From the Ringstrasse, west along the A1, into Salzburg by the lakes
Around 300 kilometres and about three hours if you go direct. Or you leave the motorway shortly before the end and reach Salzburg by way of Attersee, Mondsee and St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee. Your chauffeur collects you at your hotel and plans the stops with you.
- A1 motorway + lake route
- About 3 hrs direct
- Attersee · Mondsee · St. Gilgen
- Flat rate, stops planned in
Straight west, then slowly through the lake country
01Vienna: the Ringstrasse and first-district hotels
Pickup, departure
We collect you at the hotel door, whether that is on the Ringstrasse, off the Graben or down a quiet lane in the first district. Your chauffeur arrives about ten minutes early, takes care of the luggage and briefly runs through which stops you would like today. Nothing has to be settled at this point. You can change your mind on the way, as long as it still leaves enough time before your check-in in Salzburg.
From the centre we usually head out along the Wien valley to Auhof, where the A1 West motorway begins. On weekday mornings the queues are mostly inbound, so the way out is usually clear until around nine. The difficult slot is Friday afternoon. Between roughly 2 and 7 pm half of Vienna drives west, and we allow noticeably more time for the first 40 kilometres to the Steinhäusl interchange.
After about 60 kilometres you reach St. Pölten. Most guests drive straight through, but if you left early you can have a coffee in the baroque old town of Lower Austria's capital before the long, even stretch through the Mostviertel begins.
02Enns or Linz
about 1 hr 45 min from Vienna, 20 to 45 min stop
Roughly halfway there are two stops that could hardly be more different. Enns, one of Austria's oldest towns, is only a few minutes off the motorway. Its tower rises from the middle of the main square, there are cafés all around it, and half an hour later you are back on the A1. For a family with children this is the easier break.
Linz makes sense for business travellers who have a meeting there or someone to collect. The detour from the Linz interchange into the city centre adds 20 to 30 minutes of urban traffic, depending on the time of day. If all you need is a break, Enns is the better choice.
To be frank, the stretch between Enns and the Linz/Haid area is the part of the route most likely to slow down. Roadworks with an 80 km/h limit and occasional air-quality speed limits (IG-L) are almost routine here. We build that into the plan instead of explaining it to you afterwards as a delay.
03Attersee
about 2 hrs 30 min from Vienna, 30 to 60 min stop
Beyond Vöcklabruck the countryside becomes hillier, and we leave the A1 at the Seewalchen or St. Georgen im Attergau exit. A few minutes later the Attersee lies in front of you, the largest lake entirely within Austria. Gustav Klimt spent many summers here and painted its shores again and again. You recognise the turquoise water from his pictures at once.
In summer this is the swimming stop. The water stays fresh into June and is glorious in July and August. We pull in at a public lido or a quiet spot on the shore, and you change in the vehicle while the chauffeur waits. We bring towels if you ask, just let us know.
Following the shore towards Unterach takes 30 to 45 minutes longer than heading straight back to the motorway. In winter we often leave the Attersee out. It lies still and grey under the mist then, beautiful, but with no real reason to get out of the car.
04Mondsee: the Sound of Music wedding church
45 to 60 min stop
The wedding of Maria and Georg von Trapp in The Sound of Music was filmed inside the Basilica of St. Michael in Mondsee. For many guests from overseas, the yellow façade on the market square is the real reason to take this route. We drop you right at the square, park and wait, so you can go inside without hurrying.
There are pastry shops and inns around the church. If you arrive around lunchtime, you will eat better in Mondsee than anywhere along the motorway. From there it is a short walk to the lakeshore, where you can see the Drachenwand, a sheer cliff above the southern shore.
In winter Mondsee matters for a different reason. The section of the A1 around Mondsee and on towards Thalgau runs higher than the rest of the route, and this is where the snow falls first. When it is only raining everywhere else, there can already be slush here. Your chauffeur knows this and drives accordingly.
05St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee
about 25 min from Mondsee, 30 to 60 min stop
From Mondsee the B154 follows the lake past Scharfling to St. Gilgen, a narrow, winding country road that we deliberately take slowly. Then the Wolfgangsee opens up in front of you. St. Gilgen is where Anna Maria Pertl was born, the mother of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The small Mozart house by the lake remembers her.
In summer the Zwölferhorn cable car is worth it on a clear day, as is a short boat trip on the Wolfgangsee. Realistically, either takes more than an hour. If you only want to see the lakeshore, you are back in the car within 30 minutes.
During Advent St. Gilgen is one of the villages of the Wolfgangsee Advent, which runs mostly at weekends. It is busier then, but the village glows in the late afternoon. If heavy snow makes the B154 unwise, we come round via the A1 from the other side, or we agree with you to drop the stop.
06Arrival in Salzburg
about 40 min from St. Gilgen
The last 30 kilometres follow the B158 past the Fuschlsee and down into Salzburg. That way you reach the city from the east, over hills and through forest, rather than via a motorway exit lined with business parks. Many guests say it makes the arrival feel completely different.
Most of the old town is a pedestrian zone. Whether we can drive up to your hotel depends on the property. Some allow access with a permit, and at others we stop at the nearest permitted point and carry your luggage the last few metres. We check this beforehand so you are not left standing at the kerb with your cases.
In summer, especially during the Salzburg Festival in July and August, the city is full, and the long light evenings still leave time for a walk along the Salzach. During Advent the Domplatz smells of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts. On those weekends we allow extra time for the last few kilometres through town.
Where the route leaves the motorway
We stay on the A1 as far as Vöcklabruck. After that the lake route runs via Attersee, Mondsee and St. Gilgen and reaches Salzburg from the east. The direct option stays on the motorway right up to the city limits.
Map centred on Mondsee, where the two options part ways.
The same road, two completely different journeys
| Summer (June to September) | Winter (November to March) | |
|---|---|---|
| Best departure from Vienna | 8 to 10 am. You reach Mondsee around lunchtime and have the afternoon for swimming. | By 9 am at the latest. It gets dark around 4 pm, and you only see the lakes in daylight. |
| Traffic on the A1 | Saturdays in July and August bring holiday traffic towards Salzburg and Germany, plus summer roadworks. | Less traffic overall, but snowfall between Mondsee and Thalgau and ski traffic heading south on Saturdays. |
| The lakes | Swimming in the Attersee or Wolfgangsee, the Zwölferhorn cable car, a boat trip. The Salzkammergut at its best. | Quiet, often misty, hardly any visitors. Mondsee and St. Gilgen are enough, and the Attersee is often left out. |
| Mondsee to St. Gilgen road | Easy going, though busy with day-trippers and cyclists on fine weekends. | Narrow and winding, often icy in the morning. In heavy snow we switch to the motorway. |
| Arrival in Salzburg | Long light evenings, festival season in July and August, hotels booked out early. | Advent markets from late November until Christmas, the old town very crowded at weekends. |
| Total time with stops | Five to six hours if you swim and stop for lunch. | Four to five hours, as the stops are shorter. |
| What to keep at hand | Swimwear, sun protection, comfortable shoes for the lakeshore. | A warm coat and sturdy shoes. Cobbles and lakeside paths are wet and slippery. |
When the train is the better choice
We will say it plainly: if you are travelling alone with light luggage and want to go straight into central Salzburg, the train is hard to beat. The Railjet and WESTbahn services run between Vienna and Salzburg Hauptbahnhof in just under two and a half hours, several times an hour, and you can work on board. On the motorway we cannot do it faster.
A private transfer comes into its own elsewhere. You are collected at your hotel door in Vienna and set down at the next one in Salzburg. No changing trains, no hauling cases along platforms, no onward connection from the station to the hotel. For a family with three suitcases and a pushchair, or a group of six in a Mercedes V-Class, the sums look very different.
The biggest reason, though, is this route itself. Attersee, Mondsee and St. Gilgen are not on the western railway line. By public transport they take close to a full day, with several changes onto regional buses. By car you see three lakes in one afternoon and still arrive in Salzburg in time for dinner.
Our advice: if you just want to arrive, take the train. If you see the drive as part of the trip, come with us by the lakes.
What this route has taught us
VPC Chauffeur-Team
Chauffeurs who drive between Vienna and Salzburg regularly
On the map the A1 looks dull: a straight line from east to west. In practice the day of the week decides the journey. Tuesday to Thursday, leaving between eight and ten, is the calmest combination. On Friday afternoons we often lose half an hour between Auhof and the Steinhäusl interchange alone, and on summer Saturdays holiday traffic backs up around Salzburg.
What actually goes wrong is rarely an accident. It is roadworks. There is almost always construction somewhere on the West motorway, usually between Linz and Salzburg and sometimes for months. We check the traffic on the morning of the drive and adjust the plan. Sometimes that means leaving the motorway earlier and stretching the lake route a little instead of sitting in a queue.
In winter we follow a simple rule. The lakes are a bonus, not an obligation. If it is snowing on the B154 between Mondsee and St. Gilgen, we tell you and suggest an alternative. All our vehicles run on winter tyres in the cold months, which Austrian law requires in wintry conditions anyway.
And one small tip: if you plan to have lunch in Mondsee, get there before noon. After that the coach groups arrive and the best tables in the inns are taken.
From flat rate to your hotel door in Salzburg
- 01
Choose your route and stops
Enter Vienna as your start and Salzburg as your destination in the booking calculator. If you want the lake route, include the waiting time. The flat rate shows you everything upfront.
- 02
A vehicle to suit your luggage
An E-Class for up to three passengers, a V-Class for families and groups of up to seven. Child seats are provided free of charge if you tell us the children's ages.
- 03
Confirmation and chauffeur contact
You receive written confirmation and, the day before, your chauffeur's contact details. We also check access to your hotel in Salzburg's old town.
- 04
Flexible on the day
You and your chauffeur adjust the plan to the weather and your mood: a longer swim, a skipped stop, or straight through when it snows.
The lakes through the seasons
Vienna to Salzburg transfer: what travellers ask
Can't find your answer? Message us on WhatsApp – we typically reply within minutes.
WhatsAppHow long is the drive from Vienna to Salzburg?+
The distance is about 300 kilometres. Directly via the A1 it takes around three hours in normal traffic from central Vienna to Salzburg's old town. On Friday afternoons and summer Saturdays it can take half an hour to an hour longer. With the lake route and stops, allow four to six hours.
How much does a private transfer from Vienna to Salzburg cost?+
You pay a flat rate, which the booking calculator shows you straight away. It depends on the vehicle and the waiting time for your stops. Tolls, the vignette and fuel are included, and traffic jams cost you nothing extra.
Can we stop at Mondsee, the Attersee or St. Gilgen on the way?+
Yes, that is exactly what this route is for. Add the stops you want when you book, or talk them through with your chauffeur in the morning. If you would like more time on the Wolfgangsee, our St. Gilgen transfer page has further ideas.
Isn't the train from Vienna to Salzburg faster?+
Station to station, yes: the Railjet and WESTbahn take just under two and a half hours. With luggage, children or a group, the door-to-door pickup evens that out. You cannot reach the Salzkammergut lakes by train, though.
Do I need a motorway vignette?+
Not if you travel with us. Our vehicles carry the vignette and it is included in the flat rate. If you drive yourself, the A1 requires a motorway vignette. The ten-day version costs roughly 12 to 13 euros, and for private buyers the digital vignette bought online only becomes valid after a waiting period.
Do you take the lake route in winter when it snows?+
If the roads allow it, yes. In winter the lakes are quiet and misty and have their own charm. In heavy snow on the country road between Mondsee and St. Gilgen we go directly via the A1 and discuss it with you beforehand.
Can you drive right up to our hotel in Salzburg's old town?+
It depends on the hotel, as much of the old town is a pedestrian zone. We check access beforehand. Where there is none, we stop at the nearest permitted point and your chauffeur takes the luggage to reception.
How much luggage fits, and do you have child seats?+
The E-Class comfortably takes up to three passengers with one large suitcase each. The V-Class carries up to seven passengers with luggage, including pushchairs and ski bags. Child seats and boosters are provided free of charge if you give the children's ages when booking.
Related routes and tours
Salzburg → Vienna: the Danube detour
The return direction with a completely different focus: through the Wachau to Vienna.
→Vienna Airport → Salzburg
Landing at Schwechat? Terminal pickup with flight monitoring.
→Mondsee and the Salzkammergut lakes
Already in Salzburg? The lakes as a day trip of their own, with no luggage in the boot.
→Transfer to St. Gilgen
Staying on the Wolfgangsee? Go straight there instead of into Salzburg.
→Salzburg → Linz: the short business hop
For meetings in Upper Austria, done within half a day.
→Leave Vienna, arrive by the lakes
Get your flat rate in a few steps, direct or with stops at Attersee, Mondsee and St. Gilgen. For special requests, groups or several vehicles, just send us an enquiry.