I don't think a reservation is necessary if you are travelling alone (if there was about 6 of you wanting to sit together, that might be a different matter, but on your own finding a seat shouldn't be a problem). Then you can choose where you sit. Though I think the view is about the same backwards as forwards ...!

The good news is, you can buy your tickets online in advance, and print them out to take with you. You can also reserve a seat online if you decide to do that. If you go to the www.oebb.at website, and look up the trains you want, they offer you the option to purchase the ticket with a credit card and print it yourself. (This part I think is still in German so if you don't have any German you may need a linguist standing by to give advice!) You have to specify the day you want to travel (the advance sales start about a month in advance so you might not be able to buy a ticket just yet for 28 Sep). If you make a seat reservation, you also specify the train on which you will be travelling - but in any event the ticket will be valid for all trains on that date. You can also book the return ticket two days later at the same time - there's no price differential on two singles or one return anyway but to save pother you can sort it all out in advance. Second class is fine.

The tickets are just a sheet of paper with the journey information and a weird looking barcode on them. When the ticket inspector comes along, you produce it and they scan the barcode. Sometimes they may ask to see ID, as your name is printed on the ticket.

If you decide to reserve a seat, or if you are sprinting along the train looking for one, the open carriages (Grossraumwagen) have the best options for luggage storage - gaps between pairs of seats which will accommodate a pretty big suitcase or two, as well as luggage racks over head. In a compartment carriage (Abteilwagen) the only storage is racks overhead and if you have weak girly arms like me it just about kills you lifting the case up (and getting it down is even harder - but it usually lands on my face, so no harm done). If you stand about looking helpless, usually some gallant Austrian male will offer to lift it up for you, bless them. You might want to collar one to help you on and off the train too, as there are some fairly steep steps to be negotiated up from the platform.

Hope that helps!

Rol

1)

No, it's absolutely NOT necessary to reserve seats, nobody does that! Only about 1 or 2 % of seats on trains between Vienna and Salzburg will be reserved, so don't worry.

A reservation (for a larger group of people who want to sit together) will only be a good idea if you travel Friday between 1pm and 6pm. But if you are at the station some time before the departure, you'll even find there seats together. Save the € 3,40 per seat.

2)

No, there are so many different coaches from so many different companies... you can only decide between window or aisle, coach style or compartment car.

3)

Yes, that's possible! The ticket will be valid for one or two months, you won't save any money with return-tickets.

4)

Don't worry, you will find space. Mind: it's all carry-on luggage.

For timetables, have a look at

http://www.oebb.at/vip8/pv/en/

Better take the OEC/EC or ICE trains. They are faster and often more comfortable than the slower IC-trains... and they do have a restaurant-car.

And one piece of advice:

Buy your ticket at the station, just before you go. That's the way most people do it. Online-Printing is nice but only available in German language, mobile-phone-tickets only for people with an austrian phone-provider.... so the easiest will be at the ticket machine (of course in English) or from the ticket counter. Both accept credit cards, Maestro-card and cash.

Thanks so much Roley and Robbi for that invaluable information..... Iit relieves a lot of uncertainty. I do appreciate the help

I am also travelling between Vienna and Salzburg (and to Italy) in the next couple of months. I am just a bit concerned about one of the comments concerning "carry-on luggage". Is there a limit to the number of bags you can carry on the trains? Or do you have to store large bags in a different section of the train?

Thanks.

EC

Sorry, continuing on from my question about luggage I note that someone vehemently stated that there was no need to reserve a seat between Vienna and Salzburg.

Is this also the case between Salzburg and Venice, and Venice and Florence, and Florence and Naples, and Naples and Rome? I haven't quite checked it out but I assume reserving seats requires payment whereas turning up on the day without a reservation does not require payment for the seat. I will be travelling in October 2007.

Thanks.

One of the great plus of long-distance train travel in middle european countries (especially Austria, Switzerland, Germany) is, that there's no reservation needed... you have full flexibility... your ticket is valid for one or two months... so allmost as flexible as the car.

In Italy, they do it different:

ES* (EuroStar Italia), EC (EuroCity) and IC plus (InterCity) trains do require seat reservation! Also the trains from Austria to Italy... but then it's included in the fare.

All trains that require reservation are marked in the online-timetable!

http://fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/en

When travelling to Venice, mind that you go via Villach... cheaper and shorter than via Innsbruck/Brenner...

You can buy the ticket to Venice at Vienna, Salzburg... wherever you want!

Tickets and fares for Italy:

http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html

>Is there a limit to the number of bags you can carry on the trains?

Yes, a practical one - the amount that you can carry yourself. There is nobody with the obligation to help you (except nice fellow passengers).

Hi there,

Can anyone advise how much we would expect to pay per person for a train from Vienna to Salzburg when buying them at the station?

The cheapest online fare I can find is 45 euro which sounds a bit expensive??

Thanks :)

We paid 76 Euros each (return) at the station, so your 45 Euros is a good price.

Vienna - Salzburg ticket is 43,40 euro one way .

If two or more travel together some discount available.

Also several discount ticket plans available for advance purchase -

look on the Austrain Rail website

www.oebb.at

in english - then under - heading traveling cheaper

If you do not mind a longer time and some changes of train the Einfach -Raus plan is very cheap- also a good way to see austria .