Zell am See in 2 days
Day one stays by the lake and rides up the Schmittenhöhe, day two chooses between the Kitzsteinhorn glacier and a drive up the Grossglockner road — both fill a whole day and don't fit into the same one.
- How long
- 2
- Arrival
- airport bus/S-Bahn to Salzburg Hbf
- Book ahead
- Nothing on this plan
Zell am See holds 2 — enough for the town and the lake on one day and the glacier or the alpine road on the other, but not both on the same second day. Day one is on foot and by cable car up the Schmittenhöhe, day two needs a bus to Kaprun or a car for the Grossglockner road.
The lake and the Schmittenhöhe
Arrival Salzburg Airport (SZG), then airport bus/S-Bahn to Salzburg Hbf, then an ÖBB train to Zell am See — about 2 h, change in Salzburg for up to €21 (SVV ticket).
The town takes an hour: the promenade along the Zeller See, the old church and the jetty. Swimming is free (grass shore), 1–2 h set aside for the water and a walk along the shore.
Lunch in town: €11.20 for the Pinzgau soup, or €17.20–26.80 for a main course at a restaurant.
The Schmittenhöhe, the cable car above town: €45, half a day for the summit and the trails around it.
Dinner in town, €16.90–19.50 for a Wiener Schnitzel.
The Kitzsteinhorn or the Grossglockner road
A bus or a car to Kaprun.
The Kitzsteinhorn, the glacier above Kaprun: €61, half a day for the summit and the platform facing the Grossglockner.
Lunch in Kaprun, €17.20 for the beef goulash.
The afternoon stays free for another cable car run or the ride back to the lake in Zell am See.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Are two days enough for Zell am See?
For the lake and one alpine target, yes — 2 covers both, but not the glacier and the Grossglockner road on the same day.
Is a car needed for this plan?
Not for the Kitzsteinhorn — a bus runs to Kaprun. Yes for the Grossglockner road, since it's a tolled route with no public transport.
What if a third day is free?
Salzburg works as a full day: train and bus (ÖBB + SVV), about 2 h one way, €42 for a return ticket.
Ready for Zell am See?
Where to next
Where to stay in Zell am See
→In the lakeside town everything is on foot and the Schmittenhöhe cable car is close; in Kaprun you're closer…
Kitzbühel · 34 km
→A medieval town known for one ski run in January
How well does Zell am See suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
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