The simplest approach by public transport is to take a train to Hallstatt railway station, which sits on the eastern shore of the lake opposite the village. A small electric ferry, the Stefanie, meets every arriving train and crosses to the village in about 15 minutes — a memorable arrival. The train from Salzburg takes about 2.5 hours with a change at Attnang-Puchheim; from Vienna it is around 3.5 hours with the same change.
By car, Hallstatt is about 75 minutes from Salzburg and four hours from Vienna. Day-trippers are not allowed to drive into the village itself in summer — you park at the P1 or P2 lots at the entrance and walk in. Overnight guests can enter to drop bags but should expect to park outside. Parking fills by mid-morning in July and August.