Road trip to Saalbach (Austria), via Nurburg and Stuttgart

[baby g]

Hi everyone,

At the end of the month I'm heading down to Saalbach in Austria. On the way out I pretty much need to just get there, but would prefer interesting fast roads (pref Autobahn) even if it takes a bit longer. Search has shown me plenty of ways to get to Nurburg, from then on it's a bit sketchy. Route seems to take me Stuttgart - Munich then down, does anyone know any good roads that way? Anything derestricted?

On the way back I'm planning to stop in to the new Porsche museum in Stuttgart, and to get a couple of laps of the 'Ring in as well. Again, any thoughts on a good route that won't slow me down too much would be appreciated.

Cheers, I'll try to post some pics when I get back
Rich

[Gusbang]

I too would be interested in this route as there is a group of us looking to go to Austria in the summer for some mountain passes/tunnels etc and also include a trip to stuttgart to see the porsche museum - about a 4/5 day trip.

[dcb]

baby g said:

At the end of the month I'm heading down to Saalbach in Austria.

A lovely part of the world. Make sure you've got winter tyres on.

baby g said:

On the way out I pretty much need to just get there, but would prefer interesting fast roads (pref Autobahn) even if it takes a bit longer.

Head East from Nurburg to Koblenz. Avoid the A61, it's limited.
Go East, pick up the A3 Koln-Frankfurt 'bahn.
It's almost all unlimited three lanes each way,
with occasional bits of roadworks.

Stay on the A3, passing Wurzburg. Still unlimited, but
only two lanes each way, so you won't be getting much over
120 mph or so.

Stay on the A3 to Nurnberg. Turn south on the A9 to Munich.
The A9 in these parts is the unofficial Bavarian racetrack.
Do *not* drop below 120 mph in lane 3, half the Bavarian
world will flash you to get out of the way.

Pick up the Munich ring road, also unlimited and wide.
I've had 140 mph on this road on a busy Saturday morning,
so no loitering.

Follow the signs for Salzburg and the Inntal road.
Turn off the autobahn at Kufstein and use local
roads for the rest.

I've done this route more times than I've had hot
dinners and it's a belter.

Saalbach I don't know, but Zell-am-See down the road
is picture postcard stuff.

You may also like to try the Gross Glockener Hoch Alpen
Strasse just to the south.

[Wacky Racer]

Is the new museum actually open now?

They were about to start building it across the road from the old one when I was in Zuffenhausen two or three years ago.....The old (small) one did not seem to have much in it I recall.....

[baby g]

Awesome response, thanks dcb. You've got to love PH!

I'll remember to keep my foot in when in the outside lane, VTEC is well up to the task!

I'm not running with winter tyres as looking to do some high speed stuff on the way there and back, I'll run with snow socks when I get high if/when conditions get sketchy. It will slow me down but worth it overall I think.

[baby g]

Wacky Racer said:

Is the new museum actually open now?

They were about to start building it across the road from the old one when I was in Zuffenhausen two or three years ago.....The old (small) one did not seem to have much in it I recall.....

Yup, it opened a week or two back. Looks like they're going to rotate the exhibits from a large stock, sounds like an excuse to go back a few times...

New museum is shameless oneupmanship with Merc down the road - the MB one is pretty impressive so interesting to see what megabucks Porsche have pulled out of the hat.

[Gillet]

I agree with what DCB said, i pretty much did this exact journey last September, took about 7 hours, could have been quicker without the OH in the car with me, but still, was easy peasy to do in a day.

good luck, and enjoy.

For the guys looking to do the Alps from there, there's a cool campsite in Werfern near Salzberg, makes it easy and cheap to get to Berchtesgaden(Eagles Nest), but to get the most of the Alps, you need to go back via Werfern, then head south, and go below Berchtesgaden, and follow all the non-motorways through the Alps, we stopped off in Fussen last year, then headed down to Stelvio, Fluelapass(staying in Davos), then via the Furkapass and others to Montreaux(do not go there though, its incredibly ugly and dull).

[hugoagogo]

dcb said:

Head East from Nurburg to Koblenz. Avoid the A61, it's limited.
Go East, pick up the A3 Koln-Frankfurt 'bahn.
It's almost all unlimited three lanes each way,
with occasional bits of roadworks.

you can head south out of Nürburg, towards the 48, which you can then take east directly past Koblenz, over the 61 straight to the a3

dunno if that's any quicker/shorter though

[Gusbang]

Gillet said:

I agree with what DCB said, i pretty much did this exact journey last September, took about 7 hours, could have been quicker without the OH in the car with me, but still, was easy peasy to do in a day.

good luck, and enjoy.

For the guys looking to do the Alps from there, there's a cool campsite in Werfern near Salzberg, makes it easy and cheap to get to Berchtesgaden(Eagles Nest), but to get the most of the Alps, you need to go back via Werfern, then head south, and go below Berchtesgaden, and follow all the non-motorways through the Alps, we stopped off in Fussen last year, then headed down to Stelvio, Fluelapass(staying in Davos), then via the Furkapass and others to Montreaux(do not go there though, its incredibly ugly and dull).

Thanks very much for the info very usefull.

[dcb]

baby g said:

Awesome response, thanks dcb. You've got to love PH!

Glad to be able to help - if you need any more help with
Austria, I've been going there for over twenty years by car
and know the Alpine bit quite well.

baby g said:

I'll remember to keep my foot in when in the outside lane, VTEC is well up to the task!

Ordinarily, VTEC means S2000 and you'd have been reasonably ok.

But checking your profile, I see you have the NSX. Way to go !

It'll be interesting for the local drivers to be passed by
something other than the usual 911.

[Gusbang]

dcb said:

baby g said:

Awesome response, thanks dcb. You've got to love PH!

Glad to be able to help - if you need any more help with
Austria, I've been going there for over twenty years by car
and know the Alpine bit quite well.

baby g said:

I'll remember to keep my foot in when in the outside lane, VTEC is well up to the task!

Ordinarily, VTEC means S2000 and you'd have been reasonably ok.

But checking your profile, I see you have the NSX. Way to go !

It'll be interesting for the local drivers to be passed by
something other than the usual 911.

DCB - Some great info thanks, If you can advise on some great roads in northern austria worth a visit that would be a great help.

[baby g]

Anyone know a good place to stop for dinner a few hours out of Calais on the route through Belgium? I'll be going up through Aachen towards Koln. I'd prefer not to slum it at a Motorway stop but don't want to take a massive detour if possible.

Similarly, looking for somewhere to stop probably around Koln or a bit further on, again not a million miles from the routes described above. (I'm heading to the 'Ring on the way back, don't want the detour on the way out).

Leaving on Friday, superb.

Cheers,
Rich

[dcb]

Gusbang said:

DCB - Some great info thanks, If you can advise on some great roads in northern austria worth a visit that would be a great help.

http://www.alpineroads.com/ has it all.

My favourites include (west to east).

1. Bludenz - chocolate factory in town in a pretty valley.
2. Silvretta Stausee
3. the old road over Arlbergpass.
4. Landeck - easy to get to Stelvio and Reschenpass from here.
5. Oetztal
6. Kuhtai
7. Krimmler Waterfall - highest in Europe
8. Stallersattel
9. Lienz

Stuff I've done that I wouldn't recommend include

1. Lech - too posh
2. Brennerpass - lorry central
3. Mayrhofen & Kitzbuhel - tourist trap central and just too twee
for my tastes. Meeting pensioner bus trips from Warrington in the car
park isn't my idea of fun.

[Gusbang]

dcb said:

Gusbang said:

DCB - Some great info thanks, If you can advise on some great roads in northern austria worth a visit that would be a great help.

http://www.alpineroads.com/ has it all.

My favourites include (west to east).

1. Bludenz - chocolate factory in town in a pretty valley.
2. Silvretta Stausee
3. the old road over Arlbergpass.
4. Landeck - easy to get to Stelvio and Reschenpass from here.
5. Oetztal
6. Kuhtai
7. Krimmler Waterfall - highest in Europe
8. Stallersattel
9. Lienz

Stuff I've done that I wouldn't recommend include

1. Lech - too posh
2. Brennerpass - lorry central
3. Mayrhofen & Kitzbuhel - tourist trap central and just too twee
for my tastes. Meeting pensioner bus trips from Warrington in the car
park isn't my idea of fun.

Spot on DCB, thanks very much.

[dcb]

baby g said:

Anyone know a good place to stop for dinner a few hours out of Calais on the route through Belgium? I'll be going up through Aachen towards Koln. I'd prefer not to slum it at a Motorway stop but don't want to take a massive detour if possible.

1. Valkenburg in southern tip of Netherlands
2. Maastricht nearby.
3. Namur.
4. Not Liege - mainly a working town, not a tourist town

baby g said:

Similarly, looking for somewhere to stop probably around Koln or a bit further on, again not a million miles from the routes described above. (I'm heading to the 'Ring on the way back, don't want the detour on the way out).

Konigwinter is a small town on the riverside - nice to have a stagger
along the river in the sun and watch the Dutch barges.
Twinned with Cleethorpes, ho ho !