown along the river and taking in the city! Colourful houses along the river Inn was a sight to behold. Perfect postcard setting!

At the Svarowski Museum


Innsbruck

Day 8:
Innsbruck -> Alpe De Siusi
Another day of long and exciting driving and one I was really looking forward to! We were going to enter Italy through a mountain pass. And not just any mountain pass but the one with 30 hair pin turns! Timmelsjoch. The reason for entering Italy apart from Timmelsjoch was to admire the famous Dolomites Mountain Range. And thus the journey begun and boy it was rewarding. One of the best drives ever! The fellow motorcyclists made me tad cautious while driving on the mountain pass, but it was great fun. After driving through the alpine pass, we entered Italy and here’s when the difference hit. Everything looked different, from the landscape to the cars to the driving style. It was a sudden transition. Through small Italian villages, we finally made to our home for the night in Sciliar looking forward to see the dolomites the next day!

Along the Timmelsjoch Mountain Pass


3 Along the way


Twists and Turns all the way


Hair-pin Bends


En-route Italy


The first look at Dolomites

Day 9:
Dolomites -> Dolomiten Hutte, Tristach
Today was the day to see the Dolomites. We did two passes this day and both of them we really pretty and fun to drive. The range made us wonder how Alps changed from Bavarian to Austrian to Italian. It was great indeed to add this to the itinerary! The ruggedness of the range had it's own charm that completely enticed us!

Our little stint in Italy was over and it was time to move back to Austria. This time around, by fluke, we entered Austria through another mountain pass called Stalle Pass and came across one of the prettiest lakes I have seen, Lago Di Anterselva

Lago Di Anterselva

The rugged Dolomites literally stole our heart but. But that was not the only highlight of the day. While R&Ding the itinerary, I came across this property, on a mountain cliff. It was so fascinating that I worked my entire itinerary just to match the availability at this place. The place is called as Dolomiten Hutte located in Tristach. Rooms with Glass walls opening up to the beautiful valley. A place one must visit. There’s a hike starting from this property to Karlsbader Hutte. A must do for adventure junkies.

Dolomiten Hutte


The room: Photo courtesy dolomitenhutte website


View of the Alps from the cabin

Day 10:
DolomitenHutte -> Zell Am See
Another day another pass. That’s how it felt! Today we were to drive the famous Grossglockner High alpine road. It was enroute the famous holiday village of Zell am see where we were to spend the night and take a good rest after all the long drives we had in and out of Italy.
The pass was really pretty but felt a little hyped. May be because fall had just begun and greens had turned into browns! After lots of halts we finally reached Zell Am See where we decided to nothing but rest.

The Grossglockner


Glaciers along the way




Zell Am See

Day 11:
Vienna
The only agenda for the day was to reach Vienna as soon as possible and start with the touristy stuff there. The drive was a pretty long and monotonous drive on the highway. After around 5 hours we reached Vienna; emptied our luggage at our Airbnb which turned out to be really amazing and then we headed to return the car, scratch less and dent free. Resting was not an option since an entire city filled with architectural heritage and beauty was waiting for us. It was already late evening so we decided to go visit the Prater amusement park. Sitting on the Prater Turm and seeing this beautiful city in all its glory in the night was really mesmerizing.

Day 12:
Vienna
Today was just about shopping and exploring the city. There were a lot of things to cover: Belvedere, Schonbrunn palace, Hofburg etc. The day was very tiring but worth it in the end.

Schonbrunn


Gloriette




Belvedere

Day 13:
Vienna -> Mumbai
With our flight in the evening, we had a lot of time to kill during the day. We ended up storing our luggage in one of the train stations and headed out again to the wonderful city centre to take in the city one last time and not to forget, shop.

[a4_attitude]

What treat to eyes
I have been planning something similar
please share your experience of getting International license
documents you should be carrying to rent a car
as you said there was a delay because of some documents
how much this self driven vehicle costed you
and most importantly since this was your first time driving left side, Did you find any problem driving or following specific country rules and regulations
Please enlighten

[vnabhi]

Just what I was looking for! I'm planning a visit to Munich next April, and my plan was to visit Austria and Slovenia, both of which are close to Germany and also cheaper. And I heard they have equally good views as those in Switzerland and Italy. I'd surely like to visit the places near Salzburg where the famous 'Sound of Music' was shot.

Your TL is testimony to my assumptions. Can you please share the cost of Airbnb and also for the rental car? Did you take an International DL?

[Vijay T]

Simply bliss.

A very scenic tour I must say. Dolomiten Hutte is awesome.
a4atttitude asked about license. My question is: Do you require it because in UK, you can use your Indian license for first 3 months after entry . In EU, is it different?
Very beautiful & changing landscapes one gets to experience.

One point specially liked was :
Excellently composed, bare minimum quantity snaps to tell the story.
Keep posting such stories.

[anandavinash]

Beautiful travelogue Jash2709! Loved the pictures and detailed description of each day. I've had the pleasure of doing many road trips in the Germany-Switzerland region and have also driven a couple of times in Austria but never in the Tirol / South Tirol region.

Incidentally, in the current scenario, traveling by train may be cheaper (even if slightly inconvenient) as fuel prices in Europe (At least in Germany and Switzerland) have gone through the roof! Two weeks ago, I was paying anywhere between EUR 1.9 to EUR 2.35 per litre of Petrol (E95). For the first time in 18 years of travel to Germany, I saw the middle and right most lane full of cars driving at 90-100kpmh to save fuel. :-)

[Porcupine]

Beautiful travelogue! Thank you for sharing it with us. European drive trips are always filled with scenic beauty and the surprise of chancing upon the small villages that no one really talks about, it's the most refreshing and stunning part of the trips.

[Jash2709]

Originally Posted by a4_attitude

please share your experience of getting International license
documents you should be carrying to rent a car

how much this self driven vehicle costed you
and most importantly since this was your first time driving left side, Did you find any problem driving or following specific country rules and regulations
Please enlighten

Thank you so much!
Getting an international license is pretty easy these days. Log on to the parivahan website and fill out an online application for IDP for your respective state. Once that is done, take the following documents with you to your corresponding RTO:
1. Application Form with all the self-attested copies that you have uploaded
2. Original DL
3. Passport with Visa
4. Passport sized photos: 2
5. Payment receipt
6. Form 1 signed by a medical practitioner

If you submit the application in the morning, most probably you'd get the IDP by late evening. Depends on your RTO though.

Usually for renting out cars it is specified that one must have a license in english. But when your entire trip depends on you getting the car and driving it around hassle free, why risk it, my personal opinion though.

For renting out the car, you just need your IDP (or license) and a credit card in the driver's name. The latter is very important and non-negotiable. With the car's rental cost, do not forget that they charge a deposit too, so make sure your cc has enough spend limit.

Driving on the left hand took a couple of hours to adjust, especially while overtaking on single-lane roads. Also, traffic rules are pretty different and intensive abroad but nothing you can not manage. Go through a couple of videos on youtube and you'll know. Learn about priority signs in lanes and roundabouts, dashed and solid lines on roads, and a couple of other things and you are good to go. Driving in the city can be a little challenging but once you are out it's a breeze.

Car rental costs have shot up a lot. I just did a road trip in Norway and the prices made me cry. But that is Norway again. But overall fuel prices and car rental costs have gone up. Back in 2019, I rented a 3, diesel, for 10 days for 60k fully insured. Right now I think you should be able to get a compact suv or a mid size sedan for that price. I think. Also note that if you have a trip planned in the near future, Sixt has been having a lot of problems lately with their server fried a while ago.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Can you please share the cost of Airbnb and also for the rental car? Did you take an International DL?

I managed to get rooms for triple occupancy for anywhere between 6k - 10k depending upon the location but that was 2019. My personal advice would be to not stay in the cities and go to smaller towns or villages nearby which are very beautiful and cheap at the same time. They are usually 15-20 minutes drive away from the city. Another thing, parking in the city overnight is usually very expensive so look for properties that provide parking on site at no cost. Villages usually do not have any problem with parking.

Wish you an amazing trip! Have fun

Originally Posted by Vijay T

Simply bliss.
Mine question is do you require it because in UK, you can use your Indian license for first 3 months after entry . In EU, is it different?

Thank you so much! Like I said earlier, anything in english works but it's about your peace of mind. Better safe than sorry. For me at least.

Originally Posted by anandavinash

Beautiful travelogue Jash2709!

Incidentally, in the current scenario, traveling by train may be cheaper (even if slightly inconvenient) as fuel prices in Europe (At least in Germany and Switzerland) have gone through the roof! Two weeks ago, I was paying anywhere between EUR 1.9 to EUR 2.35 per litre of Petrol (E95). For the first time in 18 years of travel to Germany, I saw the middle and right most lane full of cars driving at 90-100kpmh to save fuel. :-)

Thank you so much.
Also, I know right! Just got back from a trip to Norway and the fuel prices were anywhere in between 225- 250 INR. Ended up driving more on eeco than sport :P
But however expensive, cars are just too convenient in Europe. We had stopped every ten minutes in Norway to click pictures and be in awe of the crazy good scenery plus we did not have to take out our bags from the car most of the times making it very less stressful. Also, no schedule to follow!

[anandavinash]

Originally Posted by Jash2709

Also, I know right! Just got back from a trip to Norway and the fuel prices were anywhere in between 225- 250 INR. Ended up driving more on eeco than sport :P
But however expensive, cars are just too convenient in Europe. We had stopped every ten minutes in Norway to click pictures and be in awe of the crazy good scenery plus we did not have to take out our bags from the car most of the times making it very less stressful. Also, no schedule to follow!

Fully agree! You should write a travelogue on your trip to Norway too. Would be very interesting. I've had the pleasure of driving there a couple of times. In fact, the most fuel efficient trip I've had till date was a Peugeot 508 Stationwagon (Diesel) in the summer of 2012. Picked up the car at Oslo Airport and dropped it back a few days later. Refueled before returning the car and found that we had got around 22kmpl on a car of that size. Unreal.

[ampere]

Very nicely done! Austria is amazing country to visit. We also did some years back. And it was pretty much on public transport! While the roadtrips are a different story, the public transport is no less!

And yes the locations: Nothing beats these places! Hallstatt is one amazing place!

[sup?]

Austria is such a pretty country. The Dolomites IMO are the prettiest mountain ranges in the world. This made me nostalgic about my road trip through Austria, Slovenia and Northern Italy that I did in 2017. Just an amazing part of the world.

[BusCar]

Hi, Wonderful travelogue with nice photos. It inspires me to re-new my passport expired before Covid. My parents had informed me about how scenic Austria and Belgium are, especially the towns and countryside.
Thank you for providing details regarding International License.

[AudiFan]

Hi Jash 2709, thanks for the lovely travelogue, reading it I felt like I am experiencing those beautiful places myself.
Well, I was doing some research about driving from Salzburg to Hallstat and back when I happened to find your travelogue. I have a simple query for you please. Can you tell me how easy or tough would the road conditions be during last days of April (2024) as that's when my wife and I are contemplating to drive from Salzburg to Hallstat. I have never driven in Europe, and have driven only once abroad and that was from Toronto to Niagara falls and back to Toronto airport.
In the sense, i am seeking to know whether the driving conditions are too challenging traffic wise, other vehicles/local drivers, ease of refuelling etc.
Please spare a few mins and respond at your convenience.
Thanks in anticipation.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by AudiFan

Hi I have a simple query for you please. Can you tell meo Niagara falls and back to Toronto airport.
In the sense, i am seeking to know whether the driving conditions are too challenging traffic wise, other vehicles/local drivers, ease of refuelling etc.
Please spare a few mins and respond at your convenience.
Thanks in anticipation.

Driving in the EU is very easy. There is less traffic. Everyone follows rules. Signs are clearly marked. GoogleBaba will not get confused. Fuel stations are aplenty. Rental cars are well kept.

Get yourself an International Driving Permit and have fun.

Dont get stressed. Believe me, you’ll enjoy yourself.

[AudiFan]

Thanks for the kind advise. Hope I will get to self-drive in Europe for once. Shall keep you all posted.