trains from austria to switzerland

Check schedules and fares at the Swiss Rail site:

http://rail.ch

The fastest connection is 7.5 hours and requires two connections (Zurich and Bern), to get you to Interlaken.

For a day trip between Munich and Salzburg your cheapest option would be a Bayern-Ticket (20 E for one person or 28 E for 2-5 people). You are limited to regional trains and you must depart after 09:00 on weekdays (anytime on weekends). The ticket will cover your ride in both directions and it is good all day. Buy your Bayern-Ticket at a ticket machine. No advance purchase necessary.

If you want to get an early start (before 09:00 on a weekday), then you can get discount fares by booking well in advance (up to 92 days allowed) on the German Rail site, www.bahn.de. Click on the drop-down flag menu for English. The Sparpreis savings fare for a single (one-way) ticket for Munich-Salzburg on a fast ICE train is 19 E for the first person and 10 E for each additional person. That ticket will be for a specific departure date and time.

Thanks so much, I did look in my steve ricks "best of europe " and saw how to get to Mussen, Sw. I will check out what you said. Thanks again.

There is also something called a Freizeit-Ticket (free time ticket) which allow one person to go between Munich and Salzburg, RT, in a single day (any day except Friday), for €30. Travel can commence as early as you want after midnight and has to be completed by 3 AM the following day. You must travel in 2nd class on express trains (IC or EC). Prepurchase is not required, nor are you committed to a specific train. Tickets are available on line or from automats. It's €5 more with personally assisted sales.

Unlike the Sparpreis tickets, which can include a leg via regional trains (vor- und nachlauf)to get to/from the express train from you destinations, this ticket only applies to IC/ECs between Munich and Salzburg.

Lee,

It looks like Friday is excluded as a travel day with the Freizeit-Ticket. Am I right?

Yes, Friday is excluded. I thought I said that; I intended to. She didn't specify a day.

But that is important to know. Obviously, for persons, a Freizeit ticket, Munich to Salzburg, would be €30 compared to €38 for two €19 Sparpreis tickets. And you would have to buy the Sparpreis tickets in advance and be committed to specific trains. Of course the best price for a single would be a €20 Bayern-Ticket-Single, but then you couldn't use express trains or travel before 9 AM.

For two people, two Freizeit tickets would be slightly more, €60, vs €58 for two €29 Sparpreis tickets, but with the Freizeit ticket you would not have to purchase in advance or commit to a specific train. If you could leave after 9 and spend a little more time on regional trains, of course, the Bayern-Ticket for €28 is still a better deal.

Lee,

Yes, you did say that; but I didn't read your post closely enough the first time so I missed it. Sorry!

I will look into what you have all said! I appreciate the help!