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The railjet train from Vienna, arrived at Venice Santa Lucia...
Buy online at www.thetrainline.com from €29, overseas payment cards accepted, print your own ticket. |
Vienna to Venice from €29
The best way to travel from Vienna to Venice (or Venice to Vienna) is by train. Two modern Austrian railjet trains link Vienna with Venice every day, city centre to city centre through great scenery from just €29 with free WiFi, power sockets at all seats and a civilised restaurant car, watch the video. Or use the time-effective nightjet sleeper train, saving daytime hours compared to flying and it saves a hotel bill too. This page explains all you need to know about making this great train journey.
- Should you choose railjet or nightjet?
- What are the railjet trains like?
- Video: Vienna to Venice by railjet train
Option 2, by nightjet sleeper train
- What is the nightjet sleeper train like?
- Tips for using the sleeper train
Vienna Hbf station
information
Venice Santa Lucia
station information
Trains from Vienna to
other destinations
Trains from Venice to
other destinations
Train times 2023
All these trains run every day all year round. But always check times for your own date of travel at www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at.
The railjet trains have economy class, first class, business class and a restaurant car.
The nightjet train has a sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, some with en suite toilet & shower, couchettes in 4 & 6 bunk compartments, & seats.
Which to choose, railjet or nightjet?
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It's up to you, of course. The daytime railjet trains and the nightjet sleeper train are both city centre to city centre, hassle-free.
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The railjet trains take 7h40, an epic daytime ride through great scenery including the historic 41km (25 mile) Semmering Railway through the mountains, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So the railway you travel over is an internationally-recognised attraction in itself. With free WiFi, a restaurant car and at-seat food and drink service in first and business class, treat this as a chill-out trip. Treat yourself to business class, those leather cradle seats are great. If you want to know if the scenery is worth making this journey by day, just watch the Vienna to Venice by railjet video below and make up your own mind. The scenery is the same in either direction, obviously.
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The nightjet sleeper train saves time, in fact it takes fewer daytime hours out of your sightseeing schedule than the 4 or 5 hours flying involves when you include trekking to & from airports and the long security lines. It also saves a hotel bill, and hotels in Venice are expensive. Travelling by sleeper or couchette is a unique European experience, take a bottle of wine with you and some snacks for a midnight feast and have a blast.
Route map
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Highlighted = route taken by railjet trains between Vienna (Wien) & Venice (Venezia) via Semmering, Klagenfurt, Villach, Udine. Green = scenic routes Red = high-speed lines The nightjet sleeper train goes a more roundabout route, via Linz, Salzburg, Villach, Udine, so it can run combined with the Munich-Venice nightjet. Map extract featured by kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people. I highly recommend buying this map for your European travels, buy online with shipping worldwide at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu. |
Option 1, by railjet train
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As you can see from the train times above, there are two trains per day in each direction. These swish modern railjet trains climb through the mountains south of Vienna over the UNESCO-listed Semmering Railway, through Klagenfurt, past Hochosterwitz castle and over the Venetian plain to Venice. It's a chill-out ride with free WiFi, power sockets at all seats & a restaurant car.
How much does it cost?
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Advance-purchase fares start at €29 in economy, €59 in 1st class or €74 in business class.
These Sparschiene fares are only good for the specific train you book, no refunds, no changes to travel plans. The price varies dynamically so book ahead for cheaper prices, limited availability at each price level. If you are happy to book ahead & commit to a specific train, this is what you want.
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The fully-flexible fare is around €95 in economy, good for any train, unlimited availability, refundable.
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Seat reservation is optional in economy & first class, a reserved seat costs around €3 per seat. In business class, seat reservation is compulsory and automatically included in the booking.
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Interrail & Eurail passholders must pay a small surcharge for these trains to/from Italy, see here for details.
How to buy tickets
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, Ł or $, happily accepts overseas credit cards, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (in €, same prices, a little more fiddly). You print your own ticket.
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Booking opens up to 180 days ahead, but often less when the mid-December timetable change is approaching.
What are the railjet trains like?
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The train is modern and air-conditioned with 3 classes, all with free WiFi and power sockets:
Economy class = comfy seats arranged 2+2 across the car width, with power sockets & free WiFi. Most seats are unidirectional, but there are a few tables for four, ideal for families. You can bring your own food & drink, use the restaurant car, or buy food & drink at the restaurant car counter.
First class = leather seats arranged 2+1 across the car width, with more leg & elbow room than in economy. Most seats are unidirectional, with a few tables for four and tables for two. A steward takes orders for food & drink from the restaurant car menu and serves you at your seat, so no need to up sticks to the restaurant car unless you want to. You can use the first class ÖBB Lounge in Vienna.
Business class = premium first class. There are just 6 business class seats located at one end of the train, fully reclining with leg-rests. Business class costs €15 on top of the first class fare, and is a real treat, I recommend it. A welcome drink - for example a sparkling wine - is included in the fare. Orders for food & drink orders from the restaurant car menu are taken & served at your seat. You can use the first class ÖBB Lounge in Vienna.
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The afternoon railjet from Vienna to Venice, about to leave Vienna Hbf. Click the photos below for larger images. |
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Restaurant car... Open to all passengers, although 1st & business class passengers can be served at their seat so there's no need to go to the restaurant. |
Business class = 1st class fare + €15, complimentary welcome drink included. Just 6 seats at one end of the train. |
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First class... |
Economy (2nd) class... |
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Luggage goes on the racks. Even largish items fit on the overhead racks. Or use one of the floor-standing racks, like the one indicated by the arrows. |
Display screens in each car keep you informed, showing calling points, expected arrival times, the train's speed and location in Italian, German & English. |
Intranet on your phone (railnet.oebb.at) shows the train's speed & location, allows you to order food & drink. |
Travel tips
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Seat reservations
Seat reservation is optional on these Vienna-Venice trains, but I recommend paying the small extra fee for a reserved seat (about €3), especially if travelling in summer or at other holiday periods. Travelling solo, mid-week in February it won't be a problem to find a seat, on a Friday in July it might be. But frankly, for a long trip like this I'd play safe and reserve a seat. Business class tickets always come with a reserved seat.
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First class or economy?
Economy (2nd) class is absolutely fine, there's no need to pay for first class if you're on a budget. But if money isn't tight and you see good prices for first class relative to economy, you get more legroom and more elbow room in first class. And in first class there are solo seats (seats which are both aisle and window seats, ideal if travelling alone) and a few face-to-face tables for two, ideal for couples. Food orders are taken and delivered to your seat by the restaurant car steward in first & business classes, so there's no need to leave your seat to go to the restaurant. And with a first or business class ticket you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf
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Is business class worth the extra €15 over regular first class?
Yes! Those leather cradle seats with leg-rests, the complimentary welcome drink, the quiet location at one end of the train, the extra space. If you're not on a budget, go for it. Business class costs €15 on top of any first class fare or railpass, and it includes a reserved seat and a welcome drink of sparkling wine (or a coffee or soft drink if you prefer). Just remember there are only 6 business class seats on the whole train.
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Order food & drink & check the train's progress on your phone!
In first & business class the restaurant car steward takes your orders for food & drink and serves them at your seat. But you can short-circuit this process by logging onto the railjet's free WiFi and opening the ÖBB portal (railnet.oebb.at) which has an option to order food for delivery to your seat under Travel info & Service. You order from the online menu, enter your car & seat number, and hey presto, the steward shows up with your order at your seat. You pay him when he arrives. Works well unless he is rushed off his feet and misses the online order!
The intranet also allows you to keep track of the train's speed and whereabouts on your phone, and check arrival times.
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Finding & boarding your train
As with virtually all European trains, there's no check-in. Just stroll into the station, find your train and get on with your print-your-own ticket, any time before the doors close and it leaves.
See Vienna Hbf station information. See Venice Santa Lucia station information. Both stations are perfectly safe, day or night.
In Vienna, train composition screens on the platform will tell you where to wait on the platform for your car, which saves you running up and down when the train rolls in.
If you're interested, you can see the car-by-car formation of your train at www.vagonweb.cz, which might help you find your car. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Austria and click railjet. Click the camera icon under each car for photos.
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Luggage
You take your luggage with you onto the train and simply place it on the luggage racks. It's that simple. You'll find various racks in amongst the passenger seating, choose any rack nearest your seat or use the overhead racks which will take anything up to and including backpack size. Nobody weighs your bags, measures them or worries about how much you take. Remember that these trains start in Vienna and Venice, so if you board in good time you will find these racks empty, so no problem. More information about luggage on European trains.
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Bikes & dogs
Bikes are now carried on railjet trains, with 5 spaces available per train, see the bikes by train page. You can take a dog or pet on a railjet, see the dogs by train page.
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First class ÖBB lounge in Vienna
If you have a first or business class ticket you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf. The lounge has free WiFi, complimentary tea, coffee and soft drinks. It's a nice quiet place to wait. Unfortunately there is no lounge in Venice.
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ÖBB Lounge in Vienna. You can use this before or after your train with a 1st or business class ticket. |
Train composition display at Vienna Hbf. Tells you where your car will be along the platform. |
What's the journey like?
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Vienna Hbf. See station information. |
The afternoon railjet to Venice is ready to leave... |
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Boarding in Vienna... This is the business class car at the rear of the train. There's free WiFi in all classes and all seats have access to power sockets. There's no check-in, just walk up and step on, any time before the doors close and it leaves. |
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The Semmering Railway... Shortly after calling at Vienna Neustadt, the train travels over the 41km (25 mile) Semmering Railway, opened in 1854 and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Read more about the famous Semmering Railway at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway. Sadly, this slow, curvaceous and steep section of line will be by-passed in the mid-2020s when the new Semmering Base Tunnel opens, though this could save up to 90 minutes. |
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More views as the train snakes its way over the Semmering Railway, summiting near Semmering itself at 898m (2,946 feet) above sea level. |
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Up high in the forest near Semmering... |
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Lunch is served... You can go to the restaurant car, but in first and business class a steward takes your order and brings it to your seat. You can also order on your phone using the train's free WiFi and the ÖBB railnet portal, see travel tips. |
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After Bruck an der Mur, the mountain scenery resumes all the way through Klagenfurt to Villach in southern Austria... |
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Main course with wine. There's a reasonably wide-ranging menu to choose from, with a selection of Austrian red & white wine and beer... |
Hochosterwitz castle near Sankt Veit an der Glan, just north of Klagenfurt, on the left when going south. Shortly afterwards the train skirts the waters of the Wörthersee. |
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Vienna & Venice were enjoying a heat wave when I travelled, but the weather was very different in the mountains... |
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We're now in Italy... The train calls at Tarvisio, then Udine... |
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The causeway... The train stops at Venice Mestre on the mainland then crosses the famous causeway over the lagoon to Venice... |
Arrival in Venice... The railjet from Vienna has arrived in Venice Santa Lucia station on a summer's evening, in this case about 10 minutes late... |
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Venice Santa Lucia station, on the Grand Canal in central Venice, journeys end. The station is just 20 minutes walk from the Rialto Bridge, 27 minutes walk from Piazza San Marco. See station information. Vaporettos (waterbuses, as seen here) leave from outside the station down the Grand Canal to Rialto & San Marco. |
Video guide: Vienna to Venice by train
Option 2, by nightjet sleeper train
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This is the time-effective option, it saves a hotel bill and takes less time out of your day than flying. It's also a genuine European experience too, if you've never travelled by sleeper train before, great fun especially as a family or in a small group of friends.
How much does it cost?
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Nightjet fares start at €59 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €99 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. Fares are dynamic, so book early as they rise as departure date approaches and the cheaper tickets are sold.
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With a Eurail or Interrail pass, you can travel on a Nightjet by paying the following reservation fees: Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €54, bed in 2-berth sleeper €74, bed in single-berth sleeper €114, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €94, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €134.
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Family fare for a whole private couchette compartment: A family or small group of 1 or 2 adults and 1-4 children can book a whole private 4 or 6 berth couchette compartment for a flat rate of around €199 on Nightjet routes. Only available if you book at www.oebb.at.
How to buy tickets
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Buy online at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, readily accepts international payment cards) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices as Trainline, but a bit more fiddly to use). You print your own ticket.
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Booking opens up to 180 days ahead, but often less than this when the mid-December timetable change is approaching.
