*I think that title has been taken ...

We're planning a nonrev adventure to north central Austria in mid-April. Our destination is about one hour north of Linz by car. What is the best way to get there?

Hubs to use/avoid?
Delta partners to use?
Is it nonrev on the OALs? Or ZED? Or Discounted fare?
Can we get train discounts?
What is "schnitzel" anyway?

We've done well stateside with nonrev so far, but we've only flown on Delta. Their routes get a little thin once you hit AMS and CDG (on the spaghetti map). Any advice would be most welcome. Thank you.