I'd love any suggestions about trains in Austria. Specifically, I'm wondering whether it's less expensive to purchase tickets online in advance and/or whether passes are the best deal.
Our itinerary: Vienna - Salzburg - Melk - Bratislava - Vienna.
I'd love all ideas and tips!
Buy advance tickets on-line, as long as the first leg is not direct from the airport, where you cannot count on your plane being on time or some glitch with luggage or immigration has a very long line. In that case, take a local train into Vienna and take the Westbahn train to Salzburg that has hourly service and low everyday prices. You don't even have to buy a ticket, just pay the conductor when he/she comes by.
A pass? No way.
I think our train transportation from Vienna airport was about 10euro purchased when we arrived. I used Westbahn from Vienna to Salzburg and purchased on the train. You could price out Salzburg to Melk and Melk to Bratislava for tomorrow vs. a couple months in advance to estimate the price difference for advance purchase. They are about 2 -2 1/2 train rides. (You will probably have to change trains in Vienna to get to Bratislava) Price out Bratislava to Vienna but that is about an hour, and I'm not sure how much you'd really save.
I wouldn't buy a pass, and again do your checking, but not sure for those short distances if you save much. Use the OBB website. It is fairly easy to use.
Vienna to Salzburg - you have two options 1) OeBB trains which can be purchased in advance from oebb.at for 19 Euro or 2) Westbahn trains which you purchase on the train from the conductor.
Salzburg to Melk - again, there are a couple of options, but are you planning to spend the night? I truly suggest visiting this area as a day trip from Vienna. If you insist on doing it this way, then you again have two options - 1) take an OeBB train which will require one change and buy the ticket in advance from oebb.at to save money or 2) if you want to be more flexible but still economical, then take the Westbahn train to St.Pölten and then switch in St.Pölten to a regional train to Melk. The Westbahn ticket can be purchased aboard the train and the regional ticket can be purchased at the train station in St.Pölten as there are no savings on regional trains.
Melk to Bratislava - As with Melk, I really don't understand the itinerary as Bratislava is really a day trip from Vienna. Again, there are two ways - 1) buy the entire journey in advance online for specific trains at oebb.at, note you'll have to make at least two changes or 2) buy a regional ticket at the Melk train station to St.Pölten, then take the Westbahn train from St.Pölten to Vienna Hauptbahnhof. Once at Hauptbahnhof, buy another regional ticket to Bratislava.
Bratislava to Vienna - I suggest the bus, actually, for this route as the bus station is in the center of town and the train stations are not. You can buy the bus ticket online. If you insist on the train, then buy the regional ticket on your day of travel.
A pass makes absolutely no sense, unless you are talking about the Einfach-Raus ticket, which is a regional group ticket offered by OeBB.
We arrived home from Austria last evening. Here are my suggestions. Begin in either Salzburg or Vienna and don't backtrack to the other. As already mentioned, visit Melk and Bratislava as day trips from Vienna. We bought the Kombiticket (train, abbey entrance, and boat) from OEBB for convenience. One can save a few euro by purchasing those separately. See the RS guidebook for specifics. We bought Westbahn tix online before arrival and saved using a "Summer" fare they advertised. Have a great trip.
