The Most Popular Day Trips From Salzburg (No Car Required)

Salzburg is easily one of my favorite cities in Europe. It’s charming, rich in history, and you don’t need a car to get around. (As someone who lives in LA, I love any excuse to not have to drive.)

Salzburg is also located near some of the most beautiful and historic places in Austria and Germany. But if you don’t have a car, trying to plan day trips from Salzburg can seem like a daunting task.

How do you get there? Should you take the bus or train? Is it even worth the time and effort?

I’ve taken multiple day trips while staying in Salzburg, either using public transportation or with a guided tour. And I’m happy to report I didn’t get lost or end up two or three countries away. To help make your planning a little bit easier, I’ve put together a list of the most popular day trips from Salzburg and how you can get there without a car.

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Days Trips from Salzburg at a Glance

6 Car-Free Day Trips from Salzburg to Add to Your Itinerary

No car? No problem. Here are the most popular day trips from Salzburg that are easy to get to using public transportation or a guided tour.

1. Hallstatt, Austria

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⏱️ From Salzburg: 1.5–3 hours
🚌 Best Way to Get There: Guided tour
👥 Most Crowded: Summer (June–August)

There’s only one way to describe Hallstatt: straight out of a Disney fairytale. This charming storybook town is known for its beautiful views, timbered houses and the famous Hallstatt viewpoint.

Thanks to Instagram, Hallstatt is the most popular day trip from Salzburg. Because of that, it can get really crowded, especially during the summer. (I’m speaking from personal experience.)

If you visit in the summer, go early. Most tour groups start to arrive around 9:30 a.m., and it only gets more crowded from there. For fewer crowds, I would visit during the fall.

Check out my Salzburg to Hallstatt day trip guide for the best things to do in Hallstatt.

How to Get to Hallstatt from Salzburg

By Train: Taking the train from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof to Hallstatt Bahnhof can take anywhere from 2.5–3 hours. You’ll also have to change trains at Attnang-Puchheim. Once you arrive at the Hallstatt train station, you’ll need to take the ferry (Hallstätter Seeschifffahrt) across the lake to officially reach the town. The ferry only accepts cash, so come prepared.

With a Guided Tour: Don’t want to deal with the transportation logistics? A guided tour to Hallstatt is the way to go. I took this half-day tour from Salzburg, which also included a Sound of Music Tour later in the afternoon, and it was about as stress-free as it gets. We left Salzburg around 8:15 a.m. and stopped at Wolfgangseeblick for a quick photo stop before getting to Hallstatt around 9:30 a.m.

If you do book a guided tour of Hallstatt, check what it includes. The one I took didn’t include a walking tour, so we were basically on our own for around 2.5 hours.

2. Werfen, Austria

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⏱️ From Salzburg: 40–45 minutes
🚆 Best Way to Get There: Train (Free with Guest Mobility Ticket)
👥 Most Crowded: Summer (July–August)

Of all the day trips from Salzburg, I think Werfen is the most underrated. It has a castle, the world’s largest ice cave, The Sound of Music meadow, and it takes less than an hour to get there.

Just don’t make the same mistake I did by thinking you can do all three of those things in one day. I lay out everything you need to know in my Werfen, Austria day trip guide.

One thing to keep in mind: most of the attractions in Werfen close in November and reopen in April or May.

How to Get to Werfen from Salzburg

By Train: The cheapest way to get to Werfen from Salzburg is by train. If you have the Salzburg Guest Mobility Ticket, the 40–45-minute train ride to Werfen is free.

With a Guided Tour: I haven’t found any public guided tours to Werfen from Salzburg. If they do exist, they’re private and very expensive if you don’t have at least 8 people in your group.

3. Berchtesgaden & Königssee, Germany

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⏱️ From Salzburg: 50–90 minutes
🚌 Best Way to Get There: Bus 840 (Free with Guest Mobility Ticket up to the German border)
👥 Most Crowded: Summer (July–August)

If you’re even remotely interested in World War II history, a day trip from Salzburg to Berchtesgaden needs to be on your itinerary. Home to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest and the Berghof, the Obersalzberg area was once the second most powerful seat of the Third Reich.

Unfortunately, Eagle’s Nest suffered severe fire damage in October 2026 and will remain closed until further notice. But you can still visit Dokumentation Obersalzburg to walk through the bunkers or take a guided tour of the area to visit the ruins of the Berghof.

If alpine adventures are more your thing, head to Königssee and take a boat ride to the red-domed St. Bartholomä church. You can also visit Germany’s oldest active salt mine or walk around Berchtesgaden Old Town.

Check out my guide to Eagle’s Nest and Berchtesgaden for all the details.

How to Get to Berchtesgaden from Salzburg

By Bus: Bus 840 runs from Salzburg to Berchtesgaden and takes less than an hour. If you have the Salzburg Guest Mobility Ticket, your fare is covered up to the Austria-Germany border. Just make sure to check the schedule for any closures, like bridges being repaired. (This happened to me and I had to pivot.)

By Train: The train to Berchtesgaden should take around 80 minutes, but when I took the train it ended up being around 90 minutes. You’ll have to switch trains in Freilassing.

With a Guided Tour: One of the perks of a guided tour is letting someone else handle the transportation logistics. Most half-day guided tours to Berchtesgaden leave Salzburg around 9:00 a.m. and will have you back around 1:00 p.m.

4. Chiemsee, Germany

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⏱️ From Salzburg: 1 hour
🚆 Best Way to Get There: Train to Prien am Chiemsee + ferry
👥 Most Crowded: Summer (July–August)

Chiemsee is the largest lake in Bavaria and is often called the “Bavarian Sea.”  While the nickname is cool, it’s more well known for its two islands: Herreninsel (Gentleman’s Island) and Fraueninsel (Women’s Island).

Herreninsel’s biggest attraction is Herrenchiemsee Palace. Also known as the “second Versailles,” the palace was built by King Ludwig II as an homage to the French palace. Unfortunately, construction stopped after Ludwig’s death.

Herreninsel is the largest island, so give yourself plenty of time. The walk from the dock to the New Palace alone takes 45 minutes. The palace website does a pretty good job of helping you plan your day.

A short 10-minute boat ride away is Herreninsel’s holy sister: Fraueninsel. The island is car-free and features the oldest nunnery in Germany, Frauenwörth.

How to Get to Chiemsee from Salzburg

By Train: A one-way train journey to Prien am Chiemsee takes about an hour. No changes are required and trains depart Salzburg Hauptbahnhof every hour.

Once you arrive at Prien am Chiemsee train station, you’ll need to get to the Prien/Stock boat pier. In the summer, you can take the historic Chiemsee-Bahn. Otherwise, you’ll have to walk about 30 minutes.

And don’t forget to factor in the ferry rides. The boat trip from Prien/Stock to Herreninsel is 15 minutes one way. The ferry to Fraueninsel from Herreninsel takes 10 minutes.

5. St. Gilgen & Wolfgangsee, Austria

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⏱️ From Salzburg: 45–50 minutes
🚌 Best Way to Get There: Bus 150 (Free with Guest Mobility Ticket)
👥 Most Crowded: Summer (July–August) and Advent weekends

Part of the Lake District or “Salzkammergut,” St. Gilgen (Sankt Gilgen) is a picturesque town located on Wolfgangsee (Lake Wolfgang). Eagle-eyed Sound of Music fans will recognize it from the opening aerial shots of the movie.

Even though Mozart never visited, St. Gilgen is known as Mozart Village. His mother, Maria Anna, was born there in 1720 and his sister Nannerl moved to St. Gilgen after she married. There’s even a museum, Mozarthaus, dedicated to the family.

If you find yourself Mozart’d out after Salzburg, you can ride the cable car up to the top of Zwölferhorn or take a boat ride over to St. Wolfgang. (No relation to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.)

How to Get to St. Gilgen from Salzburg

By Bus: Bus 150 runs from Salzburg to St. Gilgen Busbahnhof and takes about 45–50 minutes. This line is covered by the Salzburg Guest Mobility Ticket, which means your bus fare is free.

With a Guided Tour: Most guided tours from Salzburg only include a photo stop above Wolfgangsee and St. Gilgen.

6. Bad Ischl, Austria

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⏱️ From Salzburg: 1–1.5 hours
🚌 Best Way to Get There: Bus 150 (Free with Guest Mobility Ticket)
👥 Most Crowded: Summer (July–August)

Bad Ischl is a spa town where Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Sisi spent their summers at the Kaiservilla. Today, their great-grandson calls the mansion his home.

Obviously, if you’re a royal fanatic, visiting the Kaiservilla is a must. The 45-minute guided tour is only offered in German. If you speak English, you can tag along while listening to the audio guide.

The grounds of the Kaiservilla also include Kaiserpark and Marmorschlössl, which was Sisi’s teahouse. Each attraction requires its own ticket, or you can see all three with the combo ticket.

If you’re not a Habsburg Head or into imperial history, you might enjoy taking the Katrin cable car or relaxing at the Bad Ischl thermal spa.

How to Get to Bad Ischl from Salzburg

By Bus: Bus 150, the same bus that goes to St. Gilgen, travels direct to Bad Ischl from Salzburg. The one-way trip takes about 90 minutes and it’s free with the Guest Mobility Ticket. Sit on the left side of the bus for the best views.

By Train: The train to Bad Ischl is around 2 hours and requires one change in Attnang-Puchheim. Unlike the bus, the full train journey to Bad Ischl isn’t covered by the Guest Mobility Ticket. It has to do with the train going into Upper Austria, which is outside of the Salzburg region.

Day Trips from Salzburg FAQS

Still have questions about planning your day trips? Here are a few more things to know before you go.

Do you need a car in Salzburg?

Thanks to Austria’s robust public transportation system, a car is not necessary to go on any of these day trips from Salzburg.

While a car may be more convenient, you’ll have the added cost of a rental car, insurance and fuel. You’ll also have to deal with parking in Salzburg. Even if you stay at a hotel with a parking garage, it can be difficult due to limited spaces.

What is the Salzburg Guest Mobility Ticket and how do I get it?

The Salzburg Guest Mobility Ticket gives overnight visitors free access to public transportation throughout Salzburg province, including city buses, regional buses and trains.

You can get your Guest Mobility Ticket from your hotel or other overnight accommodation. I recommend asking about it before you arrive, since you can also use it to get to your hotel from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof or Salzburg Airport.

The ticket is included with the mandatory mobility fee charged to overnight guests, so you don’t need to purchase it separately.

What are the best day trips from Salzburg in winter?

If you’re visiting Salzburg in the winter, the only day trip I wouldn’t take is to Werfen. Burg Hohenwerfen, the Sound of Music Trail and Eisriesenwelt all close during the winter months. The rest of the day trips from Salzburg mentioned in this list are fair game. And Hallstatt is particularly magical in the winter.

Final Thoughts on Car-Free Day Trips from Salzburg

Getting from point A to point B in a foreign country can feel overwhelming, especially if you don’t speak the language or take the train or bus often. But don’t let that stop you from doing any of these day trips from Salzburg. I’m not the most savvy when it comes to using public transportation, but if I can do it, you can do it!

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