There are several direct Vienna to Salzburg trains per hour – but they’re not fast enough to make for an easy day trip.
Vienna to Salzburg trains, summarised
- There are up to three direct Vienna to Salzburg trains per hour.
- Services are run by OBB and Westbahn.
- The quickest Vienna to Salzburg trains take 2h25m.
- One way tickets cost between €19 and €55.
- It’s better to stay overnight in Salzburg than attempt a day trip.
To book your Vienna to Salzburg train tickets, head here.
For further information, read on.
Is there a direct Vienna to Salzburg train?
The Vienna to Salzburg train takes you from the grand Austrian capital to one of the most enjoyable smaller cities in Europe.
Several direct trains per day run on the Vienna to Salzburg route, but some are better choices than others.
Five great things to do in Salzburg
- 🎶 Bring out your inner Maria – on a Sound of Music locations tour.
- 🥧 Take an apple strudel cooking class – with lunch included.
- 🏛️ See the highlights of the Old Town – on a guided walking tour.
- ⛏️ Go underground in a salt mine – and see the Bavarian Alps too.
- 🏰 Head up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress – for a best of Mozart concert.
Vienna to Salzburg train times
According to rail booking site Omio, there are up to three Vienna to Salzburg trains every hour. Some are run by Westbahn, others by OBB.
This makes getting between the two Austrian cities fairly easy. However, are the trains fast enough to make Salzburg a viable day trip destination from Vienna?
I would suggest that a day trip to Salzburg from Vienna is possible but not desirable. The quickest direct trains from Vienna to Salzburg take two hours and 25 minutes. If going for a day trip, you’re going to have to get up early and come back late.
Given that the first Vienna to Salzburg train of the day leaves at 04.55, this is possible. I’d strongly argue that you’re better off spending a couple of nights in Salzburg, however.
Five great things to do while you’re in Vienna
- Take a guided bike tour through the Old City and along the Danube.
- Enjoy a classical music concert at St Peter’s Church.
- Taste gruner veltliners and much more on a wine tour through the Weinviertel region.
- See the World Heritage-listed sights of the Wachau Valley on a super-scenic day trip.
- Explore Vienna’s food scene in café’s and markets with an expert guide.
Vienna to Salzburg train prices
If you decide to take the Vienna to Salzburg train, ticket prices are reasonable. Looking two weeks in advance, and booking online, I found one way tickets costing from €19.
However, depending on which service you choose, that ticket price can go up to €55. There’s a strangely large range of prices between the cheapest and most expensive on other services.
The more flexibility you can have on timing, therefore, the better deal you’re likely to get.
More Austria travel
Other Austria travel stories on Planet Whitley include:
- Visiting Salzburg’s Sound of Music locations.
- Why the Sound of Music gazebo is at Hellbrunn Palace.
- Can you walk from Salzburg Airport to the city?
- The incredible stories inside Vienna’s Museum of Art Fakes.
- Leopoldstadt neighbourhood guide.
