Landing at Salzburg in the evening and heading to Saalbach: car, transfer or hotel?
I land at Salzburg at 21:00 and I'm staying in Saalbach. Can I still pick up a car?
Not your flight? Plan your own Salzburg arrival.
Plan your own →Saalbach is about 90 km from Salzburg Airport, roughly 1 hour 35 minutes by car, with the last stretch on mountain roads.
Most rental desks at Salzburg close between 19:00 and 20:30, and some close earlier at weekends. Sixt can arrange out-of-hours pick-up for a fee, but only if you request it in advance.
The answer for this example
Saturday in December, landing 21:00, 2 people with ski bags, car not booked yet
SZG Salzburg to Saalbach Hinterglemm
Collect your car tonight, arrive 23:59
Collect the car tonight and drive
- Extra cost
- €45
- out-of-hours fee, on top of car hire · estimate
- Unconfirmed
- You arrive
- 23:59
- estimate
- Unconfirmed
- Risk
- Some
- Out-of-hours hand-over, then 2 h of mountain roads at night
Unconfirmed, check with Sixt and a route planner before you rely on these figures.
Why this is best
- Every desk has closed when you reach arrivals at about 21:40, but Europcar and Sixt can hand over a car out of hours if you arrange it before you fly (extra fee, amount not published; we assume about €45).
- You'd drive 2 hours of mountain roads at night after a flight.
- Check the car comes with winter tyres or snow chains.
Why not “Pre-booked transfer to your door”? You'd get there 29 min sooner (23:30) and the risk is low instead of some, but it costs €237 more. Our pick balances cost, time and risk.
Ad · We may earn a commission if you book. It doesn't change our pick.
Your night, step by step
- 21:40Out of arrivals
- 21:45Meet the out-of-hours agent
- 22:00Drive off
- 23:59Arrive in Saalbach Hinterglemm
Based on 3 facts · 2 unconfirmed
Europcar out-of-hours pick-upVerified
fee not published
Source: europcar.co.uk · checked 8 Nov 2026
Sixt out-of-hours pick-upUnconfirmed
fee not published
Source: sixt.co.uk · checked 8 Nov 2026 · check with Sixt
Drive time to Saalbach HinterglemmUnconfirmed
about 95 min in good conditions (92 km), our estimate
Source: no source recorded · check date not recorded · check with a route planner
Worth knowing
▲ In Austria, from 1 November to 15 April you need winter tyres whenever roads have snow, slush or ice; fines start at about €100. Austrian rental cars normally include the motorway vignette.
Other ways to do it
Not possible at this time
- Bus and train: To catch the last connection to Salzburgerland you need to be out of arrivals by 19:30; you're out at about 21:40. A transfer or a hotel near the airport are the usual fallbacks.
Prices are estimates for comparison. Desk hours and timetables change, so confirm with the operator before you travel. How we work this out
Your flight is different? Plan your own night.
Rental desks at Salzburg Airport
Published opening hours. Out-of-hours pick-up has to be arranged before you fly.
| Supplier | Desk hours | After hours |
|---|---|---|
| Europcar | Mon–Fri 08:00–20:30Sat 09:00–18:30Sun 08:30–20:15 | On request, fee applies |
| Avis / Budget | Mon 08:00–21:00Tue–Sat 08:00–20:30Sun 08:00–21:00 | Not offered |
| Hertz | Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00Sat–Sun 09:00–19:00 | Not offered |
| Enterprise / Alamo / National | Daily 08:00–19:30 | Not offered |
| Sixt | Daily 08:00–19:00 | On request, fee applies |
Last checked 2026-11-08. Sources: Europcar, Avis, Hertz, Enterprise, Sixt
Leaving the airport
- Terminal
- Opens around 04:00. You can't sleep inside.
- Into the city
- City bus 2 runs to Salzburg main station every 15–20 minutes (about 23 minutes); bus 10 runs to the city centre.
- Salzburgerland ski resorts
- Postbus 260 runs from the airport to Zell am See via Lofer and Saalfelden (about 1½ hours). Bus 270 runs to Flachau on Saturdays only. For other resorts, take bus 2 to Salzburg main station, then a train and a local bus. Connections thin out in the evening.