Paris to Vienna and Salzburg

Salzburg is much closer to Munich than to Vienna; Salzburg is so close to Germany that some German rail passes include Salzburg. I think you'd do better to fly from Paris to Munich and get a train there. Rail-travel time will be about 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours. By comparison, the train trip from Vienna to Salzburg takes about 2-1/2 hours. There are frequent departures to Salzburg from the Munich Hauptbahnhof. I can't help you with the easiest way of getting from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof, but it's possible there's good bus service from the Munich airport straight to Salzburg. I bet someone else will see this thread soon and fill in the gaps.

I'd also recommend flying to Munich. The Sbahn leaves the airport evey 10 minutes for the Hauptbahnhof and takes about 45 minutes. No need to buy the train ticket to Salzburg in advance. Buy on the Deutche Bahn app or website once you land, or buy at the station.

Thank you both. Looks like the flight availability to Munich is better than Vienna, too.

An even better option in my opinion is to simply take the train from Paris to Salzburg. Flying to Munich won't really save you any time compared to the train and the train is much easier and more comfortable.

IN ORDER of PREFERENCE

1 Fly to Vienna early in the day and spend the day and night in Vienna and take the 2.5 hour train later train the next day. Even if for only one night Vienna is worth the stay. When will you have the opportunity to do this again. You can buy the train ticket in advance this way which might save 20 euro on the cost.

for me if a night in Vienna is first, then a night in Munich is a distant second.

2 Fly to Munich early in the day and spend the day and night in Munich and take the 1.75 hour train later train the next day. Even if for only one night Munich is worth the stay. When will you have the opportunity to do this again. You can buy the train ticket in advance this way which might save 10 euro on the cost.

3 Fly to Munich and transfer to the train station. By the time you are done with everything hotel to hotel the trip will take you 8 hours I suspect. I would only do this if I was unwilling to pay for the one stop Lufthansa flight that changes in Frankfurt and goes Paris to Salzburg in 3:75 hours.

The one nice thing about flying into Vienna is that you can take the train from inside the airport right to Salzburg, without having to change trains.

I chose to fly into to Vienna for my trip to Salzburg because it was easier, even though slightly longer, than flying into Munich. Plus, I have read about numerous train delays and strikes with the German trains over the last few years. For me, that is a negative.

An even better option in my opinion is to simply take the train from Paris to Salzburg. Flying to Munich won't really save you any time compared to the train and the train is much easier and more comfortable.

I'm with Badger. In fact, taking these trains have been on my list for quite a while now...

Thank you all for the information. I had looked into the train from Paris to Salzburg sometime last year, but at the time the trip seemed long and complicated--like 8+ hours and 4 changes between the two cities. Now that I'm looking at actual flight times, plus time at the airport, and transfer to trains, I can see that the time difference isn't that great. I do prefer the train myself, so maybe it's time to revisit that possibility. Any advice on which train site to visit since this trip will cross a number of countries? And is this the type of trip to book in advance just like I would a flight? Except for a Eurostar train between London and Paris twenty years ago, and getting ourselves from Milan to Varenna a couple times before our RS Best of Italy tour 8 years ago, I have zero experience with trains on the continent.

EDIT--I tried the Deutche Bahn website suggested by CJean and found trains with just one or two transfers. However, when the journey details are revealed, every TGV train starts from the Gare de l'Est and requires a reservation BUT it also says a reservation cannot be made because there are works going on and the train times will change. This is for June 14, so wait until closer to the date? Surely trains will be running....or not?

Start here, although it wrongly leans towards railpasses:

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains

Europeans think nothing of passing through multiple countries with a ticket from just one of the rail companies. Many posters on this board swear by DB Deutsche Bahn for everything, but I prefer to use the country I'm starting the trip from. The bar coded ticket can usually be printed at home. More modern customers download an app and get an E-ticket. If you have any faster trains, seat reservations are either required or (in June) advisable. Learn to use the rail agency website and to find notes like footnotes to a symbol that means "Seat Reservations Compulsory". Advance purchase can be vastly cheaper, but often no-change, no-refund, just like an air ticket. You might get the best advice here if you sketch out the entire trip, and the number of travelers. Also if a pop concert or family event is involved.

Your OP does not mention if you have the slightest interest in Vienna, a much richer destination than Salzburg. Both will be very crowded and busy in June. I personally would not go both places in one trip. Our fifth or so trip to Europe was two weeks, Innsbruck-Salzburg-Munich-Vienna. We had cheap tickets from Austrian Air, with two segments to get to Innsbruck, home from Vienna.

Every airline website will tell you their early check-in requirements. They can't tell you if the airport will be crowded, or if there will be a strike that day (Ironica typeface.)

Thank you all for the information. I had looked into the train from
Paris to Salzburg sometime last year, but at the time the trip seemed
long and complicated--like 8+ hours and 4 changes between the two
cities.

It can be done in a bit over 8 hours with one change. Although with two changes you can reduce the travel time a bit. There is also a direct overnight train that leaves Paris in the evening and arrives in Salzburg next morning.

Now that I'm looking at actual flight times, plus time at the airport,
and transfer to trains, I can see that the time difference isn't that
great.

Yes, this is a trip that will take time. Paris and Munich are two of the largest airports in Europe so navigating them can take some time. I don't know what your intinerary looks like but if you have the time, there are plenty of nice places along the route where you can spend a night. Personally I'd consider Ulm or Augsburg.

I do prefer the train myself, so maybe it's time to revisit that
possibility. Any advice on which train site to visit since this trip
will cross a number of countries? And is this the type of trip to book
in advance just like I would a flight?

As mentioned, www.bahn.de is the best place for this trip. And yes you should buy the tickets in advance.

This is for June 14, so wait until closer to the date? Surely trains
will be running....or not?

They will most likely be running, June is still far away and there is no reason to start worrying about train tickets yet.

On average, once a train breaks the 4 or 5 hour trip threshold a flight takes no longer door to door.

FLY
Taxi to Airport 40 minutes + Early Arrival 90 minutes + flight time 90 minutes + deplane get luggage 40 minutes + taxi to hotel 30 minutes = 290 minutes = 4.83 hours, lets call it 5 hours

EDIT ...........OOOPS, Thank you Badger, I left out the train to Salzburg. Big deal. So another 90 min for the train ride and 30 to get to the train station. So* 7 hours total I think is more than generous if the arrival time by plane and the train departure time line up well. If not, then maybe sitting on a train for 8 solid hours is the best way to go. I just did a couple of train trips longer than 8 hours and .... well I want to say never again, but I know I will be back on those trains later this year. But never my first choice. Much rather be moving around than sitting in the corner for 8 hours.

TRAIN
Taxi to train station 15 minutes + Early Arrival (yes, you can show up 5 minutes early, but who does that who also asks these questions) 30 minutes + train time 480 minutes + taxi to hotel 30 minutes = 555 minutes = 9.25 hours AND, I would check the prices on the French rail site if that is where the train originates https://www.sncf-connect.com. Second option would be OBB the Austrian company https://www.oebb.at

So, even if you do fudge the numbers and round up and down Flying is half the time; a 4 or 5 hour savings. But flying is more expensive cause taxis will cost you more and the plane ticket will cost you about 50 euro more. I am guessing if you travel light the plane will end up costing 100 euro more than a train, 200 euro more if you travel heavy.

How large is Munich airport? By passengers handled Munich is currently the 10th largest in Europe. It handles about half those handled by number 1 (Heathrow) but a tad more than half that are handled by Chucky D.

Assuming that you'll be able to take a taxi from the airport in Munich to your hotel in Salzburg in 30 minutes is a bit on the optimistic side.

And if you're adding 30 minutes from Salzburg Hbf to the hotel when taking the train, you need to add 30 minutes to get to the hotel when flying as well. 30 minutes is quite a lot and will get you pretty far out in suburbs, 15 minutes is probably more reasonable. But it should be the same. And if you are the kind of person that needs 30 minutes at Gare de l'Est, you should probably aim for 2 hours at Charles de Gaulle.

We can split hairs all day. The plane will be faster if there is a workable train connection. But not so much faster in this instance that it makes a train unreasonable if you just love trains or hate planes.

So let me clarify--we're going to Salzburg because that's where our My Way Alpine tour starts. I'm sure that Vienna, Munich, and innumerable other Europe cities are worth a day or more, but I'm not looking to add destinations to our trip at this point. I'm afraid I don't see why telling someone about the entire scope of the trip would affect what kind of advice I get on taking a train after a flight (rather than getting on another plane), nor how it matters how many of us are traveling, whether we're visiting family or seeing a pop concert. Was that some kind of obscure joke/reference that I'm not getting?

Many thanks to those of you who provided information on train websites, train stations (and how to get to them) whether I needed to book now, etc. I'm not looking for fast, I'm looking for simple, and if it can't be simple, I'm looking for clarity from those who have much more train experience than I do. So a few last questions on this particular subject--how far in advance would I need to book a TGV train out of Paris? Is this type of train that sells out? Is it a lot cheaper if you book a month ahead rather than a few days? Thank you again for your help.

EDIT--I see now that perhaps I can't rely on what the train website says for a date that far in advance, so that clears up some of the confusion. I will be checking on this again in March I guess. I would still like to know if these trains sell out, and if there's an advantage to booking months rather than weeks ahead. Thank you.

how far in advance would I need to book a TGV train out of Paris? Is this type of train that sells out? Is it a lot cheaper if you book a month ahead rather than a few days.

It's possible for the long haul, high speed trains to sell out, in theory, but unlikely. However you would likely prefer to have a seat reservation for a trip that long. The regional trains don't sell out because once full, people just stand. Booking your tickets a few months in advance can get you a discounted price on the fast trains (vs booking on the day of) providing you accept the restrictions of being limited to the specific train on the specified day.

I took a quick look at both SNCF and DBahn and saw that on SNCF there was only 1 train per day , but only as far as Munich. The D Bahn website showed more trains, and all could be booked through to Salzburg. But watch the connections anywhere from 2 to 4 depending on time of departure.

For long train trips with luggage, I always get 1st class tickets. There’s just more room for people and luggage. Yes, 2nd class is perfectly fine as everyone will say. But, I have found that I prefer the often less crowded train cars in 1st class.

I always buy my long-distance train tickets early. Months early if possible. I like to pick out a good seat near the luggage rack and bathrooms.

Enjoy the tour. I have my eye on that one for 2026.

P.S. Are you sure you don’t want to spend a week in Munich? Just kidding. :-) People really do mean well here. Sometimes, though, they can almost be a little too helpful. But it comes from good intentions.

We can split hairs all day.

It's not really about splitting hairs, but if you want to compare travel times, it should be done in a fair way.

EDIT--I see now that perhaps I can't rely on what the train website
says for a date that far in advance, so that clears up some of the
confusion. I will be checking on this again in March I guess. I would
still like to know if these trains sell out, and if there's an
advantage to booking months rather than weeks ahead. Thank you.

Yes, they can sell out. And yes you should book at least a month ahead as the tickets can get expensive close to departure.
And you should book the entire trip on one ticket, which can be done with DB. Unless you want to take the direct overnight train, in that case buy the tickets from ÖBB.

It's possible for the long haul, high speed trains to sell out, in
theory, but unlikely.

In France it is very much a real risk, less so in Germany.

I took a quick look at both SNCF and DBahn and saw that on SNCF there
was only 1 train per day , but only as far as Munich.

This trip should be bought from DB. As far as I know, SNCF can't sell tickets to Austria.

This route Paris to Vienna (in this case) is one that I will most probably will be taking this summer, also sometime in June or early July.

I plan on doing the Night Jet option, it's 15 hrs but this is the sort of ride and duration where you use a Eurail Global Senior Pass with each travel day averaging 35 Euro minus the 2nd class seat reservation.

Both dep and arr. times are quite acceptable and it's a direct connection, ie no changing of trains at 4 AM (which I have always managed to avoid by tailoring the night routes, etc.). Still, you see people do exactly that , boarding at 3 or 4 AM.

I considered the Night Jet, but since I often have difficulty sleeping away from home, trying to do so on a train seemed like a way to arrive tired and grumpy. I will check back on June train times sometime in March, and reweigh the options of train all the way or flight followed by train. Almost all of our train journeys in England during the summer of 2023 were affected in some way by train strikes/work interruptions, so I will be watching for strikes in Europe this year. It might be wise to fly to a point where we could take a bus to Salzburg if necessary. Many thanks to those who have responded.

I can't believe that I will say this, but you gotta try one night train. This route has a pretty nice first class night train, so a good test.

Almost all of our train journeys in England during the summer of 2023
were affected in some way by train strikes/work interruptions, so I
will be watching for strikes in Europe this year.

There has recently been a lot of strikes in the UK, much less so in other European countries. So strikes would be pretty far down my list of things to watch for.

Transavia tickets are running less than $50 (current exchange rates) for the 1.5 hour flight to Munich in June. AirFrance is $100. Multiple flights daily.

The train is an 8 hour ride. Even with time standing in the airport and on the platform, plus taking the train from Munich to Salzburg, the flight is faster. I'd rather be able to walk around (or what ever) than spend 8 hours on the train. And that's provided there's no delay with the train change in Stuttgart. Remember, ICE is running over 30% delays.

Miss a train and the only compensation you get is another train ticket. Miss a flight you have more options. I'd rather miss a connection to Salzburg in Munich, where they have many more trains going to Salzburg daily, than in Stuttgart. (And I have recent experience with both those stations and their trains.)

The train is an 8 hour ride. Even with time standing in the airport
and on the platform, plus taking the train from Munich to Salzburg,
the flight is faster.

Yes, it is. After Badger's nit picking I went back and did it again. From Hotel Du Jeu De Paume in Paris to the Salzburg train station. Fly and its 8 to 8.5 hours considering the variables. Train and its 9.25 to 9.75 considering the variables. So it is a close call. Close enogh to come down to what one enjoys. I am like you, I would rather have my freedom in an airport than be captive on a train for 8 hours. Although I just did the two longest train rides of my life (12 hours and 21 hours) and I survived them pretty well.

BUT! Some people like Night Trains. If the OP hasnt done a night train, then this would be a great experience. No waiting, no changing, no hassle and pretty first class if the OP wants to pay for that.

All of the night trains on this route require a minimum of one change of trains. So you won't be sleeping. Riding a train all night is not conducive to having a good day sightseeing afterwards.

All of the night trains on this route require a minimum of one change of trains.

That is not factual. Badger has given correct information- there is a direct night train- NJ 469- depart Paris Est at 1912, arrive at Salzburg at 0726.

So pretty nice timings, and plenty of people do sleep on night trains.

That train extends on to Vienna.

And i believe this is one of the trains where you can get a compartment for two with private indoor plumbing. If i am correct, pretty sweet way to experience a night train.

Correct, a private sleeper cabin with your own bathroom is an option. And they are a pretty nice way to travel.

My last experience was four strangers in a cabin the size of a match box snoring for 20-something hours.

That sounds a bit more basic.

It was "and experience" and one that I probably get to repeat this year.

Either this thread or another where night trains were being discussed someone went off on the fear of being robbed in the middle of the night. First, no one wants your shoes. Second, money and passport are "on me" not in the luggage and third, if you have a bottom bunk there is storage under it that requires lifting the bunk to get to .... just how soundly do you sleep? If you have an upper bunk, well, they have to climb in with you to get to the luggage (there is a storage shelf up there).

OK, there is a plan to make such a train available. But it's not a high speed train, which the OP specifically asked for. It takes over 12 hours to arrive (barring any delays, which are extremely likely) and will be doing the start and stop all the way. The fare will be more than the airfare also. If the OP wants to go within a specific date the best choice is to fly to Munich and take a train from there to Salzburg.

OK, there is a plan to make such a train available.

And if I dont see the fare finalized in the next 60 days I would do Plan B

But it's not a high speed train, which the OP specifically asked for.

I wonder if the OP knew there was a night train to consider? You didnt.

It takes over 12 hours to arrive (barring any delays, which are
extremely likely) and will be doing the start and stop all the way.

Is the French and German and Austrian rail really that bad? Hmmmmm

The fare will be more than the airfare also.

Maybe. Dont know. Good chance. Now subtract $250 for that hotel room in Paris or Salzburg and how does it add up?

If the OP wants to go within a specific date the best choice is to fly
to Munich and take a train from there to Salzburg.

I woud say the best choice is what they will most enjoy and feel the less stressed about. Personally, for me, a toss up between flying and the night train.

There isn't "a plan to make such a train available". It is available now and only has 3 stops- Strasbourg at 2330, Munich Ost at 0545, and Rosenheim at 0615.

For the next week or so it is disrupted by engineering work, but after that look on the DB journey planner asking it for direct trains only.

Excuses, and they are excuses, have been found to rule out a 2 seat High Speed train all the way which has a robust connection time between the trains.

If you want to compare apples with apples on cost add everything together- taxi to CDG, the extra hotel night needed with the flights, etc.
Unless you have hard data on the on time running, vague talk of delays just doesnt cut it. Many of these over night trains have quite padded schedules. Do flights not have delays and even cancellations?

Sadly, as far as I can tell the NJ469 from Paris to Salzburg is a Monday/Wednesday/Friday train. We are traveling on a Saturday. Since we've booked an apartment for a week, there would be no savings in skipping our last night there. So I'm sticking with rechecking the plane/train situation in another 6 weeks. Thank you all for your help.

It was just an option that was worth the research. You can't do wrong no matter what you chose. It's about having a great time.

Hi,

Just bad luck that the NJ option happens to be not available to you.

Based on my experiences from the 2023 and 2024 trips totaling 21 weeks in Germany, France and Austria, the French rail and Austrian rail are quite satisfactory, if not , downright good. I used both point to point tickets bought from machines as well as the Eurail Senior Global Pass on these rides, day rides and night train rides.