 To check train times & fares in Austria, see the official Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. |
This page explains how to travel by train from Salzburg to other cities all over Europe, and how to buy the cheapest tickets, usually online direct from the operators with print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets & few or no booking fees. It doesn't matter where you live, in Europe, Asia, the USA or Australia, you can buy train tickets from Salzburg as shown below and save money over expensive railpasses or travel agent mark-ups.
Before you buy your
tickets...
I recommend taking a moment to read these important tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, such as "Do I need to book in advance or can I just turn up & buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just go online & buy a €35 point-to-point ticket?". And most important, click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.
European train travel
FAQ...
Salzburg to Vienna: See the Vienna to Salzburg page...
Salzburg to Hallstatt from €9...
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Trains link Salzburg and Hallstatt every hour through the day in around 2h35, consisting of 45 minutes from Salzburg to Attnang Puchheim on either an ÖBB railjet train or comfortable double-deck Westbahn train then 75-95 minutes on an ÖBB regional or regional express train from Attnang Puchheim to Hallstatt.
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Fares start at €9 if you book in advance and commit to a specific train with a cheap sparschiene fare. The full-flex fare you'd pay on the day is around €29 if you use ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) trains or just €22.10 if you use a Westbahn train between Salzburg & Attnang Puchheim and then an ÖBB train. These full-flex fares cannot sell out, they are always available.
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I recommend using www.trainline.eu to buy tickets because it's quick, easy, international credit cards accepted, there's no booking fee and it can book both ÖBB and Westbahn trains. You print your own tickets.
Salzburg to Innsbruck, Graz & other Austrian destinations from €9...
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Check train times & prices and buy tickets within Austria at the ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) website, www.oebb.at - for ticket sales use https://tickets.oebb.at. You switch it to English by clicking Menu top left and changing Deutsch to English.
You can now also book ÖBB tickets at www.trainline.eu which is quick, easy, international credit cards accepted, there's no booking fee and it has the advantage over oebb.at that it book both ÖBB and Westbahn trains on the Vienna - Linz - Salzburg route.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone screen.
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Seat reservation is optional on most Austrian internal trains, you can always 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 100% 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... Until a few years ago there was no price advantage in pre-booking, there was just one fixed standard price. But in 2011 ÖBB introduced yield-managed dynamic pricing which means you can now save money by pre-booking a Sparschiene (saver) fare in advance and committing to a specific train on a limited-refunds, no-changes-to-travel-plans basis. ÖBB's Sparschiene fares between Austrian cities start from just €9 upwards and vary with demand and according to how far ahead you book.
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RailJet trains... Railjets are ÖBB's premier trains, running on the Vienna-Salzburg-Innsbruck and Vienna-Graz axes. More railjet info. |
Business class costs €15 more than normal 1st class... |
Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows. Some seats are around tables, some unidirectional. |
Salzburg to London from €59.90...
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See the London to Austria page for full details of times, fares and how to buy tickets in either direction, including Salzburg to London in a single day from a remarkable €59.90 in 2nd class or €109.90 in 1st class.
Salzburg to Paris from €39.90...
Option 1, in a single day via Germany from €39.90 - the fastest & cheapest option...
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You can travel from Salzburg to Paris in one leisurely chill-out day from just €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. There are various departures with just 1 or 2 changes, for example...
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 08:15, change Munich & Stuttgart and arrive Paris Gare de l'Est at 16:51.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 10:00, change Stuttgart and arrive Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:05.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 12:00, change Stuttgart and arrive Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:41.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 14:00, change Stuttgart and arrive Paris Gare de l'Est at 22:05.
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To check times & buy tickets, simply use the German Railways website www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
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Most of these journeys involve an impressive 200mph TGV Duplex between Stuttgart or Mannheim and Paris with cafe-bar, all seats with power sockets. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views. If you'd like a stopover in Stuttgart or Munich, simply click Add intermediate stops, enter Munich and a stopover duration in the hh:mm box, and you'll still get a sparpreis fare from €39.90 upwards, but with a stopover included. You can add up to 2 stopovers each of up to 48h with sparpreis (savings) fares.
Option 2, Salzburg to Paris with overnight stop in Munich or Stuttgart...
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This is the same as option 1 but with an overnight stop which breaks up the journey nicely and makes it more time-effective.
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For example, you could catch an evening train from Salzburg to Munich Hbf, these leave every hour at least. Stay overnight in Munich, then take the direct TGV Duplex leaving Munich Hbf at 06:23 weekdays or 06:28 at weekends arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:05.
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You can still buy a ticket from €39.90 at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, all you need to do is click Add intermediate stops, enter the city you want to stop in with a suitable stopover duration in the hh:mm box. With DB's sparpreis fares you can pre-book up to 2 stopovers each of up to 48 hours and still benefit for a Salzburg-Paris ticket from €39.90. Bargain!
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I have set up this special link to book Salzburg to Paris with a stopover in Munich and the early direct TGV to Paris, just enter your date of travel. You print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone or laptop.
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TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Munich & Stuttgart with Paris... |
2nd class table for 4 on TGV Duplex upper deck... |
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The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes... |
2nd class seats, this is upper deck seating. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. |
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1st class seats on the upper deck, with a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. |
A TGV Duplex. The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class. |
Option 3, the scenic route via the Arlberg Pass into Switzerland...
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OK, so this takes a couple of hours longer overall compared to the faster route through Germany in options 1 & 2 above. But it's worth it, as this takes you via the wonderful Arlberg Pass through the Alps between Austria & Switzerland, see the Arlberg Pass scenery video here. It's possible to do the whole trip in a day, but it's better if you break it up with an overnight stop in Zurich.
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Zurich in 5h24 from €29 in 2nd class, €44 in 1st class or €59 in business class (= premium 1st class, a real treat) on a modern railjet train via the scenic Arlberg pass, see the Arlberg Pass scenery video here.
You can leave Salzburg Hbf as late as 17:26 arriving Zurich HB 23:20, but check the hours of daylight - you really want it to be light through the Arlberg Pass and past the Zürichsee, so you're better off taking the 15:56 or (in winter when it gets dark early) the 11:56, and having an evening in Zurich. The railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi, see the railjet information page.
Book this train at www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.
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Stay overnight in Zurich... For somewhere special, look no further than the superb five-star Hotel Schweizerhof just across the road from Zurich HB. One of my favourite hotels, they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags from the train. For something cheaper but also near the station, try the Hotel du Théatre or Hotel St Gotthard. 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.
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Day 2, travel from Zurich to Paris by 200mph TGV-Lyria high-speed train in just 4 hours 3 minutes from €29 in 2nd class or €51 in 1st class, booked at either www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu with print-at-home tickets. You can leave Zurich HB around 09:34 arriving Paris Gare de Lyon around 13:37, but there's also an earlier 07:34 or various later trains. TGV-Lyrias have a cafe-bar and all seats have power sockets, see the TGV-Lyria information page.
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Railjets are ÖBB's (Austrian Railways) premier trains... More photos, video & information about Railjets. |
Economy class on RailJet, in open saloons with picture windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional. |
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Railjet first class, with black leather seats... |
Business class... |
Bistro-restaurant car... |
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The mountains of Austria... |
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In the Arlberg pass itself, the railway hugs the valley side, past fir forests and meadows... |
In Railjet first & business class, the stewardess takes your order & serves lunch at your seat... |
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The Railjet clips a corner of Lichtenstein, passing non-stop through the little station of Schaan-Lichtenstein. Once in Switzerland, the Railjet runs alongside the Zürichsee, then along the Walensee... |
Salzburg to Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Marseille, Avignon..
By day trains with overnight stop in Verona - the scenic route, mountains & coastline...
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Verona from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class booked at www.oebb.at. You can leave around 15:00 by Railjet train, changing at Innsbruck onto a comfortable EuroCity train through the wonderful Brenner Pass to Verona, arriving around 20:56 - see the Brenner Pass scenery video here. All these trains have an elegant waiter-service restaurant car, so treat yourself to dinner as the mountains roll by! By all means take an earlier train for an afternoon or evening in Verona, they leave every couple of hours through the day.
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Stay overnight in Verona. Hotels & B&Bs near the station with good or great reviews include the Corte Merighi Rooms & Breakfast, Novo Hotel Rossi, Guesthouse Verona or (a little closer to the centre but with fab reviews) the Relais Empire.
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Day 2, travel from Verona to Monte Carlo & Nice leaving Verona Porta Nuova around 09:32, one easy change in Milan's magnificent Centrale station, arriving Monte Carlo late afternoon and Nice at 15:57. Book this from €24.90 at www.trenitalia.com. It's ticketless, you just quote the reference on board. It's a lovely scenic ride along the Italian Riviera between Genoa and Nice, through Savona and San Remo.
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Change in Nice for Antibes or Cannes. Local trains link Nice with Antibes & Cannes every 30 minutes or so, just buy at the station in Nice and hop on the next train.
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Change in Nice for Marseille, Avignon, Montpellier, Perpignan. Allowing at least 45 minutes between trains in Nice book an onward ticket at www.trainline.eu.
Salzburg to Brussels & Bruges from €39.90...
Option 1, by day trains in a single chill-out day...
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You can travel from Salzburg to Brussels by train in a single leisurely day from just €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. There are various departures with just 1 or 2 changes. For example,
Salzburg Hbf depart 08:00 by EuroCity train, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto an ICE train, arrive Brussels Midi at 17:35.
Salzburg Hbf depart 10:00 by EuroCity train, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto an ICE train, arrive Brussels Midi at 19:35.
Salzburg Hbf depart 13:00 by railjet, change at Munich & Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto ICE train, arriving Brussels Midi 21:35.
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To check times & buy tickets, simply book Salzburg Hbf to Brussels Midi at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
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Tip: Take 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. A treat! Just click Add intermediate stops and enter Koblenz, with stopover duration left as zero. Anything via Koblenz takes the Rhine Valley route. You'll usually find two good options:
Salzburg depart 06:42, change Stuttgart & Cologne, arriving Brussels Midi at 17:35.
Salzburg depart 08:00, change Stuttgart & Cologne, arriving Brussels Midi at 19:35.
Salzburg depart 10:00, change Stuttgart & Cologne, arriving Brussels Midi at 21:35.
Option 2, by day trains with an overnight stop in Cologne, also from €39.90...
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Cologne. You can leave Salzburg as late as 16:00 arriving Cologne Hbf around 23:05 with one easy change in Mannheim, but by all means take an earlier train for an evening in Cologne.
The cathedral is right next to the station, for dinner try the excellent Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 5 minutes walk from Cologne Hauptbahnhof, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 10-15 minutes walk from Cologne Hauptbahnhof.
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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 Thalys or ICE train in just 1h50. Change in Brussels for half-hourly trains to Bruges, you can book Cologne to Bruges as one transaction.
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To buy tickets, simply book Salzburg to Brussels at the German Railways website www.bahn.de from €39.90, but click Add intermediate stops and enter Cologne Hbf and a stopover duration of, say, 11:00 in the hh:mm box. I've set up this link to bahn.de for you with the necessary parameters - just adjust the departure time and stopover duration to get trains that suit you.
You can only book journeys involving the ICE Cologne-Brussels this way, for a greater choice of Cologne-Brussels trains book Salzburg-Cologne at www.bahn.de then book Cologne to Brussels or Bruges separately at the Belgian Railways site www.b-europe.com.
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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. A treat! Just click Add intermediate stops and enter Koblenz, with stopover duration left as zero. Anything via Koblenz takes the Rhine Valley route. Re-jig as necessary to get Koblenz as stopover 1, Cologne as stopover 2, obviously. In fact, you'll usually find a direct Salzburg-Cologne EuroCity train leaving Salzburg at 12:00 via the Rhine Valley, arriving Cologne around 19:43.
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An ICE3 at Brussels Midi platform 5... |
ICE3 2nd class seats. Larger photo. |
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ICE3 1st class, with leather seats. Larger photo. |
ICE3 bistro car. See sample menu. |
Salzburg to Amsterdam from €39.90...
Option 1, using the time-effective Munich-Cologne sleeper train...
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Munich by train. Trains leave regularly, for example a EuroCity train leaves Salzburg at 20:00 arriving Munich Hbf at 21:42. But by all means take a slightly earlier train and have dinner in Munich - For a Bavarian dinner & beer near the station before boarding, try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, on the north side of Munich Hbf. Fares from €19 at www.bahn.de.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Cologne by Austrian Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Munich Hbf at 22:52 and arriving at Cologne Hbf at 08:15 next morning.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-berth compartments with washbasin, plus three deluxe compartments with 1, 2 or 3 beds with private shower & toilet), couchette cars (4 & 6 berth compartments) & ordinary seats. The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning.
In the morning the train runs all along the Rhine Valley between Mainz & Koblenz (06:05-07:05), past river boats, mountains, castles, vineyards and the legendary Lorelei Rock - well worth waking up and lifting the blind for!
Fares start at €59 in 6-berth couchettes, €69 in 4-berth couchettes, €99 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper. Deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower are also available. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.
Book this train using the German railways website www.bahn.de or the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at. I recommend checking both sites as prices can differ. You print your own ticket.
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Step 3, travel from Cologne to Amsterdam by luxurious ICE train leaving Cologne Hbf at 08:44 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 11:28. Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class booked at www.bahn.de.
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Tip: Using www.bahn.de it may be possible to book Salzburg to Frankfurt or Cologne or even Amsterdam as one transaction, see what it gives you, look carefully at the search results to see where the changes are, and if necessary use the Add intermediate stops feature to force it to change at Cologne rather than Frankfurt.
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2-berth regular sleeper with washstand. Larger photo. |
The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper... |
A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet train from Munich to Cologne. More information about Nightjets. |
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Austrian couchette car or liegewagen. Couchettes are the economical option, flat bunks with rug & pillow. |
6-berth couchettes, the cheapest option... |
4-berth couchettes, ideal for families. Larger photo. |
Option 2, by daytime trains 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 from just €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class...
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There are various departures with just 1 or 2 changes, for example...
Salzburg depart 06:15, change at Munich Hbf & Hannover, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 17:01.
Salzburg depart 08:00, change at Munich Hbf & Düsseldorf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 17:28.
Salzburg depart 10:00, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 20:26.
Salzburg depart 12:00, change at Mannheim, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 21:56.
Salzburg depart 14:00, change at Munich Hbf & Düsseldorf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 23:26.
All of these journeys involve comfortable EuroCity, Intercity or ICE trains with bistro or restaurant car and power sockets at all seats.
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To check times for your date of travel & buy tickets online, simply use the German Railways website www.bahn.de to book Salzburg Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal. You print your own ticket or can simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
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An ICE3 at Amsterdam Centraal platform 2... |
ICE3 2nd class seats. Larger photo. |
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ICE3 1st class, with leather seats. Larger photo. |
ICE3 bistro car. See sample menu. |
Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Cologne - comfortable & time-effective...
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Stopping overnight in Cologne can break up the journey nicely, with fares from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Cologne on any departure you like. For example, leave Salzburg at 15:00 arriving Cologne Hbf at 21:21.
But by all means catch an earlier train from Salzburg and have dinner in Cologne. For dinner try the excellent Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 5 minutes walk from Cologne Hauptbahnhof, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 10-15 minutes walk from Cologne Hauptbahnhof.
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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 leaving Cologne Hbf at 06:46 weekdays arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 09:28, or 07:39 weekends arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 10:44, but by all means book a later train and have a leisurely breakfast in Cologne.
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The cheapest way to book this is to use www.bahn.de to book Salzburg to Amsterdam, but click Add intermediate stops and put Cologne Hbf in the via box with your desired stopover duration in the hh:mm box. I've set up this special link for you, just enter your date of travel.
Why not allow time for a wander round Cologne, visiting the cathedral right next to the station, you can add a stopover of up to 48h duration. Adjust the departure time and stopover duration to get earlier or later trains for each part of the journey with a longer or shorter overnight stop in Cologne. You print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
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Top tip, take the scenic Rhine Valley route... By default, the bahn.de journey planner will put you on the high-speed line to Cologne. But by clicking Add intermediate stops 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. In fact, you'll usually find a direct Salzburg-Cologne EuroCity train leaving Salzburg at 12:00 via the Rhine Valley, arriving Cologne around 19:42, and an early one too, leaving Salzburg at 06:43. Just have a play with www.bahn.de.
Salzburg to Luxembourg from €49...
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You can travel from Salzburg to Luxembourg by train in a single day from just €49.90. For example, Salzburg depart 07:15, change at Munich Hbf & Mannheim, arrive Luxembourg 16:25. Or Salzburg depart 12:00, change once at Koblenz, arrive Luxembourg 21:25.
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Check times and buy tickets at the German railways website www.bahn.de. In the search results, look for journeys involving just 1 or 2 changes. Take care to avoid journeys involving a bus.
Salzburg to Zurich, Basel, Geneva & Switzerland from €29...
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Smart modern Railjet trains link Salzburg with Zurich HB in Switzerland several times every day in 5h24, with a restaurant car, 1st & Business class passengers served at their seat, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi, see the railjet information page. The scenery through the Tirol via the Arlberg pass is superb, watch this Arlberg Pass scenery video to see for yourself.
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Fares start at just €29 in 2nd class, €44 in 1st class or €59 in deluxe Business Class.
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Buy tickets from Salzburg to almost any Swiss station you like at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.
I'll spell it out: That's Salzburg to Zurich or Luzern or Interlaken or Zermatt or Geneva or Lauterbrunnen or anywhere in Switzerland from €29 upwards, on one ticket for one inclusive price. The ticket covers both the Railjet train from Salzburg to Zurich and the onward Swiss train(s) to your chosen destination, be that Zermatt, Geneva, Lauterbrunnen, Interlaken, Luzern or wherever. It's far cheaper to buy a through ticket this way than to buy separate Swiss domestic ticket from Zurich onwards. Indeed, you can often travel from Salzburg to (let's say) Zermatt on one of these through tickets from €29 more cheaply than a normal Zurich-Zermatt ticket alone!
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 from Salzburg to Zurich and exactly the same price, €29, 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 a big fat zero! So check prices before wasting a Swiss Pass day!
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Railjets are ÖBB's (Austrian Railways) premier trains... More photos, video & information about Railjets. |
Economy class on RailJet, in open saloons with picture windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional. |
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Railjet first class, with black leather seats... |
Business class... |
Bistro-restaurant car... |
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The mountains of Austria... |
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In the Arlberg pass itself, the railway hugs the valley side, past fir forests and meadows... |
In Railjet first & business class, the stewardess takes your order & serves lunch at your seat... |
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The Railjet clips a corner of Lichtenstein, passing non-stop through the little station of Schaan-Lichtenstein. Once in Switzerland, the Railjet runs alongside the Zürichsee, then along the Walensee... |
Salzburg to Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples & Italy from €29...
Option 1: By direct sleeper train from Salzburg to Milan, Florence, Rome...
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There's now an excellent direct Austrian Nightjet sleeper train from Salzburg to Italy every night, departing Salzburg at 22:02 with a portion for Milan Centrale arriving 09:10 and a portion for Florence SMN (arriving 06:19) and Rome Termini (arriving 09:22).
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The train has a sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, 1, 2 & 3 bed deluxe compartments with shower & toilet, couchettes in 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
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Fares start at €59 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 6-berth, €99 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 with a single-bed sleeper. Deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower cost a bit more. There is a shower & toilets for standard sleeper passengers at the end of the corridor. A light breakfast is included for sleeper & couchette passengers, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet sleeper page for more photos & information.
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Buy tickets using the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. You print your own ticket.
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Change in Rome for Naples, southern Italy & Sicily. Buy a separate Rome-Naples ticket from €19.90 at either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own site www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first). Both sites are ticketless, you simply quote your booking reference on board the train. I'd allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Rome.
Option 2, by sleeper train from Salzburg to Venice...
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There's a direct Austrian Nightjet sleeper train from Salzburg to Venice arriving Venice Santa Lucia on the banks of the Grand Canal at 08:24. Now for the bad news: This sleeper train starts in Vienna and leaves Salzburg at around 01:40, well after midnight. Ouch!
But there's a simple solution for a more civilised departure time and a good night's sleep...
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Simply go to the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at book the sleeper from Linz to Venice, it leaves Linz at the more civilised hour of 23:00. Just look in the search results for the direct NJ (Nightjet) overnight train with 0 changes. You print your own ticket. It's usually the same price whether you book it from Vienna, Linz or Salzburg.
Then simply hop on an hourly Westbahn train from Salzburg to Linz paying the €14 fare to the conductor on board, no prior reservation necessary. To check times & prices see www.westbahn.at.
You could even consider doubling back all the way to Vienna, the Westbahn fare to Vienna Hbf is only €26 or so, or ÖBB fares to Vienna Hbf start at €19 if pre-booked. Perhaps have dinner in Vienna? The sleeper leaves Vienna Hbf at 21:27.
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2-berth regular sleeper with washstand. Larger photo. |
The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper... |
A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet trains from Salzburg & Vienna to Italy. More information about Nightjets. |
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Austrian couchette car or liegewagen. Couchettes are the economical option, flat bunks with rug & pillow. |
6-berth couchettes, the cheapest option... |
4-berth couchettes, ideal for families. Larger photo. |
Option 2, by daytime trains from €29, if you're heading to Venice...
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You can book from Salzburg to Venice as one transaction at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at from €29 in 2nd class, €44 in 1st class or (on railjet trains) €59 in business class (= premium 1st class, a real treat). You print your own ticket. Look for these specific departures:
(a) the 08:12 railjet train from Salzburg, changing at Villach onto another railjet train arriving Venice Santa Lucia 14:05, with bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi or...
(b) the 10:56 railjet train changing at Innsbruck onto the EuroCity train arriving Venice Santa Lucia at 18:10, which goes via the scenic Brenner Pass, also a lovely run, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here. The EuroCity train has elegant Austrian restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch as the mountains roll by. Tip: If you can't see this 10:56 departure with a change at Innsbruck in the search results, only an 11:00 with a change at Rosenheim, re-run the enquiry, this time clicking the little VIA button to the right of the from & to boxes, enter Innsbruck as a via station and a duration of (say) 10 minutes.
(c) the 14:12 EuroCity train from Salzburg, changing at Villach onto a railjet train arriving Venice Santa Lucia 20:05, with bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Option 3, by daytime trains, if you're heading to Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples or anywhere else in Italy...
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Book from Salzburg to Verona Porta Nuova at www.oebb.at and print your own ticket. The 08:56 from Salzburg connects with a train that goes through to Bologna arriving 16:20, so if you want that one you should book as far as Bologna Centrale.
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Then book from Verona Porta Nuova (or from Bologna Centrale, if leaving Salzburg at 08:56) to your final Italian destination at either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own site www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first). Both sites are ticketless, you simply quote your booking reference on board the train. I'd allow at least 40 minutes in Verona or Bologna between trains in case of any delay. The reason for splitting the booking is that Austrian Railways cannot access Trenitalia's ticketing system so cannot sell Italian domestic tickets.
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Innsbruck to Verona & Venice by EuroCity train... |
EuroCity 2nd class, mainly 6-seat compartments but some open-plan seating. There's also a restaurant car... |
EuroCity 1st class, open-plan. Sometimes available in 6-seat compartments. |
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Mountains on the Brenner route... |
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Vineyards, mountains and castles south of Brenner as the train heads for Trento & Verona... |
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Watch out for hilltop fortresses... See the Brenner Pass scenery video here. |
Salzburg to Barcelona & Spain from €79...
Option 1, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Paris - the easiest route...
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Paris from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class booked at www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 10:00, change Stuttgart onto a superb ICE train arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:05.
Leave Salzburg Hbf at 12:00, change Stuttgart onto an impressive TGV Duplex arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:41.
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Stay overnight in Paris. See suggested hotels near the Gare de l'Est or Gare de Lyon.
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Step 3, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 10:07 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 16:34 with fares from €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.
If you fancy a morning in Paris, there's also a 14:07 from Paris arriving Barcelona at 20:34.
From early June to late August there's also an earlier 07:15 TGV from Paris arriving Barcelona at 13:34.
Book this at www.loco2.com (can be used by anyone from any country, no booking fee, you print your own ticket) or www.trainline.eu (anyone from any country, no booking fee, choice of upper or lower deck, you print your own ticket).
What's the journey like? Between Valence & Barcelona you'll follow the same route taken by the Paris-Barcelona TGVs, see the photos & video on the Paris to Barcelona page. 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.
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Step 4, book onward high-speed trains from Barcelona to Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Alicante etc, using either www.loco2.com (easy to use, in €, Ł or $, no booking fees) or www.petrabax.com (in US$, small mark-up) or www.renfe.com (a bit fiddly, in €). You print your own ticket. From June-August, the 07:15 from Paris allows a same-day connection with the 15:50 AVE from Barcelona Sants to Cordoba, Malaga & Seville. At other times you'll need to stay overnight in Barcelona and take the 08:30 AVE from Barcelona Sants to Cordoba, Malaga & Seville next day.
Option 2, by comfortable daytime trains with overnight stop in Munich - as option 1, but with the overnight stop in Munich...
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg 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. Book this train from €19.90 at German Railways www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone or laptop.
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Spend the night in Munich. Suggested hotels include the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to Munich Hbf with good reviews.
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Day 2 morning, travel from Munich to Paris by impressive 200 mph TGV Duplex leaving Munich Hbf at 06:23 weekdays or 06:28 at weekends arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:05. Book this train from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class at German Railways www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone or laptop. I recommend an upstairs seat for the best views on this 200mph double-deck express - any seat number >60 is upper deck.
Cross Paris by taxi or metro to the Gare de Lyon and perhaps have lunch at the celebrated Train Bleu Restaurant.
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Day 2 afternoon, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex from €59, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:07 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:34. It's a scenic and very comfortable journey, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona - see suggested hotels near the station - and book onward high-speed trains from Barcelona to Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Alicante etc, using www.loco2.com (easy to use, in €, Ł or $, recommended), www.petrabax.com (in US$, easy to use, small mark-up) or Spanish Railways' own site www.renfe.com (fiddly to use, in €, may reject some payment cards). There are regular trains to Madrid and to Valencia and Alicante. You'll find a convenient AVE leaving Barcelona around 08:30 for Malaga, Cordoba & Seville arriving at lunchtime with fares from around €45. Or there's an afternoon AVE to Malaga, Cordoba & Seville at 15:50 if you fancied a morning in Barcelona.
Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Geneva - the scenic route...
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Step 1, take a smart Austrian railjet train from Salzburg to Zurich HB through the wonderfully scenic Arlberg Pass, with restaurant car available, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Change in Zurich onto a comfortable Swiss domestic train to Geneva. There are several departures to choose from, but the best is arguably the 11:56 from Salzburg, change once at Zurich arriving Geneva at 20:18. Put your feet up and enjoy the ride, have dinner in the restaurant car, watch this video to see what the scenery is like in the Arlberg Pass. Book from Salzburg to Geneva as one transaction at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at from €39 in 2nd class, €54 in 1st class or €69 in business class (= premium 1st class, a treat). You print your own ticket.
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Step 2, stay overnight in Geneva. Hotels with good reviews near the station include Hotel Cornavin Geneve, Hotel Les Arcades, ibis Styles Geneva Gare.
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Step 3, travel from Geneva to Barcelona by train. Usually you'll find a TER regional train leaving Geneva at 11:22, change trains at Lyon Part Dieu (arrive 13:22, depart 14:24) onto a direct AVE-S100 high-speed train arriving Barcelona Sants at 19:31. Fares start at around €69 in 2nd class.
Book this at www.loco2.com (can be used by anyone from any country, no booking fee, recommended), www.raileurope.com (US & Canadian residents), www.raileurope-world.com (residents of Australia, Canada, Asia, Africa, South America) or www.trainline.eu (anyone from any country, no booking fees, with seating options). You usually print your own ticket.
What's the journey like? Between Lyon & Barcelona you'll follow the same interesting route taken by the Paris-Barcelona TGVs, see the photos & video on the Paris to Barcelona page. You'll pass the Chateau de Montfaucon, Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Montpelier and Perpignan, the historic Catalan-built Fort de Salses right by the tracks, and get great views of the massive Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees, visible all the way from Perpignan to Girona.
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Step 4, stay overnight in Barcelona (see suggested hotels near the station) and book onward high-speed trains from Barcelona to Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Alicante etc, using www.loco2.com (easy to use, in €, Ł or $, recommended), www.petrabax.com (in US$, easy to use, small mark-up) or Spanish Railways' own site www.renfe.com (fiddly to use, in €, may reject some payment cards). There are regular trains to Madrid and to Valencia and Alicante. You'll find a convenient AVE leaving Barcelona around 08:30 arriving Malaga, Cordoba & Seville at lunchtime with fares from around €45. Or there's an afternoon AVE at 15:50 if you fancied a morning in Barcelona.
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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 Lisbon, Porto, Faro & Portugal...
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Paris by high-speed train in a single day from €39.90 as shown above.
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Stay overnight in Paris.
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Day 2, take the 12:52 TGV from Paris to Hendaye or Irun on the Spanish border connecting with the overnight Sud Express sleeper train to Lisbon, arriving around 07:30 on day 3. For details of this journey and how to buy tickets, see the London to Lisbon page and simply disregard the London-Paris part. Book this at www.loco2.com.
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Change in Lisbon for trains to Faro, Albufeira and Porto, book these at www.cp.pt.
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The Sud Express, about to leave Irun on the Franco-Spanish frontier, bound for Lisbon... Courtesy of Ron Baker. See panorama photo... |
Gran Clase sleeper, in evening mode with the seats folded out... |
....return from the bar to find the beds made up... |
Gran Clase private toilet & shower... |
Salzburg to Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne & Germany from €29.90...
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Regular trains link Salzburg with stations all over Germany, Salzburg to anywhere in Germany starts at either €19.90 or €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 or €69.90 in 1st class, depending on the destination.
For example, Salzburg to Berlin takes as little as 6h23 from €29.90 with one easy change in Munich, city centre to city centre on smart Austrian railjet train then a superb high-speed ICE train with bistro-restaurant car and power sockets at all seats. 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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To check train times and buy tickets use the German Railways website www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
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Top tip, for Cologne, 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 Add intermediate stops 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 two daily direct Salzburg-Cologne EuroCity trains leaving Salzburg at 06:43 and at 12:00 which go via the Rhine Valley.
Salzburg to Munich from €19.90...
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Regular trains link Salzburg with Munich, but there are two distinct types: Express trains and regional trains.
Option 1, by express train train in 1h28...
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The express trains are either smart Austrian railjet trains (RJ) with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, or older Austrian EuroCity trains (EC) with restaurant car, taking just 1h30. They have dynamic pricing from €19.90 if you book in advance and commit to a specific train, or around €38 standard flexible price bought on the day and valid on any train.
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Check times & buy tickets at www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
Option 2, by slower Meridian regional train in 1h46...
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The regional trains are called Meridian and they run every hour, shown in the search results on bahn.de as M. These take almost 2 hours, but they have one fixed price, around €32, good on any train that day with no prior reservation necessary or possible. Turn up and go!
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Save money with a Bayern Ticket: In practice you'd never buy a €32 ticket for the Meridian train unless you need to travel before 09:00 on weekdays. At all other times it's cheaper to buy a Bayern Ticket which gives a day's unlimited travel on regional trains (including Meridians) across the whole of Bavaria including Salzburg, after 09:00 weekdays or any time at weekends. This costs just €25 for the first traveller + €6 for each additional traveller in your party up to maximum 5 people. For details & online sales see www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/laender-ticket.shtml. You can buy the Bayern ticket on the day at Salzburg station using the DB ticket machines or at the ticket office.
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Railjets are ÖBB's (Austrian Railways) premier trains... More photos, video & information about Railjets. |
Economy class on railJet, in open saloons with picture windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional. |
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Railjet first class, with black leather seats... |
Business class... |
Bistro-restaurant car... |
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Pleasant Bavarian scenery between Salzburg & Munich... |
Salzburg to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg & Scandinavia...
Option 1, by daytime trains: Salzburg to Copenhagen in a day from €39.90! Salzburg to Stockholm or Gothenburg from €39.90!
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Copenhagen in a single day, on luxurious ICE trains with bistro-restaurant car from just €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Take a good book, put your feet up and enjoy the ride...
You can leave Salzburg around 09:00, change Munich & Hamburg and arrive Copenhagen at 22:26.
Times vary, so check times online for your date of travel at www.bahn.de. Tip: I'd change Duration of transfer standard to at least 30 minutes.
The Hamburg to Copenhagen EuroCity trains are now smart Danish IC3 trains which go onto a ferry between Puttgarden & Rřdby, one of the few places in Europe where trains still get shunted onto ships. It's an interesting experience in its own right - you must leave the train and go upstairs into the ship's passenger accommodation during the 50-minute crossing, but can leave your luggage on board the train.
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Stay overnight in Copenhagen... 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 Bou]tique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star)
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Day 2, if travelling to Stockholm: Travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by 125mph X2000 train in around 5h11, there are regular departures. For example there's usually one around 08:20 arriving Stockholm Central 13:39, or have a leisurely breakfast and take the 11:20 arriving 16:39.
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Day 2, if travelling to Gothenburg or Oslo: Travel from Copenhagen to Gothenburg (= Goteborg Central) on any of the hourly Öresund trains, journey time 4h05 - you must alight at Kastrup for passport control. For Oslo, take the 08:15, change at Gothenburg and arrive Oslo Sentral (= Oslo S) at 16:52.
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How much does it cost?
Although Salzburg in in Austria, it's considered an extremity of the German rail network, so you can buy German Railways' sparpreis tickets from Salzburg to Copenhagen, Gothenburg or Stockholm for as little as €39. The fare varies, so book early for the best prices.
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How to check times & buy tickets...
If travelling to Copenhagen, simply go to www.bahn.de and book from Salzburg to Copenhagen. You print your own ticket. As I said above, I'd change Duration of transfer standard to at least 30 minutes.
If travelling to Stockholm or Gothenburg, go to www.bahn.de and book from Salzburg to Stockholm or Goteborg Central with a morning departure selected, but to see these cheap fares you must click Add intermediate stops , enter Copenhagen in the via box and a time of (say) 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. I have set up this special link to bahn.de for you, just enter your travel date. Adjust the departure time and overnight stopover duration as necessary to get the trains you want. It may take a bit of trial and error!
If travelling to Oslo, go to www.bahn.de and book from Salzburg to Gothenburg with a morning departure selected, but to see the cheap fares you must click Add intermediate stops enter Copenhagen in the via box and a time of say 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. I have set up this special link to bahn.de for you, just enter your travel date. Adjust the overnight stopover time as necessary to get the trains you want. Now add a connecting ticket from Gothenburg to Oslo S ticket using either www.nsb.no or www.sj.se.
Option 2, by daytime trains with an overnight stop in Hamburg...
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Hamburg, with just 1 easy change in Munich. There are regular departures right up until the 16:00 arriving just after midnight.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. Suggested hotels in Hamburg next to the Hauptbahnhof with good reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski.
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Day 2, Travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen on the 09:28 EuroCity train arriving Copenhagen 14:26.
The Hamburg to Copenhagen EuroCity trains are smart Danish IC3 trains which go onto a ferry between Puttgarden & Rřdby, one of the few places in Europe where trains still get shunted onto ships. It's an interesting experience in its own right - you must leave the train and go upstairs into the ship's passenger accommodation during the 50-minute crossing, but you can leave your luggage on the train.
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For Stockholm, now take a 125mph X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm, leaving Copenhagen at 16:20 and arriving Stockholm 21:40.
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For Malmo or Gothenburg, Öresund Link trains run hourly from Copenhagen to Gothenburg in 3h48 and every half hour or better from Copenhagen to Malmo in 34 minutes.
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For Oslo & Norway, travel as far as Copenhagen, then take the overnight cruise ferry with bars, restaurants and en suite cabins to Oslo, she sails from Copenhagen daily around 16:30, arriving in Oslo around 09:45, see www.dfds.co.uk for times, prices & online tickets.
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How to check times & buy tickets: If you want to keep things simple, you can book the straightforward way. Go to www.bahn.de and book from Salzburg to Hamburg on day 1, from €39.90. then use www.bahn.de again to book from Hamburg to Gothenburg or Stockholm from €39. But this means buying two separate sparpreis tickets and it is often cheaper to buy just one sparpreis ticket from Salzburg to Stockholm, Malmö or Gothenburg from €39, which you can easily do if you programme in the overnight stop in Hamburg like this:
Go to www.bahn.de and enter Munich to Stockholm (or Malmo or Goteborg Central). Select a mid-afternoon departure time, click Add intermediate stops , enter Hamburg in the via box and a time of say 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. This will give you a 12-hour stopover in Hamburg. Click here for a link to bahn.de which I've set up for you. Adjust the overnight stopover time as necessary to get the trains you want.
If you're going to Norway, add a connecting Gothenburg to Oslo S ticket using either www.nsb.no or www.sj.se.
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A Danish IC3 train at Copenhagen station. IC3s now work all the Hamburg-Copenhagen trains. |
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A 125 mph X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm. |
2nd class seating on the X2000. All seats have power sockets for laptops & mobiles... |
Self-service buffet car on the X2000 to Stockholm. |
Salzburg to Oslo & Norway...
Option 1, via Hamburg & Copenhagen - by train all the way...
Option 2, Salzburg to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo Color Line cruise ferry - the most comfortable way to Oslo...
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Kiel on any suitable train from €39.90, for example leaving Salzburg around 09:15 arriving Kiel around 18:32 with two easy changes.
Check times & buy tickets at the German Railways site www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket.
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Stay overnight in Kiel. In Kiel it's just a 5-6 minute walk from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line ferry terminal, but allow several hours between trains and ferry for the ferry check-in and in case of any delay.
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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 online at the seat61 Ferry Shop or www.colorline.com.
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This photo is taken from the exit of Kiel station, so you can see how close the ferry is. It's a 5-6 minute walk across the harbour, with a street lift up to a connecting walkway which takes you to the ferry terminal. If you have reserved one of what Color Line call their "5 star suites", check in at the desk rather than the machines and you'll be directed to a special lounge to wait with free tea, coffee, juice, snacks & WiFi. You'll also have priority boarding of the ship. Photos courtesy of Andrew Leo. |
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Boarding the Color Line ferry to Oslo in Kiel... |
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A 5 Star Suite on the ferry... |
More cruise liner than ferry! The restaurant. |
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Wake up to this.... |
Salzburg to Helsinki & Finland...
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You can travel from Salzburg to Stockholm as shown above then take a ferry to Helsinki as shown here, but you'll probably find it easier to take a direct ferry from Germany to Helsinki.
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Travemünde on any suitable train from €39.90, for example leaving Salzburg around 09:15 arriving Travemünde in the evening - check times & buy tickets at the German Railways site www.bahn.de. Allow plenty of time in Travemünde for the ferry check-in.
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Day 2, sail from Travemünde to Helsinki by luxurious Finnlines ferry arriving day 3 or in the morning on day 4, check times & sailing dates and book online at www.finnlines.com.
Salzburg to Prague from €19: Click here for details...
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It's easy to travel from Salzburg to Prague by comfortable air-conditioned train from just €19 in 2nd class or €39 in 1st class, city centre to city centre in 5h45 with one easy change in Linz, see the Salzburg to Prague page for full details...
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You buy tickets at Czech Railways www.cd.cz and print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone.
Salzburg to Cesky Krumlov from €17...
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Several times a day, a fast Austrian railjet train with bistro-restaurant car & free WiFi runs from Salzburg to Linz and connects with a comfortable Czech regional express to Ceske Budejovice, formerly known as Budweis - yes that's right, where the name of the beer comes from! A little branch line train run by private operator GWTR runs regularly from Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov taking around 44 minutes.
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You can see the timetable between Salzburg & Ceske Budejovice here. Then look up connecting train times from Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov at jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlaky/spojeni.
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Salzburg to Ceske Budejovice costs as little as €15 if bought a little in advance direct from Czech Railways at www.cd.cz. Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov by local train costs less than €2, bought on the day.
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To buy tickets, simply book from Salzburg to Ceske Budejovice at www.cd.cz and print out your own ticket or show it on your smartphone.
Then buy a ticket for the local train to Cesky Krumlov either at the station in Ceske Budejovice from the distinctive green and orange GWTR ticket office or from the machines on board the GWTR local train.
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You'll find more information about Cesky Krumlov, the GWTR local train, taxis between station and old town, and how to travel from Cesky Krumlov on to Prague, on the Cesky Krumlov page.
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Take a smart Austrian railjet from Salzburg to Linz to connect with a Czech express train like this from Linz to Ceske Budejovice & Prague. These trains usually have a refreshment trolley for part of the journey, but why not take a picnic and maybe some wine or beer? Change in Ceske Budejovice for the little branch line train to Cesky Krumlov. |
Salzburg to Bratislava from €39...
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You can travel from Salzburg to Bratislava in 3h36 from just €39 pre-booked at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
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The best journeys involve taking a smart Austrian railjet or InterCity train from Salzburg to Vienna Hbf, then either the hourly Regional Express train from Vienna Hbf to either Bratislava Petrzalka (a secondary station furthest from the city) or the similar hourly Regional Express from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna (the main station, closest to the city centre). The cheap sparschiene fares are only valid on the specific departure you book.
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You can break the journey up in Vienna if you like. In fact, without any pre-booking you can hop on any hourly Westbahn train from Salzburg to Vienna Hbf paying €27 or so to the conductor on board (see www.westbahn.at), then buy an unlimited-availability €10.50 local ticket at the station for the next hourly train from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna. This way, no pre-booking is necessary and you have complete freedom.
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You might also 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.
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The hourly regional express train from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna |
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Salzburg to Budapest from €29...
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Smart Austrian railjet trains link Salzburg with Budapest Keleti every two hours in 5h11 from €29 in 2nd class, €44 in 1st class or €59 in business class, city centre to city centre with power sockets, free WiFi and a restaurant car for meals - although food orders are taken and served at your seat in 1st & business class.
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You can buy Salzburg-Budapest tickets online at www.oebb.at and print your own ticket. You can even choose your exact seat from a numbered Railjet seating plan if you like.
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Railjet first class, with black leather seats... |
Business class... |
Bistro-restaurant car... |
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Economy class on railjet, in open saloons with picture windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional. |
The railjet from Salzburg, arrived at Budapest Keleti spot on time. More photos & information about railjet trains. |
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Between Vienna & Budapest it's largely flat, with more wind turbines than you can shake a stick at - allegedly over 200. This photo pretty much sums up the Vienna-Budapest section! |
Salzburg to Brasov & Bucharest from €58...
Option 1, by Railjet to Budapest and daily sleeper train Ister to Brasov & Bucharest... This option is easily booked online with cheap advance-purchase prices.
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Budapest by smart Austrian Railjet train, leaving Salzburg around 11:08 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 16:19. Fares start at €29 in 2nd class, €39 in 1st class or €54 in business class. To check train times & fares and buy tickets online use www.oebb.at. You print your own ticket.
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Step 2, take the EuroNight sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 and arriving Brasov at 09:26 & Bucharest Nord at 12:05 next day. This comfortable train has 4 & 6 berth couchettes and a modern air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, also deluxe sleepers with 1 or 2 beds and shower/toilet. Fares start at €39 with a couchette or €59 with a bed in a sleeper. There's no restaurant car so take a picnic and bottle of wine.
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To book the Budapest to Bucharest train, use the Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, clicking EN for English top right. You collect your tickets from the yellow self-service machines at Budapest Keleti station.
Option 2, by Railjet to Vienna and daily sleeper train Dacia Express to Brasov & Bucharest.
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Take the 15:08 Railjet train from Salzburg arriving Vienna Hbf at 17:30, from €29 booked at www.oebb.at. You print your own ticket.
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A direct train called the Dacia Express leaves Vienna Hbf every day at 19:39 and arriving Brasov around 13:16 and Bucharest around 16:00. It has comfortable Romanian sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments (including one or two deluxe compartments with shower & toilet) and 4-berth & 6-berth couchettes. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat...
You can book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at which can sell cheap sparschiene fares from Vienna to Bucharest for as little as €39 plus €10 for a couchette in a 6-berth compartment or €30 for a bed in a 3-berth sleeper.
In the search results, look for the direct train marked D with no changes. If it says not available you can't book it, but if a sparschiene fare is shown you can. You collect tickets from an ÖBB ticket machine in Vienna.
Tip: It only became possible to book this train online with cheap advance-purchase tickets in January 2018. As I write this it only seems possible to book a couchette in 6-berth or beds in a 3-bed sleeper with washbasin, not double or single sleepers, or deluxe sleepers with shower. This may change (and if it does, let me know), but in the meantime if you want dual or sole occupancy of a sleeper, I suggest buying 3 tickets for a 3-bed sleeper so you get the whole compartment and can fold away one of the beds. It'll still be cheaper than buying at full whack via other channels!
Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Budapest...
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Day 1, take any Railjet train you like from Salzburg to Budapest Keleti in 5h11 from €29, booked at www.oebb.at.
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Stay overnight in Budapest. For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel or the inexpensive Baross City Hotel just across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away. 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, check times & buy tickets from €29 at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu, see advice on using mavcsoport.hu. It's an all-day daytime run right across Transylvania, see the Train from Budapest page for details.
Salzburg to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Slovenia & Croatia from €29...
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Comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity trains link Salzburg with Lesce-Bled on Lake Bled, Ljubljana & Zagreb every day, with fares from €29 in 2nd class or €39 in 1st class.
You'll find departures from Salzburg to Lesce-Bled, Ljubljana & Zagreb at 10:12 with a quick and easy cross-platform change at Villach, and at 14:12 which is direct. There's also a 16:12 from Salzburg to Lesce-Bled & Ljubljana with one easy change in Villach.
This is a really lovely scenic journey through the mountains across Austria and along the beautiful River Sava between Ljubljana and Zagreb. Journey time from Salzburg to Lesce-Bled is 3h40, Salzburg to Ljubljana 4h20, Salzburg to Zagreb 6h40. Have your camera ready!
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You can check times and book online at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at, look for a cheap sparschiene fare and print your own ticket. Avoid any departure marked BUS as this isn't a train.
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Tip: I've seen a cheap €29 Sparschiene fare available from Salzburg to Zagreb but only standard price €50+ available on the same date and train from Salzburg to Ljubljana. And nothing stops you buying a €29 Salzburg-Zagreb ticket and getting off in Ljubljana, that's perfectly legitimate!
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An early lunch in the Austrian restaurant car as the Alpine scenery flies by. The first stage is on a smart Austrian EuroCity train from Salzburg to Villach... |
Through the Austrian Alps... Clinging to the mountainside high in the Austrian Alps, the train snakes along between snow-capped mountains, absolutely wonderful... |
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...and along the Sava river in Slovenia. Now across the border in Slovenia, the EuroCity train runs along the pretty River Sava all the way to Ljubljana and Zagreb... |
Comfortable seats: The 2nd class seats in the Slovenian cars are arranged 2+1 abreast, the same as 1st class! |
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The EuroCity train Sava, arrived at Zagreb. |
More scenery along the Sava between Ljubljana & Zagreb. |
Salzburg to Belgrade & Montenegro...
Option 1, Salzburg to Belgrade by day trains with overnight stop in Zagreb - the most scenic option.
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Zagreb on either the 10:12 or 14:12 departures from €29, as shown above. A lovely scenic ride!
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Stay overnight in a hotel in Zagreb. Try the Esplanade Hotel, Palace Hotel or Central Hotel, all near the station with good reviews.
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Day 2, take the daily train from Zagreb to Belgrade, leaving Zagreb around 11:06 and arriving Belgrade station at 17:37. Fare around €30 bought at the station. It cannot be booked online.
Option 2, Salzburg to Belgrade by day trains with overnight stop in Budapest - the cheapest option...
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Budapest Keleti from €29 on any direct Railjet train you like as shown above, booked at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.
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Stay overnight in Budapest. For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel. More hotels in Budapest.
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Day 2, take either the 07:57 or 11:57 daytime trains from Budapest Keleti to Belgrade station as shown in detail here, for €15 booked at www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection from the yellow self-service machines in Budapest. There's no equivalent cheap 1st class fare, so just stick with 2nd class, it's absolutely fine and in fact little different from 1st on this train.
Option 3, Salzburg to Belgrade using the Budapest-Belgrade sleeper - the most time-effective option...
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Budapest from €29 on any Railjet train you like as shown above, booked at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at. To make a robust connection with the sleeper, you can leave Salzburg on any railjet up to the 16:08 departure. Why not allow enough time for dinner in Budapest? The Baross restaurant at Budapest Keleti station is cheap yet atmospheric!
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Step 2, take the Budapest to Belgrade sleeper leaving at 22:15 and arriving Belgrade station at 06:17, see here for full details and photos. This train has 4 & 6 berth couchettes. You can book a couchette for €15 + €8 couchette supplement in 6-berth or €10 couchette supplement in 4-berth at the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection from the yellow self-service machines in Budapest.
if you're going to Sofia...
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Step 1, travel to Belgrade as shown above, either using the Budapest-Belgrade overnight train or taking daytime trains then spending the night in Belgrade - I recommend the historic Hotel Moskva 10 minutes walk from the station, at the start of the main pedestrianised street through the centre.
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Step 2, take a daytime train from Belgrade to Sofia. From 15 June to 17 September there a direct train called the Balkan leaves Belgrade main station at 08:55 and arriving Sofia Central Station at 20:12. 2nd class only, bring your own picnic and bottle of wine as there's no catering. At other times of year you leave Belgrade Centar station at 04:00, change at Nis & Plovdiv arriving Sofia at 18:50. Buy this ticket at the station for €20.60, there are always places available, even on the day. It cannot be booked online, and there's no need. 2nd class seats only. There's no catering car so bring your own picnic and wine or beer.
If you're heading for Montenegro...
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First travel to Belgrade. A daytime and overnight train link Belgrade with Podgorica and Bar over one of the most scenic lines in Europe, fare around €20 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.
Salzburg to Warsaw & Krakow from €39...
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A EuroNight sleeper train called the Chopin leaves Vienna Hbf at 22:10 and arrives Krakow at 06:18 & Warsaw Centralna at 09:01 with economical couchettes (4 & 6-bunk compartments) and a comfortable and safe air-conditioned Polish sleeping-car with 1 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin plus two deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower, see the photos below. And obviously, there are plenty of connecting trains from Salzburg to Vienna.
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Alternatively, catch a morning train from Salzburg to Vienna then the afternoon EuroCity train from Vienna Hbf to Warsaw Centralna.
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You can book from Salzburg to Krakow or Warsaw as one transaction at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at with cheap fares if you pre-book: Vienna to Krakow from €39 plus €26 supplement for a bed in a 3-bed sleeper or €39 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper (per person, berth sold individually). Vienna to Warsaw by daytime EuroCity train from €29. Tickets are collected from the ÖBB ticket machines at Austrian stations.
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Look for options with 1 change in the search results. By all means split the booking into Salzburg-Vienna and Vienna-Krakow if you'd like to spend time in Vienna or would prefer a safer connection, not a bad idea.
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Standard sleeper in evening/morning mode with seats folded out. |
Standard sleeper set up as a 3-berth. It can also be sold as a single or double. |
Deluxe sleeper, set up as a 2-berth, showing TV & wardrobe. |
Deluxe sleeper: En suite shower & toilet... |
Salzburg to Kiev, Lviv & Ukraine...
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Vienna using any train you like. I recommend Westbahn (www.westbahn.at), they run every hour from Salzburg to Vienna Hbf for around €27, just hop on any train and pay the conductor on board. 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.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Lviv or Kiev by direct Ukrainian sleeping-car. leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:42 every day and arriving next day (day 3) at Lviv at 09:10 & Kiev at 16:11. Introduced in December 2017, this train has a Ukrainian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below. An air-conditioned Slovakian restaurant car operates from Vienna to Zahony, on the border with Ukraine reached around midnight. At Chop on the other side of the border the through sleeping-car is jacked up to have its wheelsets changed from European standard gauge (4'8˝") to Russian gauge used in Ukraine (5').
The best way to buy tickets for this train is via reliable agency www.polrail.com, with tickets posted or couriered to you for a small fee. Polrail are based in Poland so charge in zlotys, but as they have access to Ukrainian ticketing system they are good for booking this train. You cannot currently book online with ÖBB although you could try emailing or calling their telesales via their website www.oebb.at. Feedback would be appreciated
Booked through Polrail:
Vienna to Kiev costs around €138 in a 3-berth sleeper €149 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €241 in a single-berth sleeper.
Vienna to Lviv costs around €120 in a 3-berth sleeper €129 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €207 in a single-berth sleeper.
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Boarding the Vienna to Kiev sleeping-car at Vienna Hbf. Photo courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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The Vienna-Kiev sleeper about to leave Vienna Hbf... Courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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The sleeper corridor. Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper compartment. |
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The Vienna-Kiev sleeping-car at Kiev Pass. Photos courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler. |
Salzburg to Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia...
Option 1, via Kiev, avoiding Belarus...
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Step 1, travel from Salzburg to Vienna and take the sleeper to Kiev as shown above.
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Step 2, take one of the various Kiev to Moscow sleeper trains, for example one leaves at 19:33 arriving Moscow Kievskaya station at 10:01 the next morning (= day 3 from Salzburg).
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 Kiev to Moscow at the Ukrainian Railways site https://booking.uz.gov.ua/en/ booking from Kyiv to Moskva Kievskaya. You collect tickets at the station in Kiev. Feedback appreciated!
Option 2, 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 three times a week, see the Warsaw to Moscow section for details. Book as shown in that section.
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These modern sleeping-cars run from Warsaw to Moscow... |
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Salzburg to Athens, Corfu & Greece...
Option 1, Salzburg to Athens by train & ferry via Italy - the leisurely option with an Adriatic cruise thrown in...
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The best and most comfortable option is to pick up a ferry in Bari. The whole scenic and relaxing journey from Salzburg to Athens will take around 2 nights & 3 days, depending how the connections work out on your particular date.
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Day 1, travel from Salzburg to Rome in a single day as shown above.
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Stay overnight in Rome.
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Day 2, take a morning train from Rome to Bari from €29.90, there's a Frecciargento train around 08:05.
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Day 2, then sail across the Adriatic from Bari to Corfu, Igoumenitsa or Patras in Greece aboard a luxurious cruise ferry booked at www.superfast.com. She normally sails daily except Sundays at 19:30 arriving 13:00 next day (day 3). There are bars, restaurants, sun decks, lounges and en suite cabins. It's a lovely crossing, see the photos below.
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Day 3, Patras is a few hours bus ride from Athens. If you hunt for it, there's a bus/train combined timetable from Patras to Athens on www.trainose.gr but it's pretty hard to find. The Bari to Athens part of this journey is covered in more detail on the London to Greece page, just disregard the London to Bari part of the journey!
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2 or 4-berth cabin with private toilet & shower. |
Relaxing on deck... |
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At sea, passing Cephalonia & Ithaca. This is what travel to Greece should be like! |
Option 2, Salzburg to Athens overland by train via Munich & Belgrade - a rail adventure across the Balkans...
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You can also travel overland by train from Salzburg to Athens via Belgrade & Thessaloniki. It'll take 3 nights, with the romance and adventure of an epic train ride through the Balkans.
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Travel from Salzburg to Belgrade as shown above.
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In Belgrade you pick up the train to Thessaloniki for Athens explained in detail on the Trains from Belgrade page.
Salzburg to Istanbul & Turkey...
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You can pick up the London-Istanbul route suggested on the London to Turkey page in Vienna or Budapest.
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This journey cannot all be booked online, at least the final leg needs to be booked by phone, but see the London to Turkey page for details of how to buy tickets. Just disregard the London to Vienna section!
Find
hotels in Salzburg & other cities
Other hotel sites worth trying...
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www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.
Backpacker hostels...
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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 most cities at rock-bottom prices.
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