Salzburg to Venice (altitude issue!)

The Man in Seat 61 may be able to answer some of your questions. I have enjoyed the scenery on the Innsbruck route several times. The only time I was on the Villach route, it was too dark to notice. I hope Seat 61 provides some useful information for you.

The train that goes through Brenner Pass is called the Brenner Railway. I don't think the route via Villach has any particular name.

You can buy tickets for either route using the Australian railways website - oebb.at

We have taken a train on the route via Villach from Vienna to Venice. The section along the Wörthersee lake was pretty scenic but the rest was unremarkable.

If for health reasons you have to skip the Brenner pass, don't feel like you're missing out on too much. It's a well known name but not a particularly good looking alpine pass.

If your Villach routing takes you through the tunnel from Bockstein to Malnitz, then that's a pretty train ride, prettier in my opinion than the Brenner pass even though not as high.

@AussieNomad meant that OEBB is the Austrian railways website, not the Australian railways website.

There are a couple of United States railroads (short line, preserved ones) which are so high they can cause altitude problems, but that is a new one on me for main line railways in Europe.

The railway from Salzburg to Villach is the Tauern Railway. From Villach to Venice you are on the Pontebbana...

But I think that with "Railway Line names" something else was meant. To the OP: It is not so that eahch line has its operator. In Europe every country has a national railway operator, and the best place to book tickets is to book it with the national operator of the country where you start. So in this case indeed the Austrian Railways: www.oebb.at
And the route via Villach is the fastest route, so that is one of the routes that will be proposed to you.

The Pontebbana is one of those Railways that the Italians have modernised in the last couple of decades. Meaning that a lot of it is underground. For some reason the Italian railways manages to build main line railways underground at a cheaper price per km than anyone else.

Thank you everyone for sharing your information. I really appreciate it. This is a first for us visiting these areas.

Does anyone know the website URL to purchase tickets for the Salzburg to Villach / Villach route from Bockstein to Mainitz? Thank you Hank. This sounds like a great option. I think it’s max altitude is 3000 feet.

We have traveled to some high altitudes, such as Cuzco, Peru at over 10,000 ft. Also, we visited Ecuador, Quito was also a high altitude. We had or physician prescribe altitude sickness pills for us. The pills were effective.

5000 ft is about a mile high, have you been to Denver, that is about the same altitude?

Salzburg to Villach you purchase through the OEBB link in aussienomads post above.
It's the right URL, he or she being Australian just accidentally called it Australian. It's easily done.

I wasn’t going to go into too much about my issues but I have Meniere’s Disease and asthma. I tend to stay at sea level or 500 feet altitude most of the time. I have not been to high altitudes because of my health issues. An attack for either of these medical conditions is what I am trying to avoid. I am communicating with my doctors currently to see what I can do to prevent any attacks but taking the lowest route possible will help. I also don’t want to deprive us of a scenic opportunity!

Thank you for the link (and reminder that the link was posted) :-)

Thank you Melissa for sharing that personal info. I know people who have Meuniere's and others with asthma, and was unaware of potential altitude issues.

The lines are as mentioned the Brenner line (Brennerbahn/Ferrovia del Brennero) from Italy to Innsbruck and Pontebbana from Italy to Villach. They don't have any websites, but you can look at RFI or ÖBB infra's websites.

The highest point on the Brenner line is 1371 m, the Pontebbana is much lower with a maximum altitude a bit above 800 m. But the Villach to Salzburg part is the Tauernbahn that climbs a bit higher, up to 1226 m. So yes, the route via Villach is lower, but the difference is only 145 m.

Best way to buy tickets is via ÖBB as mentioned, www.oebb.at

Just as a POI, regarding the altitudes of these train options, consider the average cabin altitude of your plane when flying to Europe. It will most likely be around 8,000 ft. If you have flown on any medium to long distance flights in the past without medical issues, then your train ride should not pose a problem.

The interior of an airplane is pressurized. Train interiors are not pressurized except maybe some of the high speed trains and that research is still iffy about being safe for those with medical issues.

Ah I thought I saw that the Villach to Venice reached a max of 914 meters. Thank you for the URL.

Does anyone know the website URL to purchase tickets for the Salzburg
to Villach / Villach route from Bockstein to Mainitz? Thank you Hank.
This sounds like a great option. I think it’s max altitude is 3000
feet.

Already asked and answered, but you're welcome Melissa! If you choose the routing through Malnitz don't be worried about missing anything you would see on Brenner. The Malnitz route is more beautiful anyway :)

Yes, airlines are pressurised. But, the pressure inside the cabin is not same as the pressure at sea level. It varies a bit depending on plane, but cabin pressure is usually the same as you find at 2000-2500 m altitude.

My guess (frankly it is a guess) is that air pressure differences on trains are more equal on air conditioned trains without opening windows and doors without droplights in them, as opposed to non AC trains with opening windows and doors with droplights in them.

That is what logic would suggest anyway.

I’m loving this group here! What a great conversation. Thank you everyone. You have not only given me great options but relieved my fear & anxiety of traveling this route!

The interior of an airplane is pressurized. Train interiors are not pressurized except maybe some of the high speed trains

I don't think you understand what aircraft cabin pressurization is. The aircraft will fly at an altitude of 30-35,000 feet. But the cabin is pressurized to a level equal to around 8,000 feet (give or take 1,000 or so), not sea level. High speed trains may or may not have some degree of pressurization, but likely only enough to manage air circulation and AC. Trains are not dealing with maintaining adequate oxygen concentrations within their cars, because they don't need to. If you can safely fly in a commercial aircraft to Europe, then you should not have a medical issue with either of those routes into Italy.

A plane will climb to 25k ft or higher, with the result that the cabin pressure will be 6000-8000 ft equivalent, much faster than a train will climb. The newer generation of planes, will be closer to the 6000ft pressure.

In a typical commercial passenger flight, the cabin altitude is programmed to rise gradually from the altitude of the airport of origin to a regulatory maximum of 8,000 ft (2,438 m)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabin_pressurization

If the plane ride causes no problems, the train ride should not be an issue

I’m loving this group here! What a great conversation. Thank you
everyone. You have not only given me great options but relieved my
fear & anxiety of traveling this route!

This is fantastic to hear Melissa. Please feel free to lean on us with any other questions. Fear and anxiety are often about the unknowns - we are more than happy to give you more known :)

I had zero clue. I cannot wrap my head around the fact that an airplane has an internal cabin that is pressurized to anywhere from 5000-8000 feet??!! So if I am fine while flying on an airplane, which so far so good, even when flying long distances, and I can get up and walk around (not running a marathon but not reaching for my rescue inhaler either), I would be ok on either of these train routes?? So there isn’t more airflow or something on an airplane at those pressures?Mind blown. My world is rocked.

I'm glad you understand the concept better now. Hopefully that has alleviated your anxiety over taking the trains.

I've travelled through the Brenner Pass many times and although I am affected by altitude in some locations, I've never had any issues on that route. I always find it quite a pleasant and scenic trip.

I always like to choose a departure with minimal changes and shortest travel time. For example, using an arbitrary date there's a departure from Salzburg Hbf at 08:12, arriving Venezia Santa Lucia at 15:05 (time 6H:53M, one change at Villach Hbf). The change is 1H:09M but you could always go to a nearby restaurant and have a quick lunch.

@ken: Where did you find that schedule? The 8:12 ex Salzburg connects in Villach with the 10:49 to Venice, in a very comfortable and efficient 5 minutes. Not an unacceptable 1h9...

OEBB shows it with the 1 hour 9 minute connection, from IC 898 departing Salzburg at 8:12, arriving Villach at 10:44. Connecting to RailJet 131 which departs at 11:53.

Apparently OEBB does not view 5 minutes as enough time to make that connection.

@Wengen,

I found that connection on the Bahn.de website, and used an arbitrary date of 19 June. I re-checked it tonight and got the same result. Of course it's always best to research routes using the actual travel date.

OBB does deem 5 minutes sufficient to change trains in Villach. They are a good, efficient, railway.
But it appears that on some days in June the RJ to Venice runs to a different schedule, which leads to a longer layover, for which the OBB planner apologises...

But look at tomorrow for example, and you get the efficient 5 minutes connection.

And this does show that indeed you should check your actual travel date. And if you are asking help with train travel issues also mention the actual date...

I have a good friend, a physician, who has Meniere's disease and lives (and has for decades) at 6000 feet in Colorado.