Posting another question for an upcoming trip. We'll be traveling from Salzburg to Prague via train in a couple of weeks. I realize it's not the greatest route, but it's what we're stuck with. Any advice on whether we can wait to buy our train tickets once we're over there? I usually like to do this but the lack of available train times on this route is making me nervous. Also, the Austrian train system seems to be much cheaper than Eurorail and about the same total travel time, does anyone have any advice on one over the other? Thanks!!
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19099 posts
"the Austrian train system seems to be much cheaper than Eurorail and about the same total travel time" First, Eurail does not sell point-point tickets. You must mean RailEuope. RailEurope does not run any trains, they only resell tickets from the European Rail systems (through French Rail) and at a markup. They are the same trains, same times. The German Rail website is showing one route (about 7 hours), RailJet from Salzburg to Munich, ICE to Nuernberg, and the express intercity Bahn bus to Prague. With sufficient advance purchase, you can book this on the Bahn website starting at €29 pP for a non-refundable ticket. Austrian Rail (www.oebb.at) is showing a 6½ hr connection from Salzburg to Linz to Prague. But the Bahn does not sell discount tickets for this route, but advance purchase tickets are available online from Austrian Rail starting at €39 pP, also non-refundable. All the discount tickets above require at least a 3 day advance purchase so buying them at the station in Salzburg doesn't make sense. A couple of hours slower, but less expensive would be to purchase a Bayern-Boehmen ticket (€34 for up to 5 people) from a Bahn automat in Salzburg and take regional trains to Pilsen (via Landshut and Schwandorf). When you get to the Czech Republic, purchase tickets from Pilsen to Prague from the conductor for €6 pP (in Koruna). That's €23 per person for two and advance purchase is not required.
Posted by
Bellevue, WA, USA
811 posts
if you spend at least an overnight in slazburg then you can buy ticket to prague when you arrive just so you don't have to come back to the train station for ticket. no need to buy online. the ride is pretty good - no need to panic.