← Linz Donau Marathon·2 nights

Salzburg: Two Nights by Railjet from the Danube

A direct train along the western main line to a flat old town, a fortress you reach by funicular and two nights on one booking.

Duration2 nights
TransitHourly Railjet from Linz Hauptbahnhof to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof
DepartsLinz Hauptbahnhof

After the Linz Donau Marathon: Salzburg

The Route: Linz → Salzburg → Salzburg Airport (or onward) Logistics: The operator lists an hourly Railjet on the Linz to Salzburg line. One hotel for two nights. Check the ÖBB timetable for the day and book a seat if you carry luggage. Marathon Month: April Duration: 2 nights

Linz Hbf ──(Railjet, direct)──> Salzburg Hbf ──(bus / walk)──> Old town hotel
                                                      │
                                       Salzburg Airport ◄─(bus / taxi)─┘

Linz and Salzburg sit on the same main line, so the journey is one train and no changes. That matters on a Monday, when every platform staircase has a price. You sit, you watch the countryside go past and you get off in a city that has put its main sights on a flat river bank.

April in Salzburg: the weather is changeable, with cold mornings and rain possible at any time. Pack a waterproof and shoes that can take wet cobbles. Opening hours for the major sights change with the season, so check each website before you go.

Getting there

The operator documents an hourly Railjet between Linz Hauptbahnhof and Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. Check the journey time and the Monday departures at oebb.at, since they are not fixed in this guide. Reserve a seat if you have a case with you. From Salzburg Hbf the old town is a walk of about 20 to 25 minutes or a short bus ride, depending on your luggage and your legs.

Nights one and two: Salzburg

Choose one hotel and keep it for both nights. The Hotel Goldener Hirsch is on Getreidegasse in the old town, and the Motel One Salzburg-Mirabell is a plain, central choice by the Mirabell Gardens. Check availability and breakfast hours for your dates.

The old town is a flat grid beside the Salzach, so it is kind to sore calves. Getreidegasse is the famous shopping street, and Mozart's birthplace is on it. The Mirabell Gardens, across the river, are reached on level paths.

The Hohensalzburg Fortress stands above the city and is reached by funicular, which spares your quadriceps. Check festung-hohensalzburg.at for hours and ticket prices before you plan the day, and expect stairs once you are inside. Put the fortress on the second day, after a night's sleep.

Where to eat

Stiftskeller St. Peter, beside the abbey, is a long-established restaurant in the old town. Opening days and kitchen hours vary, so telephone ahead and book.

Getting home

Salzburg Airport is a few kilometres west of the old town. Take a bus or a taxi, and check the bus timetable the evening before your flight. If you are going on by train, Vienna and Munich both run from the same station, and oebb.at shows the departures.