Time between Munich airport and train to Salzburg

I would pick the 2:27 pm or just wait til you get there

You don’t have to worry about which train to take, as the best way to get to Salzburg is to use the Bayern ticket. I’m not sure where you’re getting your train information from but there should be hourly trains from Munich to Salzburg. When you arrive just buy a Bayern ticket from a DB ticket machine and hop on the first S8 into Munich and change at the Ostbanhof for the train to Salzburg. There is no advantage to buying your tickets early.

DJ

The train that "departs Munich at 12:55" departs at that time from Munich Hbf. It gets to Ostbahnhof at 13:03 and depart Ost at 13:04. You want to take the S8 S-Bahn from the station at the airport. One leaves at 12:23 and gets to Ost at 12:55, giving you 9 minutes to get from track 1 to track 8 to catch the Meridian train to Salzburg by 13:04.

You say your flight arrives at 11:45, but you don't actually know when your flight will arrive. Even if it arrives on time, you probably can't get through passport control and customs, particularly with checked luggage to claim, and in to the S-Bahn station in 28 minutes. In that case, you might be better to take the S1 to the Hbf and catch the next Meridian train while it is sits at the station for more than a minute.

One word of warning: the departure board at the S-Bahn station will show the S1 as going to Ostbahnhof, and that IS its final destination. But it goes around the west side of Munich and joins the S-Bahn trunk line just before the Hbf, then goes beneath Munich on the trunk line before ending at Ost. The S8 will show a destination like Herrsching, which is its final destination, but it goes to the east side of town and enters the trunk line at Ostbahnhof (Ost is east, in German). If you want to catch the train at Ost, take the S8; it gets there sooner.

I don't know where you are getting your schedule information. Use the official Bahn webpage. The next train to Salzburg is the 13:55 Meridian (leaves Ost at 14:04), and it is a regional train for which you can use a Bayern-Ticket. The 14:27 train is an EC, which is a higher speed, long distance train, for which the Bayern-Ticket is not valid. The EC will cost more than the Bayern-Ticket unless you buy a train-specific, advance-purchase ticket. That ticket will only be valid on that 14:27 train. Miss it and the ticket is worthless.

It sounds like we should not buy in advance then.

Write your names on the back of the Bayern Ticket in ink. Prevents someone else using it after you get to Salzburg. Buy out of a vending machine to save the 2 EUR window service fee.

And you can take the first S8 going into Munich Ost that is available after you get your ticket. They go every 20 minutes. If you are early, the Ostbahnhof has restaurant/bars to relax until the hourly Meridian train to Salzburg is due, leaving time to walk to the platform. Better place to kill time than the airport.

It sounds like we should not buy in advance then.

I certainly would not purchase a "Saving Fare" ticket for the EC in advance, due to the possibility of the flight being too late to use it. It is only valid for the specific train (date and time) on the ticket. On the other hand, a Bayern-Ticket is valid for any regional train that day, so there would not be much risk.

It might be advantageous to already have a Bayern-Ticket in hand when you arrive so you won't have to spend time using (and figuring out) a ticket automat. In that case, get it from the Bahn website mentioned above. They will send you an email with the ticket home printable as a .pdf file. The cost from the Bahn is 32€ ($36.25) for two adults. Don't even try to get it from RailEurope. They don't sell the right ticket and the price is way high.

BTW, the Bayern-Ticket is valid for the train to Salzburg and any transport of the Munich metro (MVV), so the ticket includes the S-Bahn to Ostbahnhof or to the Hbf - your entire trip. You can start using it from the airport.

So, you can catch the Meridian regional train to Salzburg from either the Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) or from Ostbahnhof using the S1 or the S8, respectively. Each option has some pluses and some minuses.

S1/Hbf:
- It is a little longer walk from the underground S-Bahn station, under the street north of the Hbf, across the station to the Holzkirchen Bahnhof (tracks 5-10) attached to the south side of the Hbf. The train could leave from any of six platforms, so you will have to check which one.
+ You'll have escalators out of the S-Bahn station and a flat walk from there.
+ The train will sit for a while in the Holzkirchen Bahnhof before heading to Ost, so you will have plenty of time to board. If the train is crowded (I have never seen it crowded), you will have a better chance of getting a seat.

S8/Ost:
+ The walk from where the S8 arrives in Ost (track 1) to where the Meridian train boards (track 8) is a little shorter and more direct. Just go down into the tunnel from the platform and walk out the tunnel to the stairs to track 8.
- As I remember, there are only stairs to/from the tunnel.
- The scheduled stop for the Meridian train at Ost is 1 minute. You need to be at the edge of the platform, luggage in hand, ready to board when the train arrives. Actually, the conductor stands on the platform, watching, and will not release the train while people are boarding. If the train is full, you will have more problems finding an empty seat at Ost.

If you arrive on time but still miss the 12:23 S8 (very probable) and therefore the 13:04 Meridian, you will still have four good chances to make the 14:04 Meridian. There are two S1s, at 12:31 and 12:51, arriving at the Hbf at 13:17 and 13:37 resp. They will give you plenty of time to board the Meridian train by 13:55.

There are two S8s, at 12:44 and 13:04, arriving at Ost at 13:15 and 13:35, resp. They will give also give you plenty of time to catch the Meridian at 14:03.

Don't be tempted to take the 13:11 S1 from the airport. It arrives at the Hbf 2 minutes after the Meridian train leaves. Wait for the S8 and take your chances with the tight connection.

An S8 leaves the airport at 13:23, arriving at Ost at 13:55. The 9 minute connection at Ost is tight but make-able.

Okay, it's getting closer and I am researching all the options again. It looks like we will make the 13.23 S8 train. But if something goes amiss then we would have to take the 13:44 train and that one has an EC connection so I am hesitant to buy the Bayern ticket ahead of time. If we end up taking the EC will we be able to purchase the whole trip in Munich? Or will we have to purchase the EC transfer in Munchen Ost? I'm assuming it will be quicker to go up to the machines and not a window. My last choice is the 14:23 because it gets to Salzburg at 16:42. Thanks for all your help.

"My last choice is the 14:23 because it gets to Salzburg at 16:42."

With the Bayern ticket you can catch the 13:44 from MUC to München Ost. Once there, you don't have to use that connecting high-speed train - just wait around for the 15:04 M train to Salzburg (16:42.) You'll have a longer layover at München Ost, but that will make your change of trains pretty relaxed.

Yes, but that means that I will get to Salzburg with only 20 minutes to spare. We are meeting our guide at 5:00.

There should be lockers at Salzburg station for your bags.

https://www.salzburg.info/en/travel-info/infos/luggage-lockers_az_6689