Getting There and Around
By Plane
Salzburg Airport W. A. Mozart
Salzburg Airport is located 3km southwest of the centre of Salzburg. Salzburg Airport is the second busiest airport in Austria, servicing more than 1.8 million passengers each year from 32 destinations.
Get to the city centre by public bus:
The airport bus terminal is located outside Terminal 2, a short, flat walk from airport Arrivals. From the bus terminal you can catch a public bus into the city centre or to the main train station (Hauptbahnhof). The No. 2 bus will take you to the main train station in 23 minutes, operating every 10 – 20 minutes. The No. 10 bus will take you into the city centre in 18 minutes (Rathaus), operating every 10 minutes. Tickets for either bus cost €2.50 and can be purchased from the ticket machine at the bus terminal, from the “Newscorner” shop in the airport terminal or from the bus driver.
Get to the city centre by taxi:
The official taxi stand is located just outside Arrivals and from there you can catch a metered taxi to your destination. A journey from the airport to either the city centre or main train station (Hauptbahnhof) will take approximately 20 minutes and will cost €15-25.
By Train
Salzburg Main Station (Salzburg Hauptbahnhof) is located in the Salzburg New Town, about 15 minutes’ walk from the centre of the Old Town. Salzburg Hauptbahnhof is the main entry point for those arriving into Salzburg by train. From Salzburg Main Station you can travel to many cities and towns in Austria as well as enjoy direct routes to several European cities. The station is well connected to the city S-Bahn and bus network and a taxi stand is located just outside the main entrance.
Train tickets for long-distance (ICE and IC) and local trains can be purchased from the red and grey ticket machines located throughout the station. These machines can be accessed in English and accept cash and credit cards. Alternatively, you can purchase tickets from the ticket office in the main building.
From the train station it is a 15 minute walk into the heart of the old city or you can take a bus or taxi to wherever you need to go.
By Car
If possible, it is best to avoid driving into the centre of Salzburg due to its narrow, often one-way streets, pedestrianised areas and expensive and hard to find parking options. Traffic bollards are installed at various entrance points to the Old Town making it impossible to enter (or exit without paying a fine) after 11am. If you are staying at a hotel in the restricted zone and have arranged parking, you will need to use the intercom system at the bollard to contact your hotel to receive an entry code. Note: each hotel can only be accessed through a specific entrance point, please confirm this with your hotel before arrival.
P+R (Park & Ride):
If you are travelling throughout Austria or Europe with a car, an option is to park at a P+R (Park & Ride) location out of the centre of the city and take public transport into the centre. There are four P+R locations around the outskirts of Salzburg including Salzburg Süd, P+R Airport, Designer Outlet and Messe.
Prices vary throughout the year but typically you can pay €15 for a Combo Ticket which includes a day of parking and a public transport day pass for up to five people travelling together.
Salzburg is a small city and once you have arrived you’ll find most of the sights will be an easy and flat walk away, though do be careful of the cobblestones and sometimes uneven streets. The city does however have a useful public transport network (trolley bus and regular bus) to help you get around.
Moving Around the City
Public Transport Tickets
Tickets for public transport including the electric trolley bus, regular bus and train can be purchased in advance from one of the numerous ticket kiosks/tobacco shops (Trafiken) found throughout the city, from ticket machines at bus stops/train stations or from the bus driver. Tickets purchased from the bus driver will incur a surcharge so if possible, purchase in advance.
Single Ride Ticket: Valid for one trip, in one direction. Advance purchase price €9.50 (only available in a pack of 5; equal to €1.90 per trip). Bus driver price €2.90.
Day Ticket: Valid for unlimited travel within 24 hours from when ticket is first validated. Advance purchase price €4.20. Bus driver price €6.40.
myRegio Weekly Travel Pass: Valid for unlimited travel for 7 days from when ticket is first validated. Advance purchase price €19.00 (for Salzburg city region). Note: only available for advance purchase/unavailable from bus driver.
Validating your Public Transport Ticket
It is important to validate your pre-purchased ticket as soon as you hop on the bus the first time you use it. All you need to do is insert your ticket into the validating machine where it will be time and date stamped. Ticket controllers frequently check for validated tickets on board so ensure you have validated your ticket to avoid receiving a fine.
Bus
The bus network of Salzburg consists of 12 electric trolley bus lines and 8 regular bus lines covering the Salzburg city area and surrounding region. Trolley buses arrive every 10 minutes while regular buses arrive every 15 minutes. The network runs from approximately 5:30am until 11:30pm each day.
Train
The Salzburg S-Bahn consists of 5 lines. The S-Bahn is mainly used as a method to reach the outlying Salzburg regions and it is unlikely visitors will need to use it. Visitors to Salzburg are encouraged to use the bus network or walk.
