Best options for inter-city travel - Zurich, Salzburg, Vienna, Prague

Posted by Greg (Florida) on 10/19/08 07:24 AM

We have these legs in our trip for late spring 2009. Zurich-Salzburg, Salzburg-Vienna, Vienna-Prague, Prague-Zurich.
We're trying to find the best and most economical ways to do this. I understand that best and most economical may or may not be mutually exclusive.
We're flying into Zurich and going straight to Salzburg, spending 3 days there. We're then going on to Vienna and spending 3 days there. Then 3 days in Prague, and back to Zurich for the plane ride home.

Would greatly appreciate any suggestions and tips on the inter-city travel.

Thanks,
Greg

Posted by Frank

Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA

10/19/08 07:32 AM

23546 posts

Is it too late to consider an open jaws ticket and come home from Prague? Without looking at each specific trip, we almost always use the train just because it is so much more convenient and relaxing than air travel. If a train ride is greater than about six hours, then will consider air.

Posted by Greg OP

Florida

10/19/08 07:52 AM

186 posts

The problem is that we've already got our plane tickets. Yes, open jaw would have probably been the best idea. We didn't realize when we started planning the trip that our total time on the ground wasn't going to allow us to see all the places we had originally wanted to see.

We ended up taking the advice we'd read many times on the board about cutting some cities out of our itinerary to make our visits to the others longer and more enjoyable, rather than spending our whole time running through train stations and airports.

Posted by Linda

Dundee, Scotland

11/02/08 01:17 PM

95 posts

Suggest buying point to point rail tickets through www.bahn.de 60 to 90 days in advance. You can email them with your requirements too. Very prompt helpful service.

Posted by Ken

Vernon, Canada

11/02/08 01:51 PM

32318 posts

Greg,

If I were taking this trip, I'd travel via rail on the routes Zurich-Salzburg, Salzburg-Vienna and Vienna-Prague. The longest trip is only about four hours or so. However, on the Prague-Zurich trip, budget air would be a better option unless you have lots of time (the rail trip is about 11 hours!). I believe GermanWings flies that route, and some of the fares I saw (which were listed in Czk$) were only about €125 for a one way trip.

I never bother pre-buying rail tickets (except of course for Rail passes). It's very easy to buy P-P tickets when you arrive, at the first large station you encounter. I prefer that method as conditions can change on the rail networks between the time you buy the tickets and the time you'll be travelling (I experienced an example of that this spring on a trip from Salzburg to Hallstatt - some of the rail lines were "under repair").

In your circumstances, this is the method I'd use:

After going through Passport control in Zurich, buy a one-way ticket from Zurich Flughafen to Salzburg. Depending on your time of arrival and which train you choose, there will be at least one change at Zurich Hbf. The trip to Salzburg will be about six hours. You'll be tired after the flight, so that's not a time to worry about tickets and other details. After you arrive in Salzburg and get settled and more importantly well rested, take a quick trip to the OBB office at Salzburg Hbf a few days before your outgoing journey, and buy tickets for the two remaining rail journeys.

For the air trips, pre-buying is the best option as most budget airlines operate on a "sliding scale". As the seats sell, the price increases. I've never flown with that airline, but hopefully someone else here can provide some user comment. Packing LIGHT would probably be prudent!

Good luck and happy travels!