Discounts on train travel for Germany and Austria

Visit the Man in Seat 61, he can help you.

There is an Austrian discount card but it's a little tricky to get it. And there is a Bayern Ticket for Germany that may work.

He and Rick can also help you with city passes, which given the length of your stays you will need. The trams in Vienna are excellent, in Salzburg you walk.

Early purchases will probably be the most effective cost savings.

Seniors receive a nice discount in Germany, and the DBNavigator app is easy to use.
Have a great trip!

Thank you All, I found OBB Vorteilscard card for 66 Euros offering 50% discount on the OBB trains. Need to do more research on this as not sure if this applies to other trains companies. Early booking seems a better option as huge difference in the price.

Thanks everyone !

The OeBB Vorteilscard is not a viable option for such a small number of trips. Look for discount tickets, called Sparschiene. But beware, these tickets are bound to the selected train and not refundable. Seat reservations have to be bought extra (€3 per seat).

If all your Germany trains (including the one to Innsbruck) are in the same calendar month, then a “D” ticket is probably your best money saving option.

I almost got the Vorteilscard but it got complicated to apply so I dropped it.

Which worked out, since I ended up taking a Westbahn train from Vienna to Salzburg instead. Which is a way of saying, there are two train companies operating in Austria. Along with DB and SBB trains that enter and exit the country. It can get confusing. At some stations there are several ticket machines next to each other, each selling their own tickets.

Ticket selling machines will not give you the discounts when booking online in advance.