Enjoy Austria by train with a Eurail pass
The Austrian Railways, ÖBB, cover the country with a dense network of train services.
Traveling by train in Austria is the most comfortable way to get from one city to another.
Rail network
Eurail pass validity
The national railway company of Austria is called ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways - Österreichische Bundesbahnen). Visit the ÖBB website: English version / German.
A Eurail pass valid in Austria is also valid on the private railway lines operated by ROeEE (known as GYSEV in Hungary). They are active on the routes Ebenfurth - Sopron (Hungary) and Neusiedl/See – Fertöszentmiklós (Hungary). See also the timetables on gysev.hu.
As from Januari 2013 your Eurail pass is also valid on train of private railway company Westbahn. For information about timetables and train routes visit the Westbahn website.
With an Eurail pass that is valid in Austria and Italy you can also travel with the MICOTRA train. This train operates on the route Villach – Udine (Italy). Read more about the MICOTRA train.
Railway services
The railway company ÖBB offers hourly services of modern InterCity and EuroCity trains on the main routes between Vienna and Linz, Salzburg, Graz and the district of Carinthia. InterCity and EuroCity trains are furnished to first- class standard and you can enjoy 'service to your compartment' in each car.
There are frequent connections between the major cities and international destinations like Budapest, Bratislava, Ljubljana, Venice, Basel, Prague and Munich.
To make the trip as enjoyable as possible, the Austrial railway company offers dining cars in international and selected top trains, all managed by partner companies. In more than 60 trains they provide cabin- to- cabin refreshment service, serving our passengers an attractive selection of drinks and snacks.
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein is a tiny country situated between Switzerland and Austria. When your Eurail pass is valid in Austria, you can also travel to Liechtenstein. There is a ÖBB rail connection through Liechtenstein from Feldkirch in Austria to Buchs in Switzerland. Liechtenstein only has four small train stations: Schaan-Vaduz, Nendeln, Forst Hilti and Schaanwald. From Schaan-Vaduz it is a short bus ride to Liechtenstein's capital Vaduz (bus not included in the Eurail pass).
For domestic trains in Austria reservations are not required, so you can just hop on any train with your Eurail pass.
Reservations for InterCity and EuroCity trains are optional if you want to be sure of a good seat. They can be made at a train station, or contact the ÖBB CallCenter. Online seat reservation is also possible for domestic trains at oebb.at (service in German only).
There are some international trains from Austria that require a reservation fee, like the Railjet to Budapest or the Eurocity to Munich / Rome. See the reservation fees for international trains.
Austria rail tour suggestion: Innsbruck - Salzburg - Vienna
Your Eurail Austria Pass offers breath taking trans-Alpine journeys from the heart of Tyrol to Salzburg, famed as Mozart's birthplace, before ending up at the Austrian capital Vienna.
Tour stages and average journey times
- Innsbruck – Kitzbühel (1 hour 4 min)
- Kitsbühel – Salzburg (2 hours 26 min)
- Salzburg – Linz (1 hour 18 min)
- Linz – Vienna (1 hour 45 min)
Read a detailed description of this tour in the recommended guide Europe by rail, available from Thomas Cook Publishing.
Scenic train routes
Recommended train routes in Austria with great views where your Eurail pass is valid:
- Arlberg Line (Bludenz – Innsbruck)
- Semmeringbahn (Wiener Neustadt – Semmering)
Metro Rail Network S-Bahn
The S-Bahn is a suburban metro railway network in Vienna and other cities in Austria. It is operated by the railway company ÖBB. Eurail passes are valid on the S-Bahn. In Salzburg und Graz some S-bahns are operated by private companies and therefore not included.
Airport - station link
From Vienna Schwechat international airport there are connections to Wien-Nord, Wien-Mitte (Eurail pass is valid on S-Bahn, not on CAT), Wien-West, Wien-Meidling (VAL,Vienna Airport Lines, bus every 20 minutes. Eurail pass is not valid).
Night train connecting Austria and Italy
The 'Toscana Mare' is an overnight train that operates between Vienna/Wien and Livorno (Italy).
Eurail passholders with a pass valid in both Austria and Italy get a €40 discount for sleeping accommodation.
For more information, check the Toscana Mare page.
Eurail aid office in Austria
For questions about Eurail, you can go to the international ticket office at Wien Westbahnhof, Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof or Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. See the page
Eurail aid offices for opening hours and more aid offices in Europe.
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