Looking down on the passage way beneath the platforms/tracks/gleis

Salzburg Hbf (Salzburg)

Our guide to using Salzburg's main train station, also explains how to make the transfer between the station and both the city centre and the airport.

It took six years of construction work, but Salzburg Hbf has been transformed into a train station that not only has the wow factor, it's also comparatively easy to use.

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At a Glance

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The main passage way from the concourse on Südtiroler Platz The main passage way from the concourse on Südtiroler Platz
A general view of a platform/track/gleis A general view of a platform/track/gleis
The main entrance on Südtiroler Platz The main entrance on Südtiroler Platz
One of the train formation indicators on the platforms One of the train formation indicators on the platforms

The wonderfully modernised main station in Salzburg is a showpiece of how to preserve a station's beautiful exterior while transforming for the better, the experience of the traveller's which use it.
Which is especially convenient as the station is a key hub on the European rail network, hence it being busy in the middle of the night when multiple night trains are split and reformed so that they can head off in different directions.
Sazlburg Hbf is where the main east-west route across Austria; Bregenz - Innsbruck - Salzburg - Wien, meets the north-south route of Munchen - Salzburg - Villach and on to Slovenia and Croatia.
Salzburg is among the closest cities to Munchen/Munchen, so one of Europe's most frequent international rail routes connects them.

Though Salzburg Hbf is located on the opposite side of the city centre to where the majority of the city's tourist attractions can be found, but the station and the old town area are linked by frequent trolleybuses.

Booking online for journeys from Salzburg

SVV is the transport authority which manages the sale of public transport tickets in the länder / state of Salzburg, which includes Bad Gastein, Radstadt and Zell-am-See.
A key thing worth knowing when booking tickets between Salzburg and other locations within the länder, is that SVV seemingly doesn't release second class tickets for sale until around a month ahead of the travel date.

The tickets are sold on the OBB, national rail, website...

Booking tickets within a state on OBB

...but notice that the abbreviation of the transport authority is included on the ticket details.

However, because OBB takes responsibility for selling first class tickets, it's possible to look up journeys more than a month ahead when travelling between Salzburg and locations within the länder / state.
Though if you do so:

  • for departures and connections by the express train services, EC, IC, RJ, or RJX, you will only find first class tickets;
  • for departures and connections by the local (S-Bahn) and regional (REX) train services, you will see 'tickets are not available', because these trains don't include first class.
    It doesn't mean that second class tickets for the express trains and all of the tickets to travel by the REX trains have sold out, instead it's because the tickets haven't yet been released for sale.
    So if you want to book second class tickets in advance for journeys wholly within Salzburg or Vorarlberg, you will need to look up the journeys no more than a month ahead.

Also the terms for how these SVV tickets are sold and how they can be used, differ from the discounted Sparschiene tickets that OBB makes available for the longer-distance journeys.
The key differences are:

  • The tickets aren't discounted, so you won't save by booking online in advance.
  • The tickets can be cancelled and therefore refunded up to before the travel date.
  • 'Single Trip' tickets are cheaper, but you need to travel by the specific departures you select when making a booking.
  • 'Standard Tickets' allow you to travel by any departure on your travel date.
  • 'Day Tickets' give the freedom to travel in second class on multiple train journeys within the region on your travel date, so they can also be used for return journeys; they tend to be twice the price of 'Single Trip' tickets, but give the freedom to be not tied to taking specific trains!

Departing by train:

The main entrance to Salzburg Hbf is on Südtiroler Platz by the trolleybus station; Salzburg doesn’t have a metro/U-Bahn, so the trolleybus is the main public transport network in Salzburg.

From the main entrance hall in Salzburg Hbf, a wide passage way leads under the bahnsteigen (platforms/tracks) which gives access to the trains.
The trains depart from an upper level, but there are easy to navigate stairs, escalators and lifts up to each platform/track/bahnsteig.

Finding Your Train at Salzburg central station:

You can use the electronic indicators to find out which bahnsteige your train will be departing from.
If it isn’t yet listed yet on the electronic screens, use the yellow 'Abfahrt; departure sheets.

Though don’t head to the platforms/bahnsteig too soon.
You’re better off waiting for a train in one of the cafés on the lower Südtiroler Platz level - or in the 1st class lounge if you have a 1st class ticket/rail pass.

Another electronic indicator on the platform will give details of the next train to depart.

Boarding Your Train:

The platforms/bahnsteig are zoned and on each of them is an electronic display - showing which carriage/coach of each train will be located in each zone when the train is at the platform.
So if you have a reservation or will be travelling 1st class, you can use it to work out where to wait on the platform/track/bahnsteig for easy boarding.

If you don't have a reservation, it can be a good idea to work which zone your train will be using, which is furthest from the entrance.
Do this and you'll have less competition when choosing your pick of the available seats.

To the city centre:

The old town, tourist heart of Salzburg is some distance from Salzburg Hbf, it is a 15 - 25min walk away.
The pedestrian route is to turn left from the main exit on Sudtirioler Platz and to keep walking ahead, following the road under the railway and then walking down a street named RainerstraBe.
Turn right at the end of RainerstraBe on to MakartPlatz and then turn left, ahead will be a bridge over the River Salzach which leads into the old town.

The public transport option is to take trolleybus lines 3, 5 and 6 from the trolleybus station on Südtiroler Platz, right outside the main exit at Salzburg Hbf.
Then  leave the bus at the 'Rathaus' or 'Mozartsteg' stops, which are closest to the tourist heart of the city - check which stop will suit you best before boarding the bus.
Buy tickets from the machines at the trolleybus stop.

Transfer between Salzburg Hbf and Salzburg Airport

Salzburg is probably the only city in the world where the only public transport connection between it's airport and city centre is provided by a trolleybus.
Route 2 links the station/bahnhof and flughafen/airport.

When heading to the airport from the station, this line 2 trolleybus stops outside the main exit from Salzburg Hbf on the Südtiroler Platz.
Take the buses heading to 'Walserfeld' - tickets can be purchased from the machines at the bus stop.

At the airport take buses heading to 'Obergnigl'.
The buses run every 15 mins and the journey between the airport (flughafen) and main station (hauptbahnhof) will take around 20 mins.

Convenient Hotels/Hostels

As Salzburg’s Central station (Salzburg Hbf) is located to the north of the historic heart of the city, the room rates in the comparatively small number of quality hotels in the immediate vicinity of the station tend to be competitively priced.

This list of quality hotels (user ratings above 80%) that are adjacent to Salzburg Central station is comprehensive, though there are also some B&Bs in the area.
There are no 5* hotels in the vicinity.

Hotels within 10 min walk of Salzburg Hbf/Central Station

Luxury:
Wyndham Grand Salzburg

Der Salzburger Hof

Mid Range:
Ramada Salzburg City Centre

Park Hotel Bunnauer

Achat Plaza Zum Hirschen Salzburg

Hotel IMLAUER & Bräu Salzburg

Hohenstauffen Hotel

Budget:
A&0 Hotel/Hostel

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This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.

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This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.