Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
ALL ABOARD FOR ADVENTURE
Take the train to make the most of your trip to Austria…
Allowing the train to take the strain with Austrian National Railway ÖBB is a great way to see and appreciate the rich diversity and drama of Austria. No matter where you decide to go and what you want to do, whether it’s a city break or an alpine adventure, you can get there in comfort by rail...
ALL IN A DAY
Day trips are a great example of the opportunities the railway network can bring. If starting in the capital of Vienna why not strike out to Salzburg? Zip across to the birthplace of Mozart and you can savour its mountain setting from the
Hohensalzburg Fortress before a stroll through the cathedral quarter and Gardens of Mirabell Palace. Culture lovers are best to time their visit with the Salzburg Festival (mid-july to August) and on the ÖBB Railjet Xpress you can reach the city in less than 2.5 hours, with Railjet services running 32 times per day.
Graz, Austria’s second largest city, also tempts with impressive
architecture and the historic Styrian Armoury. With ÖBB, you can get from Vienna to Graz in just over 2.5 hours, with trains running 17 times per day. The route also includes the Semmeringbahn, a spectacular stretch of railway engineering that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
TAKE THE INN-SIDE TRACK
It’s also an easy hop from Vienna to Innsbruck on the ÖBB Railjet and Railjet Xpress, reachable in 4h 14min and with services 15 times per day.
The capital of the Austrian Tirol offers a combination of big city charm and bountiful nature. In the morning, you can catch a cable car up into the peaks of the Nordkette mountain range and be back in the late afternoon to check out the Hofburg, the Hofkirche and the cathedral, all of which are within a 15-minute walk from the railway station.
From Innsbruck you can then easily reach the alpine resort of Kitzbühel, where there’s more than 2,500km of hiking trails to explore in the Kitzbühel Alps. Walk to picturesque Lake Schwarzsee, ride the famous Hahnenkammbahn cable car to take in those panoramic views or head out to climb the 1,828m Hohe Salve mountain.
RAIL REVELS
Austrian National Railway ÖBB and its network of high-speed Railjet services spreads to all corners of Austria, serving Vienna’s airport and with connections twice hourly to Salzburg and once every hour to Innsbruck, during the day.
In addition to free Wifi, on-board entertainment and an on-board restaurant, there are three comfort classes available on the train – Economy Class, First Class and Business Class – to help make your journey even more comfortable, with special compartments and extra services available at relaxing rest stops before or after your trip available at the ÖBB lounge.
With such a convenient way to travel, you can lean back and let that impressive landscape slide by your window as you journey to your next Austrian adventure.