Salzburg's main station: Location map
Salzburg Hbf is the main station in Salzburg, used by almost all mainline trains, both ÖBB and Westbahn. Hbf simply stands for Hauptbahnhof, German for main station. The station first opened in 1860 and was heavily renovated 2008-2014. The main change has been the demolition of a large island platform in the middle of the station with many dead-end platforms facing Germany and more dead-end platforms at the other end facing Vienna. It's been replaced by more through platforms, significantly increasing capacity, and the dingy passageway under the tracks has been replaced by a bright modern shopping mall with much better facilities, including new ticket offices for both ÖBB and Westbahn.
Station overview
Salzburg is a through station (not a terminus) with a historic station building and booking hall on the northwest side of the tracks, closest to the city centre. See a 3D plan of Salzburg Hbf at karteplan.com/.../salzburg-hbf-plan.jpg (please let me know if this link stops working).
Salzburg Hbf main entrance. The forecourt has been pedestrianised. Note the excellent H+ Hotel on the left, immediately outside the station.
Main hall, inside the main entrance, showing the start of the passageway under the tracks. There is an information counter on the right, just out of shot. The passageway is at ground level as the tracks & platforms are raised on a viaduct. The posters in the centre show train departures through the day with platform numbers.
The ground-level passageway under all the tracks, with steps, escalators & lifts up to each platform. On the left is the useful Spar supermarket. Ahead and to the right, the ÖBB ticket office. The ÖBB Lounge is also on the right a little further on, as are the toilets and luggage lockers.
Which platform?
The station has 9 mainline platforms, numbered 1 to 9 starting closest to the main station building on the western/city side of the station.
There are lifts & escalator to all platforms, so no problem with luggage or if you have mobility problems. There are no ticket gates or barriers, there's free, easy & open access between street, station hall, underpass & platforms.
TV screens in the main hall and located around the station show a list of departures and arrivals. The yellow departure posters in the centre of the main hall tell you the planned platforms for all train departures throughout the day (The white posters show arrivals).
See a plan of Salzburg platforms at karteplan.com/.../salzburg-hbf-plan.jpg (please let me know if this link stops working).
To check your platform in advance
You can check in advance which platform your train is due to use at fahrplan.oebb.at. Click Departures, enter Salzburg, enter your departure date & time and click Search. To focus on long distance and international trains only, click the cogwheel, select Long distance trains/Nighttrains and click Search again. Once at the station, the station departure screens will confirm the actual platform.
Arrivals & departures on your phone
You can see a summary of departures on your phone using fahrplan.oebb.at, with platform numbers & real time updates. Click Departures and enter Salzburg.
The platforms. A new extended roof was created in the 2008-2014 renovations, but it incorporates the original arched trainshed roof as you can see here. Note the escalators down into the passageway under the tracks.
Another view of the platforms, with the 10:39 double-deck Westbahn train from Vienna about to leave for Innsbruck. Note the admirably clear departure indicator!
Left luggage, ATMs, WiFi
There are coin-operated left luggage lockers if you need to leave your bags, in the passageway under the tracks near platforms 6 & 7, in the area with the waiting room, toilets & lost property office, see the photo below and see the luggage lockers page for opening hours & prices.
There are ATMs in various locations, try the Spardabank in the passageway under the tracks near the steps up to platform 4.
The station has free WiFi (select OEBB-station).
Waiting room, lost property office, toilets. The luggage lockers are in here, at the back. Note the departures screen, there are plenty around!
Ticket offices
The modern ÖBB (Austrian Railways) ticket office is in the passageway under the tracks, near the escalators up to platform 2/3.
You'll find ÖBB (Austrian Railways) self-service ticket machines and DB (German Railways) self-service ticket machines in the passageway under the tracks. If you want a Bayern Ticket, buy from the DB machines.
There's a Westbahn ticket office in the passageway under the tracks, near the steps up to platform 6.
Salzburg Hbf ticket ÖBB office. Courtesy of Paul Nikolic.
ÖBB 1st class lounge
If you have a 1st class ticket or any sort of sleeping-car ticket, or a 1st class Interrail or Eurail pass, you can use the ÖBB lounge for up to 90 minutes before or after your journey. The lounge offers complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks and WiFi.
There's one exception: You can use the lounge with a 1st class DB Sparpreis or Flexpreis fare, but not with a 1st class Super Sparpreis fare.
The entrance to the lounge is in the passageway under the tracks, between the escalators to platforms 2/3 & 4/5.
Open 05:45-22:00 Monday-Friday, 06:30-22:00 weekends. You can check opening times & access conditions at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
Somewhere to eat & drink
There are various food outlets & cafes around the station.
There's a cafe-bar in the main hall, and an Anker cafe in the passageway under the tracks near the escalators up to platform 8.
There's a Burger King in the northern end of the main station building, accessible from the forecourt.
For a decent meal, there's a station restaurant in the main building, the Johan (www.dasjohanns.com) serving typical Viennese meals, schnitzel, cake & beer. Its accessible from the station forecourt, the restaurant entrance is 50m to the right of the main station entrance as you face the station. Closed Monday & Tuesday, closes at 18:00 most days so not that useful when catching a sleeper. I haven't tried it myself, so let me know what you think!
Also consider brewpub Die Weisse (www.dieweisse.at) which serves food, a 1.1 km 15-minute walk from the station, see walking map.
Supermarkets
There is a good Spar minimarket in the passageway under the tracks, on the left just as you walk from the main hall into the passageway, immediately after the steps up to platform 1. It sells the usual range of food, sandwiches, beer & wine, the ideal place to stock up for a journey.
There are more shops and a larger EuroSpar supermarket in the Forum 1 shopping mall, on the square in front of the station. Walk out of the station and look to your right.
Hotels in Salzburg
For an overnight stop near the station, go for the excellent H+ Hotel immediately outside the station entrance to the right, which gets great reviews. Also consider the nearby Salzburg Art Hotel and Austria Trend Europa Hotel, also with good reviews.
For a longer stay, there are plenty of hotels close to Salzburg old town. At the top end, the lovely historic 5-star Hotel Sacher is Salzburg's only Grand Hotel, built 1863-1866 and known as the Österreichischer Hof until 2000.
At the cheaper end, the Altstadthotel Weisse Taube is in the heart of the old town in a building dating from 1365, with great reviews.
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.
Local transport: Walking, taxis, trams
Walking: It's easy to walk from Salzburg station to most locations in the city centre.
Mozart's birthplace in Salzburg's old town is a 1.6km 21-minute walk from the station, see walking map.
Salzburg castle (fortress Hohensalzburg) is a 2.3km 31-minute walk from the station, see walking map.
Taxis: For a taxi fare calculator see www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=Salzburg-Austria&lang=en. Taxis are usually plentiful outside the station, although they are not cheap.
Buses: See www.obus.at.
More information
For more about the station's history see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzburg_Hauptbahnhof
For more about station facilities, see www.oebb.at.
The view approaching Salzburg
On the right hand side shortly before arriving at Salzburg Hbf when heading east, or on the left hand side just after leaving Salzburg Hbf when heading west, trains cross the River Salzach with this wonderful view of the river and the Fortress Hohensalzburg.
