Hiking holidays without your car | Reit im Winkl, Bavarian Alps

Grüß Gott in Reit im Winkl — © © Eisele-Hein

Sustainable & climate-friendly Hiking holidays without your car

More and more people want to make their vacation more climate-friendly and reduce their carbon footprint. But is that also possible on a trip to the mountains? Does a hiking holiday work without a car, where, as is well known, the "last mile" at the start of the hike is still so tricky?

In Reit im Winkl we are convinced that car-free holidays do work. We have put together 17 tips on how to make your hiking holiday without a car a success.

Busses & Trains Getting to Reit im Winkl without a car

1) The best connection by bus and train: take the Bayerische Regiobahn on the Munich-Salzburg route to the Prien am Chiemsee train station - even if the app on your phone should suggest a different train station. From Prien you have the best connections to Reit im Winkl by changing to bus line 9505. After a relaxed ride through the Achental valley you arrive at the Tourist Information bus stop next to the May Pole (or 6 other stops in a short distance).

2) Getting from the bus stop to your accommodation depends on the distance. Do you use the short distance on foot to get a first impression of the holiday destination, relax your legs after the long journey? Or do you have a lot of luggage with you, the journey was long and you just want to take a quick shower? Hail a taxi - or speak to your landlords beforehand, it's tradition to pick guests up on arrival!

3) Is everything too far, too complicated, too exhausting? Get in your car for the journey - and then hide the keys in the room safe and only get it out again when you leave. Car-free locally is also a good idea.

Sleep & Feast Staying overnight on a car-free holiday in Reit im Winkl

4) Rooms and apartments in the center: When choosing your accommodation, the location is more important if you do not have a car. The booking system on the Reit im Winkl website will help you with your selection. For example, you can filter according to certain criteria: "Local transport nearby", "Pick up from the train station" and much more. Each accommodation is also located on a map so you can check the proximity to the nearest bus stop. To the booking platform

5) Apartments and rooms on the outskirts: You shouldn't immediately rule out properties a little outside of the town center. Here, too, a few considerations are worthwhile: Does the accommodation offer a shopping service before arrival, so that a filled fridge is waiting for you? For smaller purchases you have your hiking backpack with you anyway... Many landlords offer a bread roll service. Or you book directly with half board. You can also filter this using our booking system – or you can ask your hosts directly. To the booking platform

6) Use digital maps like Google Maps and explore the area: where are the bus stops, where do the hiking trails start, where are the supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries - and what is particularly important to you?

Book your accommodation

Hiking signpost on Eggenalm — © © Eisele-Hein

Alpine meadows, lakes and summits Hiking

7) With the 5 premium hiking trails alone, you can organize a nice hiking week without having to move your car. Three of the paths have their starting point directly in town - Chiemseeblick alpin, Klausenbachklamm and Kapellensteig. For the other two premium trails - Gletscherblick alpin and Almgenuss in the Hemmersuppenalm hiking area - use the shuttle bus to the Hindenburghütte (chargeable). Learn more

8) The hiking bus is free for all guests with the Reit im Winkl inklusiv Card, which they receive at their accommodation. With the hiking bus you can reach the Streichenkirche car park, the Winklmoos-Alm and Lake Weitsee by bus, you can start your hikes there and get on again at the same or a different stop and be taken back to Reit im Winkl. Learn more

9) The shuttle bus to the Hindenburghütte overcomes around 400 meters of altitude in the woods and lets you start your hike where lush alpine meadows, wonderful views and car-free hiking trails await you. Learn more

10) The regular buses of Regionalverkehr Oberbayern (RVO) also take you to the starting points for hikes, for example to the Winklmoos-Alm, to the neighbouring towns of Ruhpolding, Inzell, Marquartstein or Schleching. Ask about special offers such as day tickets or the Bayern ticket. Learn more

11) " Bike & Hike" is the keyword when you cycle to the start of your hike. Especially with e-bikes it is often pretty easy to get to the starting point of the hike.

Check out all hikes

Chapel Winklmoos-Alm — © © Fotografie Dietmar Denger

In the rain

Rain is probably one of the things you fear most when you want to do without a car. But we have tips for that, too.

12) You don't actually have to leave your room or apartment - you're on vacation! Make the best of it and stay in bed late, read your book, watch series and films, watch the rain from the balcony. In most cases, the rain showers in Reit im Winkl don't last too long, you can finally just relax.

13) You can hike even when it rains - did you know that? The important things are: take an umbrella with you, put on a rain jacket, choose a suitable hike (more wide forest paths than steep climbs, short tours) and reward yourself with a stop at an alpine hut or a mountain inn. Kaiserschmarrn tastes twice as good when it rains.

14) A trip to Salzburg is always a good idea, even if the weather is bad. There are so many museums, coffee houses, shopping opportunities and much more. Hop on the "Mozartexpress", the bus line from Reit im Winkl to Salzburg, for the journey. You don't have to buy a toll sticker or look for a parking space, simply get on the bus at the Tourist Information in the morning and get off at Salzburg's Mirabellplatz. But be careful, don't miss the return trip in the late afternoon! To the timetable

Warmth, air and stars Bonus tips for sustainable holidays

A vacation without a car saves a lot of CO2, the climate thanks you. Apart from that, there are three other areas in which Reit im Winkl is on the right track in terms of sustainability and climate protection:

15) Make sure that your host is affiliated with "Naturwärme Reit im Winkl" - the community's own biomass power plant generates heat without fossil fuels, is low in pollutants, supports local value creation and financial strength.

16) The predicate "climatic health resort" is anything but dusty and outdated. The criteria for regularly renewing the certificate are strict, but with every breath you feel the difference.

17) The Dark Sky Park Winklmoos-Alm was the fourth in Germany and the first Dark Sky Park in the Alps to receive the demanding certification. Have you ever seen 5000 stars in the sky? Reit im Winkl supports the annual Earth Night and is committed to combating light pollution and insect mortality throughout the year.

Read more: Sustainable holidays in Reit im Winkl