How to take the rail journey from Hamburg to Vienna / Wien

Typically three ICE trains per day depart Hamburg for Wien / Vienna, but the optimum service to target is the train that usually departs from Hamburg Hbf at around 08:00am.
Because this train takes the more direct route via Kassel and Wurzburg, so its journey time is around an hour faster than the other two services which travel through Berlin.
Though the second of those two alternative services departs Hamburg four hours later, shortly after midday, so if it's departure time suits, it will be the logical option.

Final Destination: Wien Hbf

This train also calls at: Linz and St Polten

This train is named the 'Donauwaltzer'

Departing from Hamburg:

Before arriving in Hamburg Hbf, the train will have departed from Hamburg-Altona at around 07:45, and will have also called in Hamburg-Dammtor at around 07:55.

Arriving in Wien/Vienna:

Check the location of your final destination in Wien/Vienna.

If you're heading to the south west corner of the city, or the area on the ring road around the Opera House - then it's likely that you'll have a faster and more convenient journey if you leave the train at Wien-Meidling station.

Wien Meidling is connected to line U6 of the Vienna Metro, which serves the western side of the city centre.

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 and Super Sparpreis
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis Aktion 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.
• Flexpreis Aktion tickets can't be refunded either - but their higher cost is due to...

...the other key difference is that both types of Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date - in contrast, both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking,

Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for both types of 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, Flexpreis Aktion and Flexpreis Plus tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in the Berlin and Munich city centres and the stations where the trains depart and arrive.

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.
They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets and both 1st and 2nd class Flexpreis Plus tickets.
Specific seats can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.

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.
Although if you do book your reservations later and your journey involves more than one train, you will then have to pay for separate reservations per train.
When a journey involves two or more trains on which seat reservations are available, the fees when first booking, cover all trains.
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 Aktion tickets and both 1st and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets.
Though despite seats being automatically assigned when booking these three types of ticket - and these tickets being valid on any departure, you will need to pay to re-book the reservations, if you subsequently decide to travel on an alternative train.
So because you won't save by booking these types of tickets in advance, it can be a good idea to wait until you are sure when you will want to travel.

When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis Ation 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.

1st Class tickets

No matter what type of ticket booked, if you choose to travel 1st class, you will have access to the same seating areas on the train, ICE trains do not have Business or Executive lounges.
Though only those who have booked 1st class Flexpreis or Flexpreis Aktion tickets can access the DB Lounges at the major stations.

Booking on the DB website

You can find this more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.

Or to see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default.

The alternative daytime journeys:

In addition to this daily direct ICE train, there are also three other options for reaching Wien in a day by train from Hamburg '- and all of those involve making a connection between ICE trains at Wurzburg.

If the discounted tickets for this direct train have sold out, then those journeys (that have 1 in the chg. column on DB Bahn) can be cheaper.
Though the journeys with connections in Wurzburg will be at least an hour slower between April 1st and December 9th.

This train is usually scheduled to depart from Hamburg Hbf at 20:29 and arrive in Wien Hbf at 09:19.

It commences its journey at Hamburg-Altona station at 20:11; and then calls in Hamburg-Dammtor at 20:21.

Final Destination: Wien Hbf

This train also calls at: Linz/Donau, St Polten and Wien-Meidling.

Arriving in Wien /Vienna

Check the location of your final destination in Wien/Vienna.

If you're heading to the south west corner of the city, or the area on the ring road around the Opera House - then it's likely that you'll have a faster and more convenient journey if you leave the train at Wien-Meidling station.

Wien Meidling is connected to line U6 of the Vienna Metro, which serves the western side of the city centre.

This train is usually scheduled to depart from Hamburg Hbf at 20:29, so target that time when looking up this journey

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open:
6 months ahead of the travel date on OBB
3 months ahead of the travel date on DB Bahn

Our guide to booking night train tickets on the OBB (Austrian national railways) website is available HERE.

Our guide to booking night train tickets on the DB (German national railways) website is available HERE.

The choice of accommodation - summary:

• Compartment Seats (Sitzwagen)
• Couchettes (Liegewagen); 4 berths AND 6 berths
• Standard sleeping cars (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
• Deluxe sleeping cars (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins

Click the yellow train button above for more info including the rail pass reservation fees:

The first price you will see on the OBB ticketing site will be for the compartment seats.

Travelling with a rail pass:

Rail pass users must reserve before boarding this train.

However, these rail pass reservations can NO longer be booked online the DB website, but you can now book rail pass reservations without paying booking fees on the OBB website (OBB operates these trains).
Though the process for doing so isn't particularly obvious, hence this step-by-step guide.

Or you can avoid the booking fees by arranging the reservations when you arrive in Germany, by purchasing them at a Reisezentrum travel desk, which you will find in any hauptbahnhof.

Though it's best to do this at the first hauptbahnhof (city centre station) that you will arrive at, the later you leave booking your accommodation, the more likely it is that your preferences will be sold out.