Updated March 19th, 2019

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Are you looking for an Austria itinerary? Do you hope to include the must-see cities of Salzburg and Vienna as well as some smaller towns in-between? This Austria itinerary by train includes the country’s most well-known cities and some lesser known gems. It’s perfect for anyone who is hoping to start and end their time in Vienna. 

Even though we would have loved more time at each location and of course wanted to visit more places, my mom and I were both very happy with this Austria itinerary for the 11 days, including flying days, that we had in in the country.

 

General Train Information

Tickets

For all our transportation between cities we used trains, the express railjets and the regional trains. To buy train tickets ahead of time use oebb Austrian rail site. All the different types of transportation, including buses, are used on this site and can be bought together. It conveniently shows all of your options.  

You can buy your tickets from machines at the train station, but it is typically cheaper to buy ahead of time and get the ‘sparschiene’ discounted rate.

There is a small extra charge for reserved seating on railjet trains. We never did this and there was only one time we wished we did, from Innsbruck to Vienna. If you do not have a reserved seat you need to make sure you do not sit in a reserved seat. Above the seats and just below the overhead luggage racks you can see an electronic strip with the seat number. The cities written next to it tell when the seat is reserved. If nothing is there is means the seat is not reserved.

Stations

Rail platforms are easy to find within every station. Almost everyone we met spoke English well and was more than willing to help with directions whether at a train station or on a city bus.

Remember that Bahnhof means train station and Hauptbahnhof means the main train station in the city. Also note that Wien is Vienna.

On-board

There is one or two larger luggage racks in each car as well as the overhead luggage space. As long as you can drag it onboard, you can bring it.

On both regional and railjet trains there are toilets. Railjet trains have a dining car with a fairly good selection of decent meals and snacks.

Within the train electronic screens show the upcoming stops. On the railjets they give precise information with the times in English and German.

Day 1: Flying Day into Vienna & Train to Gmunden

Vienna International Airport is probably the easiest to fly into and out of. Right at the airport is the train station, which provides easy connections to anywhere else you want to go in Austria. You could spend time in Vienna at the end or beginning of your trip. We decided to stay in Vienna at the end because it worked better for obtaining ballet tickets.

Day 2: Exploring Gmunden & Train to Salzburg

The first stop on our Austrian itinerary was Gmunden, a small town between Vienna and Salzburg within the Salzkammergut region on Lake Traunsee.

Transport

From Vienna International Airport to Gmunden Bahnhof it is about a 3 hour trip on two trains. We took a railjet train to Attnang-Puchheim Bahnhof and then a regional train to Gmunden Bahnhof, but there are other options available as well. There are buses within the city, but there would be nothing available at our evening arrival so we pre-booked a taxi with our hotel. They booked us with Taxi Prehm, which was very reliable. If you plan on taking a taxi back to the train station make sure to pre-book. We left it until the last minute and there wasn’t enough time to get a taxi. The kind owners of the hotel gave us a ride instead….but I wouldn’t count on that!

The lake and the main part of town is walking distance (~10 – 20min) from Hotel Magerl.

Hotel

Hotel Magerl: Ackerweg 18, 4810 Gmunden, Austria

I loved the feel of this hotel with old world charm alongside modern convenience.

Activities 

Kayaking and Walking around Lake Truansee

Take a Steamboat on Lake Traunsee

Exploring the Town

Grunberg Cable Car to Grunberg Mountain for hiking, biking, paragliding and more

Gmunder Keramik for a tour of the ceramic factory

Food

Within the main part of town along the lake there are several options. We were not disappointed with our Italian meal at Vienna Cafe DP Gastro GmbH: Sparkassegasse 1, 4810 Gmunden, Austria.

Days 3 – 6: Salzburg

Transport

From Gmunden we took a regional train back to Attnang-Puchheim Bahnhof and switched to a railjet to Salzburg. We arrived in Salzburg at the main train station (Hauptbahnhof). The city buses stop directly outside of the train station. From our pre-booked tickets I knew which platform to stand and wait.

We bought the Salzburg card which included free transportation. Other than the initial bus ride, the rest of our time in Salzburg that we needed transportation was within the two day pass time frame. With the pass you do not need to do anything, simply board the bus.

Hotel

Alstadt Hotel Hofwirt: Schallmooser Hauptstraße 1, Schallmoos, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

Convenient location to the New Town and about a 15 minute walk to the old town. A modern and clean hotel with friendly staff and large selection of breakfast items.

Activities

I recommend buying the Salzburg City Card that gives you free transportation and entrance to all of the activities below except the Sound of Music Tours.

Sound of Music Tour – I suggest Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tours if you want an active tour. If not there The Original Sound of Music Tour is another great option for a bus tour.

Museums: Christmas Museum, Mozart’s Birthplace, Mozart’s Residence, Panorama Museum, Salzburg Open Air Museum

Hohensalzburg Fortress – one of the largest medieval castles in Europe

Salzburg City Cruises

Guided Tours of the Festival Halls

Dom Quartier Salzburg

Untersberg Mountain – enjoy a beautiful hike in the snow after taking the cable car

Hellbrunn Palace, Trick Fountains, Folk Art Museum & Salzburg Zoo 

Food

Gasthof Alter Fuchs: Linzer G. 47-49, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Located on the other side of the river from the old town, this cozy place with classic dishes on the menu had a traditional Austrian feel.

Pretzel Stand in Kapitelplatz: The square with a man standing on top of a big gold sphere. During our Sound of Music tour our guide recommended this pretzel place to everyone and announced that it had the best pretzels in Salzburg. Sometimes I am skeptical of tour guide recommendations mid-tour, thinking that they are only trying to promote a specific business. Our guide was right about this one! With almost ten different varieties of pretzels as big as your head, you are sure to find a flavor you will enjoy.

Die Wiesse: Rupertgasse 10, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. We didn’t know if our hunger could hold on long enough to reach this locally recommended biergarten and were about to give up when we heard music. By following the sound of a tuba we made it to this biergarten that was full of Austrians in their traditional dirndls and lederhosen. As it was a national holiday we were treated to a festive and authentic display of music, dancing, and eating. Even if you don’t luck out with the festive atmosphere we experienced, the outdoor garden and food are still worth a visit. Another great recommendation from our tour guide that is a little off the beaten path.

Hochalm am Untersberg: Located on top of Untersberg Mountain, this traditional looking restaurant offers classic fare at reasonable prices and close up views of the surrounding alps.

Café Latini: Judengasse 17, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. This café is good if you want something a little quicker within the old town close to all the sights. I particularly recommend the ice cream and a nice outdoor table for prime people watching.

Days 7 – 8: Seefeld & Mittenwald

Transport

To get to Seefeld from Salzburg we took a railjet train to Innsbruck, which I would recommend spending some time in if your schedule allows. There is so much to see and do in Innsbruck. Then we took a regional train to Seefeld. Within Seefeld we walked everywhere. Either google maps seemed a little strange or I wasn’t following the map correctly, because it was a tad difficult finding our hotel initially, but easy every time after that. 

To get to Mittenwald from Seefeld I recommend taking a train. It is about a 22 minute journey. Tickets can be bought ahead of time or at the machine in Seefeld. The cost is so low, about 5 euros, that unless you are positive of your departure times you might as well buy them at the station. Like any train journey, make sure to plan ahead with times. On the way back from Mittenwald there were no machines selling our particular journey back to Seefeld so we bought tickets on the train.

Hotel

Landhaus Klausnerhof Hotel: Alte Leutascher Straße 57, 6100 Seefeld in Tirol, Austria

A well kept alpine hotel with a friendly and helpful manager. The hotel is close to restaurants in town, the train station and Lake Wildsee.

Activities 

Seefeld: Visiting Lake Wildsee

Seefeld: Hiking – Many trails in the area.

Mittenwald: Leutaschklamm Gorge Hike 

Mittenwald: Take a stroll around the town to see the beautifully painted buildings and maybe visit the violin museum.

Food

Restaurant Seefelder Stube: Innsbrucker Str. 23, 6100 Seefeld in Tirol, Austria. Our pizza and pasta dishes here arrived exactly as we ordered them and full of rich flavors.

Mittenwald: Several restaurants, cafés and bakeries along the main street around the square.

Day 8 – 11: Vienna

Transport

From Seefeld we took a regional train back to Innsbruck and then the high-speed railjet to Vienna, the last stop on our Austria Itinerary. The whole journey takes about 5.5 hours. It is the longest train journey of this itinerary and the one I would recommend booking reserved seats for. Perhaps it was our particular time we traveled, but the train was incredibly booked and it was initially hard to find single seats open, much less two seats together.

We had tickets for a tram that stopped a couple of minutes away from our hotel. Within Vienna we mostly walked. To take the metro you need to buy a ticket from a machine before boarding. Make sure you validate the ticket, by sticking it inside a little box, before going down the escalators to the metro train.

Hotel

Suite Hotel 900 m zur Oper: Wiedner Hauptstraße 44, 04. Wieden, 1040 Vienna, Austria

The hotel is an pleasant 10 minutes or so walk from the Opera house and other central attractions. The tram stops only a couple of minutes from the front door.

Activities

Sisi Museum: Learn about the intriguing life of Empress Sisi.

Albertina Museum: An art museum known for its print rooms.

Vienna Museum: Overview of the history of Vienna with some special exhibitions.

Schönbrunn Palace: More on the life of the Imperial family and fun gardens to explore.

Free Walking Tour: Good to do your first morning in the city as it gives an overview of Vienna.

Austrian National Library: Where you can visit the impressive great hall.

Spanish Riding School: Along with seeing a show you can buy tickets for the morning practice or for a guided tour.

Vienna Opera House: For a night on the town this is a classic and elegant choice. Guided tours are also available some days.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral: Visit the gorgeous interior or pay to walk up the tower for a view of the city.

Food

Bierhof: Haarhof 3, 1010 Wien, Austria

We weren’t quite ready for lunch when we stumbled upon this restaurant, but it was too good to pass up. It was almost hidden within a little courtyard. I had a chicken salad here. It sounds really basic, but the spices in it made me scarf down my salad at the rate of which I would usually eat a piece of chocolate cake.

Restaurant in the center with green boards: Intersection of Ballgasse & Blumenstockgasse  

Another slightly more secluded area with several cafés. Although we typically ate outdoors only for lunch when it was warm enough, we wanted to experience the area outdoors for dinner as well. We were given blankets as we enjoyed our top notch salmon and schnitzel dishes.

Ristorante San Carlo: Mahlerstraße 3, 1010 Wien, Austria

This ristorante near the Opera House has a slightly more elegant feel so when we came in drenched from the rain we wondered if they would even let us get a table. When the waiter led us to a table and then turned around we were left standing awkwardly in the middle of the room starting to get concerned that we wouldn’t get a table for real. It was our last meal in Austria so we were starting to get the hang of the Austrian restaurant world so we kept calm and waited until we finally got a drafty table near the door to the rainy weather outside. Soon enough we were served our food and my luscious pasta dish made me quickly forget about the temperature.

Salud Restaurant and Bar: Johannesgasse 23, 1010 Wien, Austria

Don’t go here if you want attentive service, but do go here for some good tex-mex food.

Viennese café culture: Most importantly don’t leave Vienna without having cake. So many cafés to choose from!

I hope this suggested Austria Itinerary by train will help you prepare your travels throughout the country! 

Not quite what you are looking for? Don’t worry, I can help! Through my Personal Travel Planning service I can plan the perfect Austria itinerary to meet your travel needs…or any other place you dream of visiting! 

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