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Frankfurt to Innsbruck by train
From the commencement of the new pan-European timetable on December 10th 2023, a new direct ICE train service will be available on the Frankfurt (Main) to Innsbruck route.
It will provide an alternative to taking the early morning direct Railjet train.
Or if the timings or prices of those direct trains don't suit, the optimum indirect journey by train from Frankfurt (Main) to Innsbruck, involves making a straightforward connection in München Hbf.
Routes you can take to go from Frankfurt (Main) / Francfort sur le Main to Innsbruck
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Route Information
Option 1 - Taking the direct Railjet train
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
7hr 17min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 x train per day
Purchase Tickets
OBB Guide
OBB is the national rail operator and its booking service offers journeys by express trains within Austria, as well as international journeys which don't involve making a connection outside of Austria.
It pays off to book online, as the discounted 'Sparscheine' tickets are only ever made available on the website, and when making international journeys to and from Austria, these Sparscheine tickets tend to be cheaper.
OBB can offer particularly good value for money when travelling with children on international rail journeys, but something to watch out for when travelling between Austria and Germany on daytime trains, is that reservations are an optional extra; but if you book 1st class tickets with the Germany railways website DB, the reservations are complimentary.
OBB often takes a unique approach to its booking path, but a key thing to keep in mind is that the first price you will see for any journey is that of a Second Class seat.
The costs of upgrading to first class, a reservation, or a sleeping cabin etc, is then added to this price.
Travel Information
Final destination: Wien Flughafen
This train is typically scheduled to depart from Frankfurt (Main) at 05:54 and arrive in Innsbruck at 13:11.
This train also calls at: amongst other locations
- Darmstadt Hbf (departs 06:13)
- Heidelberg Hbf (departs 06:52)
- Feldkirch (arrives 11:12)
- Langen am Arlberg (arrives 11:54) it does not call at St Anton
- Landeck-Zams (arrives 12:25)
And after Innsbruck it also calls at: - Jenbach (arrives 13:29)
- Worgl (arrives 13:43); connect in Worgl for Kirchberg, Kitzbuhel, St Johann and Zell am See.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
The two plus points of taking this train are a lack of a need for connections and the scenic route taken, but if travelling to Innsbruck as quickly as possible is of greater importance to you, the much faster alternative is to travel via Munchen Hbf and make a connection between trains at that station.
Making the connection there also avoids the need to depart so early in the morning.
For example; it's usually possible to leave Frankfurt (Main) on the ICE train which usually departs at 09:54 to Munchen and with a 28 min connection into an EC train, typically scheduled to depart from Munchen hbf at 13:34.
So it's possible to be in Innsbruck at 15:18 with an end-to-end journey time of under 5hr 30min.
Between Friedrichshafen and Bregenz, the Bodensee will be on the right.
You'll be able to see the stunning passage through the Alberg Pass between Feldkirch and St Anton.
(The video was filmed from a Railjet train taking this route).
Then comes another highlight, which is the descent into the town of Landeck, which is best appreciated over on the left.
The train will reverse direction on departure from Stuttgart and Friedrichshafen.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date - but this period of time is shorter when looking up journeys in August to October.
A choice of tickets
Four types of tickets are available:
Two types of discounted tickets, which will be cheaper the further ahead you book - Sparpreis Europa and Super Sparpreis Europa
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis Europa and Flexpreis Plus Europa.
A key difference between these types of tickets is refunds:
- Super Sparpreis tickets are cheapest, but they can't be refunded at all.
- Sparpreis tickets can be refunded for a fee, but the refund will be in the form of travel vouchers to be used for alternative / future journeys.
- Flexpreis Europa and Flexpreis Plus Europa tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.
The other key difference is that both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking, but both types of Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date.
Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for Flexpreis Europa tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis Europa ticket and want to travel by a different departure you can refund it and then use the travel voucher towards the cost of the new booking.
Super Sparpreis Europa tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.
The Sparpreis, Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in Frankfurt city centre and Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.
Seat reservations
Seat reservations are optional on these trains - take note if you will be using a rail pass.
They cost €4.90 when travelling in 2nd Class and €5.90 when travelling in 1st class.
Specific seats can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.
They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets and both 1st and 2nd class Flexpreis Plus tickets.
When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets, you have the option of purchasing seat reservations later.
It can be worth re-looking up a journey a week or two ahead of travel, because the DB website will indicate how busy a departure will be.
Booking on the DB website
You can find this direct train more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.
To see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default.
Route Information
Option 2: taking the direct ICE train
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
5h 29min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 x train per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Other Ticket Providers
DB Guide
DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.
It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.
On journeys within Germany and on most international journeys from and to Germany on trains operated by DB:
- For journeys by the express trains, EC. IC and ICE trains an adult (on German railways an adult is a person aged 15 and over) can take up to four children aged 6 - 14 with them at no additional charge.
- Tickets need to be booked for children aged 0 - 5, but there is no charge for them.
- Those aged 65 and over can take journeys at a discounted rate.
- Dogs, which are too large to be placed in pet carriers, require tickets which cost 50% of the adult rate.
When booking both types of the discounted 'Sparpreis' tickets seat reservations are an optional extra, so need to be added when booking if you want an assigned seat(s).
OBB Guide
OBB is the national rail operator and its booking service offers journeys by express trains within Austria, as well as international journeys which don't involve making a connection outside of Austria.
It pays off to book online, as the discounted 'Sparscheine' tickets are only ever made available on the website, and when making international journeys to and from Austria, these Sparscheine tickets tend to be cheaper.
OBB can offer particularly good value for money when travelling with children on international rail journeys, but something to watch out for when travelling between Austria and Germany on daytime trains, is that reservations are an optional extra; but if you book 1st class tickets with the Germany railways website DB, the reservations are complimentary.
OBB often takes a unique approach to its booking path, but a key thing to keep in mind is that the first price you will see for any journey is that of a Second Class seat.
The costs of upgrading to first class, a reservation, or a sleeping cabin etc, is then added to this price.
Save A Train Guide
Travel Information
Final destination: Innsbruck
This train is typically scheduled to depart from Frankfurt (Main) at around 15:50 and arrive in Innsbruck at around 23:15.~
Within the 90 mins prior to departure, trains will arrive into Frankfurt (Main) from Amsterdam, Hamburg, Hannover and Koln / Cologne.
This train also calls at: amongst other locations
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
The train will reverse direction on departure from Stuttgart Hbf and Munchen Hbf.
The train service is named the 'Wilder Kaiser'.
The train will use the high speed line between Mannheim and Stuttgart and the new line to the north of Ulm, so around 45mins of the journey will be at over 250 km/h.
Tickets
This train is usually scheduled to depart daily from Frankfurt (Main) hbf at around 17:45 so target this departure time when looking up tickets.
It can be worth comparing prices on the different ticket agents, the cheapest 'Europa Spezial' tickets can still be available on DB, the German railways website, when the most heavily discounted 'Sparschiene' tickets are sold out on OBB, the Austrian railways website.
And the reverse can be true, cheaper Sparschiene tickets can still be available on OBB, meaning that DB can be more expensive.
It can be worth comparing prices on the different ticket agents, the cheapest 'Europa Spezial' tickets can still be available on DB, the German railways website, when the most heavily discounted 'Sparschiene' tickets are sold out on OBB, the Austrian railways website.
And the reverse can be true, cheaper Sparschiene tickets can still be available on OBB, meaning that DB can be more expensive.
Online bookings open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date
This booking period tends to be shorter when looking up journeys between mid August and mid October.
A choice of tickets on the DB website
Three types of tickets are always available: Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis and Flexpreis.
A key difference between these types of tickets is refunds:
- Super Sparpreis tickets are cheapest, but they can't be refunded at all.
- Sparpreis tickets can be refunded for a fee, but the refund will be in the form of travel vouchers to be used for alternative / future journeys.
- Flexpreis tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.
The other key difference is that both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking, but the Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date.
Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for Flexpreis tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis ticket and want to travel by a different departure you can refund it and then use the travel voucher towards the cost of the new booking.
Super Sparpreis tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.
When travelling to and from the major cities, the Sparpreis and Flexpreis tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf
Seat reservations
For ticket holders seat reservations are always optional on this route, but if you will be using a rail pass they are now mandatory when travelling between mid-June and mid-August - check the Train guide for the exact dates.
Regardless of whether you will be using tickets or rail passes they cost €4.90 when travelling in 2nd Class and €5.90 when travelling in 1st class.
Specific seats can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.
They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets.
When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets, you have the option of purchasing seat reservations later.
It can be worth re-looking up a journey a week or two ahead of travel, because the DB website will indicate how busy a departure will be.
Though in general reservations are highly recommended for this journey, particularly if you'll be travelling 2nd class; it's worth it to ensure that you have an assigned seat for the entire trip.
Booking on the DB website
You can find this train more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.
But if you can't see it (because the schedule is being disrupted' look again without this option,
Or to see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' defaul
Route Information
Via stations: München Hbf/Munich main station
Option 3: making a connection in Munich
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
5hr 25min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
6 x optimum connections per day.
Purchase Tickets
Travel Information
If the timings of the direct trains don't suit, the optimum alternative is to take a journey which involves making a 25 min connection in Munchen Hbf.
There are many options available for taking an indirect rail journey from Frankfurt (Main) to Innsbruck, but this usually available, easy combination of trains (ICE + EC), are those with an end-to-end journey time of 5hr 25mins.
München Hbf offers an easy transfer, which simply involves walking from one train to another by using the main concourse.
If you depart from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf before 17:50, you won't be relying on making the final connection of the day on to Innsbruck.
Also if a delayed arrival into München Hbf causes the booked connection to be missed, you can go to the Reisezentrum travel desk and have any tickets / reservations re-issued on the train on to Innsbruck.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and München Hbf/Munich main stationYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
This is a journey of seven distinct phases:
- Between Frankfurt (Main) and Aschaffenburg the railway passes through a string of commuter towns.
- Then east of Aschaffenburg, is the most scenic and slowest part of the trip as the railway follows a series of valleys.
- As the River Main comes into view on the right, the train will speed up before bridging the river and entering a tunnel which will link it to the high speed line.
- The train will spend around 10-15 mins on the high speed line as it nears Wurzburg, just before the station look out on the right for a brief panorama over the river and city.
- On to Nurnberg the train will be on conventional railway tracks.
- Between Nurnberg and Ingolstadt comes the fastest part of the trip when the train should spend around 30 minutes travelling at more than 270 km/h on the high speed line.
Train 2
Between München Hbf/Munich main station and Innsbruck HbfYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
These trains also call at: Kufstein; Worgl and Jenbach
Connect in Worgl for Hopfgarten, Kirchberg in Tirol, Kitzbühel and St. Johann in Tirol
The final connection of the day is into an ICE train,
From early April, Railjet trains will replace the EC trains.
Journey description:
This journey becomes more scenic once the trains depart from Kuftstein.
For much of the journey between there and the suburbs of Innsbruck, the railway is parallel to the River Inn, most of the views of the river can be seen from the right.
On the other side of the river at the foothills of the Central Austria Alps.
Tickets
It can be worth comparing prices on the different ticket agents, the cheapest 'Europa Spezial' tickets can still be available on DB, the German railways website, when the most heavily discounted 'Sparschiene' tickets are sold out on OBB, the Austrian railways website.
And the reverse can be true, cheaper Sparschiene tickets can still be available on OBB, meaning that DB can be more expensive.
Online bookings open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date
This booking period tends to be shorter when looking up journeys between mid August and mid October.
A choice of tickets on the DB website
Three types of tickets are always available: Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis and Flexpreis.
A key difference between these types of tickets is refunds:
- Super Sparpreis tickets are cheapest, but they can't be refunded at all.
- Sparpreis tickets can be refunded for a fee, but the refund will be in the form of travel vouchers to be used for alternative / future journeys.
- Flexpreis tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.
The other key difference is that both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking, but the Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date.
Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for Flexpreis tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis ticket and want to travel by a different departure you can refund it and then use the travel voucher towards the cost of the new booking.
Super Sparpreis tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.
When travelling to and from the major cities, the Sparpreis and Flexpreis tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.
Seat reservations
Seat reservations are optional on ICE trains and on the EC trains
They cost €4.90 when travelling in 2nd Class and €5.90 when travelling in 1st class - if you add them when making an initial booking the fee will cover both trains.
Specific seats on the ICE trains can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.
They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets.
When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets, you have the option of purchasing seat reservations later.
It can be worth re-looking up a journey a week or two ahead of travel, because the DB website will indicate how busy a departure will be.
Though in general reservations are highly recommended for this journey, particularly if you'll be travelling 2nd class; it's worth it to ensure that you have an assigned seat for the entire trip.
Booking on the DB website
To see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default.
Booking on the OBB website
The discounted tickets are the 'Sparscheine' tickets and they can be booked online up until the day of departure, but they CAN'T be booked at stations, so booking last minute at the station is always more expensive.
Though you'll usually need to book the 'Sparscheine' tickets at least a couple of days ahead to obtain them at the cheapest possible price.
Book a Sparschiene ticket and it will be specific to the departure you selected when making a booking and it can't be refunded at all if you subsequently change your travel plans and it also can't be exchanged to an alternative, later departure.
Trains departing at different times can also be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares
It can pay off to take a look at the guide to Austrian train tickets - it should help you save time and money and confusion.
Seat reservations are optional, but they're particularly recommended for this journey.
Rail pass users:
As explained on our guide to using rail passes on German trains, a tick in the box for travelling by ICE trains, is that you won't HAVE to make a seat reservation.
However, we recommend opting to make the reservation on this train, if you want to be sure of having a stress-free journey.
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