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Munich-Salzburg or Salzburg-Munich from €17.99int.bahn.de
Buy express & regional train tickets direct from Deutsche Bahn, no booking fee, print your own ticket or show it on your phone or laptop. Or use www.thetrainline.com which sells tickets for all 3 options, express, regional & Westbahn. |
Which train: RJ, EC, IC, RE5 or WB?
Comfortable air-conditioned trains link Munich Hbf & Salzburg Hbf twice per hour in each direction from early until late. One train per hour is an express, either a railjet (RJ/RJX), ICE, EuroCity (EC) or Intercity (IC). The other is a slower regional train run by the Bayerische Regiobahn (RE5). And since 2022 there's a third option too, 6 Westbahn trains per day. This page explains the choice.
Option 1, by
express train -
every hour, fastest & most comfortable
What are the railjets (RJX, RJ) like?
What are the EuroCity (EC) & Intercity (IC) trains like?
Option 2, by regional train -
every hour,
slightly slower,
more flexible, cheaper for a day trip
Option 3, by Westbahn - 6 per day,
excellent double-deck trains, cheap flexible
fares
What are Westbahn (WB) trains like?
Timetable eastbound
Timetable westbound
Munich to Salzburg is 153 km or 95 miles by train.
Route map
Option 1, by express train in 1h30
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This is the fastest & most comfortable option
An express train links Munich & Salzburg every hour in each direction. One hour it'll be an Austrian railjet (RJX or RJ) taking as little as 1h30, the following hour a German EuroCity (EC), InterCity (IC) or ICE train taking around 1h42.
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It's also the cheapest option if you buy a cheap advance-purchase ticket for a specific train, limited or no refunds, no changes, kids under 15 go free. But if you want flexibility or need to travel at short notice, the regional trains are slightly cheaper. For a day trip to Salzburg, or a small group of 2-5 adults, the regional trains can be significantly cheaper.
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Which is best, railjet, ICE, EC or IC?
Railjets and ICEs are more modern & swisher, they are Austrian and German railways' premier trains with with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Railjets even have a luxurious premium 1st called business class.
EuroCity (EC) & InterCity (IC) trains are classic locomotive-hauled trains of older carriages offering spacious old-school comfort, most seats have power sockets but there's no WiFi. Most EC & IC trains use German carriages with refreshment trolley, one departure (12:17 from Munich, 14:00 from Salzburg) uses Austrian carriages with refreshment trolley.
How much does it cost?
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Advance-purchase fares start at €17.99 in 2nd class or €23.99 in 1st class.
Sparpreis (savings) advance-purchase fares have dynamic pricing like airlines & limited availability at each price level. They are only good for the specific train you book, limited refunds, no changes to travel plans. A round trip is two one-ways. If you're happy to book ahead and commit to a specific train, this is what you want. Book early & avoid popular days for the cheapest prices.
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The full-flex fare is €33.90 (EuroCity or IC) or €37.80 (railjet or ICE) in 2nd class, €61 (EuroCity or IC) or €68 (railjet or ICE) in 1st class.
Flexpreis is what you pay if you want to stay flexible or buy a ticket at the station on the day. Flexpreis tickets are good for any train that day, unlimited availability, can't sell out. The railjet Flexpreis is good for RJ, RJX, ICE, IC & EC trains, the EuroCity Flexpreis is only good for IC & EC trains. Although both these Flexpreis fares are good for the regional trains too.
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Children under 6 go free, no ticket required. Children under 15 also go free when accompanied by an adult on a Sparpreis fare and added to the booking, which makes this a cheap option for families.
How to buy tickets
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Buy tickets from German Railways at int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, although dates after the mid-December timetable change usually open in mid-October. I recommend registering when prompted, as you can then log in at any time to check or re-print your tickets.
RJX or RJ = railjet, EC = EuroCity. RE5 = Bayerische Regiobahn, these are the slower regional trains.
If you buy one ticket covering several people, only one passenger name is necessary to support the ticket.
You print your own ticket (A4 paper, U.S. Letter size is fine) or you can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Seat reservation is optional for a small extra charge, €5.20 in 2nd class, €6.50 in 1st class. See the travel tips below including my tip about how to choose your seat from a seat map. If you don't reserve you sit where you like in any unreserved seat, there are usually many empty seats, especially if you are boarding in Munich where the train starts. If boarding in Salzburg the RJ/RJX & EC trains will have come from Vienna or Graz or further afield so a seat reservation is a good idea. It's also a good idea in summer and at Christmas & Easter.
What are railjet trains like?
Railjets are ÖBB's (Austrian Railways) premier train, fully air-conditioned with 3 classes, restaurant car, free WiFi and power sockets at all seats. They are fixed-formation push-pull trainsets with a locomotive at one end (usually the Munich end) and a driving cab built into the last carriage at the other end. Most are shown as RJX (Railjet express), one or two are shown as plain RJ as they make an extra stop or two down the line within Austria.
A railjet to Vienna about to leave platform 12 at Munich Hbf.
What are the ICE trains like?
Intercity Express trains (ICE) are Deutsche Bahn's (German Railway's) premier trains. This route is usually operated with the ICE4 type, these are gradually replacing the EC & IC trains. They have 1st & 2nd class, a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!
Above, an ICE4 at Munich Hbf. Click on the interior images below for larger photos.
What are EuroCity (EC) & InterCity (IC) trains like?
Most EC & IC departures use German Intercity cars like those shown below, with 1st class seats in classic 6-seat compartments and 2nd class seats in open-plan saloons. There's usually some sort of catering on board, serving tea, coffee, beer, wine and snacks. There are power sockets at all seats, but no WiFi. One or two departures per day are InterCity (IC) rather than EuroCity simply because they start/finish at Salzburg & don't go further into Austria. One EC train per day (12:17 from Munich & 14:00 from Salzburg) use Austrian carriages.
German trains: Most EuroCity trains are composed of German Intercity cars like this.
2nd class seating is usually in open-plan saloons like this, most seats unidirectional, but with some tables for 4. Most of these trains have a few 2nd class compartment cars with side corridor and ten 6-seat compartments Larger photo.
Most of these trains have 1st class cars with traditional 6-seat compartments with side corridor. Larger photo. Larger photo.
Travel tips for express trains
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1st or 2nd class?
2nd class is absolutely fine, no need to go 1st class unless you don't mind the extra cost. But see what prices you get at int.bahn.de because sometimes 1st class doesn't cost much more.
1st class simply means more leg and elbow room and a quieter environment. 1st class seats are arranged 2+1 across the car width so if you're alone it means you can choose a solo seat with no-one next to you, seats that are both aisle & window.
In 1st & business class on railjets and in 1st class on ICEs, a steward takes food & drink orders from the restaurant menu & serves you at your seat, with no need to leave you seat or luggage to go to the restaurant car.
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Business class on railjets
Railjets have a premium 1st class called business class which costs an extra €15 on top of any 1st class fare. It's an extravagance just for Munich-Salzburg, but the seats are lovely.
The German Railways website can't book business class, but it usually has the cheaper fares. The solution is to book a 1st class ticket at int.bahn.de, then buy a separate €15 business class seat reservation at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. Simply tick the Seat reservation only box before running the enquiry, select 1st class then business class upgrade.
Tip: On recent test bookings, www.oebb.at wouldn't offer business class between Munich & Salzburg. If travelling eastwards, the workaround is simply to book from Munich to Linz instead, as it's still €15. There's no workaround westwards from Salzburg, other than to upgrade on board, as the seat reservation would lapse if the seat wasn't occupied in Linz.
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Luggage
You can pretty much take anything you like as long as you can carry it or pull it behind you. Nobody will weigh or measure it! You take it with you onto the train, there's plenty of luggage space on all trains in all classes, the racks above your seat take anything up to backpack-size, the racks at the end of the car will take large suitcases, see the photo below. More about luggage on European trains.
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Seat reservations
A seat reservation is optional on these trains. If you choose not to make one, you can sit in any unreserved seat, a small electronic display above each seat shows whether it is reserved or not. However, a seat reservation is a good idea especially on busy Fridays or around holiday periods. You can add a seat reservation to your booking when you buy your ticket for €5.20 in 2nd class, €6.50 in 1st class.
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Choose your seat from a seat map on a railjet or ICE
The German Railways website int.bahn.de allows you to select seats from a seat map when booking an ICE, but not when booking a railjet, IC or EC.
The Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at can also book all trains on this route and it allows you to select seats from a seat map when booking a railjet. But check to see if int.bahn.de offers cheaper tickets for the same train, it often does on this route. If so, buy the ticket at int.bahn.de without adding a seat reservation, then make a separate seat reservation on your chosen railjet for €3 at www.oebb.at, selecting your seat from a seat map. Simply tick the Seat reservation only box before running the enquiry. The Austrians only charge €3 for a reservation in either class, the Germans charge €5.20 in 2nd, €6.50 in 1st, so you save that way too!
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Saloon or compartment?
If you choose to reserve a seat, bahn.de will ask if you prefer an open-plan saloon or a seat in a traditional 6-seat compartment. Railjets & ICEs are open-plan so the question is irrelevant. On most EuroCity & Intercity trains, 1st class is only available in classic 6-seat compartments with a corridor down one side, most 2nd class is in open-plan saloons, although a few 2nd class 6-seat compartments may be available. Most travellers prefer open-plan saloon seating (as I do), you may prefer a compartment if there are 4, 5 or 6 of you. On your ticket it will say Abteil for compartment or Grossraumwagen for open-plan car.
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Seating plan & train formation
You can find a seat plan for railjet trains on the seat maps page.
You can find train composition details & seat maps for railjets, ICE, EC & IC trains at www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Germany or Austria and click RJX, ICE, EC or IC. Select your specific train. Click the seat map icon under the relevant car for a seat map, if available. If fussing about facing forward, remember that the railjets are fixed-formation with the locomotive usually at the Munich end. EuroCity & Intercity carriages can be marshalled either way round, so you can't tell which way the carriage will run.
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First class lounges in Munich & Salzburg
At Munich Hbf, you can only use the DB Lounge if you hold a 1st class Flexpreis fare for a railjet, ICE or EC/IC train, see here for details.
At Salzburg Hbf, anyone with any type of 1st class ticket or railpass for a railjet, ICE or EC/IC train except a DB Super Sparpreis fare can use the ÖBB Lounge, see details here.
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Boarding your train
As with almost all European trains, there's no check-in. Just stroll into the station, find your train and get on, any time before it leaves. The doors may be closed a minute before departure.
Posters (at Munich) or TV screens (at Salzburg) on the platform show railjet & EuroCity train formations and which part of the platform to stand for your particular car number, to save you running up and down like a headless chicken when it comes in.
Tip: If you run an enquiry at int.bahn.de it will tell you the planned platform number at Munich Hbf.
Tip: You can see what the train formation is like at www.vagonweb.cz, which might help you find your car. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Germany or Austria and click RJX or EC. Select your specific train. Click the camera icon under each car for photos, click the seat layout icon for a seating plan (if available).
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Power sockets, WiFi & toilets
All these trains have toilets. Railjets have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi in all classes. The German EC & IC trains have power sockets at all seats, they don't have WiFi. There's good mobile data reception along most of the route.
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Food & drink on board
The railjets & ICE trains have a restaurant car, you can't reserve, just go along and sit down. In 1st & business class on railjets and in 1st class on an ICE, a steward takes food & drink orders from the restaurant menu and serves them at your seat, so there's no need to visit the restaurant car unless you want to.
The EuroCity and Intercity trains only have a refreshment trolley serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, beer, wine and light snacks. You are of course free to bring your own food & drink along to consume at your seat, even a beer or some wine if you like.
Tip: You can find the current menu for railjets at www.oebb.at/en/.../im-zug/bordservice - please let me know if that link stops working.
Tip: You can find the current month's menu for ICE trains at www.bahn.de/service/zug/bordgastronomie, click the Speisen & Getränke links at the bottom of that page - please let me know if that link stops working.
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Station guides: Munich Hbf station guide - Salzburg Hbf station guide.
Option 2, by regional train in 1h47
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This is the slower but more flexible option
A Bayerische Regiobahn regional train marked RE5 links Munich & Salzburg every hour, taking exactly the same route as the express trains, but calling at more stations and taking a little longer. RE5 = Regional Express route 5.
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These regional trains can be cheaper
If you need to buy a ticket on the day, the Flexpreis for these regional trains is a few euros cheaper than the Flexpreis fare for the express trains, but the saving is small and hardly worth the longer journey on a more basic train, I'd stick with an express. However, for a same-day round trip from Munich to Salzburg & back, a Bayern Ticket makes this the cheapest option by a significant margin. And if you are a small group of 2-5 adults a Bayern Ticket also makes this a significantly cheaper option.
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No need to book in advance for these regional trains
Turn up, buy a ticket & hop on, which makes them more flexible. There are no seat reservations, you sit where you like. There are lots of seats.
How much does it cost?
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The regular RE5 regional fare is €38.50 in 2nd class, €61.60 in 1st class, each way.
This is fixed-price, fully-flexible, good for any RE5 train that day, no advance reservation necessary, it cannot sell out.
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But for these regional trains you'd usually buy a Bayern Ticket
In practice, you'd only ever buy a full-price ticket for these regional trains if you needed to leave before 09:00 on Monday-Fridays, at all other times it's cheaper to buy a Bayern Ticket giving a day's unlimited travel on regional trains across the whole of Bavaria including Salzburg, after 09:00 weekdays or any time at weekends or public holidays. You can buy a Bayern Ticket in 1st or 2nd class.
A Bayern Ticket costs €29 for the first traveller plus €10 for each additional traveller in your party up to maximum 5 people.
This even covers a same-day round trip from Munich to Salzburg.
How to buy tickets
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Buy regular tickets at German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, although dates after the mid-December timetable change usually open for booking in mid-October. More about when booking opens.
RE5 = Bayerische Regiobahn. There are no seat reservations on RE trains.
I recommend registering when prompted, as you can then log in at any time to check or re-print your tickets. You print your own ticket (A4 paper, U.S. Letter size is fine) or you can show it on your laptop or phone.
You can of course simply buy at the station on the day, either at the staffed ticket office or the ticket machines. Simply turn up, buy a ticket, get on, sit where you like and go! Tickets for regional trains cannot sell out.
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To buy a Bayern Ticket, buy at int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/regional-day-ticket-bavaria and show it on your phone or print it out. You can also buy a Bayern Ticket at the station on the day, either from a ticket machine (free) or from the staffed ticket office (€2 extra).
What are the RE5 trains like?
RE5 trains are comfortable & air-conditioned, but there are no power sockets and no WiFi. There is a very small and limited 1st class section at one end of each unit.
A Munich-Salzburg RE5 regional train on platform 10 at Munich Hbf, a 150m walk from the main concourse.
Travel tips for these regional trains
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1st or 2nd class?
2nd class is absolutely fine for most travellers, no need to go 1st class unless you don't mind the extra cost. Most seating in these RE5 trains is 2nd class, there's only one very small 16-seat 1st class section at one end of each 4-car unit. 1st class simply means more leg & elbow room, frankly there's not a huge difference between classes on these regional trains.
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Luggage
You can pretty much take anything you like as long as you can carry it or pull it behind you. Nobody will weigh or measure it! You take it with you onto the train, there's plenty of luggage space, the racks above your seat take anything up to backpack-size, larger suitcases can go between seat backs or simply on the floor. More about luggage on European trains.
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Seat reservations
Seat reservation is not possible on RE regional trains, you just get on and sit anywhere you like. These trains start their journey in Munich and in Salzburg, so you'll normally have hundreds of empty seats to choose from.
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Boarding your train
As with virtually all European trains, there's no check-in. Just stroll into the station, find your train and get on, any time before it leaves. The doors may be closed a minute before departure.
Posters (at Munich) or TV screens (at Salzburg) on the platform show railjet & EuroCity train formations and which part of the platform to stand for your particular car number, to save you running up and down when it comes in.
Tip: At Munich Hbf, RE5 trains often use platforms 5-10 which are a 150m walk along platform 11. Allow an extra minute or two for the walk!
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Power sockets, WiFi & toilets: RE5 trains don't have power sockets or WiFi, but there's decent mobile data reception most of the way.
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Food & drink: There's no catering on these regional express trains. You're free to bring your own food & drink, even beer or wine if you like.
Option 3, by Westbahn train in 1h34
In April 2022, Austrian open-access operator Westbahn extended 6 of its Vienna-Salzburg trains to Munich, providing yet another option between Munich & Salzburg. Not as frequent as options 1 or 2, but fast, affordable, and with swish new double-deck trains that are as good as a railjet or ICE, and better than a EuroCity train.
How much does it cost?
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Standard price €40.90, any train, any day. You can buy at that price even on the day, unlimited availability.
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Upgrade to comfort class for €7.90 or upgrade to 1st class for €19.90.
How to buy tickets
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com, easy to use, overseas credit cards no problem, you print your own ticket, small booking fee. Standard-price tickets are good for any train that day, not just the one you select when booking. www.thetrainline.com also shows railjet, EuroCity and RE5 trains so you can compare prices. You can also buy Westbahn tickets at www.westbahn.at.
What are Westbahn trains like?
Westbahn trains are swish modern double-deckers, air-conditioned, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. They have 2nd class, comfort class and 1st clammmunich-to-salzburg-by-train.htm#What_arss, with a choice of upper & lower deck seats in all three classes. Very comfortable trains indeed, sit upstairs for the best views! There is no restaurant car, but vending areas for tea & coffee. Orders are taken and served at your seat in 1st class.
WESTbahn double-deck train on platform 8 at Munich Hbf.
What's the journey like?
Pleasant Bavarian scenery between Munich & Salzburg.
Your first view of Salzburg will be from the train, right hand side. This is the view of the Fortress Hohensalzburg as the railjet crosses the River Salzach & approaches Salzburg Hbf.