How to get from Vienna to Salzburg on a guided tour
The length of the Austrian Republic from west to east is approximately 660 kilometers. Vienna is located on the country's eastern edge, and Salzburg is in its center. The distance from Vienna to Salzburg is about 300 kilometers.
Vienna attracts the most significant number of visitors as Austria's cultural, historical and business center and as a central transport hub of the country.
How to get from Vienna to Salzburg? The most convenient and affordable way - is by train.
Two companies in Austria carry out rail transportation: the state-owned ÖBB and the private Westbahn Railways.
ÖBB Rail Jet departs from Vienna's central station Wien Hauptbahnhof; the carriages are red-colored, divided into classes 1 and 2, seats can be reserved for an additional fee of 8 euros, there is a restaurant car and free Wi-Fi throughout the train. If you are traveling with children, you can choose a family carriage, where cartoons and free board games are shown. Trains run at a speed of 200 - 230 km/h and reach Salzburg in an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes. Tickets can be purchased on the website oebb.at, at the train station at the ticket office, ticket machine or some euro more expensive directly on the train.
The discount on ÖBB tickets is called Sparschiene. Get a discount (up to 50%), you will have to travel on a particular train at a specific time and you cannot refund such a ticket. With a regular ticket, you can take any train on this day. The earlier you book a ticket, the more chances you have to buy a ticket with a discount on Sparschiene.
The ticket price from Vienna to Salzburg varies from 40 to 60 euros one way depending on the kind of train and Sparschiene discount.
The train departs from Vienna Airport SCHWECHAT, held at Vienna's central station. So, there is a direct connection between Vienna Airport and Salzburg!
The Westbahn (Western Railways) departs from the west station of Wien Westbahnhof. The trains have their signature style of white-blue-green coloring. The carriages are clean and comfortable; Wi-Fi and power sockets and USB connectors are on board.
The tickets for Westbahn are sold online on the website westbahn.at and directly on the train are 4 euros more expensive. The reservation of seats costs an additional 8 euros. There are also ticket machines and one Westbahn ticket office only in Vienna West Train Station (Westbahnhof).
A ticket from Vienna - to Salzburg with Westbahn costs online 41 euros one way (prices 2022).
The journey to Salzburg via Linz lasts about 2 hours and 40 minutes.
After a stop in Salzburg, the Westbahn trains go further nonstop to Munich. The way from Vienna to München takes 4 hours and costs 80 euros (price 2022).
Many tourists come to Salzburg from Vienna just for one day. And there is not much time remaining to orient in the city and get the colorful impressions from it. Therefore, I offer an exciting sightseeing tour of Salzburg, starting directly from the central station, where we meet at the entrance to the SPAR grocery store in the main hall.
There are several tour options for one-day-visitors:
1. A 2-2,5 hour classic walking tour of Salzburg. The program is light and informative—everything you need for your first acquaintance with Salzburg.
2. If you are interested in a more detailed exploration of Salzburg, the city tour can be combined with visiting Mozart's birthplace and the Fortress Hohensalzburg. Duration 3.5 - 4 hours.
3. On a car & walking tour, I will first drive you around the historical sites in the new part of Salzburg. After that, there will be an opportunity to touch on everyday life in Salzburg. In addition to the Hellbrunn and Leopoldskron palaces, we will visit Hangar-7 with an aircraft exhibition of Flying Bulls after we park the car and in 1.5 hours exploring the old town on foot. The tour takes 3.5 - 4 hours.
4. The Tour of Salzburg + lake district of Salzkammergut. You will have to arrive early and take the whole day off for this program. A trip to Hallstatt can end at the nearest train station on the way to Vienna.
The cost of the tours depends on the program, duration and several participants. Therefore, please send me your request. I will answer you as soon as possible with a description and price proposal.
For excursions in Salzburg, I recommend using the services of licensed Salzburg Guides. The official Austria Guides wear a badge.
