I will be traveling in Austria and Italy in September. Is it unwise to wait until I get to the Vienna airport to buy the train tickets I will need for the month?
Also...can anyone help me understand what a sparschiene ticket is? If I want to secure that price should I buy my ticket now?
Thank you for your help!
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5377 posts
It would help to know your exact itinerary.
Buying at a train station the ground will be much more expensive than buying online n advance. Sparschiene tickets are tickets bought online, in advance for a specific train. Only a limited number are available at the lowest price and, once those sell out, the tickets in the next price category are offered. Always use oebb.at.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
It is a gamble to purchase discount train tickets to connect directly from a flight, as if the flight is delayed and you miss the train you will need to buy a new ticket at full fare.
If you're staying in Vienna for the first night, book your discount tickets asap.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thank you...I agree....I would not buy my first tickets knowing that flights are not always predictable.
Does anyone know if there is a processing fee for the tickets? Would it be best to buy them all together? Also...will the tickets arrive at my home before my trip? Thanks so much for all of your help!
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
362 posts
No booking fee, print your tickets at home when you purchase them. OEBB also sends an email. You can buy one at a time.
http://www.oebb.at/en/angebote-ermaessigungen/sparschiene-oesterreich
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5377 posts
Again, what is your itinerary?
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Hi Emily....
We fly to Vienna on Sept 1 and will catch a train to Melk
On September 6 we train from Melk to Zell Am See
On September 10 we train from Zell Am See to Villabassa
On September 19 we train from Trieste, Italy to Villach, Austria
On September 20 we train from Villach to Lake Bled, Slovenia
On September 26 we train from Ljubljana to Venice , Italy
(In between there..Sept 12-18 we are on a bike trip)
Thanks for any suggestions!
Posted by
Washington DC
27092 posts
Do not rush to buy the ticket between Ljubljana and Venice. The train takes 8+ hours. Buses and shuttles are considerably faster. There may also be an option of taking a shuttle to Trieste and picking up an Italian train there.
There are some folks here who will be able to supply details. If they don't respond to this thread within a couple of days, make a new post with a title like "Transportation Ljubljana to Venice". You may also be able to find earlier posts on that topic in the Slovenia forum.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Yes...I was going to do some research to see if it would be better to go from Ljubljana to Villach to Venice? Or from Ljubljana to Trieste to Venice?
Posted by
Green Bay
20067 posts
You just said "we", before, you said "I". How many traveling together? Makes a difference re train prices. Might have so Einfach Raus tickets you could use.
Looks like Vienna airport to Melk is a 27,40 EUR per person anytime fare, so just buy it when you land.
Melk to Zell am See with advance purchase Sparschiene ticket, 38 EUR for 2.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
There are two of us....I am bringing my husband with me!!!!
Posted by
Green Bay
20067 posts
Looks like the quickest way from Zell am See to Villabassa is local train to Mittersill, then the 950X bus to Lienz, then local train to Villabassa. OEBB only gives price for the Lienz-Villabassa leg of 11.20 EUR pp. All train journey is about 1 1/2 hours longer at 51.20 EUR pp.
Edit Train from Zell am See to Mittersill is 5.70 EUR pp, The Postbus 950X won't give a price, but probably in the 10 to 15 EUR range pp.