The way to the trains at Salzburg Hbf

Frankfurt to Salzburg by train

How to take the rail journey from Frankfurt (Main) to Salzburg

This journey guide focusing on taking the direct trains as there is no need to make a connection when travelling by train from Frankfurt (Main) to Salzburg.
However, if their timings don't suit, it's possible to set off in any hour during the day and make a comparatively straightforward transfer in Munchen hbf.

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Routes

From Frankfurt Main Hbf to Salzburg Hbf

Travel Information

Final Destination: Klagenfurt or Graz;

All trains also call at: Munchen and Prien am Chiemsee

4 x trains per day

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date

When making an online booking, check that you’re looking at booking info for the direct trains; though it can be cheaper to book this journey if you're happy to change trains.

On the DB Bahn booking site look for journeys that have:

  • 0 in the Chg. column
  • EC in the Products column

Use the earlier/later buttons to search for the cheapest ticket prices.

Trains departing at different times can 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 also be particularly worthwhile comparing prices on the national ticket agents for this journey - when the cheapest tickets have sold out on the DB (German railways website), they can still be available on the OBB (Austrian railways wesite) and vice versa.

Seat reservations:

Reservations are highly recommended for this journey - If you book a First Class ticket on DB your seat(s) will be assigned, but OBB will charge a reservation fee for First class tickets.
You will have to pay to add a reservation when booking second class tickets, no matter which ticket agent you use.

Reservations are optional, but recommended if you will be travelling with a 1st or 2nd class rail pass.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
DB from €27.90

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.

A key feature of DB website worth keeping mind is that it offers 1st class ticket purchasers complimentary seat reservations on journeys both within and to/from Germany.
Seat reservations for daytime in both 1st and 2nd class can also be booked separately from tickets.

Two types of ticket have recently been made available;

  1. Cheaper 'Young' tickets which can only be booked by those aged 15-26 on the travel date.
  2. Flexi Plus tickets, which are now the most expensive type of ticket, but they're the only type of 2nd class tickets which DO include a seat reservation.
OBB from €28

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.

On this journey

Good to Know

The train will reverse direction on departure from Stuttgart Hbf and Munchen Hbf.

This is a pleasant rather than stunningly beautiful journey, the most scenic part of the train ride comes between Stuttgart and Ulm.

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