 To check train times & fares in Austria, see www.thetrainline.com (easiest) or www.oebb.at. |
This page explains how to travel by train from Salzburg to cities across Europe, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Information current for 2024.
Before you buy your tickets
Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, "Must I book in advance or can I buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or a €35 point-to-point ticket?". How far ahead can you buy train tickets?
European train travel FAQ
Salzburg to Vienna from €19.90
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Two competing operators link Salzburg & Vienna, ÖBB & Westbahn, see the Vienna to Salzburg page.
Salzburg to Hallstatt from €9.90
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Trains link Salzburg Hbf with Hallstatt station every hour through the day in around 2h35.
The journey consists of 47 minutes from Salzburg to Attnang Puchheim on either an ÖBB railjet train or double-deck Westbahn train then 1h16 or 1h39 on an ÖBB regional or regional express train from Attnang Puchheim to Hallstatt.
The train arrives at Hallstatt station (Hallstatt Bahnhof) on the east side of Hallstatt Lake (Hallstatter See). Hallstatt town is on the west side of the lake, so you need to take a small local ferry called the Stefanie from Hallstatt Bahnhof to Hallstatt town, this sails shortly after most train arrivals and takes 15-20 minutes, see www.hallstattschifffahrt.at for the timetable.
You pay for the ferry at the quayside before boarding, cash only, €3.50 per crossing, children under 4 free, children under 14 reduced fare.
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Fares start at €9.90 if you book in advance and commit to a specific train with a cheap Sparschiene fare on ÖBB trains.
The full-flex Standardpreis you pay on the day is €30.80 if you use ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) trains. These full-flex fares cannot sell out, they are always available.
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I recommend using www.thetrainline.com to buy tickets because it's quick, easy, overseas credit cards no problem and it can book both ÖBB and Westbahn trains, in €, £ or $. You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.
Alternatively, buy at ÖBB's (Austrian Federal Railways) own website www.oebb.at, in €, same prices.
Salzburg to Innsbruck, Graz & other Austrian destinations from €9.90
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You can buy Austrian Railways ÖBB tickets at www.thetrainline.com in €, £ or $, it's quick, easy, overseas credit cards no problem and it has the advantage over oebb.at that it book both ÖBB and Westbahn trains on the Vienna-Linz-Salzburg-Innsbruck route.
Alternatively, ÖBB's (Austrian Federal Railways) own website is www.oebb.at.
Whichever site you use, you print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
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Seat reservation is optional on most Austrian internal trains, you can just turn up, buy a standard price ticket at the station, hop on the next train and sit where you like, trains cannot sell out. But if you want to be sure of a reserved seat on a specific train you can make an optional seat reservation on InterCity, EuroCity and railjet trains for a small additional charge, around €3.
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But for cheaper tickets, book in advance. ÖBB introduced dynamic pricing in 2011 which means you can save money by booking a Sparschiene (saver) fare in advance and committing to a specific train on a limited-refunds, no-changes basis. ÖBB's Sparschiene fares start from €9.90 upwards and vary with demand and how far ahead you book.
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Competing Westbahn trains from Salzburg to Innsbruck
In December 2022, privately-owned open-access operator Westbahn extended several of its Vienna-Salzburg double-deck trains to Innsbruck in competition with State-owned ÖBB's railjets. There are now up to 5 Westbahn trains per day from Salzburg to Innsbruck. You can see & compare both Westbahn and ÖBB prices at www.thetrainline.com.
Salzburg to London
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See the London to Austria page for train travel between the UK & Salzburg in either direction.
Salzburg to Paris from €39.90
Option 1, Vienna to Paris by direct Nightjet sleeper train 3 times a week - the time-effective option
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A Nightjet sleeper train leaves Salzburg Hbf at 22:18 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 10:24.
Important update 2024: ÖBB have given up trying to run this train from 12 August to 8 November 2024, due to the amount of trackwork.
From 15 December 2024 onwards, the days of running will change to Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Tip: If you have a sleeper, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Salzburg Hbf with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & free WiFi.
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Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket. Child under 6? See here.
Option 2, Salzburg to Paris in a single day via Germany - the fastest option
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You can travel from Salzburg to Paris in one leisurely chill-out day. There are several departures with just 1 change, for example:
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 05:43, change at Stuttgart onto an ICE3 arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 14:13.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 10:00, change at Stuttgart onto an ICE3 arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 18:16.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 12:00, change Mannheim onto a TGV Duplex arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 20:43.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 14:00, change at Stuttgart onto a TGV Duplex arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 22:13.
The superb German ICE3 high-speed trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) French double-deck TGV Duplex trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.
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Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Before running the enquiry, change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes to ensure robust connections.
Look for journeys with just 1 change. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: If you'd like a stopover in Stuttgart or Munich, simply click Stopovers, enter Stuttgart or Munich and a suitable length of stay and you'll get a Sparpreis fare with a stopover included. You can add up to 2 stopovers with Sparpreis fares within their 2-day validity.
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Although this is the fastest & cheapest route, consider the scenic route via Zurich in option 3 below.
Option 3, Salzburg to Paris in a single day via Zurich - the scenic Arlberg route!
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Travelling via Switzerland takes an hour or two longer than going through Germany and may cost a little more, but it's the route to take for the superb Alpine scenery through the Arlberg Pass, see photos, video & travel tips on the Arlberg Railway page. An overnight stop in Zurich breaks up the journey nicely (option 4 below), but you can travel from Salzburg to Paris in a single day this way:
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 07:56 arriving Zurich HB 13:20. Have lunch in Zurich. Leave Zurich HB at 15:34 and arrive Paris Gare de Lyon 19:38.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 11:56 arriving Zurich HB 17:20. Leave Zurich HB at 18:34 and arrive Paris Gare de Lyon 22:42.
For lunch in Zurich, the Brasserie Federal inside the station is great for steak-frites & a beer, see suggested restaurants near the station.
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The journey in more detail
You travel from Salzburg to Zurich on a swish Austrian railjet train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi via the beautifully scenic Arlberg pass. In 1st & business class a steward takes food & drink orders and serve you at your seat. More about railjets.
You then travel from Zurich to Paris on a 320 km/h (199 mph) TGV-Lyria high-speed train with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, taking only 4h03. More about TGV-Lyria.
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How much does it cost?
Salzburg to Zurich starts at €29.90 in 2nd class, €44.90 in 1st class or €59.90 in business class (premium 1st class).
Zurich to Paris starts at €29 in 2nd class or €51 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets?
Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee).
This lets you book both trains together in one place. First book from Salzburg to Zurich, add to basket, then book Zurich to Paris, add to basket and check out. You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.
Booking for the TGV-Lyria opens up to 4 months ahead, booking for the railjet opens up to 6 months ahead.
Alternatively, more work, same prices, book Salzburg to Zurich at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, no fee) then book Zurich to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no fee).
Crossing the Salzach at Salzburg: After leaving Salzburg Hbf, look to the left hand side for this view of the Fortress Hohensalzburg as you cross the Salzach.
Cutting across Germany: From Salzburg to Kufstein the train takes a short cut through Germany without stopping, see the route map here. All fast Vienna-Salzburg-Innsbruck trains do this, they're still considered Austrian domestic trains even they spend an hour on German territory! Such a train is called a Korridorzug.
Kufstein: The train stops at Kufstein, where the castle towers above the station.
Above right, lunch is served. In railjet first & business class, the steward takes your order & serves lunch at your seat.
Mountains near Innsbruck. The train calls briefly at Innsbruck Hbf.
River Inn: Running alongside the river Inn in the Tirol, somewhere between Ötzal & Landeck.
Arlberg Pass: Above, brooding skies over the Arlberg pass. The pass itself is long, narrow and curvaceous with the train snaking along the valley sides, often high above the valley floor.
Arlberg Tunnel: Between St Anton am Arlberg & Bludenz the train passes through the Arlberg Tunnel, 6.2 km (6.3 miles) long and opened in 1884. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlberg_Railway_Tunnel.
Swiss lakes: Between Sargans & Zurich the railjet runs alongside the shore of the Walensee and then the Zürichsee.
Railjet arrived at Zurich HB.
Option 4, Salzburg to Paris with overnight stop in Munich - same as option 2, but an overnight stop breaks up the trip nicely
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg Hbf to Munich Hbf on any afternoon or evening train you like.
These leave several times per hour taking between 1h40 & 2h01. More about the different types of Salzburg-Munich train.
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Stay overnight in Munich. The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.
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Day 2, travel from Munich to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Munich Hbf 06:49, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 12:33.
The 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Watch the sun rise and the morning mists clear, see the Munich-Paris TGV video. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.
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Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy a ticket from Salzburg to Paris at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Munich, click Stopovers and enter Munich Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 11 hours. Adjust departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Munich.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
Option 5, Salzburg to Paris with overnight stop in Zurich - same scenic route as option 3, but with an overnight stop
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Zurich HB in 5h24 on any railjet train you like.
You can leave Salzburg Hbf as late as 17:56 arriving Zurich HB 23:20, but check the hours of daylight as you really want it to be light through the Arlberg Pass. You're better off taking the 15:56 in summer or the 11:56 in winter when it gets dark earlier, and spending a pleasant evening in Zurich.
The swish Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It travels through the scenic Arlberg pass, see the Arlberg Railway page.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class, €44.90 in 1st class or €59.90 in business class (premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, accepts overseas cards) or Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Stay overnight in Zurich. For something special, the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, just across the road from the station. They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train. For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the Ruby Mimi Hotel or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station, see walking map. If you're on a budget, book a private rooms in a 1-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Zurich to Paris by TGV-Lyria, leaving Zurich HB at 07:34 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 11:38.
Or leave Zurich HB at 09:34 arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 13:38.
The impressive double-deck 320 km/h TGV-Lyria has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about TGV-Lyria.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €51 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Salzburg to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo
Option 1, Salzburg to Lyon, Aix, Avignon, Marseille in a day
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Stuttgart by Intercity train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 08:00 and arriving Stuttgart Hbf at 11:59.
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Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Karlsruhe by regional train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 13:00 and arriving Karlsruhe Hbf at 13:27.
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Step 3, travel from Karlsruhe to France by TGV Duplex with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, leaving Karlsruhe Hbf at 15:13 every day arriving Lyon Part Dieu 19:56, Avignon TGV 21:09, Aix en Provence TGV 21:31 & Marseille St Charles 21:46.
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For Nimes, Montpellier, Perpignan, Toulouse, stay overnight in Marseille and take an onward train next morning. Inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.
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How much does it cost?
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Buy tickets from Salzburg to Lyon, Avignon, Aix or Marseille at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Before running the enquiry, change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes.
Click Stopovers, enter Stuttgart Hbf as stopover 1, Karlsruhe Hbf as stopover 2, length of stay for both 30 minutes.
You're basically after the once-a-day direct TGV from Germany to Marseille, with whatever suitable connection from Salzburg there is on your date. It can take some fiddling to find it!
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Buy onward tickets within France at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.
Option 2, Salzburg to Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes, Marseille using the Salzburg-Genoa sleeper - the time-effective option
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Genoa by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 22:02 every day, arriving Genoa Piazza Principe 09:38.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at €59.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €69.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
When travelling via Milan, transfer from Milan Porta Garibaldi to Milan Centrale by taxi (€6, 10 minutes) or walk (25 minutes) or local train.
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Day 2, travel from Genoa to Ventimiglia by Intercity train, leaving Genoa Piazza Principe at 12:58 & arriving Ventimiglia 14:54.
This is a lovely scenic ride along the Italian Riviera between Genoa & Ventimiglia. There's a refreshment trolley.
Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €26.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
Day 2, travel from Ventimiglia to Monaco, Nice or Cannes by TER local train, leaving Ventimiglia at 15:16, arriving Monte Carlo 15:47, Nice Ville 16:11, Cannes 16:53.
The fare is €9.20, promotional fares of €5 or €7.50 are sometimes available. 2nd class only.
Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
You'll find full details of the journey from Milan to Nice on the Nice to Italy by train page.
Option 3, Salzburg to Monte Carlo or Nice with an overnight stop in Milan
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Milan using any of the departures shown in the Salzburg to Italy section below.
You can leave Salzburg Hbf as late as 12:56 via Innsbruck & Verona arriving Milan Centrale 20:45, but by all means take an earlier departure and spend a pleasant evening in Milan. Book as shown below.
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Stay overnight in Milan: Affordable hotels with good or great reviews just outside Milan Centrale include the Hotel Bristol, Hotel Bernina, 43 Station Hotel, B&B Hotel Milano Central Station, Guesthouse Teodora. Pricier more upmarket hotels include HD8 Hotel, Glam Hotel, Made to Measure Business, Starhotel Echo or Starhotel Anderson.
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Day 2, travel from Milan to Ventimiglia by Intercity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 07:10 and arriving Ventimiglia at 10:54.
This is a lovely scenic ride along the Italian Riviera between Genoa & Ventimiglia. There's a refreshment trolley.
If you'd prefer a later departure after a leisurely breakfast, there's also an 09:10 departure, see the timetable, information & tips here.
Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €26.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
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Day 2, travel from Ventimiglia to Monaco, Nice or Cannes by TER local train, leaving Ventimiglia at 11:17, arriving Monte Carlo 11:46, Nice Ville 12:10, Cannes 12:51. Times may vary.
The fare is €9.20, promotional fares of €5 or €7.50 are sometimes available. 2nd class only.
Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
You'll find full details of the journey from Milan to Nice on the Nice to Italy by train page.
Salzburg to Brussels & Bruges from €19.90
Option 1, Salzburg to Brussels by Nightjet sleeper train, 3 times a week - the time-effective option
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A Nightjet sleeper leaves Salzburg Hbf at 22:18 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving Brussels Midi 09:56.
From 15 December 2024 onwards, the days of running will change to Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The train has several couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Tip: If you have a sleeper, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Salzburg Hbf with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & free WiFi.
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Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at either www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket. Child under 6? See here.
Option 2, Salzburg to Brussels using the Nightjet sleeper train to Cologne, on days when it doesn't operate to Brussels
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Wels by railjet train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 19:11 and arriving Wels at 20:14.
Or take an earlier train, they leave regularly, don't risk any tight connections when catching a sleeper. Have dinner in Wels.
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Step 2, travel from Wels to Cologne by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Wels at 21:51 every day, arriving Cologne Messe-Deutz at 06:53.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The train has several couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book Salzburg to Wels and Wels to Cologne at either www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Transfer from Cologne Messe-Deutz across the Rhine Bridge to Cologne Hbf by frequent S-Bahn train.
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Step 3, travel from Cologne to Brussels by ICE train, leaving Cologne Hbf at 07:42 and arriving Brussels Midi at 09:35.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start from €18.90 in 2nd class or €27.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Tip: If you like you can travel via Munich instead of Wels. Take an early evening train from Salzburg to Munich, journey time 1h42, have a typically Bavarian dinner at the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, just on the north side of Munich Hbf, then take the Munich-Cologne portion of the same Nightjet, leaving Munich Hbf at 22:52 arriving Cologne Messe-Deutz at 06:53 next morning. Book Salzburg-Munich then Munich-Brussels at www.thetrainline.com. You print your own tickets.
Option 3, Salzburg to Brussels in a single chill-out day from €19.90
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You can travel from Salzburg to Brussels by train in a single leisurely day, usually with only 1 change:
Leave Salzburg Hbf 05:43 by Intercity train, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto an ICE train, arrive Brussels Midi 15:35.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 08:00 by ICE train, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto an ICE train, arrive Brussels Midi 17:35.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 10:00 by EuroCity train, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto an ICE train, arrive Brussels Midi 19:35.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 12:00 by ICE train, change Munich Hbf & Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen onto an ICE train, arriving Brussels Midi 21:35.
EuroCity & Intercity trains have refreshments available. ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €31.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Before running the enquiry, change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes. The times above include that.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Tip: Take the Rhine Valley scenic route.
If you don't mind taking an extra couple of hours you can travel via the classic Rhine Valley route through Koblenz, past mountains, castles, vineyards, river boats and the legendary Lorelei Rock, see the Rails Down the Rhine page. A treat! Click Stopovers and enter Koblenz Hbf with length of stay zero. Anything via Koblenz takes the Rhine Valley route. You'll usually find two good options:
Leave Salzburg Hbf 05:43, change Stuttgart & Cologne Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi 17:35.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 08:00, change Stuttgart & Cologne Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi 19:35.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 10:00, change Stuttgart & Cologne Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi 21:35.
An ICE3neo at Brussels Midi with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about ICE trains. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Option 4, Salzburg to Brussels with an overnight stop in Cologne
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Cologne on any afternoon train you like.
You can leave Salzburg Hbf as late as 17:05, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Cologne Hbf after midnight, but by all means take an earlier train to spend a pleasant evening in Cologne.
Check times at int.bahn.de, I'd change Transfer time to 30 minutes.
In Cologne, the station is right next to the cathedral and city centre. For dinner try the excellent Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 5 minutes walk from Cologne Hauptbahnhof, or the Malzmuehle (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 10-15 minutes walk from Cologne Hbf.
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Stay overnight in Cologne. The good & inexpensive Ibis Hotel Köln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf itself, with an entrance to the left of the main station entrance - many of its rooms have a cathedral view. Also near the station with good reviews are the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.
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Day 2, travel from Cologne Hbf to Brussels Midi by ICE or Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train in just 1h50. Change in Brussels for half-hourly trains to Bruges.
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Fares from Salzburg to Brussels start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Cologne, click Stopovers and enter Cologne Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 11:00. Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get trains that suit you either side of Cologne.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
You can only book journeys involving the Cologne-Brussels ICE this way. For a greater choice of Cologne-Brussels trains book Salzburg-Cologne at int.bahn.de, then book Cologne to Brussels at www.thetrainline.com as this can book both ICE and Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
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The Rhine Valley scenic route.
If you don't mind taking an extra hour, you can travel from Salzburg to Cologne via the scenic and curvaceous Rhine Valley route through Koblenz, past mountains, castles, vineyards, river boats and the legendary Lorelei Rock, see the Rails Down the Rhine page. Just click Stopovers and enter Koblenz Hbf, with length of stay zero. Anything via Koblenz takes the Rhine Valley route. Re-jig as necessary to get Koblenz as stopover 1, Cologne as stopover 2, obviously.
You'll usually find a direct Salzburg-Cologne EuroCity train leaving Salzburg Hbf at 12:00 via the Rhine Valley, arriving Cologne Hbf 19:43.
Salzburg to Amsterdam from €37.90
Option 1, Salzburg to Amsterdam using the Austria-Amsterdam Nightjet sleeper train - the time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Wels by railjet train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 19:11 and arriving Wels at 20:14.
Or take an earlier train, they leave regularly, just don't risk any tight connections when catching a sleeper. Have dinner in Wels.
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Step 2, travel from Wels to Amsterdam by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Wels at 21:51 every day, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 09:59.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The train has several couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book Salzburg to Wels & Wels to Amsterdam at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices, same prices) or the Dutch Railways international site www.nsinternational.nl (in €, no fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Tip: If you prefer you can travel via Munich instead of Wels. Take an early evening train from Salzburg to Munich, journey time 1h42. Have a typically Bavarian dinner at the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, just on the north side of Munich Hbf, then take the Munich-Amsterdam portion of the same Nightjet, leaving Munich Hbf at 22:52 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal 09:59 next morning. Book Salzburg-Munich then Munich-Amsterdam at www.thetrainline.com. You print your own tickets.
Option 2, Salzburg to Amsterdam in a single day - the leisurely daytime option
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You can travel from Salzburg to Amsterdam by train in a single leisurely day, various possible departures with 1 or 2 changes, for example:
Salzburg Hbf depart 05:43, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 17:53.
Salzburg Hbf depart 10:00, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 20:44.
Salzburg Hbf depart 12:00, change at Mannheim Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 22:29.
Times vary significantly by date, it can sometimes be done with 1 change as above, sometimes 2 changes are needed.
You travel on comfortable EuroCity, Intercity or ICE trains with bistro or restaurant car & power sockets at all seats. ICE trains have free WiFi.
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Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes. Look for journeys with 1 or at most 2 changes.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. Suggested hotels in Amsterdam.
An ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal. Click on the interior images for larger photos.
Option 3, Salzburg to Amsterdam with overnight stop in Cologne - breaks up the journey nicely
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Cologne, for example leaving Salzburg Hbf at 15:05, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Cologne Hbf 22:06.
But by all means book an earlier train and have dinner in Cologne. For dinner try the excellent Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 5 minutes walk from Cologne Hbf, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 10-15 minutes walk from Cologne Hbf.
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Stay overnight in Cologne. The good & inexpensive Ibis Hotel Köln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf itself, with an entrance to the left of the main station entrance - many of its rooms have a cathedral view. Also near the station with good reviews are the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.
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Day 2, travel from Cologne to Amsterdam on any train you like.
For example, leave Cologne Hbf at 06:40 by ICE with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 09:29, but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later train, they leave every 2 hours.
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Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Book from Salzburg to Amsterdam, to get the overnight stop click Stopovers and enter Cologne with a suitable length of stay, say 11 hours. Adjust departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Cologne. A little trial & error may be needed!
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Why not allow time for a wander round Cologne, visiting the cathedral next to the station - you can add a stopover of up to 48h. Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get earlier or later trains for each part of the journey with a longer or shorter overnight stop in Cologne.
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Top tip, take the scenic Rhine Valley route.
By default, the bahn.de journey planner puts you on the high-speed line to Cologne. If you click Stopovers and enter Koblenz Hbf as first stopover with length of stay zero, then Cologne as the second stopover with suitable length of stay for an overnight stop, it'll route you along the original curvaceous Rhine Valley route, past mountains, river boats, castles, vineyards and the legendary Lorelei Rock, see the Rails Down the Rhine page. It takes an hour or so longer but it's worth it.
You'll usually find a direct Salzburg-Cologne EuroCity train leaving Salzburg Hbf at 12:00 via the Rhine Valley, arriving Cologne Hbf 19:43.
Salzburg to Luxembourg from €36.90
Option 1, Salzburg to Luxembourg by daytime trains
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You can travel from Salzburg to Luxembourg by train in a single day, for example:
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 08:00, change at Stuttgart Hbf & Koblenz, arrive Luxembourg 18:23.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 10:00, change at Stuttgart Hbf & Koblenz, arrive Luxembourg 20:22.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 12:00, change just once at Koblenz, arrive Luxembourg 21:29.
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Fares start at €36.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes. In the search results, look for journeys involving just 1 or 2 changes.
Also click Stopovers and enter Igel, leaving length of stay zero. This removes buses from the search results, trains call here, buses don't.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip:
Option 2, Salzburg to Luxembourg using the Salzburg-Koblenz sleeper - the time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Koblenz by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 22:18 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving in Koblenz at 05:45 next morning.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 or 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Step 2, travel from Koblenz to Luxembourg by regional train, leaving Koblenz at 06:03 Mondays-Saturdays arriving Luxembourg 08:23
On Sundays (or if the sleeper is late), leave Koblenz 07:06, change at Trier, arrive Luxembourg 09:23.
The line from Koblenz to Luxembourg is very scenic, much of it along the Moselle valley past river boats and vineyards. For the best river views, sit on the left hand side when going west from Koblenz (the train leaves Koblenz station heading north before turning west).
The fare is €31.50 in 2nd class or €53.40 in 1st class, fixed price, always available.
Buy this ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de or you can just buy at the station when you get to Koblenz.
Salzburg to Zurich, Basel, Geneva & Switzerland from €29
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Smart modern railjet trains link Salzburg Hbf with Zurich HB in Switzerland.
Departures at 05:56, 07:56, 09:56, 11:56, 15:56 & 17:56, journey time 5h24.
The railjet trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about railjets. These trains travel through the Tirol and then the Arlberg pass, where the scenery is superb, see the Arlberg Railway page & watch the Arlberg Pass scenery video.
Change at Buchs for Chur & St Moritz. Change at Zurich HB for Basel, Luzern, Interlaken, Geneva & other Swiss destinations.
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Fares start at €29.90 2nd class, €44.90 1st class or €59.90 business class (= premium 1st).
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets from Salzburg to almost any Swiss station at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices).
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
It's a lot cheaper to book a through ticket to (say) Luzern or Geneva than to buy a separate Swiss ticket from Zurich onwards.
Incidentally, I get a lot of people who think they will save money by using their Swiss Pass for the Swiss part of the journey. But if (let's say) oebb.at gives you a price of €29.90 from Salzburg to Zurich and only €39.90, from Salzburg to Lucerne (as budget train fares are no more related to distance than budget air fares are), then using up an expensive day on a Swiss Pass to cover the Zurich-Lucerne part of the trip is potentially saving you only €10. So check prices before wasting a Swiss Pass day.
A railjet from to Zurich calls at Salzburg Hbf platform 2. More about railjets through the Arlberg Pass.
Crossing the Salzach at Salzburg: After leaving Salzburg Hbf, look to the left hand side for this view of the Fortress Hohensalzburg as you cross the Salzach.
Cutting across Germany: From Salzburg to Kufstein the train takes a short cut through Germany without stopping, see the route map here. All fast Vienna-Salzburg-Innsbruck trains do this, they're still considered Austrian domestic trains even they spend an hour on German territory! Such a train is called a Korridorzug.
Kufstein: The train stops at Kufstein, where the castle towers above the station.
Above right, lunch is served. In railjet first & business class, the steward takes your order & serves lunch at your seat.
Mountains near Innsbruck. The train calls briefly at Innsbruck Hbf.
River Inn: Running alongside the river Inn in the Tirol, somewhere between Ötzal & Landeck.
Arlberg Pass: Above, brooding skies over the Arlberg pass. The pass itself is long, narrow and curvaceous with the train snaking along the valley sides, often high above the valley floor.
Arlberg Tunnel: Between St Anton am Arlberg & Bludenz the train passes through the Arlberg Tunnel, 6.2 km (6.3 miles) long and opened in 1884. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlberg_Railway_Tunnel.
Swiss lakes: Between Sargans & Zurich the railjet runs alongside the shore of the Walensee and then the Zürichsee.
A railjet arrived at Zurich HB.
Salzburg to Venice
Option 1, Salzburg to Venice by Nightjet sleeper train
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First the good news:
There's a direct Nightjet sleeper train from Salzburg to Venice arriving Venice Santa Lucia on the banks of the Grand Canal at 08:34.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Now the not-so-good news:
The sleeper starts in Vienna and leaves Salzburg Hbf around 01:40, ouch! But there's a simple solution: Book it from Linz to Venice instead, take an evening train from Salzburg to Linz, have dinner and pick up the sleeper at a more civiliised hour:
Go to www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares) and book the Nightjet sleeper from Linz to Venice Santa Lucia. It leaves Linz at the more reasonable hour of 23:00. Look in the search results for the direct NJ (Nightjet) train with 0 changes. It's usually the same price whether you book it from Vienna, Linz or Salzburg. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
You then simply hop on an hourly Westbahn train from Salzburg Hbf to Linz around 20:00, or leave earlier and have dinner in Linz. Pay the €31.90 fare to the conductor on board, no prior reservation necessary. You can check times at www.thetrainline.com - buying online saves €1.
You could even consider doubling back all the way to Vienna, the Westbahn fare to Vienna Hbf. Dinner in Vienna? The sleeper leaves Vienna Hbf at 21:39.
Option 2, Salzburg to Venice by daytime trains from €29.90
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Look for these specific departures:
1. Leave Salzburg Hbf at 08:12 by Intercity train, change at Villach onto a railjet train arriving Venice Santa Lucia 14:14.
This crosses Austria via the mountainous and very scenic Tauern route to Villach, see the photo below. Railjet trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about railjets.
2. Leave Salzburg Hbf at 10:56 by railjet train, changing at Innsbruck Hbf onto another railjet arriving Venice Santa Lucia 18:25.
This goes via the scenic Brenner Pass, a lovely run, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here. More about the EuroCity train & journey to Venice.
Tip: If you have a 1st class ticket you can grab a complimentary tea or coffee between trains in the ÖBB lounge at Innsbruck Hbf.
3. Leave Salzburg Hbf at 14:12 by EuroCity train, changing at Villach onto a railjet train arriving Venice Santa Lucia 20:04.
This crosses Austria via the Tauern route to Villach, see the photo below. Railjet trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about railjets.
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Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class, €44.90 in 1st class or (on railjet trains) €59.90 in business class (premium 1st class, a real treat).
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book from Salzburg to Venice as one transaction at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Salzburg to Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples & Italy from €29
Option 1, Salzburg to Milan, Florence & Rome by direct Nightjet sleeper train - safe, comfortable, time-effective
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A Nightjet sleeper train leaves Salzburg Hbf at 22:02 every day, with a portion arriving Verona Porta Nuova 05:51, Milan Rogoredo 07:42, Genoa Piazza Principe 09:38 & La Spezia 11:10, another portion arriving Bologna Centrale 05:36, Florence SMN 06:42 & Rome Tiburtina 11:05.
From 10 September 2024, the portion to Bologna, Florence & Rome becomes a new generation Nightjet with 1 & 2 bed sleepers all with shower & toilet, 4-berth comfort couchettes, individual mini cabins and ordinary seats, see the new generation Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. A light breakfast is included in sleepers, couchettes & mini cabins.
The portion to Milan, Genoa & La Spezia has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares for the new-generation Nightjet start at €59.90 in a mini cabin or 4-berth couchettes, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Fares for the original Nightjet start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Change in Rome for Naples, southern Italy & trains to Sicily. Buy a separate Rome-Naples ticket from €19.90 at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, their €3.50 booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com afterwards) or Italian Railways own site www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, read this advice on using it first).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone. I'd allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Rome, ideally more.
Option 2, Salzburg to Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples by daytime trains - the scenic option via the Brenner Pass
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Take a fast railjet train from Salzburg to Innsbruck and another comfortable railjet train from Innsbruck to Verona (or on two departures, Bologna) via the scenic Brenner Pass, see the Brenner Pass photos & video. Then take an onward Italian high-speed Frecciarossa to Milan, Florence, Rome or Naples.
Salzburg to Verona
Leave Salzburg Hbf 06:56, change at Innsbruck Hbf, arrive Verona Porta Nuova 12:56.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 08:56, change at Innsbruck Hbf, arrive Verona Porta Nuova 14:58.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 10:56, change at Innsbruck Hbf, arrive Verona Porta Nuova 16:58.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 12:56, change at Innsbruck Hbf, arrive Verona Porta Nuova 18:58.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 14:56, change at Innsbruck Hbf, arrive Verona Porta Nuova 20:56.
Salzburg to Milan
Leave Salzburg Hbf 06:56, change at Innsbruck Hbf & Verona Porta Nuova, arrive Milan Centrale at 14:45.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 08:56, change at Innsbruck Hbf & Verona Porta Nuova, arrive Milan Centrale at 16:45.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 10:56, change at Innsbruck Hbf & Verona Porta Nuova, arrive Milan Centrale at 18:55.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 12:56, change at Innsbruck Hbf & Verona Porta Nuova, arrive Milan Centrale at 20:45.
Salzburg to Florence, Rome & Naples
Leave Salzburg Hbf 06:56 Mondays-Fridays, change Innsbruck & Bologna, arrive Florence SMN 15:48, Rome Termini 17:25, Naples Cle 18:48.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 08:56, change Innsbruck Hbf & Bologna Centrale, arrive Florence SMN 17:59, Rome Termini 19:35 & Naples Centrale 21:03.
Leave Salzburg Hbf 10:56, change Innsbruck Hbf & Verona Porta Nuova, arrive Florence SMN 19:24 & Rome Termini 21:10.
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Railjet trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st & business class a steward takes restaurant orders and serves you at your seat. The 300 km/h (186 mph) Italian Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi.
I'd allow at least 30-45 minutes between trains in Verona (or Bologna), in case of delay.
Tip: If you have a 1st class ticket you can grab a complimentary tea, coffee or juice between trains in the ÖBB Lounge at Innsbruck Hbf.
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How much does it cost?
Salzburg to Verona or Bologna starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.
Verona to Milan starts at €19.90 in 2nd class (standard) or €29.90 in 1st class (business).
Verona or Bologna to Florence or Rome starts at €19.90 in 2nd class (standard) or €29.90 in 1st class (business).
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
The best place to buy tickets is at www.raileurope.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee). This connects to both the Austrian and Italian ticketing systems so you can book the whole journey in one place. More about Raileurope.
Tip: Before running a Salzburg to Italy enquiry, click More options, enter the name of the interchange station in Italy (either Verona Porta Nuova or Bologna Centrale, read the info above) with a duration of at least 30 or 45 minutes. That forces it to split the booking at that station into an Austrian ticket and an Italian ticket (otherwise it doesn't find any fares) and gives you a robust connection.
Booking for the Austrian trains opens up to 6 months ahead. Booking for the Italian trains opens up to 4 months ahead.
For the Austrian trains, you print your own ticket. The Italian trains are ticketless, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone.
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Alternatively, you can book the Austrian trains from Salzburg to Verona or Bologna at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, accepts overseas cards, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Then book the Italian train from Verona or Bologna to your final Italian destination at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, their small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com after booking) or Italian Railways own site www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, uses Italian language place names, read this advice on using it first).
A new generation railjet at Innsbruck, note the low-floor section for easy boarding. Courtesy of @SimplyRailway. Interior photos courtesy of ÖBB.
Salzburg to Sicily
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Rome by Nightjet sleeper train as shown in Salzburg to Italy section, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 22:02 and arriving Rome Termini at 09:10 next morning. Buy tickets as shown.
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Step 2, travel from Rome Termini to Messina, Taormina, Catania, Siracuse, Cefalu or Palermo on the 11:26 Intercity train arriving in the evening, as shown on the Trains to Sicily page.
This train is shunted onto a ferry to cross the Straits of Messina, one of the few places in the world that trains go onto ships, and a unique experience, see the video. Buy tickets as shown on the Trains to Sicily page.
Or spend the day in Rome (left luggage facilities are available) and take a sleeper train from Rome to Palermo, Catania or Siracuse, see the Trains to Sicily page.
Salzburg to Barcelona & Spain from €79.80
Option 1, Salzburg to Barcelona & Spain with overnight stop in Geneva - the most scenic route, avoids crossing Paris
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Zurich by railjet train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 11:56, change at Zurich HB, arriving Geneva 20:18.
There's an earlier 09:56 departure if you'd like more of an evening in Geneva.
The railjet travels through the wonderfully scenic Arlberg Pass, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, put your feet up and enjoy the ride, watch the Arlberg Pass video & see the Arlberg Railway page.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class, €54.90 in 1st class, €69.90 in business class (premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book from Salzburg to Geneva at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee, using Trainline allows you to buy all your tickets in one place) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Stay overnight in Geneva. Hotels with good reviews near the station include Hotel Cornavin Genève, Hotel Les Arcades, ibis Styles Geneva Gare. Hotels in Switzerland can be expensive, if you're on a budget you can book budget private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station using www.hostelworld.com. Have a leisurely breakfast and maybe a wander round this lakeside city.
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Day 2, travel from Geneva to Barcelona, leaving Geneva at 07:14, change Lyon Part Dieu & Montpelier St-Roch, arriving Barcelona Sants 16:31.
Geneva to Lyon is by TER regional train along the river Rhône, Lyon to Montpelier is by TGV with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, Montpelier to Barcelona is also by TGV Duplex, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
The TGV Duplex passes Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the lakes between Montpelier & Narbonne, the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks before Perpignan, with great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees. More about this journey.
Geneva-Lyon costs a fixed-price €33.40. Lyon-Barcelona starts at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book from Geneva to Barcelona at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your tickets or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid, Valencia, Alicante and so on by high-speed train.
A high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 18:25, arriving Madrid Atocha 20:55, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
A fast Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 18:15 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 21:07 & Alicante 23:40.
For Granada, Seville, Cordoba & Malaga, stay in Barcelona overnight, I recommend the Hotel Barcelo Sants inside the station. Next morning direct high-speed AVE trains leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 for Granada and 08:35 for Cordoba, Seville Santa Justa & Malaga Maria Zambrano.
Check times & buy tickets using either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or Spanish railways own site www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up). You print your own ticket.
Booking normally opens only 60 days ahead, but this varies greatly. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Barcelona.
Option 2, Salzburg to Barcelona & Spain with overnight stop in Paris - fastest route & usually cheaper, if you don't mind changing stations in Paris
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Paris, for example:
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 10:00, change Stuttgart onto an ICE3 train arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:16.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 12:00, change Stuttgart onto a TGV Duplex arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:43.
The ICE has a restaurant car, the double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, both trains have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Before running the enquiry, change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to Gare de Lyon.
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Stay overnight in Paris. The Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex, ideal for an early train next morning. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de l'Est & Gare de Lyon.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:42 arriving Barcelona Sants at 16:31.
From 15 December 2024 the timetable changes, leave Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29.
The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views. You'll pass flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Montpelier and Perpignan, the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks, with great views of the massive Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees, visible all the way from Perpignan to Girona. More about the journey from Paris to Barcelona.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Seville, Malaga and so on by high-speed train.
Until 14 December 2024:
A high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 18:25, arriving Madrid Atocha 20:55, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
A fast Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 18:15 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 21:07 & Alicante 23:40.
For Granada, Seville, Cordoba & Malaga, stay in Barcelona overnight, I recommend the Hotel Barcelo Sants inside the station. Next morning direct high-speed AVE trains leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 for Granada and 08:35 for Cordoba, Seville Santa Justa & Malaga Maria Zambrano.
From 15 December 2024:
For Madrid, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving Madrid Atocha 17:55.
Another AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:00 every day, arriving Madrid Atocha 19:12.
For Cordoba & Seville, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:15, arriving Cordoba 20:10, Seville Santa Justa 21:25.
For Malaga, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:15, arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano 21:45.
For Valencia & Alicante, a fast Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 19:02 & Alicante 21:34.
All these trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Check times & buy tickets using either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or Spanish railways own site www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up). You print your own ticket.
Booking normally opens only 60 days ahead, but this varies greatly. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Barcelona.
Option 3, Salzburg to Barcelona & Spain with overnight stop in Munich - same as option 2, but with the overnight stop in Munich
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg Hbf to Munich Hbf on any evening train you like, journey time 1h42, you can leave as late as 21:00 but I'd suggest an earlier train for a pleasant evening and good night's sleep in Munich.
Fares start at €18.90 in 2nd class or €27.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Stay overnight in Munich. The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.
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Day 2, travel from Munich to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Munich Hbf 06:49 arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 12:33.
The double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views. Watch the sun rise and the morning mists clear, see the Munich-Paris TGV video.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Cross Paris by taxi or metro to the Gare de Lyon. I recommend lunch at the famous Train Bleu Restaurant!
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:27.
The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views. You'll pass flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Montpelier and Perpignan, the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks, with great views of the massive Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees, visible all the way from Perpignan to Girona. More about the journey from Paris to Barcelona.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona. The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.
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Day 3, travel from Barcelona Sants to anywhere in Spain by high-speed train.
Book trains in Spain at www.raileurope.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more be fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it). Booking normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.
For Madrid: AVE S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from €35.
For Granada: Leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 by AVE S112 high-speed train arriving Granada at 13:10.
For Malaga: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:51.
For Cordoba & Seville: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train arriving Cordoba 13:42 & Seville Santa Justa 14:32.
For Valencia & Alicante: Euromed trains link Barcelona with Valencia & Alicante regularly through the day, for example one leaves Barcelona Sants at 07:15 Mondays-Saturdays arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:10 & Alicante 12:38 or at 10:15 every day arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 13:13 & Alicante 15:32.
For Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña & Vigo, there's a morning Alvia train to Galicia, see details here.
Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees. One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right of the train all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou. More photos of what to see on the Paris-Barcelona train journey.
Salzburg to San Sebastian
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Paris by EuroCity & TGV Duplex, leaving Salzburg Hbf 14:00, change Stuttgart, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 22:13.
There are earlier departures if you'd like more of an evening in Paris. The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in €, no fee).
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Stay overnight in Paris. Hotels near Paris Gare Montparnasse with good reviews: Mercure Paris Gare Montparnasse (150m from the station, 4-star); Best Western Sevres Montparnasse (15 minute walk from station, 3-star); La Maison Montparnasse (10 min walk from station, 2-star); Hotel du Maine (5 min walk from station, 2-star).
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 10:11 and arriving Hendaye 14:47.
An earlier 07:11 departure is available on Mondays to Saturdays, arriving Hendaye at 11:47.
The TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Day 2, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren, every 30 minutes, journey 37 minutes, fare €2.75.
Simply walk out of Hendaye station and turn right, the little Euskotren station is just 50m away. Buy a ticket at the Euskotren station from the machines or staffed counter with cash or card and hop on the next half-hourly Euskotren to San Sebastian Amara. Check Euskotren times at www.euskotren.eus. More about the journey from Paris to San Sebastian.
Salzburg to Lisbon, Porto, Faro & Portugal
Option 1, Salzburg to Lisbon via Paris, Barcelona & Madrid
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg Hbf to Paris Gare de l'Est by any suitable afternoon departure, as shown in the Salzburg-Paris section above.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Check times & buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to Gare de Lyon.
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Stay overnight in Paris. The Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex, ideal for an early train next morning. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de l'Est & Gare de Lyon.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by 320 km/h TGV Duplex leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:42 arriving Barcelona Sants at 16:31.
From 15 December 2024 the timetable changes, leave Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29.
This double-deck TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a comfortable & scenic journey, see an account of the sights to see from the train on the way.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid by AVE high-speed train with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Until 14 December 2024, leave Barcelona Sants at 18:25, arriving Madrid Atocha 20:55.
From 15 December 2024, leave Barcelona Sants at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving Madrid Atocha 17:55. Another AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:00 every day, arriving Madrid Atocha 19:12.
Fares start at €38 in Standard class or €45 in Comfort class. Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking opens 60 days ahead, but this varies greatly.
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Stay overnight in Madrid. The classic Hotel Mediodia is across the road from Atocha with good reviews, or try the NH Hotel Madrid Atocha or Only YOU Hotel Atocha, also across the road from the station.
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Day 3, travel from Madrid to Lisbon by daytime trains as shown on the Madrid to Lisbon page.
Option 2, Salzburg to Faro & the Algarve using a bus from Seville
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Barcelona as shown above.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona. The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Seville by AVE S103 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:35 and arriving Seville Santa Justa at 14:32.
Fares start at around €46.
Book this at www.raileurope.com (easiest, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, only in €, may reject some international credit cards). Booking normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own ticket.
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Day 2, travel from Seville to Faro by bus. Buses run from Seville Plaza de Armas to Faro several times daily, journey time around 3h40, fare around €16-€20.
Buses are run by Damas, Eva-Bus & Alsa amongst others, you can check times & buy tickets for various bus companies all in one place at Omio.com. You print your own ticket.
Salzburg to Andorra
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Paris by EuroCity & ICE, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 10:00, change Stuttgart Hbf, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 18:16.
Fares start from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in €, no fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi. I'd allow at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris when catching a sleeper you don't want to miss. I recommend dinner at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the River Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz.
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Step 2, take the Intercité de Nuit leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 21:40 and arriving Andorre-l'Hospitalet at 09:42.
The train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd class seats. More about Intercité de Nuit. Exact times may vary.
Fares start at €29 in a 2nd class couchette or €60 in a 1st class couchette. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, though often less for these French night trains. You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.
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Step 3, take a taxi or taxi+bus from l'Hospitalet station to Andorra La Vella as explained on the London to Andorra page - just disregard the London-Paris part.
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Alternatively, you can travel from Paris to Toulouse on the same Intercité de Nuit, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 21:40 and arriving Toulouse Matabiau at 06:30. Have breakfast in Toulouse (I can recommend the breakfast buffet at the Pullman Hotel around the corner from the station), then take a bus to Andorra la Vella. A bus run by Andbus (Andbus.net) leaves from outside Toulouse Matabiau station (bus stand 15) at 09:45, arriving Andorra la Vella bus station at 14:00. This is also explained in detail on the London to Andorra page.
Salzburg to Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne & Germany from €27.90
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Regular trains link Salzburg Hbf with stations all over Germany, Salzburg to anywhere in Germany.
Fares start at either €18.90 or €27.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 or €69.90 in 1st class, depending on destination.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead for the cheapest prices.
For example, Salzburg to Berlin takes as little as 6h29 from €27.90 with one easy change in Munich, city centre to city centre on smart Austrian railjet train then a superb high-speed ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Sit back and see Europe! I recommend the weissbier on the ICE, by the way, served in a tall Erdinger glass.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: I recommend also checking www.thetrainline.com as this connects to the Austrian ÖBB ticketing system and sometimes shows cheaper fares for the same train.
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Tip: For Cologne or Düsseldorf, take the scenic Rhine Valley route
By default, the bahn.de journey planner will route you via the high-speed line to Cologne. But by clicking Stopover and adding another stopover with zero duration in Koblenz, it'll route you along the old curvaceous Rhine Valley route, past mountains, river boats, castles, vineyards and the legendary Lorelei Rock. It takes an hour or so longer but it's worth it. You'll usually find a daily direct Salzburg-Cologne EuroCity train leaving Salzburg at 12:00 which goes via the Rhine Valley. See the Rails down the Rhine page.
Salzburg to Munich from €17.90
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Trains link Salzburg Hbf with Munich Hbf at least twice an hour from early until late. However, there are three different types of train, railjet trains (marked RJX or RJ), EuroCity trains (marked EC), and slower regional trains run by the Bayerische Regiobahn marked BRB.
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See the Salzburg to Munich page for times, fares, advice & how to buy tickets.
Salzburg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber from €25.90
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Simply use the German Railways website int.bahn.de to find train times and tickets from Salzburg Hbf to the much-visited medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria.
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There are departures through the day, journey time varies, typically 4h50. Avoid any journey shown as including a bus or which involve 4 changes. Most journeys involve 3 changes, one or two good options have only 2 changes, at Augsburg and Steinach.
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Fares start at €25.90 if you pre-book.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Stopover in Nuremberg?
Most journeys route you via Nuremberg. Nuremberg has a pleasant old town, a railway museum and the thought-provoking historic Party Rally Grounds. You can stop for several hours and still do the journey in a day, or stop overnight and have a more leisurely look round. No reservation is necessary for either IC, RB or RE trains on the Nuremberg-Rothenburg route, so you can simply stop off and use any train combo onwards to Rothenburg whenever you're ready to move on. How flexible is that?! Or use the Stopover feature to pre-programme a stop into a cheap Sparpreis ticket.
Salzburg to Passau
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Many river cruises start from Passau in Germany, just over the border from Austria.
Take a fast railjet train from Salzburg Hbf to Linz in around 1h17, then a superb German ICE-T train from Linz to Passau Hbf in around 56 minutes. Both trains have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Tip: If you have a 1st class ticket you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Linz Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & WiFi.
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Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy a ticket from Salzburg to Passau at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Look for journeys with 1 change. You print your own ticket.
Salzburg to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg & Scandinavia
Option 1, Salzburg to Stockholm using the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train - the time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Hamburg, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 11:00 by railjet, change Munich Hbf onto an ICE arriving Hamburg Hbf 18:55.
The railjet & ICE trains have a restaurant, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Times may vary, don't risk any tight connections in Munich and always allow at least an hour when connecting with a sleeper train. Have dinner in Hamburg, see suggested restaurants near the station.
Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Before running the enquiry, change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Stockholm by sleeper train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 22:03, arriving Stockholm Central 09:55 next morning.
Run by SJ (Swedish Railways), the train has one or two sleeping-cars with compact 1 & 2 berth compartments with washbasin, several 1, 2 or 3 bed deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower, couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A bistro car is attached between Malmö and Stockholm. More about the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train.
Fares start at €44.90 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69.90 with a couchette in 4-berth, €79.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €164.90 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per bed, fares vary like air fares so book ahead.
Book tickets at the Swedish Railways website www.sj.se.
Booking opens several months ahead, You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Option 2, Salzburg to Copenhagen in a day from €39.90! Salzburg to Stockholm or Gothenburg from €56.90!
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Copenhagen, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 08:00, change Munich Hbf & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:34.
You travel by ICE train from Salzburg to Munich and Munich to Hamburg with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then EuroCity train. Take a good book, put your feet up and enjoy the ride. More about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.
Check times at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, but first change Transfer time to 30 minutes. Times may vary due to trackwork, an earlier departure may be necessary at times.
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Stay overnight in Copenhagen. The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here. Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).
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Day 2, take an onwards train to Sweden:
For Malmö: Travel from Copenhagen to Malmö Central by Öresund train, these leave every 20-30 minutes taking 39 minutes.
For Gothenburg: Travel from Copenhagen to Goteborg Central by hourly Öresund train, journey time 3h50.
For Stockholm: Travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train, leaving Copenhagen at 08:190 arriving Stockholm Central 13:34. Or have a leisurely breakfast and take a later one.
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How much does it cost?
Salzburg to Copenhagen starts at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Salzburg to Gothenburg or Stockholm starts at €56.90.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How buy tickets
If travelling to Copenhagen, go to the German Railways website int.bahn.de and book from Salzburg to Copenhagen. I recommend changing Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
If travelling to Stockholm or Gothenburg, go to int.bahn.de and book from Salzburg to Stockholm or Goteborg Central with a morning departure selected. I recommend changing Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes. To get the overnight stop in Copenhagen, click Stopovers, enter Copenhagen and a length of stay of (say) 12 hours. Adjust departure time & length of stay to get the trains you want. It may take a bit of trial and error!
If travelling to Oslo, go to int.bahn.de and book from Salzburg to Gothenburg with a morning departure selected, but to see the cheap fares you must click Stopovers enter Copenhagen with a length of stay of say 12:00. Adjust the length of stay to get the trains you want. Now add a connecting ticket from Gothenburg to Oslo S ticket using either www.vy.no or www.sj.se.
Option 3, Salzburg to Copenhagen, Gothenburg & Stockholm with an overnight stop in Hamburg
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg Hbf to Hamburg Hbf with 1 easy change in Munich. There are regular departures, the last one leaves Salzburg at 16:00, arriving in Hamburg just after midnight.
The Munich-Hamburg trains are ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is the top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews. Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50 by EuroCity train arriving Copenhagen at 13:34.
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Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Sweden.
For Stockholm, take a X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm, leaving Copenhagen at 14:19 and arriving Stockholm Central 19:37.
For Malmö, travel from Copenhagen to Malmö Central on any Öresund train, every 20-30 minutes taking 39 minutes.
For Gothenburg, travel from Copenhagen to Goteborg Central on the hourly Öresund train, taking 3h50.
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How much does it cost?
Salzburg to Copenhagen starts at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Salzburg to Malmö, Gothenburg or Stockholm starts at €56.90.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
If you want to keep things simple, you can book the straightforward way. Go to the German Railways website int.bahn.de and book from Salzburg to Hamburg on day 1. then use int.bahn.de again to book from Hamburg to Gothenburg or Stockholm on day 2.
However, this gets you two separate Sparpreis tickets and it is usually cheaper to buy one Sparpreis ticket from Salzburg to Stockholm, Malmö or Gothenburg from €56.90, which you can easily do if you programme in the overnight stop in Hamburg like this:
Go to int.bahn.de and enter Salzburg to Stockholm (or Malmo or Goteborg Central). Select a mid-afternoon departure time, click Stopovers, enter Hamburg Hbf and a length of stay of (say) 12 hours. This will give you a 12-hour stopover in Hamburg. Adjust the length of stay as necessary to get the trains you want. I'd also change Transfer time to 30 minutes.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train. From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2024. The current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so bring your own food & drink. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.
The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo. Larger photo.
Salzburg to Oslo & Norway
Option 1, Salzburg to Oslo with an overnight stop in Copenhagen - by train all the way
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Copenhagen in a single day as shown above.
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Stay overnight in Copenhagen. The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here. Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).
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Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Oslo, leaving Copenhagen at 07:30, change at Gothenburg Central, arriving Oslo Sentral 15:47.
Earlier & later departures are available, see the Copenhagen-Oslo timetable & how to buy tickets here.
Alternatively, spend a morning in Copenhagen, and after lunch take the DFDS overnight ferry to Oslo with a comfortable private cabin with shower & toilet, sailing from Copenhagen at 16:30 (15:00 some days) and arriving Oslo at 10:00 on day 3, as shown here. This is remarkably affordable, and saves a hotel bill. Book the ferry at www.dfds.com.
Option 2, Salzburg to Oslo with overnight stop in Hamburg - by train all the way
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg Hbf to Hamburg Hbf with 1 easy change at Munich Hbf. There are regular departures, the last one leaves Salzburg at 16:00, arriving in Hamburg just after midnight. The Munich-Hamburg trains are ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Before running the enquiry, change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews. Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Oslo via Copenhagen & Gothenburg as shown here, arriving in Oslo late at night. Book as shown.
Option 3, Salzburg to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo cruise ferry - the most comfortable way to Oslo
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Kiel on any suitable train, for example leaving Salzburg Hbf 11:00 arriving Kiel Hbf 20:57 with 2 easy changes.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Stay overnight in Kiel. The InterCity Hotel Kiel gets good reviews, is relatively inexpensive and is right next to the station and a few minutes walk from the ferry. The B&B Hotel Kiel City is also next to the station with good reviews, and is even cheaper. For something upmarket, the Atlantic Hotel Kiel gets great reviews and is in Bahnhofsplatz in front of the station.
In Kiel it's a 7 minute 450m walk from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line ferry terminal, see walking map.
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Step 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by luxurious overnight Color Line ferry, with a full range of en suite cabins, suites, bars, restaurants and lounges. The m/v Magic or m/v Fantasy normally sails at 14:00 arriving Oslo at 10:00 next morning.
Check times & buy tickets using the Direct Ferries website or www.colorline.com.
Money-saving tip: It appears that it's considerably cheaper to book on Color Line's Norwegian website www.colorline.no in Norwegian Krone, for example a €274 fare becomes the equivalent of €164. You'll need to use Google Chrome translation to translate the Norwegian. You are still able to enter a UK or other European address and contact details. Feedback appreciated.
Make sure you're on deck next morning as the ship sails through spectacular scenery up Oslo Fjord. The ship docks at the modern Color Line terminal about 2 km from the city centre. Color Line provide transfer buses to Oslo Sentral station costing 55 krone, or there are plenty of taxis. If you have little luggage it's possible to walk. See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.
Sail from Kiel to Oslo with Color Line. It's just a 6 minute walk across from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line terminal. There's a lift up to a connecting walkway which takes you to the ferry terminal. If you've booked one of Color Line's 5 star suites, check in at the desk rather than the machines to be directed to a VIP lounge with free tea, coffee, juice, snacks & WiFi. You'll have priority boarding & free access to the on-board spa. Photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry except where shown.
Above left, cabin with TV, shower & toilet, luxury suites are also available. Above right, restaurant with a view.
Restaurant and lounge on the Kiel-Oslo ferry.
Wake up to lovely scenery sailing up Oslo Fjord.
The Color Line ferry, arrived at Oslo. Above right, there's a transfer bus to Oslo Sentral, photo courtesy of Andrew Leo.
Salzburg to Helsinki & Finland
Option 1, Salzburg to Helsinki using a Finnlines ferry from Germany - the easiest option
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Hamburg, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 10:00, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Hamburg Hbf 17:55.
Times may vary, just make sure you arrive in Hamburg before 19:00.
Fares start at €23.90 in 2nd class or €33.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Before running the enquiry, change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Day 1, transfer from Hamburg Hbf to the Travemünde ferry terminal by train+bus and sail from Travemünde to Helsinki with Finnlines, see the Hamburg page for details of the transfer, check-in arrangements & ferry crossing.
Finnlines sail from Travemünde in northern Germany to Helsinki every day, boarding at 23:30, sailing at 02:45 (the exact time varies) and arriving at Helsinki's Hansa Terminal in Vuosaari at 09:15 2 nights later (Day 3 from Salzburg).
Check sailing dates, times & book the ferry using the Direct Ferries website or at www.finnlines.com.
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Book onward trains within Finland at the Finnish Railways website www.vr.fi.
Option 2, Salzburg to Helsinki by train to Stockholm, then ferry
Salzburg to Prague from €23.70: See the Salzburg to Prague page
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You can travel from Salzburg to Prague by comfortable air-conditioned train from only €23.70 in 2nd class or €42.50 in 1st class, city centre to city centre in 5h25 with one easy change in Linz, see the Salzburg to Prague page.
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee, booking opens up to 6 months ahead) or www.cd.cz (in CZK, booking opens 92 days ahead).
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Salzburg to Cesky Krumlov from €15
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Several times a day, a fast Austrian railjet train with restaurant car & free WiFi runs from Salzburg Hbf to Linz in about 1h10.
It connects with a comfortable air-conditioned Czech EuroCity train with bistro car from Linz to Ceske Budejovice taking 2h16.
A little branch line train run by private operator GWTR runs from Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov every hour or two taking 45 minutes.
Incidentally, Ceske Budejovice might sound more familiar by its former Germanic name, Budweis. That's right, where the name of the beer comes from! The town is worth a look around in its own right. Why not take an earlier train and have a wander into the old town?
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How much does it cost?
Salzburg to Cesky Krumlov costs as little as €15 if bought in advance. Meaning days or weeks in advance, not months.
This fare consists of a Czech Railways First Minute advance-purchase fare from Salzburg to Ceske Budejovice and a OneTicket fare to cover the private operator GWTR between Ceske Budejovice & Cesky Krumlov, bought as one easy Salzburg to Cesky Krumlov transaction.
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How to look up times & buy tickets
Book from Salzburg to Cesky Krumlov at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz.
Booking normally opens 90 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone in the CD app.
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You'll find more about visiting Ceský Krumlov, the GWTR local train, taxis between station & old town, and how to travel from Ceský Krumlov on to Prague, on the Ceský Krumlov page.
Salzburg to Bratislava from €29.90
Option 1, Salzburg to Bratislava by direct railjet train - once per day, the best option if the timings suit you
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A direct Austrian railjet train leaves Salzburg Hbf every day at 18:07, direct to Bratislava Hlavna arriving 21:51.
If the timings suit you, this is the easiest option with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class, €44.90 in 1st class or €59.90 in business class (premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares) and print your own ticket.
Option 2, Salzburg to Vienna by railjet & regional express to Bratislava - hourly departures from morning to late afternoon
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If the direct train doesn't suit you, take any of the hourly Austrian railjet trains from Salzburg to Vienna Hbf in around 2h25, then the hourly regional express train from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna (the main station, closest to the city centre) taking 56 minutes.
Important: If travelling before 15 December 2024, see the update here.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class, €44.90 in 1st class or €59.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares) and print your own ticket.
Tip: When using www.oebb.at, select the specific destination Bratislava hl.st. as you will then see journeys with 1 change at Vienna Hbf and arrival at Bratislava's main Hlavna station which is closer to the city centre. if you select the generic city name BRATISLAVA as destination you may only see journeys with arrival at Bratislava Petrzalka station, which is not the main or best-located station in Bratislava.
Tip: If you have a 1st or business class ticket you can use the ÖBB Lounge in Vienna between trains with complimentary tea, coffee & WiFi.
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You could consider taking a train from Salzburg to Vienna, then a river trip along the Danube to Bratislava. Vienna-Bratislava fast ferries and hydrofoils runs at least once a day in winter, up to 5 times a day in summer, 80 minutes. At least two companies operate, see www.twincityliner.com or www.lod.sk.
Salzburg to Poprad-Tatry & Kosice
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Vienna by smart modern railjet train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 11:11 and arriving Vienna Hbf 14:05.
The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. 1st class passengers are served at their seat.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Slovakia by Intercity train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 14:42 arriving Poprad-Tatry 19:10 & Kosice 20:27.
This comfortable Slovakian Intercity train has a restaurant car, treat yourself to dinner with wine or a beer or two.
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Fares start at €49.90 in 2nd class or €79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
To get a safe connection time in Vienna not a risky 10-minute one, wait until the search results appear, then click Set more filters and tick Comfortable connection time.
Booking opens 60 days ahead. In this case, tickets must be collected from a self-service machine or ticket office in Austria.
You can also book at the Slovakian Railways website www.zssk.sk, which can be cheaper. Switch it to English by clicking EN top right, it's a little fiddly, but it works. You print your own ticket. To get a safe connection time in Vienna, click More options for 1 route and select Time for change at least 30 minutes.
Salzburg to Budapest from €39.90
Option 1, Salzburg to Budapest by direct railjet train - the fastest & most frequent option
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Smart Austrian railjet trains link Salzburg Hbf with Budapest Keleti every two hours, taking 5h11 city centre to city centre.
Departures from Salzburg at 07:07, 09:07, 11:07, 13:07, 15:07, 16:07, 19:07.
The railjet trains have a restaurant car, with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Food orders are taken and served at your seat in 1st & business class. More about railjets.
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Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class, €54.90 in 1st class or €69.90 in business class (premium 1st).
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Option 2, Salzburg to Budapest by competing Westbahn train to Vienna and Regiojet train to Budapest - cheapest option, with easy online booking
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Private open-access operator Westbahn run regular trains from Salzburg Hbf to Vienna Westbahnhof and open-access operator Regiojet then runs two trains per day from Vienna Hbf to Budapest Deli station.
These two operators have teamed up to offer cheap through tickets from Salzburg to Budapest with low fares that stay low even at short notice. In fact, even on the day of travel.
Departures from Salzburg Hbf are at 06:52 & 13:52, check times at www.regiojet.com.
Salzburg-Vienna takes 2h30, you have an hour & a bit in Vienna to transfer by metro (at your own expense) from the Westbahnhof to the Hauptbahnhof, then Vienna-Budapest takes 2h31
See photos of Westbahn's comfortable double-deck trains here. See photos & a description of the 4 classes on RegioJet trains here. I highly recommend Business class, with complimentary sparkling wine, Illy coffee and bottled water, or Relax class with complimentary Illy coffee and bottled water. Regiojet offers excellent at-seat service.
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Regiojet offers special through fares in partnership with Westbahn from €34.90.
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Buy an e-ticket online at www.regiojet.com.
Salzburg to Sighisoara, Brasov & Bucharest from €58
Option 1, Salzburg to Romania using the Dacia Express sleeper train from Vienna to Sighisoara, Brasov & Bucharest
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Vienna by railjet train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 15:07 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 17:32.
By all means take an earlier train for some time in the Austrian capital, just don't risk any tight connections in Vienna. The railjets have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class, €29.90 in 1st class, or €44.90 in business class (premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Romania on the Dacia Express, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 daily and arriving next day in Simeria 07:10, Sighisoara 09:13, Braşov 12:36, Ploeşti Vest 14:28 & Bucharest Nord at 15:06.
It has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, plus several deluxe compartments with en suite shower & toilet. It has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and 2nd class seats.
A Hungarian restaurant car operates between Vienna and Budapest, treat yourself to dinner. A bar car is attached in the morning between Arad & Bucharest, serving drinks & snacks. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest.
The Dacia Express also conveys a portion from Vienna to Cluj Napoca, also leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 and arriving Cluj Napoca at 10:47. This portion has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
Fares start at €59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €69 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, €79 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €99 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper or €159 with a bed in a single-berth sleeper all to yourself. All per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. In the search results, look for the direct train marked D with no changes. You collect tickets from an ÖBB ticket machine in Vienna.
You can also book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Vienna type Wien, for Bucharest type Bucuresti. It can book seats, couchettes or sleepers. For Austria to Romania journeys you now print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. Tip: Prices might be cheaper than on oebb.at, so check both sites!
Option 2, Salzburg to Romania using the sleeper train Ister from Budapest to Brasov & Bucharest
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Budapest by smart Austrian railjet train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 11:07, arriving Budapest Keleti 16:19.
The railjets have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about railjet trains.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class, €39.90 in 1st class or €54.90 in business class (premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Step 2, take the sleeper train Ister, leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 & arriving Brasov at 08:50 & Bucharest Gara de Nord at 11:30 next day.
This comfortable train has 4 & 6 berth couchettes and an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and 2nd class seats. There's no restaurant car so take a picnic and bottle of wine.
Fares start at €39 with a couchette in 6-berth, €46 with a couchette in 4-berth, €69 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €84 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €162 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
You can also book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu, see my advice on using it.
For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You show your ticket in the MAV app on your phone.
Option 3, Salzburg to Romania by daytime trains with overnight stop in Budapest
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg Hbf to Budapest Keleti in 5h11 on any railjet train you like, with restaurant, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class, €39.90 in 1st class or €54.90 in business class (premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Stay overnight in Budapest. Top choice for an inexpensive stay next to Budapest Keleti is the Intercity Hotel just across the square in front of the station. Also try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel, the inexpensive Baross City Hotel across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away. Of course, if you want to push the boat out, the luxurious Corinthia Hotel opened in 1896 was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel, 20 minutes walk or 9 minutes by taxi from Keleti station. More hotels in Budapest.
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Day 2, take a comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train from Budapest Keleti to Cluj, Timisoara, Sibiu, Sinaia, or Brasov. It's an all-day run right across Transylvania, see the Trains from Budapest page for details.
Fares start at €26.30 in 2nd class or (where available) €40.50 in 1st class.
Buy tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice on using it.
Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. You show your ticket in the MAV app on your phone.
You can also book at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Salzburg to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Split & Dubrovnik from €29
Option 1, Salzburg to Ljubljana & Zagreb all year round
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Comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity trains link Salzburg with Lesce-Bled on Lake Bled, Ljubljana & Zagreb every day:
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 10:12, make one easy cross-platform change at Villach, to Lesce-Bled, Ljubljana & Zagreb.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 14:12, make one easy cross-platform change at Villach, to Lesce-Bled, Ljubljana & Zagreb.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 16:12 change in Villach, to Lesce-Bled & Ljubljana.
Journey time from Salzburg to Lesce-Bled is around 3h40, Salzburg to Ljubljana 4h20, Salzburg to Zagreb 6h40.
This is a really lovely scenic journey through the mountains on the Tauern route and along the beautiful River Sava between Ljubljana & Zagreb. Have your camera ready!
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Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas cards no problem) or Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Tip: I've seen a cheap €29.90 Sparschiene fare available from Salzburg to Zagreb but only standard price €50+ available on the same date and train from Salzburg to Ljubljana. It's perfectly legitimate to buy a €29.90 ticket from Salzburg to Zagreb and get off in Ljubljana.
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Onwards to Split & Dubrovnik. There are trains from Zagreb to Split, for buses to Dubrovnik, see the Trains from Zagreb page.
Option 2, Salzburg to Split & Dubrovnik using the Vienna-Split sleeper train, runs Tuesdays & Fridays in summer
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Step 1, take the 14:07 railjet train from Salzburg Hbf to Vienna Hbf from €19.90 booked at www.thetrainline.com. You print your own ticket. Make sure you allow at least an hour in Vienna between trains to be on the safe side.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Split direct sleeper train leaving Vienna Hbf at 18:23 and arriving Split at 08:10 next morning.
This runs on Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays from 3 May to 2 October 2024.
The train has a sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and ordinary seats.
Fares from €29.90 in a seat, €79.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €99.90 in a 2-bed sleeper, €149.90 in a single-bed sleeper.
Book at either www.thetrainline.com (easy, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, international credit cards no problem) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, you print your own ticket.
For Dubrovnik, take a bus from Split. There are buses every hour or even every half hour, run by several companies. Journey time between 3h45 and 4h35, fare around €13-€17. Buy a ticket at the bus station in Split.
Option 3, Salzburg to Split & Dubrovnik using the Budapest-Split sleeper train Adria, runs 3 days a week June-September
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Step 1, take the 11:07 railjet train from Salzburg Hbf to Budapest Keleti from €29.90 booked at www.thetrainline.com. You print your own ticket. Make sure you allow at least an hour in Budapest between trains to be on the safe side.
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Step 2, travel from Budapest to Split by sleeper train Adria, runs on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays from 18 June to 30 September 2024.
It leaves Budapest Keleti at 18:45, arriving Split at 08:46 next morning.
The Adria has comfortable Hungarian sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, couchette cars with 4 & 6 bunk compartments and a Hungarian restaurant car.
The fare is around €79 with couchette or from €92 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper.
Book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice on using it. Booking opens 60 days ahead.
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For Dubrovnik, take a bus from Split. There are buses every hour or even every half hour, run by several companies. Journey time between 3h45 and 4h35, fare around €13-€17. Buy a ticket at the bus station in Split.
Salzburg to Belgrade & Montenegro
Option 1, Salzburg to Belgrade in a day - starts running from 24 November 2024
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Budapest by railjet train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 07:07 and arriving Budapest Keleti 12:19.
This swish Austrian railjet trains has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Transfer from Keleti to Nyugati station by metro, tram or taxi as shown here.
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Step 2, travel from Budapest to Belgrade, leaving Budapest Nyugati 14:50, changing at Szeged & Subotica, arriving Belgrade Centar 21:19.
You take a Hungarian Intercity train from Budapest to Szeged, a local train across the border to Subotica and a 200 km/h SOKO train to Belgrade. This service starts running from 24 November 2024, for full details see the Budapest to Belgrade page.
Fares start at around €23, see more about fares.
Option 2, Salzburg to Belgrade with overnight stop in Budapest - starts running from 24 November 2024
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Budapest by railjet train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 16:07 and arriving Budapest Keleti 21:19.
This swish Austrian railjet trains has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Transfer from Keleti to Nyugati station by metro, tram or taxi as shown here.
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Stay overnight in Budapest. Top choice for an inexpensive stay next to Budapest Keleti is the Intercity Hotel just across the square in front of the station. If you prefer to stay near Budapest Nyugati, look no further than the 3-star T62 Hotel just across the road, a traveller's favourite with funky interior design. The cheaper 3-star Star Inn Budapest Centrum is a few minutes walk away, also with good reviews. The 4-star Radisson Blu Béke Hotel is one block along the road from the station. Of course, if you want to push the boat out, the luxurious Corinthia Hotel opened in 1896 was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel.
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Day 2, travel from Budapest to Belgrade, leaving Budapest Nyugati 05:50, changing at Szeged & Subotica, arriving Belgrade Centar 12:38.
Or if you'd prefer a later departure, leave Budapest Nyugati 11:50, changing at Szeged & Subotica, arriving Belgrade Centar 18:38.
You take a Hungarian Intercity train from Budapest to Szeged, a local train across the border to Subotica and a 200 km/h SOKO train to Belgrade. This service starts running from 24 November 2024, for full details see the Budapest to Belgrade page.
Fares start at around €23, see more about fares.
Option 3, Salzburg to Belgrade via Zagreb - currently involves a bus
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Zagreb, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 10:12 or 14:12 as explained above. A lovely scenic ride!
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Stay overnight in Zagreb. The Esplanade Hotel, Palace Hotel or Central Hotel are all near the station with good reviews.
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Day 2, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade by train, leaving Zagreb at 11:04 and arriving Novi Beograd 18:04 & Belgrade Centar at 18:12.
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended in 2024.
This train has air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats (no 1st class). There's no catering, so bring along a picnic and some beer or wine.
The fare is around €29 bought at the station or paid on the train. It cannot be booked online, but there are always places available.
While the train is suspended, take a bus from Zagreb to Belgrade
It's a 17-minute 1.3 km walk from Zagreb station to Zagreb bus station, see walking map.
A Flixbus leaves Zagreb bus station at 09:00, arriving Belgrade bus station at 14:30.
The fare is around €20, buy a ticket at www.flixbus.com.
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If you're going to Montenegro
A daytime and overnight train link Belgrade Centar station with Podgorica and Bar over one of the most scenic lines in Europe, fare around €22 paid at the station on the day. For train times, fares & photos see the Belgrade to Montenegro page. Change at Podgorica for a bus to Budva or Kotor.
Option 4, Salzburg to Belgrade via Budapest - slower, but by train all the way, runs until 23 November 2024
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg Hbf to Budapest Keleti in 5h11 on any railjet train you like, with restaurant, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class, €39.90 in 1st class or €54.90 in business class (premium 1st).
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Stay overnight in Budapest. The highly-recommended 3-star T62 Hotel is across the road from Budapest Nyugati and a traveller's favourite. The cheaper 3-star Star Inn Budapest Centrum is few minutes walk away. The 4-star Radisson Blu Béke Hotel is one block away.
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Day 2, travel from Budapest to Belgrade as shown on the Budapest-Belgrade page.
You leave Budapest Nyugati at 05:50, change at Szeged, Subotica & Novi Sad, arriving Belgrade Centar at 20:27.
All direct Budapest-Belgrade mainline trains remain suspended until at least 2025 while the line is modernised for 200 km/h operation. However, in 2024 it's possible for the determined traveller to reach Belgrade on local trains via this somewhat round-about route. It's a long but interesting journey, with time for lunch in Subotica.
Serbian local train of the type used between Szeged & Subotica and Subotica & Novi Sad. They are air-conditioned, 2nd class only, with toilets. Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com.
Salzburg to Sofia
Option 1, Salzburg to Sofia via Bucharest
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Budapest by railjet train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 09:07 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 14:19.
The swish Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, you print your own ticket.
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Bucharest on the sleeper train Muntenia, leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:10 and arriving Bucharest Nord at 08:42.
The Muntenia has 4 & 6-berth couchettes and ordinary seats. A Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments is attached from Arad (depart 21:04) to Bucharest. There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at €40 with a couchette in 6-berth or €47 with a couchette in 4-berth. These are limited-availability advance-purchase fares
Book this at the Romanian Railways international website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.
If you want the comfort & privacy of a proper sleeper from Arad to Bucharest, (1) book a 2nd class seat from Budapest to Arad from €17 using bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket. (2) Now book berths in a 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper from Arad to Bucharest Nord at the Romanian domestic website bilete.cfrcalatori.ro and print your own ticket.
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Day 2, travel from Bucharest to Sofia by daytime train as shown in the Bucharest>Sofia section of the Trains from Bucharest page.
You leave Bucharest Nord at 10:47 and arrive Sofia Central at 20:21 after a pleasant day meandering across the Danube and through the river valleys of Bulgaria. In summer it's direct, in winter you have to switch trains at Ruse. There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
The fare is around €34.
Book this at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.
Option 2, Salzburg to Sofia via Belgrade
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This route is not viable, while Zagreb-Belgrade and Belgrade-Sofia trains remain suspended.
Salzburg to Warsaw & Krakow from €39
Option 1, Salzburg to Krakow & Warsaw by sleeper train - the time-effective option
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The EuroNight sleeper train Chopin leaves Salzburg Hbf at 20:30, arriving Krakow Glowny 06:20 & Warsaw Centralna 09:08.
The EuroNight sleeper train Chopin has two comfortable air-conditioned Polish sleeping-cars with 1, 2 or 3 beds per compartment. Each car also has two 1 or 2 bed deluxe compartments with shower & toilet, see the photos below. It also has ordinary seats, but no couchettes. In the sleepers, a light breakfast with tea or coffee is included.
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Fares start at €53.50 in a 3-bed sleeper, €68.20 in a 2-bed sleeper, or €126.70 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per bed as berths are sold individually. Prices vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Tip: If you're getting off in Krakow, the sleeper arrives at an early hour. Leave the station through the shopping centre and you'll find the Hotel Puro Stare Miasto on the other side of the road and to the right. You can join their excellent breakfast buffet from 7am for around €16. Of course, your own hotel may let you join their breakfast buffet on the morning of arrival. Suggested hotels in Krakow.
Option 2, Salzburg to Warsaw in a day - The daytime option
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Vienna by smart modern railjet train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 10:11 arriving Vienna Hbf at 13:05.
The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. You can take the 11:07 from Salzburg arriving Vienna Hbf 13:32 if you like, but personally, I'd take the earlier train to be on the safe side.
Tip: If you have a 1st class onward ticket, you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee & WiFi.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Warsaw on the EuroCity train Polonia leaving Vienna Hbf at 14:10 arriving Warsaw Centralna at 21:34.
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How much does it cost?
Salzburg to Warsaw starts at €39.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Buy a ticket at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at, but (and this is important) click the cogwheel icon at the top of the search results page and then click Comfortable connection time. If you don't, you may end up with a risky 5-minute connection.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You collect tickets from an ÖBB ticket machine at the station.
Option 3, Salzburg to Krakow in a day - the daytime option
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Vienna by smart modern railjet train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 12:11 arriving Vienna Hbf at 15:05.
The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. You can take the 13:07 from Salzburg arriving Vienna Hbf 15:32 if you like, but personally, I'd take the earlier train to be on the safe side.
Tip: If you have a 1st class ticket, you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee & WiFi.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Krakow by EuroCity train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:10 arriving Krakow Glowny at 21:13.
This comfortable EuroCity train has air-conditioned carriages and refreshments available.
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How much does it cost?
Salzburg to Krakow starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Buy a ticket at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at, but (and this is important) click the cogwheel icon at the top of the search results page and then click Comfortable connection time. If you don't, you may end up with a risky 5-minute connection.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You collect tickets from an ÖBB ticket machine.
Option 4, Salzburg to Krakow with an overnight stop in Prague
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Prague using any train you like, see the timetable here.
You can leave Salzburg Hbf as late as 17:11, or leave earlier for more of an evening in Prague.
Fares start at €19. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz and print your own ticket. Booking normally opens 3 months ahead.
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Stay overnight in Prague. Hotels with good reviews next to the station include the Esplanade Hotel, Falkensteiner Hotel Maria, Chopin Hotel.
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Day 2, travel from Prague to Krakow by EuroCity train Cracovia, leaving Prague Hlavni at 10:15 and arriving Krakow Glowny at 17:13.
The Cracovia has a bistro car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the Prague to Krakow page for details.
Fares start at €19. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz and print your own ticket. Booking normally opens 60 days ahead.
Option 5, Salzburg to Krakow with overnight stop in Vienna
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg Hbf to Vienna Hbf on any train you like taking 2h25, they leave hourly through the day.
Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, you print your own ticket.
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Stay overnight in Vienna. Hotels near the station with good reviews include the Motel One Vienna Hbf, GraetzlHotel, Hotel Schani Wien.
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Day 2, travel from Vienna to Poland by EuroCity train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 08:10 and arriving Krakow Glowny at 13:53.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book at Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You collect tickets from an ÖBB ticket machine at the station.
Salzburg to Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg Hbf to Warsaw via Vienna, as shown in the Salzburg to Warsaw section.
Or travel to Vienna and take the overnight sleeper to Warsaw & spend the following day exploring the Polish capital.
Fares start at €29. Fares vary like air fares so book ahead.
Book at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You collect tickets from an ÖBB ticket machine.
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Stay overnight in Warsaw. The Polonia Palace Hotel is excellent, historic, relatively inexpensive for such a good hotel, and it's just across the road from the station. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and near the station, try the Hotel Metropol next door to the Polonia Palace or the nearby Novotel Warsaw Centrum. Also see the Warsaw Centralna station & city guide.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kaunas & Vilnius by train as shown on the Warsaw to Vilnius page.
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Day 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga in Latvia, see here.
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Day 4, for onward travel from Riga to Tallinn in Estonia, see here.
Salzburg to Kyiv, Lviv & Ukraine
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg Hbf to Vienna Hbf using any train you like. I'd allow an hour or two between trains in Vienna, so take a train around 12:22 to arrive in Vienna around 14:52, but by all means take an earlier train and see something of Vienna.
Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book at www.oebb.at. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, you print your own ticket.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Lviv or Kyiv by direct Ukrainian sleeping-car, leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:42 every day and arriving next day (day 3) at Lviv at 09:20 & Kyiv at 16:03.
Introduced in 2017, this train consists of 2 or sometimes 3 direct Ukrainian sleeping-cars attached to a Vienna-Zahony EuroCity train. The sleeping-cars have comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below. At Chop on the other side of the border the through sleeping-cars are jacked up to have their wheelsets changed from European standard gauge (4'8½") to Russian gauge used in Ukraine (5').
Vienna to Lviv costs €71.20 in a 3-berth sleeper, €79.20 in a 2-berth sleeper or around €130 in a single sleeper.
Vienna to Kyiv costs €89.60 in a 3-berth sleeper, €99.60 in a 2-berth sleeper or around €170 in a single sleeper.
Book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
Booking for these direct sleeping-cars opens 20 days ahead, but tickets sell out a day or two after booking opens, so book as soon as the booking period opens. If the ÖBB website says Ticket not available within 20 days it means fully-booked, if it says that more than 20 days ahead it means booking isn't open yet.
Tickets can now be printed out so you can book in either direction. However, you must print the ticket, it cannot be shown on a mobile device.
Booked at the station in Ukraine, Kyiv to Vienna costs around €80, Lviv to Vienna around €60, in both cases with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper.
Salzburg to Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia
Option 1, Salzburg to Moscow via Kyiv, avoiding Belarus
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Vienna and take the sleeper to Kyiv as shown above.
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Step 2, take one of the various Kyiv to Moscow sleeper trains, for example train 6 leaves at 19:36 arriving Moscow Kievskaya station at 10:09 the next morning (= day 3 from Salzburg).
These trains were suspended due to Covid-19, and are now cancelled - and the lines blown up - due to the war in Ukraine
The fare is around €92 with a bed in 4-berth kupé or €180 with a bed in a 2-berth spalny vagon.
You can ask www.polrail.com to book this for you too, or you can book tickets from Kyiv to Moscow at the Ukrainian Railways site booking.uz.gov.ua/en/ booking from Kyiv to Moskva Kievskaya. You collect tickets at the station in Kyiv. Feedback appreciated!
Option 2, Salzburg to Moscow via Warsaw. This goes via Belarus, remember you'll need a Belarus transit visa.
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Warsaw as shown above.
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Step 2, a Russian Railways train with sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 4 bed compartments with washbasin links Warsaw with Moscow every day, see the Warsaw to Moscow section for details. Book as shown in that section.
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended due to sanctions & the war in Ukraine
Salzburg to Athens, Corfu & Greece
Option 1, Salzburg to Athens via ferry from Italy - the leisurely option with an Adriatic cruise thrown in
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg Hbf to Rome Termini in a single day as shown above.
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Stay overnight in Rome, see suggested hotels near the station.
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Day 2, travel from Rome to Bari by Frecciarossa, leaving Rome Termini at 10:00 and arriving Bari Centrale at 14:10.
It's an enjoyable and scenic ride across the spine of Italy, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Obviously, book the ferry first and confirm a suitable connecting train afterwards, allowing for a 2-3 hour ferry check-in.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, easy to use, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly). Italiarail will refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
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In Bari, transfer from station to port, see map of Bari showing station, port entrance, check-in building & Superfast Ferries berth.
You can walk the 1.9 km from the station to the port entrance in 25 minutes, a stroll through Bari's pleasant old town, see correct walking map from the station to the port entrance gate - if Google tells you any different, trust me, not Google!
Alternatively, bus 50 runs from Bari Centrale station to the road outside the port gate roughly every 40 minutes. A taxi will take 10 minutes.
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Day 2, sail overnight from Bari to Patras in Greece with Superfast Ferries.
The ferry sails from Bari at 19:30 on Mondays-Saturdays, arriving Patras at 13:00 next day (Day 3).
On Sundays the ship sails at 13:30, too early to make connections from Milan.
You can check sailing times & dates at using the Direct Ferries website or at www.superfast.com or www.ferriesingreece.com.
You should check in at the Superfast desk on the ground floor of the cruise terminal (Terminal Crociere) at Bari port with passport & booking number to get your boarding pass, ideally 3 hours before departure in summer, although in practice 2 hours or even 1½ hours is normally fine.
You then walk 500m from check-in to the ferry, board the ferry via the foot passenger gangway at the stern and head up the escalator to the main lounge and reception desk to get your cabin key.
The ship is comfortable, with self-service restaurant, lounge, bar and sun deck. You can book a deck place (a good & cheap option in summer if you have your own sleeping bag), a reclining seat or various types of cabin, all with private shower & toilet. Strolling the decks in the morning sun as the ship cruises past the islands of Cephalonia and Ithaca is the nicest part of the trip, and it's a wonderful way to arrive in Greece.
In Patras, the ferry arrives at the new South ferry terminal a few km from the town centre. Bus 18 links the port with the Patras bus station every hour on the hour, fare €1.20 or you can hop in a taxi for around €9, journey time 15-20 minutes.
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Day 3, travel from Patras to Athens by Greek Railways bus/train combo.
Hellenic Train (Greek Railways) operate an integrated bus/train service from Patras to Athens every hour or two, total journey time 3h02, fare around €18. No prior reservation is necessary, just buy a ticket to Athens at Patras railway station ticket office.
For example, at the time I write this, buses leave from outside Patras railway station at 14:15, 15:15, 16:00, 17:15 & 18:15, taking 90 minutes to reach Kiato railway station near Corinthos. At Kiato they connect with a modern air-conditioned regional train taking 78 minutes to Athens Larissa Station in downtown Athens. You can check Patra to Athens bus/train times using the journey planner at www.hellenictrain.gr.
Option 2, Salzburg to Athens overland by train via Munich & Belgrade - not currently viable
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There are currently no international trains to or from Greece.
Salzburg to Istanbul & Turkey
Option 1, Vienna to Istanbul via Budapest & Bucharest - 3 nights, 2 days, currently the most viable route
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Day 2, stay overnight in Bucharest. The Hotel MyContinental Bucuresti Gara de Nord is walking distance from the station, inexpensive and gets great reviews.
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Day 3, travel from Bucharest to Istanbul by sleeper train as shown on the Bucharest to Istanbul page, arriving in the morning on Day 4.
Hotels in Salzburg
For a stay of a few days I'd choose a hotel in the old town near all the sights. For a brief one or two night stay, especially if you were leaving on an early train, I'd go for a hotel near the station, so you can walk across the road and leave your bags, there's no time wasted in taxis and it's an easy stroll across the road to the station when it's time to leave. Salzburg isn't huge, so it'll still be an easy walk to the old town and all the sights.
Hotels near the station
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Try the H+ Hotel (4-star), across the road from the station with great reviews.
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The Adlerhof Hotel or Hotel Hohenstauffen are both 3-star, also with great reviews and a short walk from the station.
Hotels in or near the old town
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Try the Boutique Guesthouse arte vida, in a town house just 100m from Mozart's residence, or Gästehaus im Priesterseminar.
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Going upmarket, the Hotel Elefant is a stone's throw from Mozart's birthplace, and the Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt is in the old town with river views, located in a historic building dating from 1377.
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.