Train Prague to Vienna

The fastest, most direct trains on this route are high-speed Railjet trains making the trip in about 4 hours. The best place to buy them is through the Austrian Rail website - www.oebb.at, which sells some advance-purchase, discounted tickets.

You would get tickets in Prague, no problem. However if you want them somewhat cheaper you got two options. One is mentioned by Rich. The other option is to buy them from Czech Railways http://www.cd.cz . Prices are comparable, in most cases (depending on time of departure) they are somewhat cheaper if you buy tickets from the Czech Railways (524 or 662 czk). From OBB 19 to 34 Euro.
The Railjet is a high speed train of the Austrian Federal Railways (OBB) and Czech Railways (CD) and operates at speeds of up to 230 km/h (143 mph). Austrian Railjet is red, Czech Railjet is blue. It does not matter if it is Austrian or Czech you can buy tickets for them on both websites. To get this discount on the Czech website tickets must be purchased ahead between 3 and 60 days.

Here are some tips from the Man in Seat 61. I would actually use the Czech railways site, but also check OeBB. You should only pay 19 Euro for this leg.

http://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Prague.htm#Prague-Vienna

As the others have posted, to get the best price, you should buy ahead online either through the Austrian or Czech railways site. Having used both in the past, I find the Austrian site a bit easier to use. The prices are comparable, but can vary, so it's best to check both. As Lija noted, tickets are 524 or 662 cz which converts approximately to 19 to 34 Euro. As of today (5 Nov.), the exchange rate is actually a bit cheaper (by about 36 & 46 cents) to buy them on the Austrian site. It appears the Czech site is only selling tickets up to 12 Dec, but the Austrian site is already selling tickets for 30 Dec.

Thank you all so much for your help-I told my husband you guys would come through, I love this forum!

If you want to mix things up a little and if you have an extra night, you might look into using Bean Shuttle or CK Shuttle from Prague to Cesky Krumlov for a night then the same to get you to Vienna late the next day. Great town and well worth the time.

We used CK shuttle last month. Excellent service and so much easier than driving or shlepping on the train.Not to mention they take you door-to-door.

http://www.ckshuttle.cz/bus-cesky-krumlov-transfer/

The shuttle sounds like a great idea especially given the option of spending a few hours seeing CK. How much more expensive is it than the train though?

CK shuttle link was provided by Carol
Bean is http://www.beanshuttle.com

And here's another one, Lobo Shuttle, run by the Pension Lobo in Cesky Krumlov (I had a fine stay there, and used their laundry, but did not use the shuttle). http://www.shuttlelobo.cz/1/en/transfer_Krumlov_Vienna_Salzburg_Hallstatt_Prague/

Hello! I saw this thread and hope someone can help me too. We will be traveling from Prague to Salzburg. I just looked at booking this on the Austrian railway site and the cost is 72 euros each. Does this sound right?? It's so much more than the 19 Euros some of you have mentioned from Prague to Vienna.

Also - this train requires us to change in Linz, with only 8 minutes between trains. This sees so tight - do the trains wait for us if the first train is delayed? Does it sound possible to get from one train to the next in just 8 minutes?

Thank you!

Hi Dorian,

Prices can vary on some high-speed trains depending on how far in advance you are buying tickets. 8 min. is usually enough time to switch trains, but luckily, there are 2 or 3 trains per hour from Linz to Salzburg, so you can always book a later train, giving you more wiggle room in Linz. You might also consider hiring one of the shuttle services listed here by others to get you from Prague to Salzburg or at least Linz, where you could catch a train to Salzburg.

Thanks, Rich! I am booking for December 23rd. Is the 72 Euros still a reasonable fair? I would have thought it would be cheaper this far in advance (since it's only 19 Euros to Vienna . . . ). Just wanted to be sure I wasn't doing something wrong.

Thanks for the suggestions about booking a different train from Linz to Salzburg - good idea. Also, we kind of wanted the experience of a train for our kids (late teens). Do you have any thoughts about the shuttle vs. the train in terms of experience/countryside seen, etc.?

You're welcome Dorian! Looking at several dates in late January and early February, it appears all the fares between Prague and Salzburg are consistantly 73 euros on the Austrian rail website. You might also try checking the Czech Rail website, appears to have some cheaper tickets - www.cd.cz. Currently, they are only showing schedules until Dec. 12. Doing a search on a random day in early December shows tickets for 662 czk (about 24 euros) on this same route. I personally prefer the train over buses and shuttles, but then again, I'm 6'4" so trains are more comfortable for me.

It is generally best practice to purchase train tickets from the rail service of the country where the journey originates. In your case, I would purchase from Czech Rail at https://www.cd.cz/eshop/. I am sure that in a few days you will be able to buy the Prague to Salzburg route. Even if you buy at the ticket counter at the station it won't be that much. You can always also buy your tickets to Linz and then take the Westbahn train to Salzburg. You buy Westbahn tickets on the train and they are cheap.

Thank you Rich and Emily! Emily - is there a worry that the Westbahn trains would be full (I'm a bit nervous about not having them in advance)? Also since you're in Vienna, maybe you can help me with another question. We will be in Salzburg on Christmas eve and Christmas, staying about 5 miles outside of town. Do you think we will be able to get buses or cabs on those days? (sorry to throw an extra issue in this thread!) :)

Dorian - train travel in this area is not like air travel. It is impossible for trains to be full. No one is counting passengers or taking tickets before you board. If there are no seats, you stand. I have taken Westbahn and OeBB trains numerous times and always found a seat. That said, if you are still nervous, then just go to the Westbahn website and buy your ticket online and reserve a seat.

As for Salzburg, I don't live there, so can't comment on your question. Sorry.

Would it make sense to also take a shuttle from Vienna to Budapest? Or is the train the better option. I know James E will have suggestions! Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to respond.

I would take a train. It's cheaper and you will have no problems with migrants because from Vienna to Budapest you will go against their flow.

I travelled by bus - had no problems.