River cruise/optional Salzburg tour

Has anyone done this? Is it worth it? How would you spend the day if you don't do it. Docked in Linz I believe. I see things in Salzburg that I would like to do - but not so much - the Sound of Music tour. Is it possible to use their transportation to Salzburg, do your own thing and then join up again for a ride back to the ship? Or another way to get there and back to the ship? Thanks

Edithann:

I don't know what cruise you're on, but let me suggest that you check out the notes on the Peter Deilmann Mozart thread here. Steamboats has provided some notes on Salzburg things to do. Also, you may want to go to http://www.salzburg.info and request that they send you material. They sent me very useful info -- calendar of events, map, booklets, CD with virtual tours, etc. Very much appreciated, too!

S

I remember reading a review that said if you didn't do the optional Salzburg tour on an Amadeus or Avalon ship, you would spend the day in Linz & there was not much to do there. The reviewer said they spent most of the day on the ship. I have read many reviews that said this optional tour was wonderful so we will be going on it when we cruise with Amadeus the end of April.

Salzburg is not to be missed. You could spend all day there. The trip up to the castle is really great. Also just walking around, shopping, eating and visiting some of the sights. Check out the Salzburg tourism site and request brochures and maps. Willard

Thanks for the responses. I do want to go to Salzburg - but don't want to do the Sound of Music tour. If I am understanding it correctly, they go to sights where the movie was filmed. I want to go to the fortress and a few other things. I wish I could find someone who has actually done the tour to find out how it is all arranged. I looked at the train option, as it was suggested to me on another forum, but it looks like a bit of a hassle so far. We are on the Artistry. I think you get off in Passau and get back on in Linz. I will keep researching I guess. Thanks again.

It may be a pricy bus ride to salzburg if you don't do the tour. We did the SOM tour last year and is was fun. If you pay for the bus and want to do your own thing - talk to the head tour guide and find out where and when you need to reconnect for the bus ride back. Even with showers and really heavy hail we enjoyed the tour - it was worth the money.

Skandls,

Can you briefly describe the tour? Am I under the correct assumption that you did not go to the Fortress? Where did you go? Do you remember the cost? We just really want to see the fortress and a few other things and don't have much interest in the sound of music I am afraid. A few guide books decribe it as touristy and cheesy. Sounds like you would not say that though...correct? Thanks!!

Edithann, as jgnova mentioned, it would be helpful to know which cruise line you are with, as the tours will vary. I did this tour while on the Avalon Poetry in November 2005, and I would highly recommend it (as mentioned, the alternative is to spend the day on the ship as it travels to Passau, with a brief stop in Linz). Although this is deemed a "Sound of Music Tour," it certainly has much to offer to those without an interest in the movie. On my ship, only about three people chose not to participate in the tour. I believe the cost was about $85 - a bargain really, although the fact that nearly everyone took the tour and there was not really any other option raised a lot of questions about whether the tour should have been included for free.

We began with about a two-hour coach ride through the Austrian Alps, with an approximately 30-minute stop in the middle to view the church where the Sound of Music wedding was filmed. Uninterested parties (myself included) could take a quick exploratory walk instead, as the bus parked right in town. Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't recall the name of the town. The coach ride included some amazing scenery...I don't know what time of year you're going, but the winter snow on the mountains was gorgeous.

Upon our arrival in Salzburg, we were dropped off outside the old part of the city and provided with a map depicting where the bus would pick us up - I'd estimate we had at least 4 hours in the city. Participation in the tour was optional. We began with a 1-hour walking tour of the central/old part of the city that included a great deal of Sound of Music related info, but other topics and sights were also covered (such as Mozart). We then had a couple of hours of free time, and the group then reconvened at an easy-to-find location where the tour ended. We then returned to the bus via a rather circuitous route that did include some more Sound of Music discussion. The bus then brought us to Passau, where the ship was docked...it was a 2- to 3-hour drive, so arranging your own transportation back would likely be a bit much.

Based on this schedule, you would certainly have time to tour the fortress. The bus drops you rather near the fortress, and the location where we all convened to walk back to the bus was also nearby. Alternatively, you could even choose to just join the group at the bus (although that was a bit further away and wasn't in the most obvious location, despite the fact that we were given a map in advance). It's possible your tour would even head up to the fortress - when I was there, the train that goes up there was broken, and the Christmas markets were also open so some time was spent there. But regardless, I would HIGHLY recommend this tour and not let the "Sound of Music" title scare you away.

Cheers! :)

Thank you so much for the blow-by-blow schedule of the tour. That helps a lot and we are so glad to know there is spare time to go to the

fortress. That just makes my day. I did mention the ship on one of my previous posts. Avalon Artistry. We are really looking forward to it. It is 14 days + extra days in Budapest.