Austria by Train: ÖBB Routes, Night Trains & Alpine Rail

ÖBB's Railjet is the flagship intercity service — comfortable, punctual, and offering free Wi-Fi:

• - Vienna → Salzburg: 2h30, trains every hour
• - Vienna → Innsbruck: 4h (direct Railjet)
• - Vienna → Graz: 2h40
• - Vienna → Linz: 1h15
• - Salzburg → Innsbruck: 1h50
• - Salzburg → Munich: 1h30 (cross-border Railjet)
• - Vienna → Budapest: 2h40
• - Vienna → Prague: 4h

All Railjet trains have business, first, and economy classes. Eurail/Interrail covers them without mandatory reservation (optional reservation €3).

ÖBB's Nightjet is the most important night train network in Europe and is growing every year. From Vienna alone:

• - Vienna → Brussels (new 2024) — 13h, couchette or private sleeper
• - Vienna → Rome (via Venice) — 13h
• - Vienna → Barcelona (via Zurich) — 17h
• - Vienna → Amsterdam — 14h
• - Vienna → Hamburg — 12h

From other Austrian cities: Hamburg–Zurich (via Munich), Munich–Rome, Amsterdam–Vienna.

Nightjet couchettes (6-berth) cost around €30–60 on top of your pass reservation. Private sleepers (2-berth with breakfast) run €80–150. Book well ahead in summer — they sell out.

• 🏔 Arlberg Railway (Innsbruck → Bregenz, 2h30) — Crosses the Arlberg Pass through dramatic mountain scenery. One of the most spectacular rail routes in Austria.

• 🏔 Semmering Railway (Vienna → Graz section, 1h) — The world's first mountain railway, built 1848, UNESCO World Heritage. The section over the Semmering Pass is breathtaking.

• 🏔 Schafbergbahn (St. Wolfgang, 35 min) — A cog railway to the summit above the Salzkammergut lakes. Day trip from Salzburg.

• 🏔 Mariazellerbahn (St. Pölten → Mariazell, 2h30) — A narrow-gauge railway through Lower Austria's alpine foothills. Leisurely and scenic.

Vienna — Imperial architecture, world-class museums (Kunsthistorisches, Belvedere), the Opera, and an extraordinary coffee house culture. 3 nights minimum; the city rewards slow exploration.

Salzburg — Mozart's birthplace in a baroque setting below the Hohensalzburg fortress. Compact and beautiful. 2 nights; the Sound of Music filming locations are a genuine pilgrimage.

Innsbruck — Alpine city with an Imperial old town. The Nordkette cable car rises from the city centre to 2,256m in 20 minutes. 1–2 nights, excellent ski resort access in winter.

Graz — Austria's most underrated city: a Renaissance old town, outstanding contemporary architecture (the Kunsthaus), and a great food market. 1–2 nights.

Vienna is Central Europe's rail hub: If you're combining Austria with Hungary, Czech Republic, or Slovakia, Vienna is the natural transfer point — trains in all directions.

ÖBB Vorteilscard: A discount card (€99/year) that halves all ÖBB ticket prices. Only worth it for long-term travellers or residents.

Climate advantage: Austria is a year-round rail destination — the mountains are just as spectacular in snow as in summer, and Vienna is wonderful in winter.