cherylforeurope

Am interested in driving the Grossglockner Highway from the Garmisch/Fussen area on my way
to Berchtesgaden/Salzburg. I have no idea how many hours to allow for this drive. Has anyone driven this route? If so, how much time should I allow including picture/meal stops? Any special restaurants along the way? Thank you.

TuckH

The Grossglockner is hardly ?on the way? between Garmish and Berchtesgaden. Might you be confusing the Deutsche Alpenstrasse (which does connect the two) with the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse (which doesn't)?

If so, I'd allow a full day to best enjoy this scenic drive.

bob_brown

I really think you need to look at a good road map of Austria if you really mean the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse.
It is well south of Salzburg and would take 6 - 7 hours or so at least from Garmisch to reach Heiligenblut, which is on on the south side of the mountain range.

I have driven between Salzburg and Heiligenblut twice, but I did not time it because I stopped at several of the viewpoints for several minutes each.

Ingo

You should forget the plan to drive from south to north (Heiligenblut to Zell am See), because you won't have enough time.

Calculate about 4 hours driving from Garmisch (via Innsbruck and either Kitzbühel or Gerlospass) to Zell am See. From there I think 3 hours are reasonable to calculate for the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse drive plus foto stops and a meal (to the southern side, Franz-Joseph's Höhe and Edelweissspitze) and back to Zell am See. It will take you another two hours to Salzburg/Berchtesgaden.

So this is a full day and you won't have much time inbetween for foto stops or meals. IMO you try to cram too much into that day. What if you do that day trip from Salzburg/Berchtesgaden?

Ingo

mikemo

I agree. That would be a unique route.
I would suggest you lease a turbo diesel or "kompressor" man trans car for Alpine driving.
M

cherylforeurope

I knew it was out of the way but from what I read thought it would be worth it for the view. I was originally going to allow a day for the trip. I take it I should reconsider. Is it worth a day drip from Berchtesgaden? How does the Deutsche Alpenstrasse compare?

traveldawg

How does the Deutsche Alpenstrasse compare?

This is a pretty drive that we have done a few times from Berchtesgaden to Garmisch. Stop in Reit im Winkl on the way and Ramsau if you have the time. I am not familar with the other route you are planning, but it seems to be longer. This is a more direct route.

Ingo

The Deutsche Alpenstrasse is by far not as scenic. You will miss the glaciers and the mountains are by far lower.

You should do the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse on a sunny day. It is well worth a day trip from Berchtesgaden. (Although I personally was a bit disappointed. I think the Western Alps are more scenic.)

bob_brown

About the best time estimate I can give you is based on my first visit to the Grossglockner area several years ago.

We left our apartment in Langenfeld in the Ötztal, drove to Innsbruck, turned south to drive over the Brenner Pass, left the autobahn and drove east along the Dolomites to Lienz and then north to Heilgenblut.

We went first to the Franz Josef view points of the glacier and the Grossglockner peak itself. Then we continued over the high point of the road and descended on the other side where we headed for Salzburg. We arrived at our pension 4 k south of Salzburg around 7 PM.

It was a long, but rewarding day.
I judge Garmisch to be about as far from the Brenner as Langenfeld, time wise. So your time estimates should be a little shorter than mine because I took a route south of Heilgenblut by quite a distance before heading north.