I am in the early phases of planning a trip to Austria with my mother this summer (July 5- July 18th). This will be my first time planning an international trip, but the travel agent we found has not been very helpful.
I know this is not an uncommon trip for thatre junkies to take, so I was wondering if someone who had taken the trip wouldn't mind sharing their itinerary (hotel, restaurant, attraction information) or pointing me in the direction of a good travel blog (or a new travel agent...)
the trip would be from New York (i hear its best to take a plane to Muncih and take a train). The only thing that is on our schedule currently are concerts in Westendorf and Rattenberg on July 10th and 11th (i know those cities have little to do with SOM, but the concerts are what inspired the idea for the trip)
any help you can give would be greatly appreciated, feel free to comment on here or PM me
Be aware that the Austrians do NOT have a deep and abiding love for Sound of Music, and sort of begrudgingly tolerate it because it's such a cash cow.
That said, Salzburg is a SPECTACULAR city, filled with jaw-dropping scenery and food and very nice people.
Your best bet is to do as you were suggested to do: fly to Munich then train it to Salzburg. It's not a long trip, especially if you take an express train.
There are a lot of Sound of Music tours, and you can easily see many of the familiar sights on your own as you walk around. But take a tour. You'll be thrilled, since they take you to the charming town of Mondsee where you visit the church used in the film. We took the tour I'm linking here. It's cheesy and fairly unironic, but you get to sing along (haaaa!) and you get a souvenir edelweiss. Seriously. My friend and I had a LOT of fun.
I've done the SOM tour twice. Once while on a day trip from Munich and once while staying overnight. Both times I took the Panorama Tour. The train to and from Munich is easy and runs just about hourly if I remember. Mirabell Gardens is open to the public. It's where some of Do Ri Mi was filmed. It's quite pretty in the summer. I would also recommend St Peters Skifskeller - the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Europe. It's very easy to find and it's near the cemetery which was the inspiration for the Von Trapp's hiding in the convent. Enjoy!
I have also done this tour twice. I would recommend (if your party is quasi-fit) taking Frauline Maria's Bike Tour. There is only one part of the tour that is challenging (where most people walk their bikes up a steep hill, I did) and down the hill can be scary. But other than that it is flat. It is the best way to see all of your favorite spots from the film because a tour bus simply can not take you to certain places that are only accessible by foot or bike. It is also a great way to see all of Salzburg in 4 hours (you truly see it all.)
I would also recommend watching Amadeus again. Mozart is every where and it will get you really excited!
joined:6/26/15
joined:
6/26/15
Posted: 5/16/17 at 5:12pm