Private Horse-Drawn Sleigh Ride from Salzburg

Don't bother - this is not a private sleigh ride!

Good pick up / return to hotel with friendly well informed guide in a smart car. He took us to St Wolfgang town and gave a walking tour of the place including it's history and a visit to the church before meeting the 'sleigh ride' in the town centre. Our guide was expecting a driver called Hans to arrive but it turned out to be a different driver/ rig. This was a shabby all wheeled six seater 'cart' (for want of a better word) At this time I should point out that there was no snow anywhere in the area and I do appreciate that this is beyond the control of the organisers. However, the pictures in the advert (and descriptions in reviews) suggested that, in these circumstances, the sleigh would have wheels that substituted for the runners. What we had could not be described as a sleigh! I would also suggest that the urban roads and route taken could never have been travelled by any sleigh using runners in even the heaviest snow conditions at that altitude. So, we set off (blankets over knees) out of the town and along a road above and parallel to the lake. Our views were restricted by fog obscuring the horizon but, of course, this is in no way the fault of the organisers. Approximately 30 minutes (half way) in we stopped and were offered a glass of schnapps by the driver. This was accepted and we moved down to a road running alongside the lake for the return leg of the trip. Within a few metres the driver stopped to talk to two women (locals) and the next thing they were seated in front of us (complete with blankets and schnapps!) for the 25 minute ride back to town, spent chattering at full volume to the driver. It would appear that this guy is using paid for 'private' tours to run a free taxi service for his friends? It was clear that our guide waiting back at the town centre was surprised (shocked?) to see two extra passengers alight. 'Interesting' was the comment made although I would imagine that, as a paid agent of the organisers, further deliberations would have been taboo. The ride back to Salzburg was flawless, we were dropped close to our hotel and said good bye to our guide. Having booked this (expensive) trip based on the advert and reviews we feel badly let down. For the reasons given this was NOT a private sleigh ride in any way shape or form. Other patrons have had and may have in the future a different experience - we can only give a factual account of OUR trip. In hindsight we could have had a high class superbly presented horse drawn carriage ride in Salzburg city centre for a fraction of the cost!

Response from the operator: Thank you very much for taking the time to share such a detailed account of your experience. While we are pleased to hear that you enjoyed the pickup, the return transfer, and the guiding service in St. Wolfgang, we are truly sorry that the main part of the tour did not meet your expectations. We fully understand your disappointment regarding the vehicle used for the ride and the way the experience differed from what was advertised. Although weather conditions and the absence of snow are beyond our control, it is clear that the substitute vehicle did not reflect the quality or style of a traditional sleigh, and for that we sincerely apologize. Equally concerning is the situation with the additional passengers during what should have been a private tour. This is absolutely not the standard we expect from our partners, and we will be addressing this incident directly with the local operator to ensure that such behaviour does not occur again. Your feedback about the route and the overall authenticity of the experience is extremely valuable. We are committed to improving the accuracy of our descriptions and ensuring that all elements of the tour reflect the level of quality our guests rightly expect. We truly regret that your tour fell short, especially given the cost and the anticipation based on other reviews. While we cannot change what happened, please rest assured that your comments will be used constructively to prevent similar situations for future guests. Thank you again for sharing your honest review. We appreciate your understanding and hope that, despite this disappointment, you were still able to enjoy the beauty of the region during your visit.

via Viator

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY

We were left SO disappointed by this company. This company is nothing but a money grab. Before leaving this review I tried to work this out with the owner (Elizabeth) and got no where. I booked a PRIVATE tour with them 6 months prior and it was fine but nothing great. The tour my hotel arranged and driver was actually better than theres and didn't talk at us non-stop. For Christmas we wanted to do a PRIVATE CARRIAGE TOUR and paid for 4 hours. What we got was a boring 3 hours in a car from the City of Salzburg and 40 minutes in a wagon ( aka carriage on wheels). For 620 euros, you can spend your money better oh and a 50 euro tip to the driver and 20 euro tip to the carriage driver because you have to no matter how bad or boring this was. A total waste of our day. Also we wanted to do this in eveing and was told 10am is the only option. This wasted our entire day and we were left so disappointed. We told the driver over and over drive faster. It wasn't until we got in the car at 10am that we were told oh your wagon ride isn't until noon. I look at my husband and almost just got out. No wonder they take your money up dront because they don't care about quality, just money. I have contacted my credit card company since this is fraud. We did not get what we paid for. We told the driver MULTIPLE times we had booked previously and wanted a more interesting tour as promised and we did not get that. Instead it was the same scripted tour we had before just in a different season. Even the carriages in town had a REAL Carriage ride, not a wagon ride. Oh and the horse wagon driver was WASTED. Literally stopped to take a shot of whisky. I highly recommend you DO NOT BOOK with this company. If they refuse this, I'll just post pictures of there website literature and and then what we got. Two very different things. TOTAL SCAM!

Response from the operator: As we have already answered on Trustpilot: We regret that your experience did not meet your expectations. As we have already discussed via email, we did our best to accommodate your request during the busiest time of the year. Unfortunately, due to high demand, the only available time slot was at 10 AM, which was communicated in advance. Regarding the tour itself, the itinerary provided matched what was booked, and our team worked to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience under the given circumstances. While we understand that expectations can vary, we always strive to offer a high-quality service and regret that this was not the right fit for you. We appreciate your feedback and will take it into consideration as we continue to refine our services. Best regards, Your Salzburg Panorama Tours Team

via Tripadvisor

Proposal trip at stunning lake

Well where to begin, i booked this trip to propose to my partner and everything went smoothly, from booking the trip to execution, everyone was very helpful. Werner was an excellent tour guide, very informative and friendly. The car that picked us up was a lovely Mercedes. Werner picked a perfect proposal spot overlooking lake wolfgansee, we then had a magical private horse drawn sleigh ride. Hans the sleigh driver was also very friendly, offering a tipple of homemade plum brandy to congratulate us. Absolutely breathtaking scenery around the lake, would recommend for any romantic trip Daniel and Emilie

via Tripadvisor

Expensive carriage ride

I was really disappointed as I had paid for a private sleigh ride for my friends 70th birthday unfortunately there was no snow and had to have a horse drawn carriage ride which was lovely but not what we went all the way to Salzburg for we were told by locals that due to climate changes over the years there is very little snow so chances of a sleigh ride is very slim , I feel as a company you should only offer carriage rides and cut the cost accordingly as the money I paid was not worth a carriage ride which you can do in any city at half the price

Response from the operator: Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on your recent tour experience. We apologize if our tour did not meet your expectations. It is always our goal to provide informative, engaging, and well-organized tours. Please know that your feedback is valuable to us, as it helps us identify areas for improvement. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back and provide you with an exceptional tour experience.

via Viator

nice tour

anyway apart from some "German hospitality" the tour was great. unfortunately even though its a private tour I was scolded by the driver/guide for being 10 minutes late to tour start time (unfortunate given I was in hospital emergency until an hour before). anyway the scenery is lovely and the guys who has the horses is a nice funny person who attempts to please. beware of the sneaky shots he hands out during the trip! hehe.

via Tripadvisor