Road trip to Austria

[.Adam.]

I’m in the early stages of planning a holiday to Austria for September 2025. It will be a relaxed (hopefully)driving holiday to Zell am See where we will spend a few days before coming back via a different route. We were planning on taking 10 days.
I’ve toured Europe quite extensively on proper organised driving trips, but the last one was 12 years ago, so it’s been a while!
Plan at the moment goes like this:



Day 1 – Home (Kent) to Colmar

Day 2 - Colmar to Innsbruck
Via Arlbergpass with detour to Hahntennjoch pass

Day 3 - Innsbruck to Zell am See
Visit Krimml Waterfall

Day 4,5,6 - Zell am See
Grosglokner and Werfen
Explore Zell
Train to Salzberg

Day 7 - Zell am See to Lindau
Via parts/all German Alpine Road

Day 8 - Lindau to Freiburg im Breisgau

Day 9 - Freiburg im Breisgau to Reims

Day 10 - Reims to home

I’ve only been to Zell am See and Reims before, and driven the Grosglokner as well, so was after any recommendations of good roads or places to visit on or near my route, or any other suggestions.

[mr pg]

If you're interested in Porsche's the small museum at Gmund (where the first cars were built) is worth a visit. Not far from the bottom of the Grossglockner.

[LemonTart]

We drove to Zell last summer.

Our highlights

We stopped in Baden Baden for a couple of nights.
The Zeppelin museum was worth a visit - https://www.zeppelin-museum.de/
Called in at Stuttgart for Porsche and Mercedes museums.
V early run up the Grosglockner was great as the sun came up.
The big public pool and spa complex at Kaprun was good R&R time away from hiking - https://www.tauernspakaprun.com/en/spa/spa-water-w...
Enjoyed visiting Salberg, Kitzbuhel and Zurich... we didn’t get to Innsbruck.

Have a great trip.

[Ussrcossack]

Don't forget your Vignette, get it at or before the border of Austria

[.Adam.]

Ussrcossack said:

Don't forget your Vignette, get it at or before the border of Austria

A vignette is on the list, will most probably get a Télépéage as well. Not sure if I'll need a swiss vignette as well, I'll have to work out the exact route through the little bit of Switzerland we pass through and see.

LemonTart said:

We drove to Zell last summer.

The big public pool and spa complex at Kaprun was good R&R time away from hiking - https://www.tauernspakaprun.com/en/spa/spa-water-w...
Enjoyed visiting Salberg, Kitzbuhel and Zurich... we didn’t get to Innsbruck.

Have a great trip.

Spa looks nice for a relax. Is Salzberg worth the trip? Did you drive there? I was thinking of getting on the train from Zell for a day trip.

Edited by .Adam. on Thursday 3rd October 11:18

[andyA700]

That looks an absolutely brilliant route, enjoy.

[Lotusgone]

If you go a little further than Zell am See (which is lovely) you can find Hohenwerfen Castle, it's where they filmed Where Eagles Dare.

[seefarr]

You're passing through Mulhouse so you should go to the Schlumpf collection - easily the best car museum I've ever been to.

https://www.musee-automobile.fr/en/

The German Alpine Road bits I drove were busy and not great for driving quickly and that was October 2020 so it's probably worse now! It was pretty though. I put together a couple more interesting roads ducking across the border that I really enjoyed - links are here:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[lastofthev8s]

Have you considered the Eagles Nest in Berchtesgaden, it’s south of Salzburg.

Visited in 1997 as we were stayed just outside of Salzburg (cycling though).

Would be worth a visit if it’s interesting to you.

We also jumped the train to Zell Am See and ride up / down the Grossglockner. Nice memories.

[shirt]

.Adam. said:

A vignette is on the list, will most probably get a Télépéage as well. Not sure if I'll need a swiss vignette as well, I'll have to work out the exact route through the little bit of Switzerland we pass through and see.

Swiss one only needed if you’re using the highway. The non highway route is usually as easy, follows roughly the same route and has nicer scenery.

[.Adam.]

Just realised we'll most probably be driving right past Neuschwanstein Castle, so that's worth a stop, even if we don't go in.

[Guyr]

.Adam. said:

Just realised we'll most probably be driving right past Neuschwanstein Castle, so that's worth a stop, even if we don't go in.

Definitely go in, it's really worth it, I've been there on four different trips with different groups over the decades.

I'd also suggest considering switching Zurich with Lucerne, as Lucerne is much prettier IMHO.

You will also need a Crit'Air certificate/sticker for some of those French cities.

Edited by Guyr on Friday 4th October 10:57