Enjoy the cruise and the beer Dave, I remember it well. I love Austria, but mostly visited the Innsbruck/Tyrol area. I used to use the local buses, always bought a 7 – or 5 – day ticket for unlimited travel. Beautiful scenery, gorgeous villages, we used to get off at any village we liked the look of. Being able to speak the language was a big help, as we were among rural people, who gave us a fantastic welcome. I always appreciated how much respect and good feeling there was for the UK there. Local food in the non-tourist Gasthofs and Gasthausen, was much plainer, but much tastier, than the tourist places. The beer and wine was always good, but the local Schnapps and Obst Schnapps, dangerous! We once went to an Alpine Fire Station party half way down the mountain. No idea how I got back to the hotel.
My favourite place was Igls, in the mountains above Innsbruck. We could get on a cable car and go up to the Patscherkofel:
http://www.patscherkofelbahn.at/en#summer
Or catch a choice of bus or tram, down to the city of Innsbruck.
When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.
.
