I did a little day trippy to Hallstatt from Salzburg (about 2.5 hours one way by public transport). I know it’s blown up on da gram, but it’s a goodie. I hated everything about that sentence. But genuinely, it’s really picturesque.
hallstatt from salzburg by public transport
I caught the 150 bus at 08:15 from the main bus station, platform F in Saltzburg. At this time, on a weekday (Tuesday), maybe 10 people got on that stop, then another 10 at the Mariella stop (closer into the centre). Sit on the left side of the 150 bus to get stunning, wet-yo-pants lake views after about 45 minutes of driving outside the city.
Online it says that you need to pay for the bus in cash, but (as of June 2023), you can pay by card on the bus itself. It was €30 exactly. Just ask the bus driver you would like for one person a round trip ticket to Hallstatt. Then, you basically get a Day Card of sorts on public transport in the region. I think it’s the most expensive one that you can get- I say this because for me the same ticket also included the bus from Hallstatt to Five Finger Point Lookout. Side note- I wouldn’t say the €39.90 return Five Finger Viewpoint ski lift ticket was worth it, but hey, that’s me.
I found this really good website that explained how to get there which included a ferry. It was probably the best thing to have NEVER happened because there was construction. Quite literally, it was the last day of construction so if I went the day after I could have experienced the ferry LOL. Instead we had to take bus replacement services- what a sexy alternative.
I arrived at Hallstatt around 10:00/10:30, which was before the tour buses showed up. An hour or so later was when hoards of people stormed the streets with their pitchfork tripods and loud speaking. Not sure if June is peak season or not so maybe the times aren’t accurate during the summer. I always feel weird typing this but the graveyard was delightful. You can’t get lost exploring because you hit signs that say you can’t go further (since it is someone’s house or a highway).
I didn’t eat or drink in Hallstatt, but you can get free water from a fountain at the opposite end of town from the bus station, just before you’ve gone too far and hit the highway. Me being me, I brought some pepperoni sticks and a reusable water bottle. The beauty of Austria is that there is free water everywhere (including hotel tap water) that is delicious.
I met a French Canadian woman at one of the train stations so I hung out with her the whole day and we ended up going to the Five Finger Viewpoint. In the mountains as a viewpoint there is a big hand, if a hand was sort of deformed cyborg metal.
Five Finger Viewpoint didn’t thrill me for the price (I typed that as I looked at the breathtaking view). I would rather have headed out on the water with a boat tour around the lake. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a stunning view, but it costs €39.90 to get up there and it’s about a 20-minute walk from the gondola at the top each way. Plus it’s cold/ has snow at the top. Plus, plus we were only at the viewpoint for 10-15 minutes. So if you calculate that per minute value of €39.90 – literally you do the maths because I can’t be bothered to take out a calculator.
Also, from Hallstatt to the Five Finger Viewpoint there’s a bus that you need to take to the base of the gondola before you go up to the top- so the whole journey was a lot longer than the time spent at the actual viewpoint considering it was €39.90. Did I mention it was €39.90?
I have to say it was a glorious day trip. I got back to Saltzberg around 17:30/1800. Yum.
