Trekking in Austria's Hohe Tauern. Allan Hartley

fun and enjoyed by all. In September with the arrival of autumn the huts will be quieter and the weather cooler.

      The author’s personal choice for a two-week holiday is either the middle of July or the first two weeks in September.

Getting There (and Back)

      Getting to Austria is relatively straightforward no matter how you decide to travel. For the purposes of these treks, you will probably arrive in Austria in the medieval city of Innsbruck, the provincial capital of the Tyrol. Transport to the starting points for tours in the Reichen Group, Venediger and Gross Glockner is described from Innsbruck within each section.

      By Air

      Even if you travel by air, which is without doubt the quickest way to get to Austria, you do not always have sufficient time to leave the UK in the morning, fly to Austria, catch a train to Innsbruck, Jenbach–Mayrhofen, Kitzbuhel then Zell am See, and then make your way to one of the huts before nightfall. At best you should plan to stay overnight in Innsbruck and then continue your journey the day after. However if your plan is to tour in the Reichen Group, it is just about possible to get to the Plauener Hut by early evening if you do not have any hold-ups!

      Both British Airways and Lufthansa run several flights a day from London and Manchester. Other budget carriers also operate services from Luton, Stansted and Gatwick. (See Appendix A for airline websites.)

      Travelling by air gets you to mainland Europe quickly but then you may loose precious time transferring to the railway station (Hauptbahnhof) and may experience frustrating delays and hold-ups just finding your way about.

      At Munich, the airport connects direct with the regional railway network where there are frequent trains every 20mins or so. Follow the train signs DB and S. The set-up is similar to the London Underground, which means you need a pre-paid ticket before getting on the train. Do not push your luck without a ticket, as the Germans do not take kindly to freeloaders, no matter where you come from. There is also a booking office in the arrivals hall adjacent to the concession counters for car hire, hotel reservations and so on. This facility is not always open but if it is get your ticket to Innsbruck hin und zuruck (return). There are express trains every two hours or so. Once on your journey you need to get off the regional train at Munchen Ost (Munich East) and change platforms to get on one of the intercity trains (schnell zug). Lookout for the sign boards on the side of the train and get on the first one that has Innsbruck or Brennero, Venezia, Venedig on it: anything heading into Italy or Switzerland will do, as they all have to go via Innsbruck.

      A party crossing the Obersulzbach Kees glacier with Gross Venediger in the background (Venediger Glacier Tour, Stage 8)

      If the ticket office at Munich airport is closed you can get your ticket at Munich East ticket office, which you will find at road level with other shops and fast food outlets. With express trains it is also possible to pay on the train, sometimes at a premium, if you can show that you had to rush and didn’t have enough time to get to the ticket office.

      At Salzburg, take the ‘Line 2’ bus service from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof (railway station), from where a rail ticket to Innsbruck can be purchased.

      If you are planning to tour the Reichen Group there is no need to go to Innsbruck. Take the train as far as Jenbach then transfer to the Zillertalbahn narrow-gauge railway for the 30-mile, one-hour train ride up the Zillertal valley to Mayrhofen. The overall journey time is about two hours depending on connections. The last train to Mayrhofen from Jenbach is at 18:22hr.

      If your plan is to climb in the Glockner region, again there is no need to go to Innsbruck. Take the train to Zell am See or Kitzbuhel, then use the local bus services.

      At Innsbruck airport, there is a bus service plus taxis to get you to the city centre and the Hauptbahnhof; then use regional trains to wherever you plan to tour.

      By Rail

      Consult with National Rail Enquiries or Eurostar, but these are the two most commonly used routes. (Each will get you to Innsbruck within 18 hours.)

       London/Dover/Calais/Paris/Zurich/Innsbruck

       London/Dover/Ostend/Brussels/Munich/Innsbruck

      See these websites for further details:

       DB: Deutsche Bundesbahn (German Railways) www.reiseauskunft.bahn.de

       OBB: Osterreichische Bundesbahnen (Austrian Railways) www.oebb.at

       Postbus: www.postbus.at

      By Road

      The most direct route is via the Dover–Ostend channel crossing, then making use of the motorway system to Munich and into Austria at Kufstein, followed by the short drive up the Inn valley to Innsbruck. Whatever your chosen route consult your motoring organisation before setting out. If there is more than one driver it is possible to get to Innsbruck in 10–12 hours from Calais or Ostend.

      It is also important when parking your car to remember to consider getting back to it, which is not always easy when you drop down into another valley. It is best to leave your car at one of the major towns with good railway connections to Innsbruck, Jenbach or Zell am See, if possible.

      The Return Journey

      For those travelling by air, the last day of your vacation needs to be devoted to making the journey home. See the individual sections for descriptions.

      Journey time from Innsbruck to Munich airport is around 2–2½hrs, to Salzburg 2hrs. From Innsbruck the trains to Munich leave at:

       08:38/10:38/12:37/14:37/16:37/18:37/20:37hrs.

      From Innsbruck the trains to Salzburg are roughly every two hours:

       09:30/11:30/13:30hrs.

      From Mayrhofen the first train to Jenbach is at 05:52hrs, thereafter every hour from 06:40hrs onwards. The first train from Jenbach to Munich is at 10:38hrs, and to Salzburg at 09:50hrs. Remember to change trains at Munich East and get on the regional shuttle service train S8 marked Flughafen.

      See Appendix B for some useful German words and phrases to use when travelling.

Places to Stay

      There is no shortage of good places to stay throughout Austria as the whole country is geared to tourism and catering for visitors.

      Hotels

      Hotels in Innsbruck will be more expensive than hotels and guesthouses in the surrounding local villages. If you are not bothered about nightlife then you will find good bargains in the towns of Mayrhofen, Kitzbuhel, Matrei, Kaprun and Zell am See.

      In Innsbruck, hotels can be booked from the tourist information centre at the railway station. Some recommended places are listed below.

      In Innsbruck

      Alt Pradl Hotel Located 10mins walk from the railway station and 20mins from the old town. Quiet.

       tel [phone]

       email [email protected]

       website www.hotel-altpradl.at

      Weisses Kreuz (The White Cross) A touch of the old, medieval Innsbruck, located in the heart of the old town, its claim to fame is that Mozart stayed here when in Innsbruck to play for the Royal Court at the Hofburg Palace.

       tel [phone]

       email [email protected]

       website www.weisseskreuz.at

      The