Train tickets Krakow to Vienna

Many European railway web sites don't sell international tickets. You can buy those daytime tickets at nearly any train station or some travel agencies in Europe, which sounds like the easiest plan. Your ticket will include a seat reservation for those portions where DB or OBB schedules tell you "Subject to Compulsory Reservation," but there's no deadline to buy the ticket. Based on Rick's ticket-cost map at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/poland-rail-passes, I would expect to spend about $65 in second class, which is less than the US agents charge.

Go to the Poland Forum on Trip Advisor and do a search Krakow Vienna Train. Lots of discussion threads will come up with lots of advice.

Thanks for the suggestion Emily but - 1. I hate TA, too many ads to wade through, hate the layout, don't use it very often except for hotel reviews; 2. All of the posts I found were for the overnight train which I definitely do not want and couldn't find any useful websites to buy tickets for the day trains.

Still wondering if anyone knows if tickets are even available for purchase online ahead of time at a $$ savings and which website to use?
Otherwise I'll just plan to get them at the train station when I arrive in Krakow.

Still would like an estimate on $$ so I can budget, don't think it should be this hard just to get prices.

Any help, anyone?

Try contacting Polrail (there is a link on their website to contact them). They replied to me (in English) with info about my ticket when I bought from them a couple of years ago.

By the way, I just tried Krakow to Vienna on April 15th and I see prices on the Polrail site along with a link to buy. I see daytime trains for 357 PLN. Don't know if that is standard price.

Thanks Laura. Boy, that seems like an awful high price - $119. I did some more playing on regional rail websites and it looks like if I book individual regional trains (Krakow-Bohumin, Bohumin-Brno, Brno-Vienna) it comes to approx $68. It takes a bit longer (because of waiting time at Bohumin and Brno) but the cost savings may be worth it as I'm on a very tight budget.

Anyone know why the cost on Polrail is so much more? Maybe I'm doing something wrong again.

I would reiterate my advice to buy tickets in Poland a few days ahead. I had no trouble doing that at train stations and travel agencies. To ease communication, it can help to have a print-out of the schedule you want to book, or to write destination, date, and time on a piece of paper. I would not expect to find any significant advance-purchase discounts.

polrail.com is the place to look; you can't use oebb.at as your trip doesn't originate in Austria.

Too bad that you are anti-TA; I find the depth of knowledge from the experts to be very helpful.

You might consider flying.

Thanks again Emily. I have already checked into flying - too costly for my dates and only saves me about 2 hrs - not worth it.

Thanks Emma. I will purchase tickets at the station when I get in to Krakow. In the mean time I will budget for the higher price quoted on Polrail (although that is a different route) and maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.