Salzburg - central hotel and activity recommendations

[Muchtoomuchtodo]

Just that really.

I’m going to be spending a few days in Salzburg. I won’t have a car and will be arriving by train so I’m looking for a central hotel - comfortable but nothing fancy and some interesting things to do while I’m there. Not just the usual sound of music tour!

I have name changed especially for this, as though I VERY seldom post, my love of Salzburg is well-known!

You don’t mention your budget, but re a hotel the first thing I’d say is that public transport is excellent, so any hotel in the centre will be accessible. I like staying in the ‘New town’ - and there are lots of great options. Anything on/off Linzergasse, Schwatstrasse or Mirabellpatz will be great. Master serviced apartments have 2 separate buildings in this area and their apartments are hotel standard with more living space and a little kitchen area - I’m happy to eat out when travelling alone, but it’s also good to have the option to eat in.

Re activities- the SOM tour is actually a great way to see the countryside, and there is a newly opened SOM museum too. Apart from that the big thing is Mozart - either his Wohnhaus or Geburthaus. I really like the Freilichtsmuseum which is a bus ride away - a living village type museum, I’ve been there in Winter and it was still lovely.

Other places/things - Mirabellplatz, the Festung (fortress) walk up the Kapuzinerberg or Mönschberg. Wander Getteidegasse, Goldgasse and definitely have Kaffee und Kuchen - Tomaselli is the famous one, but I have a nostalgic affection for Schatz.

Transport in the whole of Salzburg province will be free with your hotel, so get on a bus and explore - St Gilgen or even as far as Bad Ischl are lovely and the bus will be free!

Thanks @SchatzSBG. I suppose I’m looking for a fairly basic hotel, Premier Inn type standard as I don’t need lots of facilities, but I do want to feel safe. I’d not considered serviced apartments so that’s definitely something to look into. Do you get free public transport with them too?

Kaffee and kuchen is a definite, probably more than once!

Yes you do. I don’t have a recommendation for more basic Premier Inn types, but in terms of feeling safe I would go closer to the city centre and further away from the train station. It is actually perfectly safe, but some streets round there feel a bit more seedy, and as in any city, there can be people with various social issues who hang around that area.

Thanks. I really appreciate you responding

I stayed at the Arte Hotel in the summer which is by the central station. Felt safe round there and bus routes to everywhere. And helpful locals once they saw dd and me flashing our map around!

I stayed at the NH hotel- got a great deal with BA on a package and the breakfast was great so I ended up not needing a proper lunch after it.

SoM tour was great. Loved the funicular up to the top of the castle and the salt mine tour was fab.

I stayed at the Austria Trend Hotel Europa Salzburg near the main train station last Easter and can recommend it - very large family rooms, reasonably priced and opposite the bus and train station (handy for the late opening supermarket and pharmacy in the train station).

Salzburg zoo is worth a visit and Hellbrun palace/schloss is two stops from the zoo - it has beautiful parklands and gardens and a fab playground if you have younger children. It also hosts an amazing Christmas market in December. You can take a bus from the stop outside the Trend Hotel.

We stayed at teh Motel One and really liked it - it was a pleasant walk along the river from memory. Great breakfast. https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESgAEB6zswFYtnyoiIGriBWYSMHBYZtx-JyXRXNiCDcpvLLz5ml5_G4_hSNjRXfrCaZd2MeLv6ewaNn6VAzKVFDGDF85acaRhl8kH3WadQlSuYxW2V4WZGuKxDCYwEfjbP6aIRit_FdhSNoDy1uVY664ZKsF85lAZ3zrhhq-QQVbJODg

Thanks all.

I may be meeting my son there so I can’t book a BA / Easyjet type holiday as they need the number of seats on the flight to match the number of hotel guests but these recommendations are all very helpful.

My main recommendation is not to book a hotel breakfast.

We did and regretted it every day walking past people at Cafe Sacher having a much nicer and cheaper breakfast.

We were there for a week about four years ago. Can't help with a hotel as we stayed in a SC flat (VRBO) a little way outside of the centre, but still walkable.

I think @SchatzSBG has covered most things we did.

DD and I love SoM but we didn't do a tour as I had a guide book with a suggested walk that took us to many locations.

We also enjoyed:

• Salzburg Castle
• Residenz
• Christmas museum
• Freilichtsmusrum ( I think this has been mentioned already but it is a good day out and definitely doable by bus)
• Hellbrun Palace with its trick fountains, also a bus ride
• There is a free band concert in the Mirabell gardens every Sunday morning