Hello, I am a retired ÖBB employee and you have missed two important points. Always make sure you are on the right part of the train, as some trains are divided somewhere along the route. You can find the final destination on the display next to the entrance door. However, we have had guests who wanted to go to the airport, for example, and ended up at the Hungarian border or vice versa. If you're not sure, don't hesitate to ask, especially if you don't have a seat reservation that automatically puts you in the right section. And secondly, don't rely on the information about delays. Trains can make up time and the delay may be less than originally announced. So check the status of the train regularly and don't move too far away from the platforms.
One more thing to note: Some trains split up along the way. Check the number of the wagon you are sitting in. For example one Railjet I often take from Vienna splits up in Salzburg and one half is going further to Munich and the other part is heading to Bregenz. On the platform, check which sector you are in, for example Platform 8 sector A-C is going to Munich, D-F is going to Bregenz. Depending on the operations, it can also change so listen to the announcements which part of the train is going where so you wont end up in the wrong city by mistake.
Actually, the fast trains cost the same as the slow ones (you pay for distance, not for speed). The regional trains only have second class, and that costs the same as second class on a long-distance train.
@@Tschackie You probably know more than me about Austrian prices, but I know that at least for the Westbahn there can be price differences. Which makes sence, since ÖBB and WESTbahn compete here. Do you know if specifically this route sees differences in prices, or can this also be true for other domestic routes?
@@Marchanthof My comment is in regards to ÖBB trains with a standard ticket, which can be used on any ÖBB train of the purchased route regardless of their speed. Trains of the WESTbahn company have their own pricing scheme independent from the ÖBB, which is more complex; but they only have long-distance trains, no regionals; hence the price difference alleged in the video can not be argued here. As for your question regarding other routes besides the Westbahn: The WESTbahn company is continuously expanding their network, now with trains going as far as Bregenz and Stuttgart in Germany; as far as I know they are considering services to Graz. Everywhere the WESTbahn is going you can expect the added complexity of choosing between the two companies and their incompatible tickets (usually WESTbahn should be a bit cheaper, but I haven't checked in a while). I am not aware of any other private company that is competing with ÖBB in the way that WESTbahn does.
@@Marchanthof There is also special fares for ÖBB they are called "Sparschiene" and bound to specific trains. A lot cheaper, but not flexible. Another important addition is you have to take care which train to get from the Airport in Vienna to the city. As there is also City Airport Train, but it's much more expensive than S-Bahn and standard tickets are not valid.
You forgot one major "don't": Don't try to use the Westbahn with an ÖBB ticket or vice versa! Westbahn is a private operator that operates mainly on the connection with the same name, i.e. Vienna-Linz-Salzburg--Kufstein-Innsbruck-Bregenz, with a branch from Salzburg to Munich and Stuttgart. Westbahn tickets can be cheaper, but their trains don't run as often, and you can't use ÖBB tickets on Westbahn or Westbahn tickts on ÖBB trains. There's one exception though: For most Austrian states you can get all-state day tickets (and week tickets), those are valid on any train from any operator within the state you got it for. I.e., with an all-Tirol day ticket you could run back and forth between Innsbruck and Kufstein (or Wörgl), comparing ÖBB RJ (Siemens) with Westbahn (Stadler) and the new RJ2 (Siemens again, running Munich-Innsbruck-Bolzano). Just don't forget there are long-distance train that don't call in all major stations in Tirol, most RJs skip either Kuftsein or Wörgl or Jenbach (or 2 of those).
Great video! As an Austrian, I can confirm that all the tips are accurate and helpful. As a small addition to the point about safety on escalators. Especially in Vienna’s subway and urban rail systems, it’s customary to stand on the right side of the escalator, leaving the left side free for those who want to walk up faster. You can often spot tourists by the fact that they’re unaware of this rule. If a Viennese local is in a hurry, they can sometimes get quite frustrated and might even make a rude comment if someone doesn’t follow it. And let’s be honest, there’s a reason why Vienna regularly claims the title of the world’s unfriendliest city 😅 I’m happy you enjoyed your time in Österreich. You’re welcome back anytime! Best regards from the west, by Lake Constance in the state of Vorarlberg.
Additional tips: If you can live without fast trains, you can buy the Einfach-Raus-Ticket for >36€ for two persons (valid on every ÖBB regional train except in Vorarlberg) or regional day tickets like e.g., the the Upper-Austrian Freizeitticket OÖ für 25€ for up to two persons. There are also some private train companies like Westbahn (mainly Vienna-Salzburg, but also with connections to Munich or Innsbruck) or Regiojet (mostly Vienna-Budapest or -Prague) that may offer cheaper options than the ÖBB.
Went by them on a nighttrain from Vienna to Rome, the mini cabins are really cool, though the new nightjet line still has some issues so expect delays or cancelations
@6:20 in Railjet or Westbahn intercity trains you will find luggage racks for larger suitcases. Also depending on the seat layout you can also store luggage between the seat backs. @7:20 and don't panic if the door doesn't open immediately. It will often extend the steps on the outside first, which takes a couple of seconds. Also: always let people exit the train first and make room for them to do so! People blocking the exit (or even trying to shove in while people are still getting off) just make the process more cumbersome and time-consuming for everyone - including themselves!
A little tip regarding the seat reservation if you get into the train at an early stop, e.g. the train from Vienna to Zurich to go to Innsbruck and you enter in Wien Hauptbahnhof forget the seat reservation. Just go straight to the restaurant car. If you're not entering in the last minute you'll get a seat and on your trip you can enjoy some food or drinks and most of the time you'll have a pleasant conversation with your cotravellers or the service staff.
The discount card pays for itself in a two-way trip from Vienna to Innsbruck if you don't happen to get the Sparschiene discount tickets which are only valid for a specific train at a specific time, whereas the ordinary ticket is valid for all trains within a day of your chosen travel date (of course only without seat reservation). Anyway, the discount card is about 70 Euros and a one -way trip from Vienna to Innsbruck is about 80 Euros with the discount card it's slightly over 42 Euros. So within a two-way trip, the discount card pays for itself.
I'm from Rome, but I lived for 15 years in Vienna. Lovely city. And I was a train conductor for night trains. So basically you showed me a big part of my life. Oh those stations hehe
@austriankangaroo A bit stressful. Working always at night is draining and wrecks your body. But I must say that my colleagues were awesome and it certainly was interesting being an OBB/DB Zugchef ;) Happy new year :)
@@TheMarcodiator Thank you and happy new year to you too :), i will start my initial training at newrest in 1 week. Do you have any tips or so for the beginning?
@austriankangaroo Oh wow! That's the company I worked for. xD My base was in the station in Matzleinsdorfer Platz. Some tips: don't get demoralized. It's very tough and the tours are long. But the pay is not bad at all. You'll probably do a few tours as a stewart, then you'll be off to OBB/DB Zugcheftraining. I'd tell you, get that certification, as if you are not happy at newrest, it's much easier to get into the OBB directly. I might still have a few colleagues in there at Matz. Viel glueck! Feel free to send me a message! (my german is a bit rusty :D )
I always get seat reservations....almost every time, there's someone sitting in my seat when I board. They don't look happy when they're asked to move, but I enjoy it immensely.
@@wbaumschlager Absolutely. And with good reason, because even if there are other seats available (it's never just me and one other person, let's face it), it's highly likely that I will be asked to move seats at some point, because I am now sitting in _their_ reserved spot. So, no: If I reserved that seat, I'll kindly ask you to go sit somewhere else.
The "different trains have different costs" point is actually not true for Austria specifically. ÖBB tickets are timed tickets for a route, any ÖBB train goes. So if you have a ticket for 25th-26th Jannuary from Salzburg to Vienna over Linz, you can absolutely take a slow regional train in the morning, hop out somewhere in Upper Austria and check out the town for 3h, continue with another slow train to Linz, then hop into the fast train to Vienna with exactly the same ticket you bought for the railjet which would have gone in one go. The tickets always tell you when and where it's valid. The only thing you really have to look out for when buying it is the general route. Like if you want to go from Innsbruck to Graz, you have to pick if you'll take the Northern route over Linz or the Southern one over Villach if you want to hop out at a specific point in between. There are three other notable limits: Nightjets - you are sometimes allowed to board (especially after evening railjets were cancelled) but might not get any seat. And of course, if you booked first class and the regional train doesn't have that, too bad. Other way around, don't accidentally sit in first class with a second class ticket, lol. And finally, any seat reservations are lost of you pick another train.
Also noteworthy: it's still an ÖBB train if it says ČD, DB, SBB, MÁV, SŽ etc. on the rolling stock. Unless it says WEST, RGJ or DRV on the departure board you'll be fine. However: This is only applicable if you actually have an ÖBB ticket, which is often not the case if you have a route within a transport association.
Partner and I have been travelling around Germany and Austria via train. An inter rail ticket was a godsend (and between us practically paid for itself getting from London to Brussels and back).
It has been already mentioned that many Railjet-trains between Vienna and Salzburg are really two seperate trains coupled together with a locomotive between. So you cant' walk through the whole train. That's why it's important with a seat reservation to board the right half of the train, otherwise you won't be able to reach your seat. Another thing: claim the seat with your reservation immediately after boarding. The reservations are shown on small displays above the seat. But those indications will blank out minutes after departure and other people will recognize the seat as free. Save and happy journeys!
Nice! 🙂 1:09 correction: no, unlike for example Germany, Italy and other countries in the vicinity, Austrian ÖBB never had different fares for different classes of trains. With a regular ticket, you can take any train you want on that route, from Railjet (RJ, RJX) to EuroCity (EC) to InterCity (IC) to fast train (D) to Regional Express (REX) to regional train (R) and Schnellbahn (S). All cost the same. Night Jets are exempt, they require an all-inclusive ticket with reservation. Otherwise reservations can be bought optionally for a low price for all express trains, not on regional trains. There are some special low-fare tickets booked in advance, but again, these can be used on any trains within the parameters of the ticket. You can even use the urban ticket in Vienna for example to go on express trains between stations within the city. Only on ÖBB express trains there is 1st class and business class only on railjets. You can use regional trains with a first class ticket, but you only pay more unnecessarily.
You can absolutely use a (domestic) standard ticket on a Nightjet and use the seat carriage. There is no mandatory seat reservation on Nightjets between Austrian stations. You can even buy a surcharge for higher classes where it makes sense (probably only Bregenz - Wien).
@@to_loww Regarding Nightjets: interesting, because with all other trains if you try to buy a ticket with Klimaticket you get a price of 0€, but for Nightjets you get 4,99€ displayed. One important excemption for tickets: Do not mix up CAT and S-Bahn from Vienna airport. That can get pricey.
Most shops in the stations are still not open Sunday. Just restaurants and a small section of the grocery stores that basically just have a "convenience store" selection of goods. Most of a big Billa or something will be cordoned off
The Austrian rail ticketing system is one of the most trivially easy of any European ticketing system to understand. A ticket is a ticket from A to B, regardless of what train one selects, and if I recall correctly, is valid for any train from A to B within a certain time window. Now the Polish train system is another matter entirely...
Except if you get a Sparschiene ticket, those are for a specific train. And those are the cheap tickets... There's also a whole flurry of regional tickets that might be interesting. But they didn't use those to do away with the basic distance-based pricing, too.
Yes, but the time window can vary wildly, especially when you don't leave the local transport association (everyone having different rules). Buy a (full fare) ticket Villach to Friesach and you'll have to use the next departing train. Buy it one station further and it's valid for two days.
Actually I found out, that even if you take only a handful of train rides in Austria, it can be cheaper to buy the "Vorteilskarte". Yes, it costs some money too, but you can get some good discounts. Though it is not the easiest thing to find out, at which point it helps you saving. Could be five train rides, could be 20. Depends on the destinations and trains you want to use. And don't be afraid of the "unfriendly" Austrians. We usually just don't care about other people but we don't bite. And can be quite charming if we are in a good mood. And yes, hats off to the conductors, never had a bad experience with them.
It also gives you somewhat better terms and conditions. If you buy a full fare ticket from Vienna to St. Pölten the ticket will only be valid for two hours. With that 50% discount it's valid for the whole day.
Mark, how about doing a video about the pros and cons of the Eurail/Interrail pass? I've been in Europe for several weeks, traveling by train, and have appreciated the flexibility of the Eurail pass. There have been a few times when i didn't get seat reservations because I didn't make the train I was shooting for and it was too close to the next train departure time, but I've been lucky that there were enough seats available, even on a Salzburg - Vienna train.
Interrail/Eurail is definitely something people should look at when they're travelling by train in Europe, however, whether it's worth it or not depends on a few factors, like which countries are your travelling in, for how long, how much train travel are you prepared to do per day, how fixed are your travel plans, and how much in advance do you know it... If you know where you're going at least a month in advance and won't deviate from that plan, tickets might actually be cheaper. It's a fixed price per day, if you're mainly making short trips, chances are tickets are cheaper, or there's a cheap regional ticket instead. If you're mainly travelling in Central Europe and the Balkans, even last-minute long-distance tickets are often hardly more expensive than a travel day. If on the other hand, you're travelling in Western Europe, especially France or Spain, where most long-distance trains require a reservation fee, those can quickly spiral. But if you make long journeys, also on regional, non-reservation trains, especially in Western or Northern Europe, I will recommend it.
Hi! Austrian here! Usually fast trains cost the same as slow ones. Reisezentrum empleeys ÖBB are employeed by öbb so they have the same high standards as any öbb worker which mean they speak at least english and german. About escalator: rechts stehen, links gehen which means if you stand on the left side of the escalator keep moving otherwise you blocking the flow. People never ask if your seat is paid, maybe grumpy people from vienna 😂. Austria is very safe, dont worry about the luggage getting stolen. If you plan a trip in advance look for "öbb sparschiene" you can get easy for 20$ from Salzburg to Viennai
Seat reservations can be as little as 6 EUR, so it‘s completely worth it. Business and First Class have the seat reservations included you can change them for free, too.)
@@parpar3 major difference i think is that ÖBB Tickets are valid for a distance (valid one use within 48 hours) while Westbahn only for a certain train. ÖBBs Sparschiene are as well Train fixed tickets (includes seat reservation if remember correctly )
@@mrsirkosky7618 It's not from a movie, it's from an Australian ad campaign targeted at Americans. And Australians hate that line with passion because no Australian would say "shrimps". As an Austrian I feel their pain. There are several German (as in Germany) words, that Austrians would vehemently refuse to use (often food-related).
As an Austrian, I do it the exact opposite way when it comes to the toilets: I try to go on the train whenever possible so I save 50 cents for the toilet.
Sometimes you get cheaper "sparschiene-tickets" when you extend the destination or starting point. E.g.: you want to travel from Wels to Bad Ischl -> take a look if maybe Linz to Bad Ischl has a better sparticket price, or even further like Amstetten to Salzburg. You can still take/hop on the train in Wels and leave in Bad Ischl.
Faster trains aren't usually more expensive. While Germany makes a clear distinction between long distance trains (ICE, IC, EC) where you pay considerably more unless you book in advance and get a "Sparpreis" ticket, Austria and Switzerland basically treat all trains the same. Which means that "Verbund" tickets, Klimatickets, etc. are valid in all trains (there are some exceptions such as Freizeit-Ticket Steiermark, always read the small print). Note also that Westbahn is a private company and has different fares from ÖBB.
I have traveled to Japan a few times and got to know and became accustomed to their trains . This year I visited Austria and the trains their are a little different and it took me a bit to figure out what was going on.
Or Eurail, if you're not living in Europe (including the UK). And when your trips aren't too far, the cheapest Eurail pass is some 300 USD for 4 days, so roughly 75 USD a day. If your regional ticket would only be some 20 EUR, 40 EUR return, you're better to buy the ticket.
@@barvdw The Einfach-Raus-Ticket may also be an option, especially if you're in a group and don't need long-distance services (it's only valid in S, R, REX, CJX trains).
One thing is for sure, I would mich rather get a train from Innsbruck to Vienna, and then fly from Vienna back to the UK as the turbulence from takeoff from Innsbruck to Manchester as few months ago was absolutely horrendous!
Also look for prices on the neighbouring countries apps. Like if you want to travel from austria to czechia (e.g. upper austria Linz-Budweis/cz budehjovice) look at the prices from Dzeky Drahy/ czech railway or the germans DB/deutsche bahn. It will save you a lot
Seeing people stand the whole train ride when we were there in December because they didn't book a seat reservations for just a few euros more looked like a terrible mistake.
Walter I have had a family issue traveling Europe maybe you can elaborate on. The use of bathrooms in places open to the public? My 4 year old daughter had to pee so bad she was crying. No public bathrooms in sight, we went to a restaurant hoping to use the bathroom. The employee seeing my daughter had no care wanting to allow her. Finally after begging she said okay. Well this place had the old style 4 inch hole. My daughter flipped out and said no way, LOL. We finally found another place. But I've noticed times, they are hard against using bathrooms unless you are a patron. Thanks for your time!
Tipping may help. If you ask only for the bathroom in a restaurant it is expected that you have at least a coffee there or give a tip before heading to the bathroom.
Another don't: if your train is delayed for "technical reasons", don't just assume that there was a problem with the train, the cables, or the rails, these all might happen, but "technical problems" is also used as code for suicide situations, and it's unfortunately common for situations of this kind to cause for technical delays in Austria.
@to_loww I was talking specifically about suicides and attempted suicides, not emergencies in general, and the reasoning is apparently that the train companies want to avoid copycats. Now, I may have fallen for an urban legend, but the reasoning seems sound to me.
on the reservation: you have to make it I think one day in advance, later it is not possible anymore you should make it especially at Friday afternoon out of Vienna and Sunday afternoon back to Vienna it costs only 3€ so when you are a group and want to sit together definitely worth it when you want to take your bike with you in a fast train you have to reserve a space for the bike quite early, sometimes there are not many spaces (just 5)
The biggest don't is not to put your bags on the seat next to you. I kid you not, I always gotta sit on the floor for a few hours riding the train, cuz it's too crowded. One time I had to ride a train 11 hours just so I could sit all of those 11 hours on the floor next to the bathroom
Visiting my Aunt in Vienna this summer but want to add Bamberg (stunning history) or Wroclaw (gnomes and stunning history). Would you recommend one or another in conjunction with Vienna? Took the train from Krakow to Vienna once before so thinking maybe Wroclaw with train connection through Katowice to Vienna? Or Bamberg to Salzburg, Innsbruck to Vienna. 😊 Grateful for your thoughts!
Those are some great, but quite distant trips, definitely outside of day trip range. If you include them in a circular trip, maybe, but be prepared to sit on a train for an entire day (or night, but night trains aren't really helpful for Wroclaw nor Bamberg). No direct trains between either of them, but Bamberg is fairly simple with a change in Nürnberg (also a very nice city, and some not-so-nice, but very compelling history as well). Maybe check Eurail (or Interrail if you are living in Europe). I'd suggest using Deutsche Bahn's planner to get some idea of how long it takes and how often you can go, but if you take night trains, consider the option of staying in, there's no need to get up at 4 o'clock to change there for an early morning train, you could stay in untill say Krakow or Warsaw when it's light outside, and go to Wroclaw from there).
@barvdw thank you! Yes this would be a linear journey vs day trips. Thank you for this! Appreciate the info. Spending a day on the right trains in Europe can be a real joy too lol!
@@suzanned7472 Then I'd do Bamberg-Vienna (about 5 hours) and Vienna-Wroclaw (about 6 hours), or the other way round. In theory you can also do day trips from Vienna (e.g. Vienna dep. 6:13, Bamberg arr. 11:20; dep. 17:39, Vienna arr. 23:05).
@@stephanweinberger thank you! I'm looking at about 10 days, and of course trying to cram as much in as reasonable, while still dedicating about 5 days to spending time with family in Vienna...so much to see, so little time! Lol! Grateful for all the input... I have some great places to see!
@@suzanned7472 I guess it also depends on where you're coming from/how you arrive (I guess it's by airplane?) and how much time you want to spend in Bamberg and/or Wroclaw. E.g. Bamberg isn't all that big, so 6 hours as a day trip from Vienna would be doable - but the question is if you want to spend 11-12 hours on the train for that. You could look into flights to/from Nuremberg (about 1h from the NUE airport to Bamberg) and/or Wroclaw (WRO airport is also about 1h from the city center) and spend a night in each city; that would give you 6 full days in between for Vienna. Also, Bamberg-Innsbruck isn't too bad (about 4 hours by train), so even that might be doable for another night (or even just the day; Innsbruck-Vienna is 4h15m, so again about 6-7h in the afternoon to tour the city). Same for Bamberg-Salzburg-Vienna (about 6 hours journey overall, so also a good afternoon in the city). So actually quite a lot of options. It all depends on how much you want to cram into 10 days, and if you just want to visit the cities for an afternoon or actually spend time there, i.e. what type of traveller you are 🙂
Which countries do you want to visit? More cities or more countryside? If you stay in one place, you won't be seeing much of 'Europe'... You may have to work out such questions first before you ask others.
I'm looking for some advice. I've never traveled on a train in Europe. So we are planning on taking a train from Munich to Budapest in late October. Any thoughts on that train ride? We've picked the train over a flight or private driver/car. We will two pieces of large luggage that will not fit overhead. Any thoughts would be helpful.
It seems that line culture when it come sto getting on/off trains in many places in Europe is different than the US (in fact in the US, the general rule is to let people get off first and then you get on) whereas in some (or perhaps many) places in Europe it seems to be every man/woman for themselves and you sort of have to push your way on/off the trains particularly the subways where you have less than 30 seconds to board or get off, which I learned to just stay by the door if I have o get off or at least the seats nearest the doors.
Amongst the discount ticket options is the “Einfach-Raus” ticket which gives an excellent price reduction for people travelling in a group of 2 up to a max of 5. But to use Mark’s system DON’T forget they are for “Regional” trains only even though the ÖBB website says it’s for “Local” trains. Make sure you learn how to figure out which train numbers are for Regional trains as opposed to inter city/international destinations as some regional trains also go to the intercity destinations which can be confusing. Not having done this before traveling cost us a €30 excess fare fine when changing trains at Worgl. No sympathy from the staff, “it’s on the back of the ticket” but unfortunately I had not brought our magnifying glass with us…..
Instead of using those confusing ticket machines (not to mention that you have to physically go to the station in advance if you want to book some time before your travel, as suggested in the video) and look up the train details on the information on the platforms while searching and then waiting for the train, why not simply use the OBB app? I rarely use the train, so I'm no expert. Still I found it's easy to book a train with the app and in addition you get all the information in detail on your phone and updated in real time.
The ticket machines won't sell you seat reservations and Sparschiene anyway, so there's no point going to the ticket machine in advance. You may however buy the ticket online and then print it on the machine. I would recommend having physical tickets for international travels.
@@to_loww He talked about buying in advance, not about Sparschiene, but maybe he meant that. I wasn't talking about international travel only, he recommended the train in general. However, you can buy online and print out the ticket at home too. I also like a printout for long distance travel.
@@theheinzification Purchasing a (flexible) standard ticket in advance only barely gives you better prices (about 4 to 6 %). Buying it directly from the machine is also slightly more expensive than online. But there are also some advantages to that (like anonymity).
it's not unfriendly to ask people who claim to have a reservation to show their ticket, as it is very common that people end up in the wrong carriage or get confused with window or aisle seats. Especially tourists not familiar with the numbering system. Taking a wrong seat could also have consequences for the people who made the reservation because reservations and tickets are two seperate things, so if you're not there by the time the conductor comes around they would assume the person getting the reservation didn't make it and cancel it. So if you took a wrong seat, worst case could be that someone else has a reservation for it and by the time they show up you're original seats are taken and your reservation is cancelled. New trains will have displays above the seats showing reservations, so if seasoned travellers take a seat that doesn't show any reservations and then someone turns up, claiming to have one, they will be quite sure that you are the one who is wrong and will of course demand proof (which could be correct as sometimes those displays don't work, but most of the time, the person claiming to have a reservation made a mistake)
Any reservation is void 15 minutes after departure. Nobody actively cancels it. The conductor is usually not involved in this unless two people claim the same seat.
@to_loww The display message gets cancelled, but the reservation system cannot automatically know if somebody actually took the seats or not, so in that case the reservation itself would still be valid?
@@snarepusher No, your reservation is valid for the first 15 minutes. And once the train departs from the first station the system can't (re)assign seats anyway, so it really does not matter.
I’d make 1 more small recommendation on the ticket machines. Learn how to navigate them in German, it’s usually just a few clicks, you can work it out on your first train journey. Sometimes homeless people will harass you for money at train station machines (especially a problem in Germany in bigger cities) so being able to use them and get away as quickly as possible will stop you from being a “mark”
Wolter we were on the train three days ago from Vienna to Progue. We’ve never ridden these trains before as it was our first time in Europe. My wife and I couldn’t find the tickets only the seat reservation and the conductor made us double pay for the seats. However later on we found our tickets and he refunded us. The trains are very packed right now, as you had people standing on the train.
@@to_loww Interesting. Baggage or luggage on seats in the UK is also very common as well. It irritates me immensely and I usually make a point of picking out a seat with a bag on to sit in thereby defeating their intention.
smoking inside the train is illegal and smoking inside the stations/on the platforms is also not allowed. If you want to smoke, do it in front of the Train station before taking the train.
@@margarita8442 no smoking in the train is not allowed. As far as i know even when some smokes on the toilet the train has to stop due to safety and the person who smoked has to pay a high penalty.
At least not the city of Salzburg (the state's name is also Salzburg) Hallstatt is way worse when it comes to overtourism. If you go there, please do it for the archeological sites, not the overcrowded and overwhelmed village underneath.
Some of the 28.85% that voted extreme right last election might enjoy that... Just a 'small' number of 1.4mio people w right to vote... In a country of 9mio and 6.75mio who can cast their Vote 🤷♂️🤷🏿♀️🤷🏽♂️🤷🏼
Hello, I am a retired ÖBB employee and you have missed two important points. Always make sure you are on the right part of the train, as some trains are divided somewhere along the route. You can find the final destination on the display next to the entrance door. However, we have had guests who wanted to go to the airport, for example, and ended up at the Hungarian border or vice versa. If you're not sure, don't hesitate to ask, especially if you don't have a seat reservation that automatically puts you in the right section.
And secondly, don't rely on the information about delays. Trains can make up time and the delay may be less than originally announced. So check the status of the train regularly and don't move too far away from the platforms.
Thank you! Great add on!
That almost got me in France. Nice young man helped me out. Conductor did not care.
The biggest „don’t“ is not to realize that you are sitting in a quiet car an talking loudly and endlessly with your cellphone…
And please do not repeatedly wander down the aisle with your oversized luggage in search of a free seat (which you could have reserved for 3 Euros).
And above all else, DON'T mention the war.
I took the train from Munich to Salzburg, amazing views of the countryside and mountains.
… with less then 6 km being in Austria (0 km fare-wise).
One more thing to note: Some trains split up along the way.
Check the number of the wagon you are sitting in. For example one Railjet I often take from Vienna splits up in Salzburg and one half is going further to Munich and the other part is heading to Bregenz.
On the platform, check which sector you are in, for example Platform 8 sector A-C is going to Munich, D-F is going to Bregenz.
Depending on the operations, it can also change so listen to the announcements which part of the train is going where so you wont end up in the wrong city by mistake.
Also good to know: There is no gangway connection between those two train parts. So better check beforehand.
Actually, the fast trains cost the same as the slow ones (you pay for distance, not for speed). The regional trains only have second class, and that costs the same as second class on a long-distance train.
@@Tschackie You probably know more than me about Austrian prices, but I know that at least for the Westbahn there can be price differences. Which makes sence, since ÖBB and WESTbahn compete here. Do you know if specifically this route sees differences in prices, or can this also be true for other domestic routes?
@@Marchanthof My comment is in regards to ÖBB trains with a standard ticket, which can be used on any ÖBB train of the purchased route regardless of their speed. Trains of the WESTbahn company have their own pricing scheme independent from the ÖBB, which is more complex; but they only have long-distance trains, no regionals; hence the price difference alleged in the video can not be argued here.
As for your question regarding other routes besides the Westbahn: The WESTbahn company is continuously expanding their network, now with trains going as far as Bregenz and Stuttgart in Germany; as far as I know they are considering services to Graz. Everywhere the WESTbahn is going you can expect the added complexity of choosing between the two companies and their incompatible tickets (usually WESTbahn should be a bit cheaper, but I haven't checked in a while). I am not aware of any other private company that is competing with ÖBB in the way that WESTbahn does.
@@Marchanthof There is also special fares for ÖBB they are called "Sparschiene" and bound to specific trains. A lot cheaper, but not flexible.
Another important addition is you have to take care which train to get from the Airport in Vienna to the city. As there is also City Airport Train, but it's much more expensive than S-Bahn and standard tickets are not valid.
Whenever I search videos about travel- the search gives me videos of this guy, and I think his videos are really interesting and informative
I have literally just left Austria and was doing a lot of train travel! It would have been good to have this video a week ago ahah!
You forgot one major "don't":
Don't try to use the Westbahn with an ÖBB ticket or vice versa!
Westbahn is a private operator that operates mainly on the connection with the same name, i.e. Vienna-Linz-Salzburg--Kufstein-Innsbruck-Bregenz, with a branch from Salzburg to Munich and Stuttgart. Westbahn tickets can be cheaper, but their trains don't run as often, and you can't use ÖBB tickets on Westbahn or Westbahn tickts on ÖBB trains.
There's one exception though: For most Austrian states you can get all-state day tickets (and week tickets), those are valid on any train from any operator within the state you got it for.
I.e., with an all-Tirol day ticket you could run back and forth between Innsbruck and Kufstein (or Wörgl), comparing ÖBB RJ (Siemens) with Westbahn (Stadler) and the new RJ2 (Siemens again, running Munich-Innsbruck-Bolzano). Just don't forget there are long-distance train that don't call in all major stations in Tirol, most RJs skip either Kuftsein or Wörgl or Jenbach (or 2 of those).
This also applies to Regiojet which often have similar departure times from the same stations.
4:51 footage of U2 at Karlsplatz without screen doors, at least three and a half years old, hihi
Great video! As an Austrian, I can confirm that all the tips are accurate and helpful.
As a small addition to the point about safety on escalators. Especially in Vienna’s subway and urban rail systems, it’s customary to stand on the right side of the escalator, leaving the left side free for those who want to walk up faster. You can often spot tourists by the fact that they’re unaware of this rule. If a Viennese local is in a hurry, they can sometimes get quite frustrated and might even make a rude comment if someone doesn’t follow it. And let’s be honest, there’s a reason why Vienna regularly claims the title of the world’s unfriendliest city 😅
I’m happy you enjoyed your time in Österreich. You’re welcome back anytime!
Best regards from the west, by Lake Constance in the state of Vorarlberg.
Additional tips:
If you can live without fast trains, you can buy the Einfach-Raus-Ticket for >36€ for two persons (valid on every ÖBB regional train except in Vorarlberg) or regional day tickets like e.g., the the Upper-Austrian Freizeitticket OÖ für 25€ for up to two persons.
There are also some private train companies like Westbahn (mainly Vienna-Salzburg, but also with connections to Munich or Innsbruck) or Regiojet (mostly Vienna-Budapest or -Prague) that may offer cheaper options than the ÖBB.
I really like the new nighttrain from Vienna to Hamburg. Book the mini cabins. Its amazing!
I cannot wait to try it!!!!
It still uses the old rolling stock. Vienna - Hamburg has the new ones.
(Edit: It said Berlin before)
Went by them on a nighttrain from Vienna to Rome, the mini cabins are really cool, though the new nightjet line still has some issues so expect delays or cancelations
@6:20 in Railjet or Westbahn intercity trains you will find luggage racks for larger suitcases. Also depending on the seat layout you can also store luggage between the seat backs.
@7:20 and don't panic if the door doesn't open immediately. It will often extend the steps on the outside first, which takes a couple of seconds.
Also: always let people exit the train first and make room for them to do so! People blocking the exit (or even trying to shove in while people are still getting off) just make the process more cumbersome and time-consuming for everyone - including themselves!
Grüß gut 🙋♀️ I like the austrain trains. Clean and modern.
The trains in Austria are some of my favorite ones. I haven’t had any issues with delays or cancellations.
Great tips. The Austrian trains are usually quite pleasant. Jim and Harriet
A little tip regarding the seat reservation if you get into the train at an early stop, e.g. the train from Vienna to Zurich to go to Innsbruck and you enter in Wien Hauptbahnhof forget the seat reservation. Just go straight to the restaurant car. If you're not entering in the last minute you'll get a seat and on your trip you can enjoy some food or drinks and most of the time you'll have a pleasant conversation with your cotravellers or the service staff.
The discount card pays for itself in a two-way trip from Vienna to Innsbruck if you don't happen to get the Sparschiene discount tickets which are only valid for a specific train at a specific time, whereas the ordinary ticket is valid for all trains within a day of your chosen travel date (of course only without seat reservation). Anyway, the discount card is about 70 Euros and a one -way trip from Vienna to Innsbruck is about 80 Euros with the discount card it's slightly over 42 Euros. So within a two-way trip, the discount card pays for itself.
I am in Vienna right now!
Austria has great trains
love the style of the video, looking good!
Hey Mark, awesome video and Happy New Year to you and your family.
I'm from Rome, but I lived for 15 years in Vienna. Lovely city. And I was a train conductor for night trains.
So basically you showed me a big part of my life. Oh those stations hehe
How was the job working in the nighttrain?
@austriankangaroo A bit stressful. Working always at night is draining and wrecks your body. But I must say that my colleagues were awesome and it certainly was interesting being an OBB/DB Zugchef ;)
Happy new year :)
@@TheMarcodiator Thank you and happy new year to you too :), i will start my initial training at newrest in 1 week. Do you have any tips or so for the beginning?
@austriankangaroo Oh wow! That's the company I worked for. xD
My base was in the station in Matzleinsdorfer Platz.
Some tips: don't get demoralized. It's very tough and the tours are long. But the pay is not bad at all. You'll probably do a few tours as a stewart, then you'll be off to OBB/DB Zugcheftraining.
I'd tell you, get that certification, as if you are not happy at newrest, it's much easier to get into the OBB directly.
I might still have a few colleagues in there at Matz.
Viel glueck!
Feel free to send me a message! (my german is a bit rusty :D )
I always get seat reservations....almost every time, there's someone sitting in my seat when I board. They don't look happy when they're asked to move, but I enjoy it immensely.
Even if there is only you and the other person on the train, right?
That has never happened, but if it did-yes. That’s why they’re called “reservations “.
@@jturie I had a feeling... 🤣
@@wbaumschlager Absolutely. And with good reason, because even if there are other seats available (it's never just me and one other person, let's face it), it's highly likely that I will be asked to move seats at some point, because I am now sitting in _their_ reserved spot. So, no: If I reserved that seat, I'll kindly ask you to go sit somewhere else.
The "different trains have different costs" point is actually not true for Austria specifically. ÖBB tickets are timed tickets for a route, any ÖBB train goes. So if you have a ticket for 25th-26th Jannuary from Salzburg to Vienna over Linz, you can absolutely take a slow regional train in the morning, hop out somewhere in Upper Austria and check out the town for 3h, continue with another slow train to Linz, then hop into the fast train to Vienna with exactly the same ticket you bought for the railjet which would have gone in one go.
The tickets always tell you when and where it's valid. The only thing you really have to look out for when buying it is the general route. Like if you want to go from Innsbruck to Graz, you have to pick if you'll take the Northern route over Linz or the Southern one over Villach if you want to hop out at a specific point in between. There are three other notable limits: Nightjets - you are sometimes allowed to board (especially after evening railjets were cancelled) but might not get any seat. And of course, if you booked first class and the regional train doesn't have that, too bad. Other way around, don't accidentally sit in first class with a second class ticket, lol. And finally, any seat reservations are lost of you pick another train.
Also noteworthy: it's still an ÖBB train if it says ČD, DB, SBB, MÁV, SŽ etc. on the rolling stock.
Unless it says WEST, RGJ or DRV on the departure board you'll be fine.
However: This is only applicable if you actually have an ÖBB ticket, which is often not the case if you have a route within a transport association.
Partner and I have been travelling around Germany and Austria via train. An inter rail ticket was a godsend (and between us practically paid for itself getting from London to Brussels and back).
It has been already mentioned that many Railjet-trains between Vienna and Salzburg are really two seperate trains coupled together with a locomotive between. So you cant' walk through the whole train. That's why it's important with a seat reservation to board the right half of the train, otherwise you won't be able to reach your seat.
Another thing: claim the seat with your reservation immediately after boarding. The reservations are shown on small displays above the seat. But those indications will blank out minutes after departure and other people will recognize the seat as free.
Save and happy journeys!
Also: If you don't claim your seat within 15 minutes nobody is obliged to give it you.
Nice! 🙂
1:09 correction: no, unlike for example Germany, Italy and other countries in the vicinity, Austrian ÖBB never had different fares for different classes of trains. With a regular ticket, you can take any train you want on that route, from Railjet (RJ, RJX) to EuroCity (EC) to InterCity (IC) to fast train (D) to Regional Express (REX) to regional train (R) and Schnellbahn (S). All cost the same.
Night Jets are exempt, they require an all-inclusive ticket with reservation. Otherwise reservations can be bought optionally for a low price for all express trains, not on regional trains.
There are some special low-fare tickets booked in advance, but again, these can be used on any trains within the parameters of the ticket.
You can even use the urban ticket in Vienna for example to go on express trains between stations within the city.
Only on ÖBB express trains there is 1st class and business class only on railjets. You can use regional trains with a first class ticket, but you only pay more unnecessarily.
You can absolutely use a (domestic) standard ticket on a Nightjet and use the seat carriage. There is no mandatory seat reservation on Nightjets between Austrian stations.
You can even buy a surcharge for higher classes where it makes sense (probably only Bregenz - Wien).
@@to_loww Regarding Nightjets: interesting, because with all other trains if you try to buy a ticket with Klimaticket you get a price of 0€, but for Nightjets you get 4,99€ displayed.
One important excemption for tickets: Do not mix up CAT and S-Bahn from Vienna airport. That can get pricey.
they once actually had something like this, but it was decades ago.
Most shops in the stations are still not open Sunday. Just restaurants and a small section of the grocery stores that basically just have a "convenience store" selection of goods. Most of a big Billa or something will be cordoned off
The Austrian rail ticketing system is one of the most trivially easy of any European ticketing system to understand. A ticket is a ticket from A to B, regardless of what train one selects, and if I recall correctly, is valid for any train from A to B within a certain time window. Now the Polish train system is another matter entirely...
Except if you get a Sparschiene ticket, those are for a specific train. And those are the cheap tickets... There's also a whole flurry of regional tickets that might be interesting. But they didn't use those to do away with the basic distance-based pricing, too.
Yes, but the time window can vary wildly, especially when you don't leave the local transport association (everyone having different rules).
Buy a (full fare) ticket Villach to Friesach and you'll have to use the next departing train. Buy it one station further and it's valid for two days.
Same goes for SBB
Welcome to Austria
Thx for sharing
I just took a train from Salzburg to Vienna yesterday!!
Actually I found out, that even if you take only a handful of train rides in Austria, it can be cheaper to buy the "Vorteilskarte". Yes, it costs some money too, but you can get some good discounts. Though it is not the easiest thing to find out, at which point it helps you saving. Could be five train rides, could be 20. Depends on the destinations and trains you want to use.
And don't be afraid of the "unfriendly" Austrians. We usually just don't care about other people but we don't bite. And can be quite charming if we are in a good mood. And yes, hats off to the conductors, never had a bad experience with them.
It also gives you somewhat better terms and conditions. If you buy a full fare ticket from Vienna to St. Pölten the ticket will only be valid for two hours. With that 50% discount it's valid for the whole day.
Mark, how about doing a video about the pros and cons of the Eurail/Interrail pass? I've been in Europe for several weeks, traveling by train, and have appreciated the flexibility of the Eurail pass. There have been a few times when i didn't get seat reservations because I didn't make the train I was shooting for and it was too close to the next train departure time, but I've been lucky that there were enough seats available, even on a Salzburg - Vienna train.
Interrail/Eurail is definitely something people should look at when they're travelling by train in Europe, however, whether it's worth it or not depends on a few factors, like which countries are your travelling in, for how long, how much train travel are you prepared to do per day, how fixed are your travel plans, and how much in advance do you know it... If you know where you're going at least a month in advance and won't deviate from that plan, tickets might actually be cheaper. It's a fixed price per day, if you're mainly making short trips, chances are tickets are cheaper, or there's a cheap regional ticket instead. If you're mainly travelling in Central Europe and the Balkans, even last-minute long-distance tickets are often hardly more expensive than a travel day. If on the other hand, you're travelling in Western Europe, especially France or Spain, where most long-distance trains require a reservation fee, those can quickly spiral.
But if you make long journeys, also on regional, non-reservation trains, especially in Western or Northern Europe, I will recommend it.
Hi! Austrian here! Usually fast trains cost the same as slow ones. Reisezentrum empleeys ÖBB are employeed by öbb so they have the same high standards as any öbb worker which mean they speak at least english and german. About escalator: rechts stehen, links gehen which means if you stand on the left side of the escalator keep moving otherwise you blocking the flow. People never ask if your seat is paid, maybe grumpy people from vienna 😂. Austria is very safe, dont worry about the luggage getting stolen. If you plan a trip in advance look for "öbb sparschiene" you can get easy for 20$ from Salzburg to Viennai
Well I had to yeet people from my reserved seat several times because they didn't see/didn't care that the seat was reserved.
The unwritten rule of standing on the right only applies in Vienna.
Seat reservations can be as little as 6 EUR, so it‘s completely worth it. Business and First Class have the seat reservations included you can change them for free, too.)
Seat reservation for ÖBB trains is usually 3 Eur, for Westbahn trains it's included in the ticket price.
@@parpar3 major difference i think is that ÖBB Tickets are valid for a distance (valid one use within 48 hours) while Westbahn only for a certain train. ÖBBs Sparschiene are as well Train fixed tickets (includes seat reservation if remember correctly )
@@Neuzahnstein Westbahn is pretty similar. Westflexpreis and Westvorteilspreis are flexible. Westsuperpreis is bound to a specific train.
When visiting Austria don't say " Good D mate" to the locals. 😅
Be careful of the Kangaroos, they bite.😁
Let's put some shrimps on the barbie!
@@mrsirkosky7618 Austrians will insist that their local names like "Topfen" are used for their cuisine. So please call them "prawns".
@@to_loww You clearly did not see the movie
@@mrsirkosky7618 It's not from a movie, it's from an Australian ad campaign targeted at Americans. And Australians hate that line with passion because no Australian would say "shrimps".
As an Austrian I feel their pain. There are several German (as in Germany) words, that Austrians would vehemently refuse to use (often food-related).
As an Austrian, I do it the exact opposite way when it comes to the toilets: I try to go on the train whenever possible so I save 50 cents for the toilet.
It really depends where you are.
In more rural stations, the toilets (if there are any) are often free.
@ that’s true, but I am from Vienna
Sometimes you get cheaper "sparschiene-tickets" when you extend the destination or starting point. E.g.: you want to travel from Wels to Bad Ischl -> take a look if maybe Linz to Bad Ischl has a better sparticket price, or even further like Amstetten to Salzburg. You can still take/hop on the train in Wels and leave in Bad Ischl.
Faster trains aren't usually more expensive. While Germany makes a clear distinction between long distance trains (ICE, IC, EC) where you pay considerably more unless you book in advance and get a "Sparpreis" ticket, Austria and Switzerland basically treat all trains the same. Which means that "Verbund" tickets, Klimatickets, etc. are valid in all trains (there are some exceptions such as Freizeit-Ticket Steiermark, always read the small print).
Note also that Westbahn is a private company and has different fares from ÖBB.
I have traveled to Japan a few times and got to know and became accustomed to their trains . This year I visited Austria and the trains their are a little different and it took me a bit to figure out what was going on.
All shops being closed on Sundays (period) except for inside train stations and airports is also a thing in Germany and Switzerland.
10:30 At short notice, consider interrail .
Or Eurail, if you're not living in Europe (including the UK).
And when your trips aren't too far, the cheapest Eurail pass is some 300 USD for 4 days, so roughly 75 USD a day. If your regional ticket would only be some 20 EUR, 40 EUR return, you're better to buy the ticket.
@@barvdw True . I know it won't always be cheapest but NEVER make a decision before looking! NEVER !
@@barvdw The Einfach-Raus-Ticket may also be an option, especially if you're in a group and don't need long-distance services (it's only valid in S, R, REX, CJX trains).
I am surprised how calm they are when the train is like 20-30 min late. Have your inner ZEN when waiting for the train on the platform.
One thing is for sure, I would mich rather get a train from Innsbruck to Vienna, and then fly from Vienna back to the UK as the turbulence from takeoff from Innsbruck to Manchester as few months ago was absolutely horrendous!
Also look for prices on the neighbouring countries apps.
Like if you want to travel from austria to czechia (e.g. upper austria Linz-Budweis/cz budehjovice) look at the prices from Dzeky Drahy/ czech railway or the germans DB/deutsche bahn. It will save you a lot
Seeing people stand the whole train ride when we were there in December because they didn't book a seat reservations for just a few euros more looked like a terrible mistake.
Walter I have had a family issue traveling Europe maybe you can elaborate on. The use of bathrooms in places open to the public? My 4 year old daughter had to pee so bad she was crying. No public bathrooms in sight, we went to a restaurant hoping to use the bathroom. The employee seeing my daughter had no care wanting to allow her. Finally after begging she said okay. Well this place had the old style 4 inch hole. My daughter flipped out and said no way, LOL. We finally found another place. But I've noticed times, they are hard against using bathrooms unless you are a patron.
Thanks for your time!
Tipping may help. If you ask only for the bathroom in a restaurant it is expected that you have at least a coffee there or give a tip before heading to the bathroom.
Another don't: if your train is delayed for "technical reasons", don't just assume that there was a problem with the train, the cables, or the rails, these all might happen, but "technical problems" is also used as code for suicide situations, and it's unfortunately common for situations of this kind to cause for technical delays in Austria.
Not really. Accidents and medical emergencies are usually "Rettungseinsatz", "Feuerwehreinsatz" or "behördliche Sperrung".
@to_loww I was talking specifically about suicides and attempted suicides, not emergencies in general, and the reasoning is apparently that the train companies want to avoid copycats. Now, I may have fallen for an urban legend, but the reasoning seems sound to me.
If the weather is bad, the train might be late... but it is still better than being stuck in car in totally closed highway.
You forgot the "Westbahn" - it is usualy cheaper than the OEBB
Seat reservations on ÖBB only cost 3€, but are for free on Westbahn.
on the reservation:
you have to make it I think one day in advance, later it is not possible anymore
you should make it especially at Friday afternoon out of Vienna and Sunday afternoon back to Vienna
it costs only 3€ so when you are a group and want to sit together definitely worth it
when you want to take your bike with you in a fast train you have to reserve a space for the bike quite early, sometimes there are not many spaces (just 5)
You can buy a reservation on the same day, but your choice will be limited to the few "ggf. reserviert" seats (if there are some left).
The biggest don't is not to put your bags on the seat next to you. I kid you not, I always gotta sit on the floor for a few hours riding the train, cuz it's too crowded. One time I had to ride a train 11 hours just so I could sit all of those 11 hours on the floor next to the bathroom
❤❤❤
Visiting my Aunt in Vienna this summer but want to add Bamberg (stunning history) or Wroclaw (gnomes and stunning history). Would you recommend one or another in conjunction with Vienna? Took the train from Krakow to Vienna once before so thinking maybe Wroclaw with train connection through Katowice to Vienna? Or Bamberg to Salzburg, Innsbruck to Vienna. 😊 Grateful for your thoughts!
Those are some great, but quite distant trips, definitely outside of day trip range. If you include them in a circular trip, maybe, but be prepared to sit on a train for an entire day (or night, but night trains aren't really helpful for Wroclaw nor Bamberg). No direct trains between either of them, but Bamberg is fairly simple with a change in Nürnberg (also a very nice city, and some not-so-nice, but very compelling history as well).
Maybe check Eurail (or Interrail if you are living in Europe). I'd suggest using Deutsche Bahn's planner to get some idea of how long it takes and how often you can go, but if you take night trains, consider the option of staying in, there's no need to get up at 4 o'clock to change there for an early morning train, you could stay in untill say Krakow or Warsaw when it's light outside, and go to Wroclaw from there).
@barvdw thank you! Yes this would be a linear journey vs day trips. Thank you for this! Appreciate the info. Spending a day on the right trains in Europe can be a real joy too lol!
@@suzanned7472 Then I'd do Bamberg-Vienna (about 5 hours) and Vienna-Wroclaw (about 6 hours), or the other way round.
In theory you can also do day trips from Vienna (e.g. Vienna dep. 6:13, Bamberg arr. 11:20; dep. 17:39, Vienna arr. 23:05).
@@stephanweinberger thank you! I'm looking at about 10 days, and of course trying to cram as much in as reasonable, while still dedicating about 5 days to spending time with family in Vienna...so much to see, so little time! Lol! Grateful for all the input... I have some great places to see!
@@suzanned7472 I guess it also depends on where you're coming from/how you arrive (I guess it's by airplane?) and how much time you want to spend in Bamberg and/or Wroclaw.
E.g. Bamberg isn't all that big, so 6 hours as a day trip from Vienna would be doable - but the question is if you want to spend 11-12 hours on the train for that.
You could look into flights to/from Nuremberg (about 1h from the NUE airport to Bamberg) and/or Wroclaw (WRO airport is also about 1h from the city center) and spend a night in each city; that would give you 6 full days in between for Vienna.
Also, Bamberg-Innsbruck isn't too bad (about 4 hours by train), so even that might be doable for another night (or even just the day; Innsbruck-Vienna is 4h15m, so again about 6-7h in the afternoon to tour the city).
Same for Bamberg-Salzburg-Vienna (about 6 hours journey overall, so also a good afternoon in the city).
So actually quite a lot of options. It all depends on how much you want to cram into 10 days, and if you just want to visit the cities for an afternoon or actually spend time there, i.e. what type of traveller you are 🙂
We are having a family trip to Europe. Where do you think would be a good cheap place to rent an air B&B that is is central to everything?
Which countries do you want to visit? More cities or more countryside? If you stay in one place, you won't be seeing much of 'Europe'... You may have to work out such questions first before you ask others.
How small do you think Europe is? A day trip will not get you not very far.
I'm looking for some advice. I've never traveled on a train in Europe. So we are planning on taking a train from Munich to Budapest in late October. Any thoughts on that train ride? We've picked the train over a flight or private driver/car. We will two pieces of large luggage that will not fit overhead. Any thoughts would be helpful.
It seems that line culture when it come sto getting on/off trains in many places in Europe is different than the US (in fact in the US, the general rule is to let people get off first and then you get on) whereas in some (or perhaps many) places in Europe it seems to be every man/woman for themselves and you sort of have to push your way on/off the trains particularly the subways where you have less than 30 seconds to board or get off, which I learned to just stay by the door if I have o get off or at least the seats nearest the doors.
Amongst the discount ticket options is the “Einfach-Raus” ticket which gives an excellent price reduction for people travelling in a group of 2 up to a max of 5. But to use Mark’s system DON’T forget they are for “Regional” trains only even though the ÖBB website says it’s for “Local” trains. Make sure you learn how to figure out which train numbers are for Regional trains as opposed to inter city/international destinations as some regional trains also go to the intercity destinations which can be confusing. Not having done this before traveling cost us a €30 excess fare fine when changing trains at Worgl. No sympathy from the staff, “it’s on the back of the ticket” but unfortunately I had not brought our magnifying glass with us…..
👍
You only have to lift your luggage in older trains. The Intercity trains have different racks.
Instead of using those confusing ticket machines (not to mention that you have to physically go to the station in advance if you want to book some time before your travel, as suggested in the video) and look up the train details on the information on the platforms while searching and then waiting for the train, why not simply use the OBB app? I rarely use the train, so I'm no expert. Still I found it's easy to book a train with the app and in addition you get all the information in detail on your phone and updated in real time.
The ticket machines won't sell you seat reservations and Sparschiene anyway, so there's no point going to the ticket machine in advance.
You may however buy the ticket online and then print it on the machine. I would recommend having physical tickets for international travels.
@@to_loww He talked about buying in advance, not about Sparschiene, but maybe he meant that. I wasn't talking about international travel only, he recommended the train in general. However, you can buy online and print out the ticket at home too. I also like a printout for long distance travel.
@@theheinzification Purchasing a (flexible) standard ticket in advance only barely gives you better prices (about 4 to 6 %).
Buying it directly from the machine is also slightly more expensive than online. But there are also some advantages to that (like anonymity).
As a Polish Winged Hussar, I set the rules on the European continent.
I am Europe, Europe is me.
😘
it's not unfriendly to ask people who claim to have a reservation to show their ticket, as it is very common that people end up in the wrong carriage or get confused with window or aisle seats. Especially tourists not familiar with the numbering system.
Taking a wrong seat could also have consequences for the people who made the reservation because reservations and tickets are two seperate things, so if you're not there by the time the conductor comes around they would assume the person getting the reservation didn't make it and cancel it. So if you took a wrong seat, worst case could be that someone else has a reservation for it and by the time they show up you're original seats are taken and your reservation is cancelled.
New trains will have displays above the seats showing reservations, so if seasoned travellers take a seat that doesn't show any reservations and then someone turns up, claiming to have one, they will be quite sure that you are the one who is wrong and will of course demand proof (which could be correct as sometimes those displays don't work, but most of the time, the person claiming to have a reservation made a mistake)
Any reservation is void 15 minutes after departure. Nobody actively cancels it.
The conductor is usually not involved in this unless two people claim the same seat.
@to_loww The display message gets cancelled, but the reservation system cannot automatically know if somebody actually took the seats or not, so in that case the reservation itself would still be valid?
@@snarepusher No, your reservation is valid for the first 15 minutes. And once the train departs from the first station the system can't (re)assign seats anyway, so it really does not matter.
I’d make 1 more small recommendation on the ticket machines.
Learn how to navigate them in German, it’s usually just a few clicks, you can work it out on your first train journey.
Sometimes homeless people will harass you for money at train station machines (especially a problem in Germany in bigger cities) so being able to use them and get away as quickly as possible will stop you from being a “mark”
@@gogovideo10 seems like a weird reason, it's not hard to just say no to them. gotta be firm and maybe repeat it a couple times but not hard
I don't see the point leaving them in German when it's just one tap to change the language.
Man kommt nicht überall hin aber viele Städte 😂
Wolter we were on the train three days ago from Vienna to Progue. We’ve never ridden these trains before as it was our first time in Europe. My wife and I couldn’t find the tickets only the seat reservation and the conductor made us double pay for the seats. However later on we found our tickets and he refunded us. The trains are very packed right now, as you had people standing on the train.
Seats are for people, not baggage!
"Bagage" and "Koffer" (suitcase) are common insults in Austria however. For people.
@@to_loww Interesting. Baggage or luggage on seats in the UK is also very common as well. It irritates me immensely and I usually make a point of picking out a seat with a bag on to sit in thereby defeating their intention.
"Don't expect friendly people on the train"
These are more like DOs
is smoking allowed ?
smoking inside the train is illegal and smoking inside the stations/on the platforms is also not allowed. If you want to smoke, do it in front of the Train station before taking the train.
@@margarita8442 no smoking in the train is not allowed. As far as i know even when some smokes on the toilet the train has to stop due to safety and the person who smoked has to pay a high penalty.
Most platforms at larger stations feature designated smoking zones, but not when the station is underground.
@@heikozysk233 No, the last smoking zones have been removed in April 2020.
@@to_loww Wow. I could have sworn that they had those smoking "islands" on the platforms still last year. My memory must have played tricks on me.
RegioJet can be a much cheaper train option, too.
Please dont come to see "beautiful Salzburg". Tooooooo many tourists here!!!!!!
At least not the city of Salzburg (the state's name is also Salzburg)
Hallstatt is way worse when it comes to overtourism. If you go there, please do it for the archeological sites, not the overcrowded and overwhelmed village underneath.
🇪🇬🐪🌴
Don’t have a square moustache and tell people that your are a painter.
Some of the 28.85% that voted extreme right last election might enjoy that... Just a 'small' number of 1.4mio people w right to vote... In a country of 9mio and 6.75mio who can cast their Vote 🤷♂️🤷🏿♀️🤷🏽♂️🤷🏼
And don't do the goose step.
@@christophflattinger2262 And the other parties just failed to form a coalition.
Raise your hand if you thought the title said "Australia"
👍