Ellmau am Wilden Kaiser from Salzburg Airport

The route

From the airport the route takes the main road at Wals across the border into Germany as far as the Steinpass, where it crosses back into Austria. That is why this stretch is called the small Deutsches Eck, as opposed to the large Deutsches Eck, which runs on the motorway from the Walserberg to Kiefersfelden/Kufstein.

Via Unken and the Kniepass it continues to Lofer, then over the Pass Strub into Tyrol and via St. Johann in Tirol into the Wilder Kaiser region and on to Ellmau.

The roughly 75 km take about 1 hour 15 minutes, as the whole route is on main roads. In winter the drive is straightforward and delays are limited, because the road is well built and reliably cleared. The Steinpass and Kniepass are low passes and therefore always open.

From 1 November our vehicles carry full winter equipment.

Border checks between Germany and Austria are the exception on this route, but they do happen. Please keep your travel documents with you during the drive.

We drive to your accommodation anywhere in the municipality of Ellmau.

Private transfer vs. public transport

The private transfer runs straight from the arrivals hall to your accommodation, whatever time you land, with no changes and no hauling gear and luggage between trains and buses.

The fixed price is per vehicle, not per person: two people pay the same as seven, gear and luggage included. The longer the route, the further it comes in below the cost of individual public transport tickets.

By public transport you first take a bus to the main station in Salzburg city centre, then a train to Wörgl or St. Johann in Tirol. From there regional buses run to Ellmau.

So you have to change several times, which is not very comfortable with gear, luggage and children, and perhaps bad weather. Because the Wilder Kaiser region is a major destination the connections are good, and we mean that.

If you land later, though, it quickly gets stressful, as regional buses to Ellmau run less often in the evening.

When you travel

Ellmau am Wilden Kaiser sits in the middle of the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental, a large ski area that also includes Going, Scheffau, Söll and the Brixental villages such as Hopfgarten.

The season usually runs from early December to early or mid-April.

During the season, and especially on Saturdays, Salzburg Airport is one of the busiest charter airports in the Alps. Many flights from the UK and the Netherlands land within a short time of each other, and baggage reclaim and the arrivals hall get very busy. We are prepared for that and plan it in.

The fixed price applies at any time of day.

Arrival and meeting point

Your driver will be waiting in the arrivals hall with a sign with your name, wearing our company uniform. Salzburg Airport is compact and the walking distances are short. Before you travel we send you the vehicle’s make, model and registration, along with your driver’s name and phone number.

Please always give your flight number when you book. That way we track your flight in real time and can react to any changes in good time.

After landing we wait one hour free of charge, including passport control and baggage reclaim. If that isn’t enough because the terminal is very busy, please contact your driver so they know.

Please switch off flight mode on your phone after landing, so we can reach you.

The return journey: Ellmau to Salzburg Airport

The return journey also has a fixed price, just like the outbound. We collect you from your departure address. You are welcome to book the return when you book your outbound transfer, or at a later date.

We time the pickup so that you reach the terminal around two hours before your flight. Please take an early pickup time seriously and do not push it back: your driver knows the route, the traffic and the road conditions, and our aim is to get you to your flight without stress.

We build in a margin on departure day. There may be checks at the German border on the way back too, and on winter Saturdays Salzburg Airport has long queues at check-in and security. We set the pickup time earlier and agree it with you when you book.

Easily confused

Ellmau am Wilden Kaiser is not Elmau near Klais in Upper Bavaria, home to Schloss Elmau, known for hosting G7 summits. The spelling differs too, Ellmau and Elmau, and the two places are around 150 km apart.

The Wilder Kaiser region includes Söll, Scheffau, Ellmau and Going. All four became even better known through the TV series “Der Bergdoktor” and are very busy in summer.

Nor is the Wilder Kaiser region the same as the Kaiserwinkel. It is the same massif, but the Kaiserwinkel lies on the other side. It includes Walchsee, Rettenschöss, Schwendt and Kössen.

This route covers Ellmau am Wilden Kaiser only.