We’ve a family holiday booked in the Alpbacht area of Austria in september (just down the valley from Mayrhofen) and my first thought was car hire, as I want to get about a bit too once we’re there.

I’m a wee bit wary of driving on the Autobahn though, am I being a bit daft?. 😀 I’ve driven in europe and in the States many times, just having a little wobble perhaps.

Other option is train to either Salzburg or more preferably Innsbruck, then hire a car there.

Thoughts anyone?.

Autobahn is ok as long as you stay out of the outside lane, when there are three. Just follow most of the locals, you’ll be ok.

If there are two lanes then don’t pull out unless the outside lane is REALLY clear, and look out for people with their lights on in the daytime as the speeders leave them on so you know.

I think you are over-thinking it. It used to be quite hairy on some of the unrestricted autobahns as you where doing 80 and they came past at 150 but you don’t get that anymore. The Germans are pretty disciplined on the roads. Fly to the most convenient airport. Do check traffic / timing etc as we’ve been in some epic traffic jams in Southern Germany, nearly as bad as the French peage in August in parts.

Oh, don’t forget the Austrian motorway toll sticker. Not at all obvious that you need one but you do.

Yeah I’ve done it… no sweat.

Well I say I’ve done it… what I actually did was not be able to find both parts of my driving license the night before we flew….

So the wife had to drive and I sat there enjoying the scenery reminding her not to sit in lane three.

Enjoy… it’s easy… jealous 🙂

I do loads of driving there, nothing to worry about. Trains can take a while as you would have to change at the Ostbahnhof then Worgl or Kufstein. September should be quietish too.

Dead easy..just stop at the services before the border to buy your Austrian tax sticker thing. If I recall none of that stretch is unrestricted anyway

Cool, Agreed Jambalaya, I am over thinking it.

I used to drive from Mayrhofen to Munich three or for times a week, it’s no problem at all. No different to anywhere else in Europe.

Just do what you should do everywhere, use your mirrors before pulling out to overtake, and after you have overtaken, move back in 😉

Its easy, just have serious amounts of lane discipline or you will have a Merc up your chuff which can be a bit unnerving.

Got passed by a Merc 4×4 north of Hamburg, god knows what was under the bonnet as it sounded like a F1 car and was doing stupid miles an hour. Never seen a vehicle on a public road moving so quickly.

Twodogs has it… Most of Munich to here is not unrestricted anyhow, and the austrian side is ALL limited to 100kph… But if you want take the exit off at Keifersfeldin (just before the border) head into Kufstein, and then pick up the 171 over to Alpbach (via Worgl and Kundl).. Very easy, reasonably quiet and not ‘that’ much slower then the autobahn now with the 100kph restriction on it…

most of that route on the autobahn isn’t even unrestricted.

speed limits all round the Munich ring – would pay attention to the SatNav / road signs there since there are many lanes.

most of the rest is easy.

once over the border in Austria it’s limited (in winter usually 100km/h the entire way from the border to Alpbach/Mayrhofen).

PS definitley have that sticker – there’s a checkpoint and they often divert all traffic thru it (I’ve been stopped probably about 1 in 3 times in recent years). Only ca. €8 for the sticker for 10 days.

I always avoid Irschenberg services for that sticker purchase. Rejoining the autobahn there can be an experience when the sliproad is no longer than the gap between HGV’s tailgating that have *just* got to the top of a steep hill, and there’s no emergency lane to bail on to.
Yes I have essentially pulled on to the autobahn like a T-junction before.

Other than that, it’s fine. Just follow signs for Salzburg until you see signs for Innsbruck, and then follow the Innsbruck ones.

I’ve done it loads and it’s an easy drive.

My top tip is if you haven’t booked your hire car yet and Sixt is a reasonable price then use them and pre-send your driving licence details. Your pick up will then be sub 30 seconds whereas some of the other counters could have you waiting 45 minutes in ski season.

Servus! Grias di….

being STW’s resident Munich Resident i think i am qualified to say forget the Autobahn…

or rather forget the Austrian Autobahn (unless you intend on using it during your stay). the Vingette is only valid for ten days, or a year, which is a right bugger if you are staying for two weeks.

type Muncih Airport > Alpbach, At into google maps.

it’ll give you the option of going via Kufstein, At (Vignette needs to be bought before entering Austria!!!!!) or via Bad Tölz.

The route via Bad Tölz is nicer, IMO. you get to have a blast long the A95 towards Garmisch which could be interesing or a nightmare as it is for the most part derestricted, nice and wide and flowing. it also means you can avoid the Vignette. Bad Tölz is a proper (cliche) Bavarian town sitting on the Isar river with the fantastic back drop of the Alps behind it.

From there towards Achensee and then a drop down to Inn Valley at Jenbach and you are practically there.

the alternative to that is to follow the route via Kufstein until you see the turn off for Tegernsee (odd exit as it kinda flows on from the service station sliproad).
follow the signs for Tegernsee. a very impressive panorama! you can visit Durnbach Commonwealth War Cemetery which is sign posted from the main road before a large crossing. quite moving and unexpected.
if you fancy a stroll and an ice cream go via Gmund/Tegernsee and stay on the left hand side of the lake. if you want to avoid the crowd then turn right at the lights (bottom of the steep incline, can’t miss it!) and go around the lake on the right.

either way you end up in Kreuth. from there follow signs to Achensee which will bring you to Jenbach. stop at one of the hut/restaurants behind Kreuth and enjoy a Tegernseer Hell (bier) or if you want a real treat stop off at the Bräuhaus in Tegernsee (left hand side of the lake)and enjoy a plate of Schweinebraten with a Dunkles Bier and a view to die for…! do it!

either of the two routes are not that much slower than using the Autobahn as they are more direct. they are also much more relaxed and give you a chance to see the real picture postcard Bavaria that accounts for 83% of German stereotypes.

one thing to consider… last time i had a hire car (Enterprise) i the contract stated that i wasn’t to leve Germany without notifying the company, which also incurred a 20€/day surcharge.

Alpin.

Best post ever mate!
It’s been bugging me what they say in our village for 3 years, obviously got my servus, gruss gott sorted, you’ve just solved the grias di mystery!

Bad Tölz is definitely a town of 2 halves. The old bit is seriously kitsch with loads of Lufmalerei. Some of the rest of it has a rather unseemly past. The old post pub half way up the main drag does a good meal and beer.

If you wish to check the public transport option then the ÖBB Travel portal will give you all the info on your journey like the TFL journey planner.

an awful lot opf Germany has a rather shady past…. i could show you Himmler’s house overlooking Tegernsee, or some Swaztikas on the old buildings in Munich or some of the huts in the hills… but let’s not dwell on that, eh? 🙂

Servus, Grias di und hallo!

Alpin has it. Although if you do want to use the Austrian Autobahn the vignette isn’t that expensive (compared to Italy anyway).And Germany’s more recent shady past resides in Tegernsee, too. The head of the STASI from the old East German regime.

Alpin – great post. STW “now that’s what I call…useful!”

autobahns fine, but why not take the train from Munich, buy your tickets at the station dead easy and German trains are great. Just an option

Alpbach is awesome, enjoy. Autobahn won’t be too tough, probably easier and better behaved than the M1, TBH.

We’re heading back to Zell Am See in August.

I’m heading from Munich Airport to Bad Ischl for the Salzkammergut Trophy in July. I think I will just do the autobahn’s on the way there as I arrive at 1800 and need to get to my hotel, then the scenic route back on Sunday.

@alpin and with photos 🙂

On an autobahn note the Germans are very wary of speed cameras so suggest you stick to the limits, whilst the French aren’t very organised and you wont get the a ticket the Swiss are efficient and will find you in the UK and I would guess the Germans are too. I’ve seen some serious smashed vehicles on the autobahn, worst was a Golf which had gone up a bank 10-15m above the road and smashed into the trees, car was destroyed and embedded in the forest. Removing most of the unrestricted sections was a good move I’d say as the law abiding Germans stuck to the limit where it applied and went nuts when it did not.

thanks guys!

just really like the area. it’s kinda like my back garden/playground.
this trail ends (conviniently) just behind the Bräustuberl in Tegernsee.
[/url]DSCN2529 by sod_the_taxman, on Flickr[/img]

Munich -> Bad Ischl is an easy jaunt along the A8 to Salzburg and then a pootle through the hills.

We’ve a family holiday booked in the Alpbacht area of Austria in september (just down the valley from Mayrhofen) and my first thought was car hire, as I want to get about a bit too once we’re there.

I’m a wee bit wary of driving on the Autobahn though, am I being a bit daft?. I’ve driven in europe and in the States many times, just having a little wobble perhaps.

Other option is train to either Salzburg or more preferably Innsbruck, then hire a car there.

Thoughts anyone?.

Fly to a nearer airport and hire a car from there.

We did this recently looking for flights to Salzburg and Innsbruck. Schedule was very limited (hardly any direct flights from either), prices were waay more expensive than Munich.

Fly to a nearer airport and hire a car from there.

Aye, very good.

Alpin, that looks brill, thanks very much for all the info mate.

Looking at Google Maps, the options seem to be the A8 (longer distance, shorter time) or A94 (shorter distance, slightly longer time).

Any thoughts on the A94 route?

Aye, very good.

Ok, did I miss something that said you HAD to fly into Munich?

http://www.salzburg-airport.com/en/

No suitable flights from Scotland to Austria, nearest alternative is Liverpool to Innsbruck and the times are gash.

Nobeerinthefridge – I did it 12 months after passing my test, headed from Munich to a wedding in Austria and then back to the German alps for a bit of climbing, before heading back to Munich.

Hardest part was getting it out of the multi-storey car park the hire company uses. They’d somehow wedged my car into a corner and it took about 20 minutes to free it without dinting the other cars around me.

Alpin wins. Braustuberl in Tegernsee and drive through to Achensee is our preferred route to Austria and Northern Italy..

Shred – Member

Looking at Google Maps, the options seem to be the A8 (longer distance, shorter time) or A94 (shorter distance, slightly longer time).

Any thoughts on the A94 route?

A94 isn’t really an Autobahn…. only a few sections are Autobahn. most of that route is Landstraße.

your best bet is the A8 to Salzburg. nice journey, too, with the back drop of the Alps to your right. known amongst somer as Hitler’s Autobahn, as it was the quickest route between Munich and his Kelhsteinhaus (Eagle’s Nest).
you could pull off around Übersee and find a nice cafe on the lake.

plus the route is better signposted.

Dave – Moderator

Alpin wins. Braustuberl in Tegernsee and drive through to Achensee is our preferred route to Austria and Northern Italy..

you also in Munich, Dave?

View from our balcony looking out towards the Steineren Meer, directly behind that is Berchtesgaden and the Kehlsteinhaus.

15 mins to Leogang, nowhere I’d rather be!

I am in Alpbachtal.

Take the Autobahn, its no different than any other motorway, stop at any one of the services for a vignette along the way.

Do not get off the Autobahn in Kufstein, getting through Wörgl is a nightmare, there are road works causing problems. Get off the Autobahn at the Alpbachtal exit! Unless there are traffic issues you can assume about a 1.5 hour trip, any other route will add an hour to your journey minimum (I drive to MUC from Alpbachtal regularly).

What Alpin suggested is great, but I would do this as a sight seeing day trip and not as a journey to your holiday destination.

Where are you staying?

Nobeerinthefridge _ the penny just dropped, we were chatting a few months ago when you were planning your holiday. Drop me a mail if you need to know anything.

Selled – yeah, penny dropping reached Scotland! I’m staying at Reither almen as you pointed us there, no pressure though mate, it sold itself tbh!.

Really looking forward to getting the cable cars up to height and doing some of the amazing walks around your back yard. Really can’t wait.