travelling to austria by train from uk

The Man in Seat 61

How to travel by train from

London to vienna & austria.

• Buy train tickets
• Buy ferry tickets
• Book a hotel
• Privacy & cookies
•   Home

Train travel UK & Ireland...

Train travel in europe..., train travel in asia..., train travel in africa..., train travel in america..., train travel in australasia, london to austria by train in a day.

It's easy to travel from the UK to Austria by train.  You can travel from London to Vienna, Salzburg or Innsbruck in a day by high-speed train.  Or take an afternoon Eurostar from London to Brussels or Paris from £78 return and the excellent Nightjet sleeper train from Brussels or Paris to Salzburg & Vienna from €59 each way with couchette.  How about the scenic route through Switzerland ?  London to Paris by afternoon Eurostar in 2h20 and an evening TGV-Lyria onwards to Zurich in 4h05, stay overnight, then take a morning railjet train from Zurich to Innsbruck, Salzburg or Vienna through the fabulous Arlberg Pass.  It's comfortable, affordable and much better for the environment than any flight.  This page explains train times, fares & how to buy tickets.

Train travel within Austria

International trains to & from austria, useful travel information, interactive map.

Click a route or destination for times, fares & tickets.

Useful country information

London to linz & vienna, which route to choose.

Which option is cheapest?  You have to go online and see, because each option involves several tickets and the price of each ticket varies like an air fare.  However, the London-Vienna in a day option is usually cheapest as no sleepers or hotels are involved.  At short notice, the Harwich ferry option may be cheaper than Eurostar.

Can you go out one way, back another?   Yes!  Almost all European train fares are priced as one-way, so you can book one-way out on one route and one-way back on another.  Eurostar is the exception where a return fare is cheaper than two one-ways, so book London-Paris or London-Brussels as a round trip if you can.

Can you stop off?   Of course!  Simply book trains either side of the stopover on whatever dates you want.  Each part of these journeys is ticketed separately in any case (for example, the Eurostar and the sleeper train), so it's no problem to stop off on the way in (for example) Paris or Brussels.

What if you're not starting from London?   See this advice about starting your journey from elsewhere in the UK .

Option 1, London to Vienna in a day

Thanks to Europe's high-speed trains, it's possible to travel from London to Vienna in a single day, potentially the cheapest option.

The Man in Seat61 says:   "Returning from a conference in Vienna, I travelled back to London by high-speed train in a single day.  ICEs are amongst Europe's most luxurious high-speed trains, a day of me-time, chilling out with a good book, with a refreshing Weissbier or two in the restaurant car as you speed through the landscapes of Austria, Germany & Belgium.  Breakfast & lunch are served on real china, you'll even glimpse the Danube after Passau as you'll see in my video ..."

London ► Vienna (06:16 departure, Monday-Friday)

London ► vienna (08:16 departure, daily).

Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Standard Premier & Business Premier fares include breakfast.

Vienna ► London (07:13 departure, daily)

Vienna ► london (09:13 departure, daily), how much does it cost.

London to Brussels by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in standard class, £97 one-way, £140 return standard premier (1st class).

How to buy tickets

Another way to buy tickets.

This is a more work, but with no booking fee.  Do a dry run on both sites first to check availability & prices, also check that your outward Eurostar and ICE are indeed a recognised connection by checking that they appear as a valid connection when you run a London to Cologne enquiry at int.bahn.de .

Step 1, book the Eurostar from London to Brussels (and back, if returning) at www.eurostar.com and print your own ticket, or load it into the Eurostar app to show on your phone.  After booking you can use the Eurostar Manage Booking system to select an exact seat on Eurostar .

Step 2, book from Brussels to Vienna at the German Railways site int.bahn.de and print your own ticket, or show it on your laptop or phone.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  An advantage of booking direct with int.bahn.de is that you can select an exact seat on ICE trains from a seating plan.

Using an Interrail pass

Pass or point to point?

Let's be clear, a pass will not save money over the cheapest point-to-point advance-purchase fares you might see if you book a few months ahead.  But when point-to-point fares are expensive (for example, at short notice) OR you want flexibility, for example the ability to change your mind, re-route or reschedule as necessary, a pass might be what you need.

If flexibility is what you want, buy the pass.  If it's about saving money, you'll have to check point-to-point prices and do the maths.

It's worth doing the maths if you are under 28, if you have kids (kids get a free pass when accompanying an adult but still need to pay reservation fees) or if you live a long way from London (as a pass covers you from your home station to London). Passes are available in 1st & 2nd class.

How to use a pass for a trip to Austria

Step 1, buy a 4-days in 1-month Interrail pass from www.raileurope.com (click Rail passes then select Europe ) or www.interrail.eu , see pass prices on the Interrail page .  You load the pass into the Railplanner app on your phone.

A 4-day pass is enough to get from almost anywhere in mainland Britain to anywhere in Austria & back again.

A 4-day pass gives you unlimited train travel on any 4 dates you choose in an overall 1 month period.  The first travel day can be any date you select in the 11 months after buying the pass, the overall 1 month period starts from that date.  Learn about how Interrail passes work here .

Step 2, make a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Brussels & back, see prices & how to make Eurostar passholder reservations online .  Tip:  Eurostar passholder availability is limited, check availability before buying a pass .

Step 3, reservations between Brussels and Vienna are usually optional , you can just sit in any empty unreserved seat and show your pass when asked.  But it's a good idea to reserve seats for long journeys, you can reserve for around €5 each way at int.bahn.de by entering Brussels to Vienna and clicking the Book seat only link under the red search button.

By all means go out one way, back another, with an Interrail pass you can use almost any of the trains & routes to/from Austria shown on this page, find out how to reserve the relevant trains using the Interrail reservations guide .

Have your trip arranged as a package

Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a tour or holiday to Austria for you as a package, including rail travel, hotels & transfers.  On their website you'll find a range of suggested tours & holidays which can be varied or customised to your own requirements.  And as you're booking a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens to one part of the itinerary such as a strike or delay.  They get very positive reviews.  One of their most popular trips is their Ultimate Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest which starts by train from the UK.  It can be customised to include train travel back to the UK as well, just ask them.

Tailor Made Rail can also organise a trip to Austria by train, with hotels and transfers. Call their dedicated seat61 phone line 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking.  From outside the UK call +44 20 3778 1461.  Lines open 09:00-17:30 Monday-Friday.  Their website is www.tailormaderail.com/destinations/austria .

How to buy tickets by phone

What's the journey like.

1. London to Brussels by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure .  St Pancras station guide .  Brussels Midi station guide & short cut for changing trains in Brussels .

3. Brussels to Frankfurt by ICE3

Germany's superb ICE (InterCity Express) high-speed trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, food & drink orders are taken and served at your seat.  The ICE3neo train from Brussels to Frankfurt calls at Liège, where you can admire the impressive station designed by celebrity architect Santiago Calatrava, and at Cologne Hbf , where you'll see Cologne Cathedral to the right as you approach, right next to the station.  Immediately after leaving Cologne Hbf , the train crosses the long Hohenzollern bridge over the Rhine before joining the 300km/h high-speed line to Frankfurt.  More about ICE trains .  Brussels Midi station guide .  Frankfurt (Main) Hbf station guide .

An ICE3neo at Brussels Midi with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICE trains .  Photo above courtesy of Christian Hunt.

3. Frankfurt to Vienna by ICE-T

Also with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, food & drink orders are taken and served at your seat.  On the ICE-T train from Frankfurt to Vienna you'll pass rolling countryside, it runs along the Danube in several places.  More about ICE trains .  Frankfurt (Main) Hbf station guide .  Vienna Hbf station guide .

An ICE-T from Frankfurt to Vienna with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICE trains .

Chill out across Germany & Austria, with glimpses of the Inn and Danube rivers.

Video:  Vienna to London by train in a day

The video shows departure from Vienna Westbahnhof, but remember that the train now leaves from Vienna's new Hauptbahnhof.

Option 2, London to Vienna using the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet

This is the easiest & most time-effective way from London to Vienna.  Take Eurostar to Brussels then the excellent Nightjet sleeper from Brussels to Vienna, this runs 3-times-a-week but should become daily from autumn 2024.  Incidentally, option 3 is almost identical, but via Paris rather than Brussels, so check that out too.

London ► Vienna

Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Standard Premier & Business Premier fares include lunch with wine.

This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car.  See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video .

There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee, served in your compartment.

The train travels along the famous Rhine Valley between Koblenz (23:46) and Mainz (00:39), so if you're still awake and your compartment happens to be on the left-hand side of the train, switch off the lights and watch the Rhine pass by, mountains, vineyards, castles & the legendary Lorelei Rock lit by moonlight.  Wonderful!

Vienna ► London

There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee.

Tip:   If you have a sleeper, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Hbf with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & free WiFi.

Fares vary like air fares, book early for the cheapest prices.  Return fares are twice the one-way fare.

On the sleeper train, berths are sold individually, so one ticket means one bed, the other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers.  For sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a 1-berth sleeper or 2 tickets in a 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in a 4-berth couchette and so on.

Using www.thetrainline.com allows you to book all your tickets in one place, in €, £ or $, international cards no problem, small booking fee.  Booking for this Nightjet typically opens 3-4 months ahead, but this can vary.  More about when bookings open .  Child under 6?  See here .

Tip:   After booking you can use the Manage booking facility at www.eurostar.com to choose an exact seat from a seating plan, see tips on choosing a seat on Eurostar .

Or use an Interrail pass

It's worth doing the maths if you are under 28, if you have kids (kids get a free pass when accompanying an adult but still need to pay reservation fees) or if you live a long way from London (as a pass covers you from your home station to London).  Passes are available in 1st & 2nd class, a 2nd class pass is all you need to book any type of sleeper on the Nightjet, even a deluxe.

Step 2, make a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Brussels & back, €30 each way.  See prices & how to make Eurostar passholder reservations online .  Tip:  Eurostar passholder availability is limited, so check availability before buying a pass .

Step 3, make a couchette or sleeper reservation on the Nightjet sleeper at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, method 1 .   Prices can be found on the Interrail reservations page .

Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a tour or holiday to Austria for you as a package, including rail travel, hotels & transfers.  On their website you'll find a range of suggested tours & holidays which can be varied or customised to your own requirements.  And as you're booking a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens to one part of the itinerary such as a strike or delay.  One of their most popular trips is their Ultimate Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest which starts by train from the UK.  It can be customised to include train travel back to the UK as well, just ask them.

Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure .  St Pancras station guide .   Brussels Midi station guide .  In Brussels, I recommend using the Pullman Hotel bar as your VIP waiting room .

2. Brussels to Vienna by Nightjet  See the Nightjet guide

Video guide:  By Nightjet to Vienna

Option 3, london to vienna using the paris-vienna nightjet.

Almost identical to option 2, but via Paris instead of Brussels.  Option 2 involves an easy same-station change in Brussels from Eurostar to Nightjet, this involves an easy 7 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est , that's the only real difference.  The Paris-Salzburg (-Vienna) & Brussels-Salzburg (-Vienna) Nightjets run on the same 3 days of the week, in fact they run coupled together as a single train between Mannheim and Vienna.

Important update 2024:  ÖBB have given up trying to run this train from 12 August to 25 October 2024, due to the amount of trackwork.  Use the Brussels-Vienna sleeper instead (option 2) as this will run.

This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and two ordinary seats cars.  See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video .

Important update 2024:  ÖBB have given up trying to run this train from 12 August to 25 October 2024, due to the amount of trackwork.  Use the Vienna-Brussels sleeper instead (option 2) as this will run.

Tip:   If you have a ticket for a sleeper, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Hbf with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & free WiFi.

Fares vary like air fares, book early for the cheapest prices.

Return fares are twice the one-way fare.

Using www.thetrainline.com allows you to book all your tickets in one place, in €, £ or $, international cards no problem, small booking fee. 

Booking for this Nightjet typically opens 2-4 months ahead, it varies.  More about when bookings open .  Child under 6?  See here .

Step 2, make a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Paris & back, €30 each way.  See prices & how to make Eurostar passholder reservations online .  Tip:  Eurostar passholder availability is limited, so check availability before buying a pass .

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in just 2 hours 20 minutes, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure .  St Pancras station guide .  Gare du Nord station guide .

2. Paris to Vienna by Nightjet   See the Nightjet guide

Option 4, London to Vienna using the Amsterdam-Vienna Nightjet

This is similar to option 2, but instead of taking an afternoon Eurostar from London to Brussels and the 3-times-a-week Nightjet sleeper train from Brussels to Vienna, you take a late-morning Eurostar to Amsterdam, spend some time there, then take the daily Nightjet sleeper train from Amsterdam to Vienna.  This is a round-about route taking a few hours longer, but London-Amsterdam Eurostar fares are similar to (and often less than) London-Brussels fares, Amsterdam-Vienna Nightjet fares are the same as Brussels-Vienna, this option runs every day and you get some time in the Dutch capital.  What's not to like?

Times may vary, so check for your date at www.eurostar.com .  Always allow at least 1 hour between trains in Amsterdam, ideally more.

This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats cars.  See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video .

From April 2025 this train is due to become a new generation Nightjet , with new rolling stock including individual mini cabins.

Using www.thetrainline.com allows you to book all your tickets in one place, in €, £ or $, international cards no problem, small booking fee.

Booking for this Nightjet typically opens 3-4 months ahead, but it can vary.  More about when bookings open .

1. London to Amsterdam by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Amsterdam in just 3h55, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure .  St Pancras station guide .   Amsterdam Centraal station guide .

2. Amsterdam to Vienna by Nightjet  See the Nightjet guide

Option 5 , London to Vienna with overnight stop in Zurich

The scenic route!  If you prefer daytime trains & scenery to overnight sleepers and want a leisurely journey with an overnight break, here's the scenic route with a hotel stop in Zurich.  Take an afternoon Eurostar & evening high-speed TGV-Lyria from London to Zurich in Switzerland, stay overnight, and next morning take a relaxing low-speed ride on a swish modern railjet train along the Zürichsee then snaking through the fabulous Arlberg Pass into Austria.  The world-class scenery through the Alps makes it a worthwhile experience!  By all means go one way by sleeper, the other by day.  See for yourself, watch the video & see the photos below .

This double-deck high-speed train travels at up to 320 km/h (199 mph), with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, and seat number >60 is upper deck.

Day 2, travel from Zurich to London using any of the services suggested on the London to Switzerland page .

For example, you can leave Zurich HB by TGV-Lyria at 07:34 arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 11:38.  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare du Nord .  Leave Paris Gare du Nord by Eurostar at 15:12 arriving London St Pancras at 16:30.

London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in standard class, £97 one-way, £168 return standard premier (1st class).

Step 1, buy tickets from London to Paris & Paris to Zurich at www.raileurope.com .  I recommend reading these booking tips first .

Booking at www.raileurope.com allows you to book all your tickets in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $. There's a small booking fee.  About Rail Europe .  You can either book each sector separately, add to basket and pay at the end, or you can book from London to Zurich in one go.

Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes between trains southbound, 90 minutes northbound (to allow for the 30 minute Eurostar check-in).

Booking usually opens 4 months ahead , you can print your own tickets or show them on your phone.

If you're booking less than 3 months ahead you can buy tickets to Zurich starting at any station in Britain, not just London.

Step 2, now buy your ticket from Zurich to Vienna at www.raileurope.com .  A reserved seat is not essential, it's optional for an extra €3 or so but a good idea.  You print your own ticket.

Alternatively, more work, a little more fiddly, same prices, but with no booking fee, you can (1) book the Eurostar at www.eurostar.com , then (2) book the Paris-Zurich TGV-Lyria at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com , then (3) book Zurich to Austria at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at .  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

A 4-day pass is enough to get from London to anywhere in Austria & back again via this route.

Step 3, make a passholder reservation on the Paris-Switzerland TGV-Lyria, €29 each way, see cost of reservations & how to make them .

Step 4, seat reservations from Zurich to Vienna are optional, but a good idea.  Make them at www.oebb.at using method 2 shown here . 

By all means go out one way, back another, with an Interrail pass you can use any of the trains & routes to/from Austria shown on this page, find out how to reserve the relevant trains using the Interrail reservations guide .

What's the journey like ?

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure .  St Pancras station guide .  Paris Gare du Nord station guide .

2. Paris to Zurich by TGV-Lyria

All TGV-Lyria trains are now 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex like the one shown below.  TGV-Lyria trains have 3 classes:  Standard class (2nd), standard premiere (1st class) and business premiere (1st class with hot meal & drinks included in the fare).  There's a cafe-bar car selling drinks & snacks.  There are power points for mobiles & laptops at all seats in all classes.  Lyria is a consortium of the French and Swiss national railways.  More about TGV-Lyria .  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide .  Zurich HB station guide .

3. Zurich to Vienna by Railjet

Railjets are ÖBB's (Austrian Railways) premier trains, with economy & 1st class, plus a premium 1st class called business class.  There's a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st & business class, restaurant car orders are taken and served at your seat.  This journey takes you along the Swiss lakes Zürichsee & Walensee, past Sargans castle, then into Austria through the beautiful Arlberg Pass.  More photos, information & tips about railjet trains & the scenic Arlberg Railway .  Zurich HB station guide .

Scenery on the Arlberg route

Swiss lakes :  Soon after leaving Zurich, the railjet runs alongside the shore of the Zürichsee and then the Walensee.

Arlberg Pass :  Above, we're now in Austria, with brooding skies over the Arlberg pass.  The pass itself is long, narrow and curvaceous with the train snaking along the valley sides, often high above the valley floor.

Arlberg Tunnel :  Between Bludenz and St Anton am Arlberg the train passes through the Arlberg Tunnel, 6.2 km (6.3 miles) long and opened in 1884.  See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlberg_Railway_Tunnel .

River Inn :  Running alongside the river Inn in the Tirol, somewhere between Landeck & Ötzal.

Mountains near Innsbruck .  The train calls at Innsbruck Hbf for several minutes.

Kufstein :  The train stops at Kufstein, where the castle towers above the station.

Above right, lunch is served.  In first & business class on a railjet, the steward takes your order & serves lunch at your seat.

Cutting across Germany :  East of Kufstein, the train takes a short cut through Germany without stopping, see the route map here .  All fast Innsbruck-Salzburg-Vienna trains do this, they're still considered Austrian domestic trains even though they spend an hour on German territory!  Such a train is called a Korridorzug .  The train crosses back into Austria near Freilassing, just before Salzburg.

Salzburg :  View of the Fortress Hohensalzburg on the right hand side as the railjet crosses the River Salzach into Salzburg Hbf heading east.

Video :  By railjet through the Arlberg

London to  salzburg.

Option 1: London to Salzburg in a day via Paris .  Take a morning Eurostar to Paris, a 320 km/h (199 mph) TGV Duplex to Stuttgart and an Intercity night train to Salzburg.  London to Austria in a day!

Option 2: London to Salzburg in a day via Brussels .   Take a morning Eurostar to Brussels, an ICE to Frankfurt, another ICE to Munich and a connecting train to Salzburg.

Option 3: London to Salzburg using the Brussels-Salzburg Nightjet sleeper train .  The most time-effective option.  Take an afternoon Eurostar to Brussels and the 3-times-a-week Nightjet sleeper train from Brussels to Salzburg.

Option 4: London to Salzburg using the Paris-Salzburg Nightjet sleeper train .  Another time-effective option.  Take an afternoon Eurostar to Paris and the 3-times-a-week Nightjet sleeper from Paris to Salzburg.

Option 5: London to Salzburg with overnight stop in Zurich - the scenic route!   Take a lunchtime Eurostar to Paris and an evening TGV-Lyria to Zurich in Switzerland, stay overnight, then travel to Salzburg next day through the scenic Arlberg Pass .  It's a relaxing & very scenic trip.  By all means go out one way and back another.

Option 1, London to Salzburg in a day via Paris

You can travel from London to Salzburg in a single day using Eurostar , a Paris-Stuttgart TGV Duplex and an Intercity train.  This route is sometimes cheaper than option 2, sometimes not.  It's slightly faster and more reliable than option 2, in fact, I'd choose this option 1 for that reason alone, but it's not as scenic as option 3.

London ► Salzburg

Salzburg ► london.

The superb German ICE3 has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Paris to Salzburg starts at €39.90 each way in 2nd class, €69.90 each way in 1st class.

2. Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex   See video

In Paris it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est for the TGV to Germany.  Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The train is equipped with power sockets for laptops & mobiles at all seats in both classes, and a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods & farmland at up to 320 km/h (199 mph), past picturesque French villages of the Champagne region.  An hour or two later, the train leaves the high-speed line and slowly meanders through pretty wooded hills, the countryside eventually flattening out towards Strasbourg.  On leaving Strasbourg, look out for Strasbourg cathedral on the left with its famously missing second tower.  Minutes afterwards you rumble across the river Rhine into Germany, before heading on to Stuttgart & Munich.  Paris Gare de l'Est station guide .  Munich Hbf station guide .

Option 2, London to Salzburg in a day via Brussels

This route involves one or two more changes compared to going via Paris ( option 1 ), but the changes of train are all easy same-station changes.

Option 1, London depart 06:16 on Mondays-Fridays.  Leave London St Pancras by Eurostar at 06:16, change Brussels Midi , Frankfurt (Main) Hbf  & Munich Hbf , arrive Salzburg Hbf 18:58.

Option 2, London depart 09:01 daily:  Leave London St Pancras by Eurostar at 09:01, change Brussels Midi , Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen & Munich Hbf , arrive Salzburg Hbf 21:42.

Option 3, London depart 11:04 daily:  Leave London St Pancras by Eurostar at 11:04, change Brussels Midi , Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen & Munich Hbf , arriving Salzburg Hbf 23:37.

Option 1, departing 06:00 on Mondays-Fridays:  Leave Salzburg Hbf at 06:00 by regional train , change at Munich , Frankfurt & Brussels Midi onto Eurostar to London, arriving London St Pancras at 19:10.

Option 2, departing 08:00 daily, recommended:  Leave Salzburg Hbf by comfortable EuroCity train at 08:00, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto a high-speed ICE to Brussels Midi , change at Brussels onto Eurostar to London, arriving London St Pancras at 19:43.

Option 3, departing 10:00 daily except Saturdays:  Leave Salzburg Hbf by comfortable EuroCity train at 10:00, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto a high-speed ICE to Brussels Midi , change at Brussels onto Eurostar to London, arriving London St Pancras at 21:57.  No connection on Saturdays.

Buy tickets from London to Salzburg at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com .

Anyone from any country can use www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com , in plain English, in €, £ or $, international credit cards accepted.  There's a small booking fee.

You print your own ticket, or after booking you can load the Eurostar ticket into the Eurostar app, and show the DB ticket on your laptop or phone.

When does booking open?

Booking for Eurostar and onward trains to Austria opens up to 6 months ahead, but often significantly less than this when the mid-December timetable change intervenes.  Any journey involving a Brussels-Cologne Eurostar (formerly Thalys) only opens 4 months ahead.  More about when booking opens .

Booking tips

Fares are dynamic like air fares, so book early for the cheapest prices and avoid busy days such as Fridays or Sunday afternoons.

It can help to specify Brussels as a via station if you want to see journeys with an easy same-station change in Brussels, rather than also seeing journeys via Paris.  At www.raileurope.com , click More options and enter Brussels (any station).

Is it a through ticket?

No, as there are no through tickets from London to Salzburg any more, DB's Sparpreis London fares were discontinued in March 2020 .  But www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com will seamlessly sell you a Eurostar ticket from London to Brussels plus an onward ticket from Brussels to Salzburg.

One-way or round trip?

With Eurostar , a return ticket costs significantly less than two one-ways.  With ICE & Eurostar (formerly Thalys) , a return is normally two one-ways.  So for a round trip you should book London to Salzburg & back as a return journey, or for more control over the booking, book London-Brussels as a return journey to benefit from the round trip discount, add to basket, then book Brussels to Salzburg one way, add to basket, then Salzburg to Brussels one-way, add to basket & check out.

Seat reservations

About the 20-minute connections (sometimes less) between Eurostar & ICEs at Brussels Midi

The slick 20-minute connection in Brussels between Eurostar and an onward ICE, sometimes less than this, is usually a recognised connection which lots of people make.  It's not usually a problem, especially if you use the Brussels Midi short cut between platforms .

Even though the system sells you separate tickets either side of Brussels, you are protected by the Railteam Promise/HOTNAT so if there's a delay and you miss the connection you will be allowed to travel on later onwards trains at no extra charge.

The system is programmed to know which connections are recognised/acceptable and which are too tight - if you intend booking your Eurostar and ICE tickets separately (which I often do to check prices for Eurostar and onwards trains separately, and to retain more control over the booking) it's wise to run a London-Cologne enquiry first just to check that the system does indeed recognise that specific Eurostar as connecting with that specific onward ICE, on that specific date.

How to buy a connecting ticket from other UK towns & cities:   See the advice on special add-on tickets here .

Onward tickets from Salzburg to Vienna and other Austrian cities can be booked at either www.thetrainline.com (easiest) or Austrian Railways' own website www.oebb.at from just €19 if you pre-book.  Potentially, that's London to Vienna for €78, about £65!

This is a little more work, but there's no booking fee.  Obviously, do a dry run on both sites first to check availability & prices.  Also check that your outward Eurostar and ICE are indeed a recognised connection by checking that they appear together when you run a London to Cologne enquiry at int.bahn.de , as explained in the paragraph about the 20-minute connections in Brussels in the previous section.

Step 1, book the Eurostar from London to Brussels (and back, if returning) at www.eurostar.com and print your own ticket, or load it into the Eurostar app to show on your phone.  Eurostar return fares are significantly less than two one-ways, so if you're coming back, make sure you book this as a round trip.  After booking you can use the Eurostar Manage Booking system to select an exact seat on Eurostar .

Step 2, book from Brussels to Salzburg at the German Railways site int.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  An advantage of booking direct with int.bahn.de is that you can select an exact seat on ICE trains from a seating plan.  A round trip is ticketed as two one-ways, so feel free to book one way at a time if it's easier.

Step 2, make a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Brussels & back for €30 each way.  See prices & how to make Eurostar passholder reservations online .  Tip:  Eurostar passholder availability is limited, so check availability before buying a pass .

Step 3, reservations between Brussels and Salzburg are usually optional , you can just sit in any empty unreserved seat and show your pass when asked.  But it's a good idea to reserve seats for long journeys, you can reserve for around €5 each way at int.bahn.de by entering Brussels to Salzburg and clicking the Book seat only link under the red search button.

Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure .  St Pancras station guide .   Brussels Midi station guide & short cut for changing trains in Brussels .

2.  Brussels to Frankfurt & Frankfurt to Munich by ICE

Germany's superb Intercity Express (ICE) high-speed trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, food & drink orders are taken at your seat.  The ICE3 train from Cologne to Frankfurt calls at Liège, where you can admire the impressive station designed by celebrity architect Santiago Calatrava, and at Cologne Hbf , where you'll see Cologne Cathedral to the right as you approach, right next to the station.  Immediately after leaving Cologne Hbf , the train crosses the long Hohenzollern bridge over the Rhine before joining the 300km/h high-speed line to Frankfurt.  More about ICE trains .  Brussels Midi station guide .  Frankfurt (Main) Hbf station guide .  Munich Hbf station guide .

Travel tips

Tip 1 :  Take the couloir sud short cut when changing trains from Eurostar onto an ICE at Brussels Midi .  Diving down the 'Couloir sud' escalator half way along the Eurostar platform makes changing trains much quicker than slowly following the crowds off the front end of the Eurostar platforms and going the long way round to the main concourse.

Tip 2 :   If you DO miss a connection because of a late-running train, don't panic, just get your ticket endorsed by the station staff.  Because you're travelling with a 'through ticket' you're entitled to travel onwards forward on the next available later train at no extra charge.  All explained here .

Option 3 , London to Salzburg using the Brussels-Salzburg Nightjet

This is the easiest & most time-effective way from the UK to Salzburg.  Take Eurostar to Brussels, then the excellent Nightjet sleeper from Brussels to Salzburg.  This runs 3 times a week, but should become daily in autumn 2024.  Incidentally, option 4 is almost identical, but via Paris rather than Brussels, so check that out too.

This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car.  See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video .

The train travels along the famous Rhine Valley between Koblenz (23:25) and Mainz (00:22), so if you're still awake and your compartment happens to be on the left-hand side of the train, switch off the lights and watch the Rhine pass by, mountains, vineyards, castles & the legendary Lorelei Rock lit by moonlight.

Tip:   If you have a ticket for a sleeper, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Salzburg Hbf   with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & free WiFi.

It's worth doing the maths if you are under 28 (so can buy the cheaper Youth pass), if you have kids (kids get a free pass when accompanying an adult but still need to pay reservation fees) or if you live a long way from London (as a pass covers you from your home station to London as well).  Passes are available in 1st & 2nd class, a 2nd class pass is all you need to book any type of sleeper on the Nightjet, even a deluxe.

Step 3, make a couchette or sleeper reservation on the Nightjet sleeper at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, method 1 .  Prices can be found on the Interrail reservations page .

2. Brussels to Salzburg by Nightjet  See the Nightjet guide

Option 4, London to Salzburg using the Paris-Salzburg Nightjet

Almost identical to option 3, but via Paris instead of Brussels.  Option 3 involves an easy same-station change in Brussels from Eurostar to Nightjet, this involves an easy 7 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est , that's the only real difference.  The Paris-Salzburg (-Vienna) & Brussels-Salzburg (-Vienna) Nightjets run on the same 3 days of the week, in fact they run coupled together as a single train between Mannheim and Vienna.

Important update 2024:  ÖBB have given up trying to run this train from 12 August to 25 October 2024, due to the amount of trackwork.  Use the Brussels-Salzburg sleeper instead (option 3) as this will run.

This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car.  See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video .

Important update 2024:  ÖBB have given up trying to run this train from 12 August to 25 October 2024, due to the amount of trackwork.  Use the Salzburg-Brussels sleeper instead (option 3) as this will run.

This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car.  See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video .

Tip:   If you have a ticket for a sleeper, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Salzburg Hbf with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & free WiFi.

Tip:   For dinner in Salzburg before the sleeper, consider the brewpub Die Weisse ( www.dieweisse.at ) which also serves food, a 1.1 km  15-minute walk from the station, see walking map .  Feedback appreciated !

Booking for this Nightjet typically opens 2-4 months ahead, it varies.  More about when bookings open .

Step 1, buy a 4-days in 1-month Interrail pass from www.raileurope.com (click Rail passes then select Europe )  or www.interrail.eu , see pass prices on the Interrail page .  You load the pass into the Railplanner app on your phone.

2. Paris to Salzburg by Nightjet  See the Nightjet guide

Option 5 , London to Salzburg with overnight stop in Zurich

The scenic route!  You can reach Salzburg in one day from London using options 1 & 2 above, but it means an early start and late arrival, and it's a long day.  A more leisurely and scenic way is to break your journey in Switzerland, taking an afternoon Eurostar & evening high-speed TGV-Lyria from London to Zurich, stopping overnight, then taking a relaxing low-speed Railjet train snaking through the fabulously scenic Arlberg Pass into Austria.  The world-class scenery through the Alps makes it a worthwhile experience, see for yourself, watch the video & see the Arlberg Railway page .  By all means go out one way and back another.

There are several trains to choose from, for example:

A railjet train leaves Salzburg Hbf at 11:56 arriving Zurich HB at 17:20.

A railjet train leaves Salzburg Hbf at 15:56 arriving Zurich HB at 21:20.

A railjet train leaves Salzburg Hbf at 17:56, arriving Zurich HB at 00:12.

Paris to Zurich starts at €29 each way in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.   For more details see the London to Switzerland page .

Zurich to Salzburg starts at €29 each way in 2nd class or €39 each way in 1st class.

All these fares work like air fares, cheaper in advance and on less popular days or dates, more expensive closer to departure date or on popular days or dates.  So book as far ahead as you can.

Booking usually opens 4 months ahead , and you can print your own tickets or show them on your phone.

Step 2, now buy tickets from Zurich to Salzburg at www.raileurope.com .  A reserved seat is not essential, it's optional for an extra €3 or so but a good idea.  You print your own ticket.

Step 4, seat reservations from Zurich to Salzburg are optional, but a good idea.  Make them at www.oebb.at using method 2 as shown here . 

What are the trains like ?

All TGV-Lyria trains are now 320km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex like the one shown below.  TGV-Lyria trains have 3 classes:  Standard class (2nd), standard premiere (1st class) and business premiere (1st class with hot meal & drinks included in the fare).  There's a cafe-bar car selling drinks & snacks.  There are power points for mobiles & laptops at all seats in all classes.  Lyria is a consortium of the French and Swiss national railways.  More about TGV-Lyria .  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide .  Zurich HB station guide .

3. Zurich to Salzburg by Railjet

Watch the Video :   Through the Arlberg

London to  innsbruck & tirol.

Option 7, by Eurostar & Brussels-Innsbruck sleeper :  Twice a week during February & March 2025 , European Sleeper will run a direct sleeper train from Brussels to Innsbruck.  London to Innsbruck with one easy same-station change in Brussels!  You can also travel by ferry from London or Harwich and pick it up in Rotterdam.  See details here .

Option 1, London to Innsbruck via the Arlberg Pass

London ► innsbruck in a single day, london ► innsbruck with overnight stop in zurich, london ► innsbruck with overnight stop in paris.

You can leave Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:22 on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Zurich HB at 11:26 or you can leave Paris Gare de Lyon at 10:22 any day of the week arriving Zurich HB at 14:26.

Innsbruck ► London in a single day, early departure

The 320 km/h double-deck TGV-Lyria has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views.

Innsbruck ► London with overnight stop in Zurich

The EuroCity Transalpin with 1st class panorama car leaves Innsbruck Hbf 15:47, St Anton 16:57, Feldkirch 16:44, arriving Zurich HB 19:20.

A railjet train leaves Innsbruck at 17:47, St Anton at 18:57, Feldkirch at 19:44, arriving Zurich HB at 21:20. 

Another railjet train leaves Innsbruck at 19:47, St Anton at 20:57, Feldkirch at 21:44, arriving Zurich HB at 00:12.

From Kitzbühel you'd take a train from Kitzbühel to Wörgl and change onto a railjet to Zurich, www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at will give you Kitzbühel-Zurich times.  It's possible to leave Kitzbühel as late as 18:00 if you don't mind arriving in Zurich just after midnight, but by all means take an earlier train.

Zurich to Innsbruck starts at €19 each way in 2nd class or €29 each way in 1st class.

All these fares work like air fares, cheaper in advance and on less busy days or dates, more expensive closer to departure date or on popular days or dates.  So book as far ahead as you can.

At www.raileurope.com you can book all your tickets in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $. There's a small booking fee.  About Rail Europe .  You can either book each sector separately, add to basket and pay at the end, or you can book from London to Zurich all in one go.

Step 2, now buy tickets from Zurich to Innsbruck at www.raileurope.com .  A reserved seat is not essential, it's optional for an extra €3 or so but a good idea.  You print your own ticket.

2. Paris to Zurich by TGV-Lyria   More about TGV-Lyria

3. Zurich to Innsbruck by Railjet

Railjets are ÖBB's (Austrian Railways) premier trains, with economy & 1st class, plus a premium 1st class called business class.  There's a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st & business class, restaurant orders are taken and served at your seat.  This journey takes you along the Swiss lakes Zürichsee & Walensee, past Sargans castle, then into Austria through the beautiful Arlberg Pass.  More photos, information & tips about railjet trains & the scenic Arlberg Railway .  Zurich HB station guide .

Mountains near Innsbruck .

Option 2, London to Innsbruck by Nightjet sleeper train

Take a lunchtime Eurostar to Brussels, a high-speed train to Cologne, then the time-effective Austrian Nightjet sleeper from Cologne to Innsbruck overnight.  This is a comfortable & time-effective option. 

Tip:   Before booking this option, consider option 3 via Amsterdam - although you leave London a few hours earlier, it's usually cheaper, it only involves 1 change of train not 2, and you get to spend some time in the Dutch capital.

London ► Innsbruck

This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has several couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video .

Innsbruck ► London

Tip:   If you have a ticket for a sleeper, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Innsbruck Hbf with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.

If you're starting in Kitzbühel , take the 20:00 from Kitzbühel arriving Wörgl at 20:40.  This gives a safe connection into the sleeper to Cologne, which leaves Wörgl at 21:23.

Transfer from Cologne Messe-Deutz across the Rhine bridge to Cologne Hbf by frequent S-Bahn train.

Booking for this Nightjet typically opens 3-4 months ahead, but it can vary.  More about when bookings open .  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

How to buy a connecting ticket from other UK towns & cities :  See the advice on special add-on tickets here .

Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure .  St Pancras station guide .  Brussels Midi station guide .

2. Brussels to Cologne by Eurostar (formerly Thalys)

These trains have 3 classes, Standard (2nd class), Comfort (1st class seating) & Premium (1st class seating with at-seat food & drink included in the fare).  There's a cafe-bar selling drinks, snacks & hot dishes.  All seats have power sockets and there's free WiFi.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys) .

3. Cologne to Innsbruck by Nightjet

Option 3, London to Innsbruck via the Amsterdam-Innsbruck sleeper

This is similar to option 2, but instead of taking a mid-afternoon Eurostar from London to Brussels, a high-speed train to Cologne, then picking up the Nightjet sleeper train to Innsbruck in Cologne, you take a late-morning Eurostar to Amsterdam, spend some time there, then take the Nightjet sleeper train from Amsterdam to Innsbruck.  OK, so this is a more round-about route and you have to leave London a couple of hours earlier - but it involves only 1 simple same-station change of train instead of 2 changes, you get to spend some time in the Dutch capital, you can board the sleeper earlier in the evening rather than late at night, and it's cheaper:  London-Amsterdam Eurostar fares are similar to (and often less than) London-Brussels fares, Amsterdam-Innsbruck Nightjet fares are the same as Cologne-Innsbruck fares and you don't need a Brussels-Cologne ticket.  What's not to like?

Times may vary, so check what trains Eurostar is running on your date at www.eurostar.com .  Always allow at least 1 hour between trains in Amsterdam, ideally more.

Tip:   If you have a ticket for a sleeper, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Hbf with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.

2. Amsterdam to Innsbruck by Nightjet

Option 4, London to Innsbruck via Munich

London to graz, option 1, by nightjet sleeper train via vienna.

This is the most time-effective option, and includes a moonlit run down the Rhine Valley in your sleeper.

London ► Graz

Graz ► london, fares & how to buy tickets, option 2, by daytime trains with overnight stop in munich, london to hallstatt, villach, klagenfurt, london ► hallstatt, villach, klagenfurt, klagenfurt, villach, hallstatt ► london, london to austria by ferry from harwich.

The ferry alternative!  It's a great option if you live in East Anglia (there's a direct train from Cambridge & Ipswich to Harwich to connect with the night boat), if you want to avoid the Channel Tunnel or if there are strikes in France.  And if you need to travel at short notice when Eurostar is expensive, the rail & sail fare is usually cheaper.  I don't recommend the Dover-Calais route because of poor train/ferry connections, the Stena Line rail & sail service via Harwich & Hoek van Holland is the one to use as it has co-ordinated timetables and integrated ticketing, see the Stena Line Rail & Sail page & watch the video .  It's one of the routes shown in dark blue on the route map above .

London, Cambridge & Harwich ► Austria

Austria ► harwich, cambridge & london.

Option 1,  take daytime trains from Austria to Hoek van Holland.  Using this option, you'd leave Austria early in the morning on day 1, and arrive London in the morning of day 2.  Use int.bahn.de to find suitable daytime trains from Austria to Hoek van Holland Haven, arriving no later than 21:00.  You'll need to leave Austria fairly early.  At Hoek van Holland Haven, the ferry terminal is right next to the station.

Option 2,   take the Nightjet sleeper train from Austria to Amsterdam, and enjoy a day in the Dutch capital.  Using this option, you leave Austria in the evening of day 1, and arrive London in the morning of day 3.

The Nightjet sleeper train leaves Vienna Hbf at 20:10, Linz at 21:34 or Wels at 21:51, with another portion leaving Innsbruck Hbf at 20:44, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 09:59 next morning.  Coming from Salzburg, take the 19:11 railjet train from Salzburg to Wels and pick up the sleeper there.

Spend the day in Amsterdam, then take the 18:35 Dutch intercity train from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiedam Centrum and change onto the frequent metro to Hoek van Holland Haven.  The metro station is right next to the ferry terminal. 

Travel overnight from Hoek van Holland to London by train & superferry.  Check in at the Stena Line desk at least 45 minutes before sailing time, then walk up the gangway onto the luxurious Stena Line superferry Stena Britannica and sail overnight to Harwich in a snug private cabin with shower, toilet & satellite TV.  There's free WiFi in the public areas on 9 deck.

The ferry sails from Hoek van Holland at 22:00 and arrives at Harwich International at 06:30 next morning, UK time.  Take a train from Harwich to London Liverpool Street arriving around 08:56, or from Harwich to Cambridge arriving 09:41 (10:39 on Sundays).  See the Stena Line Rail & Sail page for full details, photos & travel tips .

Step 1, buy tickets from London or any Greater Anglia station to Hoek van Holland as shown on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page .

Step 1, London to Utrecht or Amsterdam by train & ferry

A train takes you from London's Liverpool Street station directly to the ferry terminal at Harwich.  You walk off the train, into the terminal, get your boarding card & cabin key at the Stena Line check-in desk and walk straight onto the overnight ferry to Hoek van Holland.  The superferry Stena Britannica is the largest ferry of its kind in the world.  All passengers travel in private cabins with shower, toilet & satellite TV.  The journey from London to Utrecht or Amsterdam is explained in detail on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page .  See the video .

The Stena Hollandica boarding at Harwich, a floating hotel with private cabins, restaurant, bar, lounges, shop & kennels.

Above left, a standard outside cabin.  Larger photo .   360º photo .  Above right, the Stena Plus lounge with complimentary red & white wine, tea, coffee & snacks.

Above left, the bar on 9 deck. Above right, a Captain's Class cabin with complimentary minibar, toilet & shower.

Step 2, Amsterdam or Utrecht to Austria by daytime train

At Hoek van Holland, you walk off the ship, through passport control and straight onto the station for the frequent metro train to Schiedam & Rotterdam.  Change at Schiedam Centrum for a Dutch Railways (NS) train to Amsterdam Centraal , or at Rotterdam Alexander for a train to Utrecht.  You can pick up a German Railways (DB) train to Cologne & Frankfurt at either Amsterdam Centraal (where these trains start) or at Utrecht Centraal (a bit quicker).  Change in Frankfurt for an onward daytime train to Austria, More info about ICE trains .

An ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal .  More about ICE trains .

Or Amsterdam to Vienna or Innsbruck by Nightjet sleeper train   See the Nightjet guide

Back to top

Scotland & the North to Austria

Naturally, you can take a train up to London then travel to Austria as described above.  You can buy special connecting train tickets from most British stations to London International, see my advice on buying connecting train tickets to London .  But DFDS Seaways ( www.dfds.com ) run an excellent overnight cruise ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam, and P&O Ferries ( www.poferries.com ) sail overnight from Hull to Rotterdam.  After a day in Amsterdam, take the Nightjet sleeper to Austria.  So why not by-pass London, and have some time in Amsterdam into the bargain?

Scotland & the North ► Austria

Day 1, take a train to either Hull or Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for where you live.

In Hull, transfer to P&O ferry terminal and sail overnight from Hull to Rotterdam by P&O cruise ferry, with bus/train connection to Amsterdam Centraal.  The ferry has bars, restaurants & cosy en suite cabins.  For details of schedule, fares & tickets, see the Hull-Rotterdam page .

In Newcastle, transfer to the DFDS ferry terminal at North Shields and sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam by DFDS Seaways cruise ferry.  The ferry has bars, restaurants & cosy en suite cabins.  For details of schedule, fares & tickets see the Newcastle-Amsterdam page .

Day 2, spend the rest of the day in Amsterdam, all the sights are an easy walk from Amsterdam Centraal .  Left luggage lockers available.

Austria ► Scotland & the North

Day 1, take the Nightjet sleeper train from Austria to Amsterdam, leaving Vienna Hbf at 20:10, Linz at 21:34 & Wels at 21:51, with another portion leaving Innsbruck Hbf at 20:44, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 09:59 next morning.

Coming from Salzburg, you'd take a train from Salzburg to Wels and pick up the sleeper there.

Day 2, you've now the best part of the day to explore Amsterdam, left luggage lockers are available .

Day 2, transfer from Amsterdam to Rotterdam Europoort or IJmuiden ferry terminal and sail overnight by ferry from Rotterdam to Hull or Amsterdam to Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for you, arriving next morning (day 3).  Transfer to the station and take a train home.

For details of transfers, ferry times & how to buy tickets from Amsterdam to Hull or Newcastle, see the Hull-Rotterdam page or Newcastle-Amsterdam page .

Step 1, check ferry fares & book the ferry at www.dfds.com for Newcastle-Amsterdam or www.poferries.com for Hull-Rotterdam.

Step 2, book the Amsterdam-Austria Nightjet at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem) or the Dutch Railways international website www.nsinternational.nl (in €, no booking fee).  You print your own ticket.

Step 3, buy a train ticket from your local station to Newcastle or Hull at any train operator website such as tfw.wales .  Make sure you allow plenty of time for the transfer from station to ferry terminal and for the ferry check-in.

Step 1, Newcastle to Amsterdam (DFDS) or Hull to Rotterdam (P&O) by overnight ferry ,

Both ferries have private cabins all with shower & toilet, restaurants, bars, cinema, a floating hotel.  If travelling with DFDS from Newcastle, a transfer bus takes you from IJmuiden ferry terminal to Amsterdam Centraal station next morning.  If travelling with P&O from Hull, a transfer bus takes you from Rotterdam Europoort ferry terminal to Rotterdam Centraal , from where frequent Dutch trains run to Utrecht or Amsterdam.

Holidays & tours to Austria by train

Railbookers, railbookers.co.uk.

Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a tour or holiday to Austria as a package, including rail travel, hotels & transfers.  Their website has a range of suggested tours & holidays which can be varied or customised to your requirements.  As you're booking a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens such as a strike or delay. 

For example, they can do a 2-night short break from the UK to Vienna by train both ways, or an 8-night trip to Vienna & Venice via the Swiss Alps.  Or how about 8 nights to Vienna, Prague & Budapest, also by train throughout?  See the Railbookers Austria page for suggested itineraries & sample prices.

Byway, byway.travel

Byway ( Byway.travel ) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating .  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, book a one-way or return UK-Austria trip through Byway as a package, including hotels and starting from any British station you like.  Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption and re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

They can build a trip to your requirements if you phone 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form .  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

Tailor Made Rail, tailormaderail.com

European rail timetable & maps.

Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted.  See an extract from the map .  Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).

A good guidebook is a sound investment, even in the internet age.  For independent travel, the best guides are the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.  Both guidebooks have the same excellent level of practical information and cultural and historical background.  You won't regret buying one!

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk

Alternatively, you can download just the chapters or areas you need in .PDF format from the Lonely Planet Website , from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a chapter.

Hotels in Austria

Hotels in vienna, hotels in salzburg, backpacker hostels.

www.hostelworld.com :  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.

Travel insurance & VPN

Always take out travel insurance.

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here .  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list .  There's no need to buy a physical SIM card!  Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data .

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:   1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android .  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card , they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  Why you need a VPN

When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explained .  ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I also get some commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone.  You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or buy from Amazon.com .

Touring cities?  Use hill walking shoes!

One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa.  They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities.  My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!

Back to home page

Related Content

Child tickets, travelling to connect to and from a eurostar, onward connections from wien/vienna, onward connections from salzburg, overnight stay locations, booking seats on eurostar.

London To Austria By Train

Discover the easiest options for taking a rail journey from the UK to multiple destinations in Austria.

Travelling during the day by train from the UK to Austria is feasible, the capital, Wien/Vienna is towards the limit of how far can be travelled by rail from London in a single day. Travelling overnight, with morning arrivals after 06:00, is also an option when heading to multiple Austrian cities by train.

Though what can be confusing is that optimum rail journeys to Austria from London follow different routes which differ according to the destination and / or the days of the week. What also impacts on the combination of trains which can be taken is that München/Munich has more international trains on to Austria than any other city, but the day trains from Paris on to München/Munich arrive there too late for connections on to anywhere other than Salzburg.

The variety in the different routes which trains take to Austria can result in the ticket agents, including, RailEurope and Trainline , which sell end-to-end journeys, offering combinations of trains which require four or more connections. So this guide on how to take trains from London to Austria focuses on the simplest options; which may not be the cheapest. It doesn't include specific departure and arrival times of the trains, because these timings can be fluid, as journeys of this length are inevitably susceptible to being impacted by works on the lines .

The specific details of the trains on your travel dates can be looked up when booking tickets. However, if you can't see the usual train service, referenced in this guide, there are two factors which can affect this:

• the usual service is being disrupted on your travel date, or
• the ticket agents are pre-filtering the options, which can occasionally result in the simplest journeys not being available as an end-to-end booking. The logic in the algorithms deployed by the ticket agents can be tricky to decipher, so separate bookings for parts of the journey can be required - this is always the situation when connecting into night trains .

Ticket Booking Summary

Trainline and RailEurope sell tickets for end-to-end journeys by train from London to Austria, and making these bookings should offer protection against having to re-book tickets for parts of the journey, due to missed connections due to train delays. Though on some journey options, including for travel in the couchettes and sleeping cabins on the night trains on from Amsterdam, Bruxelles, Koln, or Paris or Zurich, separate tickets will be required for the Eurostar from London and the connections.

Eurostar tickets be booked on the Eurostar website and the night trains on to Austria are all Nightjet services , so they can be booked on the Nightjet website . The trains between Bruxelles and Germany can be booked with B-Europe or with DB . Trains between both Germany and Switzerland to/from Austria can be booked with OBB . Alternatively separate bookings can be made with Trainline for the Eurostar and any onward trains.

Though if you opt to making separate bookings, you may have to re-book the onward trains at last minute prices , even if you pay for multiple journeys in one transaction. Hence it can be a good idea to be cautious and allow for contingency in the event of delays, so SMTJ's recommendation when making separate bookings, is to allow at least an hour when taking onward trains from Bruxelles-Midi, or a minimum of two hours to make connections in Paris.

If you're used to children aged 5-15 travelling at a 50% discount on British trains, it may be a surprise that different terms apply when travelling from London to Austria by train with kids. And it also matters which routes you will be taking because the child ticket polices differ between European countries .

In summary:

• the child discount for those aged for 5 to 11 for the journeys by the Eurostar and by the Lyria trains between Paris and Switzerland, equates to around a 33% discount on the Adult rate.
• on day trains to and from Germany and Austria up to four children aged 14 and under travel for free with each adult booking - when booking the cheapest types of ticket.
• on the Nightjet trains special rates apply to those aged 14 and under - and family sleeping cabins are also available at a fixed rate.
• children aged 4 and under travel for free if they sit in your lap on the day trains, or share beds on the night trains. So as can be seen the routes across Belgium and Germany will typically be cheaper when travelling with those aged 14 and under, compared to travelling via France and Switzerland.

There is no automatic cheaper available on the journeys for Senior travellers. Eurostar doesn't offer a discount and those aged 60 and over can only travel at a reduced rate on the Lyria trains, or the trains in Germany and Austria, if they also have the required railcard .

If you will be traveling by train from outside the London area to the capital in order to connect into a Eurostar, special discounted tickets are available, which are known as tickets to 'London International CIV'; the CIV ensures that they offer the protection into a subsequent Eurostar departure in the event of the train to London being delayed. Though they can only be booked at station ticket desks; if you go to the station and book in advance (shortly after you have booked your Eurostar ticket) they will be cheaper, though they can also be booked on the travel date.

This information was gleaned from the ever fabulous Seat61 .

to Linz and Wien / Vienna

All trains heading to Wien/Vienna from Germany and Switzerland also call in Linz . On arrival in the Austrian capital, all trains first call at station named Wien Meidling , before going to the city's main rail station, Wien Hbf . So prior to boarding the train, it's a good idea to work out the connections on to your final destination in the city. Meidling station has trams to the city centre at Kalrsplatz and is linked to line U6 of the Vienna Metro, but Wien Hbf is served by line U1 .

A journey by day trains all the way from London to Linz and Wien/Vienna is possible daily, but the connections are into the final train of the day on to Austria. The journey typically involves taking this combination of trains:

• Departing London St Pancras International on a Eurostar to Brussels at around 08:00 - the ticket agents may offer an end-to-end journey which departs London at around 09:00, but that departure then typically allows only 20 minutes to make the crucial connection into the onward train.
• The ICE train on from Bruxelles-Midi which typically departs at 12:25.
• This train then usually has a timetabled connection of around 45 mins in Frankfurt* into another ICE train , that is typically scheduled to arrive in Linz at around 21:25 and into Wien/Vienna at around 23:00. *= the tickets will have trains to and from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, the city's main station, but it's easier to make the transfer in Frankfurt Flughafen station.

For those not averse to taking night trains , it's possible to travel from London to Linz and Wien/Vienna by making only one connection. These overnight options also inevitably enable time to take a train to London, before travelling on to Austria.

Though the usual timetable of these night trains can be susceptible to alteration as a result of construction works , due to their lengthy journeys. When work is occurring the night trains have to be diverted on to longer routes, which extends journey times

Departing on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

If you can arrange your travel so that you can leave London on these days of the week, you can take advantage of the simplest option for a journey from London to Austria by train. It involves only making one connection and there is no need to make a transfer between different stations. The Eurostar to Brussels/Bruxelles , which typically departs from St Pancras at around 15:00 has a connection of around 90 mins in Midi/Zuid station into an overnight train on to Linz and Wien/Vienna. This service which only operates on Monday, Wednesday and Friday is usually scheduled to arrive in Linz Hbf at around 07:45 and into Wien Hbf at around 09:15.

The daily options:

If you will be travelling from London to Linz or Wien/Vienna on other days of the week, or want to compare prices with the options which involve connecting in Paris or Bruxelles, there are typically four other options for an overnight journey by train.

1: connecting in Amsterdam - only one transfer

It involves quite the diversion off the direct route, but when departing London on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, the only option which involves one connection and no need to transfer between stations, is typically available by taking this combination of trains:

• Departing London at around 11:05.
• The waiting time between trains in Amsterdam Centraal station will be more than three hours, so time enough to have a meal prior to boarding...
• ...the train which usually departs at around 19:30 and is usually scheduled to arrive in Linz Hbf at around 07:45 and into Wien Hbf at around 09:15.

2: connecting in Bruxelles and Köln - depart later

That train from Amsterdam typically departs from Köln Hbf shortly after 22:15, and it's possible to leave London four hours later, than taking the Amsterdam option, if you will be happy to connect in both Bruxelles and Koln. The usual combination of trains is:

• Depart London for Bruxelles shortly after 15:00.
• A Thalys train on to Köln will depart 1hr 20mins after the arrival into Bruxelles-Midi station ; an ICE train will depart Bruxelles around 20 mins after the Eurostar is due to arrive, but taking the Thalys train at around 19:25 obviously removes the pressure of making that connection.
• That Thalys train is then usually scheduled to arrive in Köln Hbf around an hour prior to the departure of the train on to Linz and Wien.

3: connecting in Paris and Zurich - easily timed transfers

This routing involves having to make a transfer between different stations in Paris, but it can be worth comparing the costs with the other options. The usual combination of trains is

• Depart London for Paris at around 11:30, which then allows around 90 minutes to make the transfer to the Gare de Lyon
• Taking the train from Paris Gare De Lyon to Zurich , which typically departs at around 16:20.
• The train from Paris is usually scheduled to arrive in Zurich Hb station 1hr 15mins before the departure of the night train which will typically arrive into Linz shortly before 06:00 and into Wien Hbf shortly after 08:00.

4: connecting in Paris and Stuttgart - to arrive sooner in Wien

There is a daily option which typically provides an earlier arrival into Wien Hbf at around 06:45. The usual combination of trains is:

• Depart London for Paris at around 11:30, which then allows around 55 minutes to make the transfer to the Gare de l'Est .
• Depart Paris for Stuttgart at around 13:55.
• Around 1hr 25mins after arrival in Stuttgart, a train will depart for Wien/Vienna.

1: Just before 08:00 a daily train will typically depart from Wien Hbf on its stunning journey to Ljubljana - so that overnight journey option via Paris and Stuttgart, should offer a connection.

2: The trains which are due to arrive in Wien Hbf at 06:45 and 09:15, both offer, what should be, particularly convenient connections on to Budapest .

3: At around 10:45 a train typically departs Wien Hbf for Cluj Napoca in Transylvania.

to Salzburg

Salzburg has international trains from Germany which take a Frankfurt (Main) > Stuttgart > Munich > Salzburg route, plus it also has trains from Zurich in Switzerland and an overnight service from Paris. Hence the choice of routes whether you want to travel by day or night.

The easiest option for a daytime journey by train from London to Salzburg typically involves taking this combination of trains:

• This train then usually has a timetabled connection of around 50 mins in Frankfurt Main Hbf into a train on Salzburg , which is due to arrive there at around 22:00, 10pm.

The alternative route through Paris and Zurich

However, it can be worth comparing the cost of taking that journey option through Bruxelles and Frankfurt, with the alternative route which has connections in Paris and Zurich, particularly as it has a very similar end-to-end journey times. This journey option typically involves taking this combination of trains:

• Taking the Eurostar service which usually departs London St Pancras International at around 08:00 - though on Monday to Friday, an option is to extend the time to make the connection in Paris, by departing London at around 07:00
• Taking the 8am Eurostar typically then allows just an over to make the transfer to the Gare de Lyon
• Taking the train from Paris Gare De Lyon to Zurich , which typically departs at around 12:20.
• However, this train from Paris is usually scheduled to arrive in Zurich Hb station less than 20 mins before the departure of the next train on to Salzburg , at around 16:40. That train on from Zurich is due to arrive in Salzburg at 22:00, but if the fourteen minute connection in Zurich is missed, tickets and reservations can be transferred to the subsequent train - but it isn't usually scheduled to arrive in Salzburg until shortly after midnight.

The faster end-to-end journey

A daily option typically makes it possible to also arrive in Salzburg at around 22:00 (10pm) by leaving London at around 09:30 - or for those that will be commencing a journey from outside London on any day except Saturday, not leaving London until around 11:30 is usually a possibility.

The daily option typically involves taking this combination of trains:

• Depart London for Paris at around 09:30, which then allows around 55 minutes to make the transfer to the Gare de l'Est .
• Around 55 mins after arrival in Stuttgart, a train will usually depart shortly before 18:00, which is due to arrive in Salzburg at around 22:00.

The later option, which is typically available on Monday to Friday and Sunday, typically involves taking this combination of trains:

• Depart London for Paris at around 11:30, which then allows around 1hr 10 minutes to make the transfer to the Gare de l'Est .
• Depart Paris for München at around 15:55.
• This train typically arrives in München Hbf at around 21:25; in time to make connections into regional trains on to Salzburg.

The night trains to Austria from Amsterdam, Bruxelles and Koln don't serve Salzburg - and the overnight trains from Zurich and Munchen call at Salzburg in the middle of the night, hence the overnight journey option from London to Salzburg is restricted to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. That's because the night train from Paris to Austria, which typically arrives in Salzburg shortly before 07:30, only departs the French capital on those days of the week. The connecting Eurostar service usually departs London at around 14:15, and it is due to arrive into the Gare Du Nord shortly after 17:45, which allows around 1hr 15mins to make the transfer to the Gare de l'Est - from where the train on to Salzburg is typically scheduled to depart shortly before 20:00.

The daytime journey options all arrive in Salzburg after 22:00 (10pm), too late to connect into any onward rail services except the local S-Bahn services to Schwarzach St Veit.

So a big advantage of taking the overnight option via Paris is that its typical arrival into Salzburg of around 07:30 usually enables onward onward to a swathe of popular destinations including Graz, Kirchberg in Tirol, Kitzbuhel, Radstadt, Schladming and Zell am See.

to Innsbruck (and St Anton)

Innsbruck is closer to London than Salzburg or Vienna, but despite that there are fewer options for heading to Innsbruck from London by train then to either of those cities. It's because most of the long-distance express trains to Innsbruck from Germany commence their journeys in Munchen/Munich, but the direct trains from Paris to Munich arrive there too late for onward connections. There also aren't any direct trains to Innsbruck from Frankfurt (Main) which also compromises travelling via Bruxelles during the day.

The lack of an easy route through Bruxelles, Frankfurt (Main) or Munich, when taking a train from London to Innsbruck, leaves one standout journey as the easiest daytime option. It typically involves taking this combination of trains:

• However, this train from Paris is usually scheduled to arrive in Zurich Hb station less than 20 mins before the departure of the next train on to Innsbruck , at around 16:40. That train on from Zurich is due to arrive in Innsbruck at 20:15, but if the fourteen minute connection in Zurich is missed, tickets and reservations can be transferred to the subsequent train, which departs Zurich at 18:40.

To St Anton That 16:40 train from Zurich is typically scheduled to call in St. Anton am Arlberg station shortly after 19:00, and the train which departs Zurich at 18:40 arrives there shortly after 21:00.

The night train on the Amsterdam > Koln/Cologne > Linz > Wien/Vienna route also conveys coaches including sleeping cabins and couchettes to Innsbruck. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday a train typically departs Bruxelles-Midi at around 19:30 - and it is then attached in Koln/Cologne to the coaches heading from Amsterdam to Innsbruck and Wien/Vienna. But there are no direct coaches from Bruxelles to Innsbruck, so what's required is to travel in the seats on the train from Bruxelles and then to move through the train after departure from Koln, to the sleeping accommodation or seats that will be heading to Innsbruck. Understandably the booking agents struggle to cope with this somewhat bizarre scenario, so booking three separate tickets can be required. Though the plus is that the transfer into the train on to Innsbruck is guaranteed. The Eurostar to Brussels/Bruxelles , which typically departs from St Pancras at around 15:00 has a connection of around 90 mins in Midi/Zuid station into the train that is heading on to Linz and Wien/Vienna.

The daily options

Though for those who would rather not make that inter-train transfer- and those who will be departing London on the other days of the week, two other options are available for an overnight train from London to Innsbruck.

1: connecting in Amsterdam

It involves quite the diversion off the direct route, but when departing London on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, the option which only involves one connection and no need to transfer between stations is typically available by taking this combination of trains:

• ... the train which usually departs at around 19:30 and is usually scheduled to arrive in Innsbruck at around 09:15 - in time to take in the river views on the final part of the journey.

2: connecting in Bruxelles and Köln

• That Thalys train is then usually scheduled to arrive in Köln Hbf around an hour prior to the departure of the train on to Innsbruck.

To St Anton

Around 30mins after the arrival of the night train in Innsbruck, a Railjet train will typically depart Innsbruck for St. Anton am Arlberg station which is due to arrive there shortly before 11:00. Though if a delayed arrival of the night train causes this connection to be missed, the subsequent train won't be departing Innsbruck until two hours later.

It isn't possible to make an end-to-end journey by train from London to Graz during the day, but there are two overnight options:

1. The night train to Wien/Vienna from Bruxelles, Amsterdam and Koln, which has connections from London as explained above, is typically scheduled to arrive in Linz around 15 mins before the departure of an express IC train on to Graz, which is due to arrive there shortly after 11:00. Though making that connection in Linz can't be guaranteed, so the alternative is to remain on the night train until it arrives in Wien Hbf and connect there for a train on to Graz . There is a departure for Graz typically scheduled for around 45 mins after the night train's usual arrival time, which is due to arrive shortly after 12:30 - though there is another train on from Wien Hbf an hour later.

2. This option is available on Saturday and Sunday and typically involves taking this combination of trains.

• Taking the Eurostar service which usually departs London St Pancras International at around 09:30.
• The arrival time in the Gare Du Nord shortly after 12:45 then allows around 90 mins to make the transfer to the Gare de Lyon
• Taking the train from Paris Gare De Lyon to Zurich , which typically departs at around 14:15.
• This train from Paris is usually scheduled to arrive in Zurich Hb station at around 18:25, and the night train on to Graz is typically scheduled to depart at 20 40 - time for an evening meal in Zurich prior to boarding.

On Monday to Friday that onward train from Paris terminates in Basel SBB station , so an additional connection will be required there when taking this route.

As can be seen from the journey options, taking the train from London to Austria on the most direct routes involves making one or more connections in Bruxelles, Frankfurt (Main) , Köln/Cologne , Paris and Zurich .

All very nice locations in which to break the journey for a day or two, but there some other picturesque locations in which to spend time while travelling to Austria from London by train, which also enable the the beautiful journeys to be appreciated by daylight!

Koblenz From this town located to the north of the wonderful The Rhine Gorge, there are usually direct day time trains available which take scenic routes to a swathe of Austrian destinations including Innsbruck , Klagenfurt , Linz, Salzburg and Wien/Vienna .

There are two routes to choose from when taking a journey from London to Koblenz, both of which have a first stage of taking a Eurostar to Bruxelles . Then from Bruxelles you can travel on to Koblenz by connecting between trains in Koln or Luxembourg, the second option has a longer journey time, but it includes the wonderful journey through the Moselle Valley.

Strasbourg can be reached from London by train by connecting between Eurostar and TGV trains in Lille , thereby avoiding the need to cross Paris between stations - when departing St Pancras on the train which typically leaves shortly after 11:00am.

On the second day of travel, a straightforward connection in Basel SBB station enables access to Zurich HB station, from where Railjet trains take the spectacular route, Zurich > Innsbruck > Salzburg > Linz > Wien/Vienna.

Using InterRail and Eurail Passes

Users of Eurail and InterRail passes have to pay mandatory rail pass reservation fees on some European train services.

Though trains on which reservations are optional for rail pass users include:

• the German ICE trains - including the journeys by them to/from Austria and Belgium (so avoid taking the Thalys trains between Bruxelles and Germany)
• all other daytime express (IC) trains between Germany and Austria
• the Railjet trains between Switzerland and Austria. In contrast the Lyria high speed trains between Paris and Switzerland have exceptionally high reservation fees for rail pass users, so taking the routes via Germany will be cheaper - when an option.

Though rail passes only cover the journey element of the Nightjet trains . so there are reservations fees for the seats, couchettes and sleeping cabins - the fees for the sleeping cabins can equate to 75% of the total price for ticket holders

Though for British residents, what can tip the balance in favour of InterRail is that the journeys to and from London, to connect in and out of the Eurostar, will be covered by the pass.

The Eurostar ticket prices can be more than 4x more expensive than the rail pass reservation fees, so Eurail and InterRail can be value for money, particularly if you have first class pass. The quota of seats available on each Eurostar departure is is limited and it's not unknown for it to sell out on some departures months ahead, particularly for travel in June to August and around holiday dates at other times of year. Reservations on Eurostar trains can now be booked up to 330 days ahead of the travel date.

Because you will need to travel by a specific Eurostar departure when travelling to and from Austria, you'll want to check that rail pass reservations are available for the train you need to take prior to buying a pass The availability can be looked up on B-Europe as it will show which trains are still available - and you don't need to already have a pass to check this

Also avoid thinking, 'great I can see the reservations on B-Europe, so I'll book the pass now and go back to B-Europe tomorrow' - because at busy times the reservations can be sold out by the time you go back online. It can be a good idea to return to B-Europe to book the reservations as soon as you have made a pass purchase - and therefore have a pass number.

Simon Harper

I wanted to share my passion for train travel and explain how anyone can take the fantastic journeys I have taken.

This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney , which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.

Please support ShowMeTheJourney

Help keep us advertising and paywall free!

This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.

We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.

Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.

So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.

• Europe by Train
• Journey Guides
• Rail Stations
• Trip Planning
• Travel Articles
• Tips from 100s of journeys
• How to take a night train
• Good to know about daytime trains
• Travelling with Children
• Taking Bikes on Trains
• Travelling with Luggage
• Taking dogs on trains
• Common benefits of first class travel
• Journeys with multiple connections
• Money saving advice
• The best permanent deals and offers
• Intro to seat reservations
• Step-by-step booking guides
• InterRail/Eurail
• Access over 500 rail holidays
• Save 5% on more than 30 Swiss rail holidays
• Book a range of Swiss rail passes
• Buy Half Fare Cards for Switzerland
• Book train tickets with Trainline
• Book rail holidays worldwide with Bookmundi

Get our Rail Planner app

Plan your trip, get extra discounts, and show your Pass as you go.

Our favourite off-season routes

Chase the sun long after summer ends with these 7 train routes

All about seat reservations

Everything you need to know about booking your seats

Alternatives to Busy Routes

Travel between popular European cities without seat reservations

Through our Chatbot in the bottom right corner.

Ask the Community

Browse questions from fellow Interrail travellers, or ask your own!

• Plan your trip
• Popular Destinations
• Order overview
• Reservations overview
• My Trips & Travelers
• {{translatedTraveler}} {{#promotional}} {{currencySign}} {{standardPrice}} {{/promotional}} {{quantity}}x {{currencySign}} {{finalPrice}}
• Child {{childPasses}}x FREE
• {{translatedPassType}}
• {{translatedValidityPeriodDescription}}
• {{translatedClass}}
• Remove Pass(es)
• {{variant.localizedTravelPackDescription}} {{quantity}}x Free
• {{variant.localizedPassUpgradeDescription}} {{quantity}}x {{currency}} {{price}}
• Your order will arrive by {{expectedDeliveryDate}} 1 x {{currency}} {{price}}

Your cart is empty

Travelling by train is the ideal way to get the most out of your trip to Austria. With your Interrail Pass, you can discover the refreshing city of Vienna, take the ‘Sound of Music’ tour in Salzburg and explore snow-capped mountains in Innsbruck. During your journey, admire the stunning natural beauty and spectacular scenery from the train window.

Austria quick facts

Population: 8.9 million

Language: German

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Dialing code: +43

Trains in Austria

Find out all you need to know about Austria’s rail network, different train types and reservation requirements.

More about trains in Austria

Interrail passes for Austria

Interrail austria pass.

The Interrail Austria Pass is your ticket to discover famous cities in Austria by train, as well as jaw-dropping scenery as you travel between destinations

View Interrail Austria Pass

Interrail Global Pass  

The Interrail Global Pass is the flexible and budget-friendly way to get around up to 33 countries in Europe. Travel by train from one cool destination to the next. One day you're on a pub crawl through Amsterdam and the next you're white-water rafting in Interlaken, Switzerland.

View Interrail Global Pass

Pass benefits in Austria

Check out the extra discounts and offers for Interrail Pass holders in Austria.

Places to visit

Attractions not to be missed

Spend half a day browsing around the Hohensalzburg Castle – the crown jewel of Mozart's birth city Salzburg. Built in 1077 this well-preserved castle has a medieval royal room, a palace, a church and a number of towers to keep you eagle-eyed. While you’re in the area, don't miss Austria’s cheesiest attraction: the Sound of Music Tour. You’ll be taken to some of the key film locations, where the story of the all-singing von Trapp family was brought to life, including Hellbrunn Palace and Mondsee Cathedral.

Crystal lakes and crashing waterfalls

Visit Austria’s salt mining region of Salzkammergut and set your eyes on bewitching blue lakes and wooded mountains. Take a hike, go cycling or relax around Grundlsee or Toplitzsee lake , then take a dip in the crystal waters. Finally savour a local culinary delight: Kaiserschmarrn (pancake pieces with raisins). Also, try and fit in a trip to one of Austria’s top beauty spots: Krimml Falls at the National Park Hohe Tauern. With a combined height of 380 metres, this three-levelled waterfall is Europe’s biggest and makes for picture-perfect photography.

Pumping night clubs and sumptuous cocktail bars

Salzburg isn’t alive and kicking only during the ski season there’s also a great nightly offering all year round. Built in the Rainberg mountain, the Cave Club pumps out techno and other hard sounds into the early hours. Alternatively, take a train to Austria’s second largest city, Graz for a night to remember. This student city has a great choice of bars, but it’s the cocktail bars that are the best-loved nightly attraction in this city. One of them, the Pharmacy Bar Lounge, has a vibrant atmosphere, along with a mouth-watering selection of cocktails.

River and mountain activity

Austria’s main river, the Danube is a great place to enjoy water sports – especially popular is wakeboarding and cable wakeboarding. There are a number of reputable wakeboarding camps along the river where you can sign up for an intensive short course. Salzburg is the birthplace of the Austrian musical maestro Mozart. It's also one of Europe’s top alp ski destinations, with a variety of runs for beginners and the more experienced skiers and snowboarders. The après-ski is also one of the wildest on the European ski circuit

Vienna: a top European city destination

Vienna (Wien), Austria’s endearing capital has been voted one of the most liveable cities in the world – a few days there and it will be easy to see why. The city is laden with green space, architectural jewels passed down through Austria’s rich heritage, plus an enigmatic injection of modern-day cool. Visit the city’s MUMOK (MUseum of MOdernKunst) and set your eyes on major works from the likes of Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. Or simply take a stroll around one of the pretty parks.

Christmas markets

Nearly every Austrian town puts on spectacular outdoor Christmas markets, complete with food, mulled wine and gifts of all shapes and sizes. Vienna and Salzburg are two cities that go all out during Christmas!

Amazing trip!

​Amazing trip, we visited almost entirely Austria! I recommend Interrail for sure. ​TrustPilot from Laure, France ​ View Review> 

Related Pages

Interrail Global Pass

Change of currency

You cannot change the currency once you have a Pass in your cart. Remove the Pass, and then change the currency on the website header.

Get our Rail Planner app

Plan your trip, get extra discounts, and show your Pass as you go.

Our favorite offseason routes

Chase the sun long after summer ends with these 7 train routes

All about seat reservations

Everything you need to know about booking your seats

Alternatives to Busy Routes

Travel between popular European cities without seat reservations

Through our Chatbot in the bottom right corner.

Ask the Community

Browse questions from fellow Eurail travellers, or ask your own!

• Plan your trip
• Top Destinations

Austria By Train

• Order overview
• Reservations overview
• My Trips & Travelers
• {{translatedTraveler}} {{#promotional}} {{currencySign}} {{standardPrice}} {{/promotional}} {{quantity}}x {{currencySign}} {{finalPrice}}
• Child {{childPasses}}x FREE
• {{translatedPassType}}
• {{translatedValidityPeriodDescription}}
• {{translatedClass}}
• Remove Pass(es)
• {{variant.localizedTravelPackDescription}} {{quantity}}x Free
• {{variant.localizedPassUpgradeDescription}} {{quantity}}x {{currency}} {{price}}
• Your order will arrive by {{expectedDeliveryDate}} 1 x {{currency}} {{price}}

Your cart is empty

Traveling by rail is the best way to discover Austria. Incredible natural beauty, elegant cities like Vienna and Salzburg, and centuries of history are just waiting to be discovered. Travel through the Alps with your Eurail Pass, and find out all of the treasures awaiting you in this exciting country.

Train types in Austria

There are a number of train types in Austria ready to transport you both day and night. Most of the Austrian network is operated by ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen). Use the  Eurail train timetable  to check times for trains in Austria.

• Domestic trains
• International trains
• Night trains
• Private companies

Regional and intercity trains in Austria

Commuter trains which connect Vienna with cities around it.

Train schedules are available on the  ÖBB route planner .

A suburban metro train network that runs within major cities in Austria.

With an Interrail Pass, journeys are FREE on the S-Bahn in Vienna, Salzburg (except for lines S1 and S11), and Innsbruck.

InterCity (IC)

Trains which connect larger cities in Austria, including Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Graz.

Reservations are optional but recommended during peak season (May to September) and for public holidays.

InterCity bus (ICB)

This bus runs between Graz and Klagenfurt.

Reservations are required.

EuroCity (EC)

• Connects Innsbruck, Salzburg, Graz, and Kufstein.

Domestic high-speed trains

Railjet (RJ)

Links Vienna to larger Austrian cities like Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Graz.

• Runs frequent trains on the route Vienna – Linz – Salzburg – Munich/Innsbruck/Bregenz
• 2nd class Passholders can buy a reservation for Standard Class
• 1st class Passholders can buy a reservation for Standard Class or an upgrade for Comfort and First class

International high-speed trains in Austria

All long-distance trains to/from Germany are subject to mandatory reservations from June 1st till September 1st.

• Vienna  – Linz – Munich – Stuttgart – Frankfurt
• Vienna  – Gyor – Budapest
• Graz  –  Vienna  – Brno – Prague
• Bratislava – Vienna  – Salzburg – Innsbruck – Zurich
• Vienna  –  Graz  – Villach – Venice
• Seat reservations are optional all year round only for domestic Austrian trips 
• 1st class: €15 (including supplement)
• 2nd class: €10 (including supplement) 
• Business Class upgrade: €30 (including supplement) 
• A supplement can be bought on board for an additional fee, costing €5

The yellow RegioJet trains connect Vienna with Brno and Prague (Czech Republic). You need an Interrail Global Pass to travel on this train. Reservations available via  RegioJet .

• Links Austria to several cities in Germany on the routes:
• Vienna  – Nürnberg – Frankfurt – Cologne – Dortmund
• Vienna  – Nürnberg – Erfurt – Berlin - Hamburg
• Innsbruck – Munich – Stuttgart – Berlin
• Innsbruck – Bregenz   – Stuttgart - Berlin
• Vienna  – Ljubljana – Trieste
• Graz  –  Vienna  – Ostrava – Wroclaw/Krakow – Rzeszów – Przemysl
• Klagenfurt  –  Salzburg  – Munich – Cologne – Dortmund
• Zagreb – Ljubljana –  Salzburg  – Munich – Frankfurt
• Mandatory supplement if you are travelling to/from/within Italy.  
• 1st class: €15 
• 2nd class: €10 
• A supplement can be bought  on the train  for an additional fee, costing another €5
• Runs frequent trains on the route Vienna – Linz – Salzburg – Munich

Night trains in Austria

Night trains run from Austria to France, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Poland, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Czechia and Switzerland:

ÖBB Nightjet (NJ) :

• Vienna – Florence – Rome
• Vienna  – Verona – Milan – Genoa – La Spezia
• Vienna  –  Linz  – Udine – Venice
• Vienna  –  Linz  –   Zürich
• Vienna  –  Linz  – Munich – Stuttgart – Paris
• Vienna – Linz – Munich – Cologne – Brussels
• Vienna  – Nürnberg – Hannover – Hamburg
• Vienna – Nürnberg – Cologne – Düsseldorf – Amsterdam
• Innsbruck  – Munich – Cologne – Düsseldorf – Amsterdam
• Innsbruck  – Munich – Hannover – Hamburg
• Graz – Vienna  – Wroclaw – Berlin
• Graz  –  Innsbruck – Zurich

EuroNight (EN)

• Munich – Liz – Graz  –  Vienna  – Katowice – Krakow – Warsaw (EN Chopin)
• Bratislava –  Vienna  –  Graz  – Maribor – Split
• Stuttgart –  Salzburg  –  Villach  – Ljubljana – Zagreb/Rijeka (EN Lisinski)
• Stuttgart –  Munich  –  Linz  – Vienna – Budapest (EN Kalman Imre)
• Zurich –  Feldkirch  –  Innsbruck  –  Vienna  – Budapest (EN Kalman Imre)
• Zurich –  Feldkirch  –  Innsbruck  – Ljubljana – Zagreb (EN Alpine Pearls)
• Zurich –  Feldkirch  –  Innsbruck  – Ceske Budejovice – Prague

Private railway companies in Austria

The following private railway companies accept Eurail Passes on their trains:

Micotra  trains operate on the route Villach – Tarvisio (Italy)

• Raaberbahn , ONLY from Ebenfurt to Sopron and from Neusiedl/See to Pamhagen (Gr)
• RegioJet , yellow trains that travel to the Czech Republic. You need a Eurail Global Pass to travel on this train.

The following private railway companies do  not  accept Eurail Passes on their trains:

Pinzgauer Lokalbahn, travelling between Krimml and Zell am See.

NÖVOG ( including Mariazellerbahn, Wachaubahn, Waldviertelbahn, Reblaus Express, Citybahn Waidhofen, and Schneebergbahn)

• ÖBB Postbus
• Stubaitalbahn

Wiener Lokalbahnen

Pinzgauer Lokalbahn

Graz-Köflacher Eisenbahn

Montafonerbahn

Salzburger Lokalbahn  (only trains S1 and S11 do not accept Interrail)

Steiermärkische Landesbahnen

Stern & Hafferl

• ​Zillertalbahn
• Salzkammergutbahn
• Achenseebahn

Travel to Liechtenstein

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: Forst Hilti, Schaan-Vaduz, Nendeln and Schaanwald. From Schaan-Vaduz it is a short bus ride to Liechtenstein's capital Vaduz (bus not included in your Eurail pass).

Popular connections

• Domestic connections
• International connections

View approximate train travel times between Austria’s most popular cities using high-speed trains that don’t require a reservation.

We suggest the following routes to travel between Austria and other European countries:

Reservations

How to make reservations for trains in austria:.

Eurail reservation self-service system

Administration costs when booking through Eurail self-service

• € 2,- p.p.per train
• Additional € 9,- per order (for paper tickets)

With railway carriers

• ÖBB (Austrian railways) : Domestic and international trains
• Westbahn (Private Railway) : Only Westbahn trains, domestic and international
• ČD (Czech railways) : Domestic and international trains
• DB (German railways) : International trains to/from Germany
• ÖBB Nightjet : Only Nightjet and some Euro Night trains

By calling the ÖBB booking center

• +43 5 1717 (open 24/7)

When calling, you'll hear a menu in German. Select extension "1" for train information and bookings. The booking center can deliver your reservations to any country you prefer, without charging you booking costs. The delivery cost is €5. You can also pick up your reservations at large Austrian train stations. Just take your order number to a ticket office in the station. This call center can make reservations for the majority of European high-speed and night trains.

Locally at the train station in Austria

Book reservations for Austrian domestic trains and international (night) trains that arrive/depart in Austria at the website of  ÖBB :

• Choose your route and click on 'One-way tickets and day tickets' in the results.
• Before you pick your train, go to the top right corner and click on 'Who is going?'. Here you click on 'Add discount' and scroll down or search for 'Interrail/Eurail – Globalpass', then select it and click confirm.
• Now you can select the train you want to take and you'll immediately see the Pass Holder reservation fee you have to pay.
• Go through the booking process and finalise your reservation. Please note that reservations for some routes can only be printed at an ÖBB self-service machine or helpdesk in Austria.

Many seat reservations can also be made without selecting the ‘Globalpass’ tariff:

• Simply select ‘Seat reservation only (no ticket)’ under ‘Find Services’ and proceed with the usual steps.

Book reservations for Westbahn trains on the  Westbahn  Website.

• Click on ‘Reservation / Upgrade / Bike / PRM’
• Choose the preferred route.
• Choose ‘Reservation / Upgrade’
• Select the quantity, travel date and exact train departure
• Choose the travel class
• Seat number and coach are shown

ÖBB Railjet, ICE, Intercity and Eurocity trains

2nd and 1st class: € 3.50 (excl. € 3 online reservation fee)

Westbahn trains

For Westbahn trains, Passholders can buy a reservation for Standard Class and upgrade for Comfort and First Class online via westbahn.at or directly on the train for an additional fee.

Fees (depending on the travel distance)

• First Class: €9.90 – €44.90
• Comfort Class: €7,90 – 11.90
• Standard Class (optional): €1.90 – €4.90

Get your Pass for Austria

Austria pass.

Use your whole vacation to discover Austria by rail.

Standard prices from  $ 158

Global Pass

Have the freedom to visit Austria and up to 32 other Eurail countries.

Standard prices from $ 233

Tips and tricks

Quick facts.

Capital: Vienna (local spelling:  Wien )

Population: 8.4 million

Language: German

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Dialing code: +43

Austrian hub stations

Austria’s main hub stations are  Wien Hbf (Vienna),  Innsbruck Hbf  and  Salzburg Hbf . At these train stations, it's possible to connect to trains to Austria’s main cities and many international destinations.

Station facilities

Stations in Austria usually have excellent facilities, often including:

Luggage lockers

Foreign exchange desks

Restaurants and cafés

Tourist information offices

ATM cash machines

Elevators and escalators

Access for disabled passengers

Bus travel in Austria

With a Eurail pass valid in Austria, you get free travel (pay only the reservation) on the following bus routes as an extra benefit:

Klagenfurt – Graz

Boat trips in Austria

Eurail pass holders also get discounted boat travel on several Austrian lakes and rivers.

See all benefits for Austria

Get inspired

Change of currency

You cannot change the currency once you have a Pass in your cart. Remove the Pass, and then change the currency on the website header.

Welcome to the Holiday Information Service

Our holiday experts are here to assist you with your holiday planning. Send us a message and we will get back you as soon as we can.

Please fill in fields marked with *

Give us a call Monday to Friday from 8am to noon. Outside of our office hours please drop us an email and we'll be happy to answer your questions.

Telephone: 00800 400 200 00 Österreich Werbung Vordere Zollamtsstraße 13 A-1030 Wien Wien AT

[email protected]

*toll-free; calls from mobile networks may incur charges

Landscape seen from a train ÖBB / Barbara Seyr media_content.tooltip.skipped Discover All of Austria by Train

• Austria's Beauty Secrets
• Explore Austria with ÖBB
• All of Austria by Train

Experience the scenic beauty of Austria in one of the most captivating ways—by train. Relax in a comfortable seat and enjoy the dramatic landscapes rolling past you on your journey to the next destination.

Getting Around with ÖBB

Getting around this way is easy, convenient, and surprisingly luxurious: The ÖBB Railjet trains are fast, efficient, and well-designed. While even Second-Class cars are more stylish and friendly than your average train carriages, the First-Class experience is on a whole different level. You can comfortably tour the entire country by train in less than two weeks, and this itinerary shows you how.

Austria’s public transportation infrastructure is set up as an alternative to car travel in the city as well as the countryside, and it works remarkably well. A punctuality rate of 95% makes planning itineraries a breeze. No need to factor in delays; you just hop on the train, lean back, relax, and get off refreshed at your next destination. All train stations are close to the respective city centres and well connected by public transportation.

Your 12-Day Itinerary

Day 1: vienna.

Start your journey in Austria’s largest city, the seat of the former Empire and a multicultural metropolis. According to The Economist, Vienna is one of the most charming cities in Europe and the number 1 most liveable city in the world.

On the morning of Day 1, explore Schönbrunn Palace , a beautiful Baroque palace and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played for Empress Maria Theresia here when he was just five years old. The extraordinary Imperial park houses the world’s oldest zoo and delivers spectacular views from the Gloriette monument, where you can also enjoy their famous hot chocolate.

Enjoy an afternoon stroll through downtown Vienna . Here you will find the Gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral , the Hofburg Palace, countless narrow streets, hidden squares and grand boulevards.

If you have time, stop at the Albertina or the MuseumsQuartier for spectacular art experiences. Take a break and enjoy a cup of coffee with some apple strudel at one of the many coffeehouses as part of a genuinely authentic Viennese experience.

In the evening, enjoy local fare and traditional music at a wine tavern in the neighbourhood of Grinzing (take tram 38) or a classical music night at the esteemed State Opera or the renowned Musikverein .

Day 2 & 3: Graz

Head to Vienna’s Central Station (Hauptbahnhof), easily accessible by metro (U1 line). The newly rebuilt station is now as much a first-rate transit hub as a shopping centre and architectural attraction. From here, take the train to Graz (approx. 2h 30m).

The old town of Austria’s second-largest city is a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site, and exploring it is an excellent start to your first day here. Enjoy the fantastic views over the medieval roofscape from the top of the Schlossberg (city mountain), and marvel at the Armoury , with the world’s most extensive collection of medieval arms. Sample local delicacies at the farmer’s markets and end the day with dinner at the restaurant Der Steirer , which serves Styrian tapas.

Day 3: Time to explore Graz’s contemporary side. As a UNESCO City of Design, Graz features many architectural highlights such as the Kunsthaus : Blue and bubble-shaped, the construction looks like a spaceship landed in Graz’s stuccoed old town, located right along the trendy Mariahilferstrasse, with cute design & coffee shops.

The Mur-Insel , a shell-like construction in the adjacent river, is another significant contemporary accent. Graz’s innovative architecture follows you all the way back to the train station, located conveniently close to the city centre. The main terminal’s interior is decorated with abstract graphics, and the platform shelter is one undulating metal wave.

Day 4 & 5: Salzburg

The train ride to Salzburg takes about 4 hours. We recommend buying the 48h Salzburg Card as ÖBB Plus Ticket together with your train ticket in the ÖBB ticket shop . The Salzburg Card offers free public transport and entry to attractions.

Magical mountains surround Salzburg, and its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is most famous as the birthplace of Mozart and the film location of The Sound of Music . Its true attraction is its magnificent Baroque architecture, the Hohensalzburg Fortress castle perched majestically on the Mönchsberg mountain and its many internationally renowned cultural events. For splendid city views and a great contemporary art experience, take a walk to the Museum of Modern Art .

Try local dishes, such as Kaspressknödel (bread dumplings filled with cheese) or Salzburger Nockerl , at one of Salzburg’s most attractive markets on Universitätsplatz square. Through a narrow passage, walk to Getreidegasse , the iconic main street with many interesting shops, charming courtyards, and Mozart’s birthplace .

Day 5: Take Bus 25 to Hellbrunn Palace to experience the unique trick fountains. Then dive into Salzburg’s famous beer culture and relax in one of the many beer gardens. Learn about local brewing history at the Stiegl-Brauwelt . Salzburg is renowned for its music, and seeing an opera or a concert at the famous Salzburger Festspiele in the summer month is an unforgettable experience.

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) Cityjet at Salzburg ÖBB Personenverkehr AG / Georg Pölzleitner media_content.tooltip.skipped

Day 6 & 7: Excursions from Salzburg

Take the train from Salzburg to Hallstatt (2h 30m). Beautifully nestled between mountains and a lake, Hallstatt is a real feast for the eyes. Visit the world's oldest salt mines and the viewing platform above the village.

After lunch, take the train from Hallstatt to Bad Ischl (25 min), a small historic town with hot thermal springs. Visit Café Zauner and try their signature pastry, the "Zauner Stollen." Continue on bus 546 (25 min) to St. Wolfgang , a charming village, and take a boat ride on Wolfgangsee lake (45 min) to St. Gilgen , where Mozart's sister lived. Then take bus 150 (45 min) back to Salzburg.

Day 7: Take the train to Werfen (40 min). Tour the medieval Hohenwerfen Fortress perched on a hill with impressive views of the mountains. Don't miss the falconry demonstration in the expansive courtyard gardens. Have lunch at Obauer , one of Werfen's gourmet restaurants, before hiking the nearby Sound of Music trail .

Day 8: Kufstein

In the morning, take the Railjet from Salzburg to Kufstein (1h 10m). In the centre of the beautiful town in Tyrol’s north, you will find an impressive medieval fortress . Explore the stronghold and enjoy the spectacular views over the region. Kufstein’s fortress has a local history museum and the world’s largest free-standing organ. Next, stroll through the town centre and down Römerhofgasse , a charming street lined with wine taverns. Kufstein’s parish church is a late Gothic building dating back to around 1400.

About a 15-minute walk south of the church, you will find a traditional Tyrolean glassmaker : Riedel’s glasses are known worldwide for their delicate design. At the factory, you can watch the glassblowers do their work, then shop Riedel’s collection of stemware and artful decanters.

Depending on the time of year, you might be able to watch a performance at the Tirol Festival Erl . The classical music festival’s repertoire spans popular operas and is known for its Passion Plays.

Day 9 & 10: Innsbruck

Take an early train from Kufstein to Innsbruck (40min). We recommend buying the Innsbruck Card , which includes free public transportation in the city and surrounding villages and access to many attractions and cable cars. You can save money when purchasing the Innsbruck Card (ÖBB Plus Ticket) along with your train ticket in the ÖBB ticket shop .

This beautiful alpine city with its medieval old town is nestled in the Nordkette mountains. Hungerburgbahn Station is one of Tyrol's most magnificent examples of modern design by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid. A rack railway and a cable car take you up to an Alpine landscape at over 2,000 meters (6,562 ft), from where you can enjoy stunning city views. Save money by purchasing the ÖBB Plus Ticket 'Top of Innsbruck' alongside your train ticket in the ÖBB ticket shop .

If the mountain air has made you hungry, try local specialities such as Schlutzkrapfen (dumplings stuffed with cheese or spinach), Käsespätzle (pasta tossed with onions and cheese) and Tiroler Gröstl (a pan of potatoes, meat and vegetables) in one of the traditional restaurants. Dedicate the rest of the day to sightseeing and shopping in the city centre.

Day 10: Spend the day visiting three emblematic places around Innsbruck. Take tram 1 to the Bergisel Ski Jump , then continue to the small mountain village of Igls (only 15 min on the J bus). In the afternoon, take tram 3 to Ambras Castle , with beautiful gardens and a unique art collection.

Day 11: Excursions from Innsbruck

Explore the Swarovski Crystal Worlds (incl. in the Innsbruck Card) in Wattens. Either take a shuttle bus (4 times/day, around 30 min) directly to the entrance or a commuter train to Fritzens-Wattens (16 min) and continue 15 min. by foot.

If you prefer an active morning, take the STB train from Südtiroler Platz station (30 min) to the village of Mutters . Walk towards the parish church on the main street, and you will find a beautifully traditional Tyrolean farmhouse with wooden balconies and painted facades. Continue to the Mutteralm cable car (incl. in the Innsbruck Card), and take it up the mountain to enjoy a great hike followed by lunch in a traditional mountain hut.

Afterwards, take a regional train (8 min) to Hall in Tirol . This beautiful Medieval town with picturesque streets and squares is well worth a visit with its Hasegg Burg castle (home of the Mint Museum, also called the birthplace of the Taler coin and the modern-day Dollar), the Magdalena chapel with its frescoes and altar, and the churches of St. Nikolaus and the Jesuits.

Houses in St. Anton TVB St. Anton am Arlberg / Christoph Schöch media_content.tooltip.skipped

Day 12: Arlberg Region

Take a 1-hour morning train directly from Innsbruck to St. Anton am Arlberg and find yourself amid an alpine paradise. The Arlberg is one of Austria’s westernmost mountain resorts and is famous for stunning hikes, upscale entertainment, and an elegant atmosphere. Explore the town of St. Anton , where the Galzig and Valluga cable cars whisk you up to 2,811 m (9,222 ft) of the region’s tallest mountain. Incidentally, one of St. Anton’s best gourmet restaurants, the Verwallstube , is located at the top of the Galzigbahn. Visit the St. Anton MUSEUM , housed in a lovely historic building that focuses on the village’s history and the closely linked history of skiing.

As an alternative, or if you like to add another day in this lovely region, take Bus 91 from St. Anton to Lech , another one of Arlberg’s idyllic villages. In Lech, grab a gourmet lunch at Hotel Post Lech before embarking on a walk down the lively main street. Enjoy shopping at stores like Sagmeister and Strolz, which offer a combination of traditional alpine designs and international designer names.

If you’re feeling sporty, embark on one of the region’s many hiking trails . Take your time marvelling at the picture-perfect Alpine scenery before descending back into the village. Art enthusiasts will love Skyspace Lech , the fascinating light installation by James Turrell.

Good to Know about Traveling by Train

Austria's extensive train system is easily one of the most convenient ways to travel between its major cities and small forgotten hamlets. Here is what you need to know before hopping on board!

Book First Class For Ultimate Comfort

Travel austria on the night train, from vienna to salzburg by train, train journey with unesco views, discover austria.

Explore Austria at its best with these concise itineraries. Whether it's iconic landmarks or hidden gems, culinary delights or art and culture, discover how to make the most out of your stay.

Eurostar + Alpen Express to Austria

The alpen express won't run in winter2024-25 winter because the company has said that it won't be able to find suitable sleeper train rollling stock in time but hopefully will for winter 2025-26.

The Alpen Express: 2023-24 update

In August 2023, we contacted Alpen Express to ask whether the train is going to run for the 2023-24 winter season.  This is the answer we received, is:

"Alpen Express stands for excellent quality, we can no longer guarantee this quality within the current nighttrainlandscape. The condition of the cars is currently not to our satisfaction. We have therefore decided not to drive the Alpen Express this year."

The Alpen Express sleeper ski train to Austria gives you two extra days on the slopes

Finding new train routes to the slopes is always a delight. And we've discovered the Alpen Express , a dedicated sleeper train that travels overnight travel to a wide range of Austrian ski resorts. You can travel from the UK and pick the train up in Amsterdam or in Cologne, and from there travel overnight to wake up moments from the slopes of Austria. Find out more about the onboard experience here .

Many of the station stops are in the ski resort villages themselves, and others are a short transfer away. The transfer can be booked with the train ticket at the same time.

And it's easy to book the rail journey from London to Austria with the Alpen Express (see details further down this page).

London to Austria via Alpen Express — via Amsterdam: 1. Eurostar from London to Amsterdam 2. Have a big tea in Amsterdam 3. Alpen Express sleeper train from Amsterdam to Austrian ski resorts

Or alternatively:

London to Austria via Alpen Express — via Brussels and Cologne: 1. Eurostar from London to Brussels 2. ICE or Thalys from Brussels to Cologne 3. Dinner in Cologne, at or near the station 4. Alpen Express sleeper train from Cologne to Austrian ski resorts

And then skiing - on the day you arrive, for the rest of the week, and on the day you leave. Eight days skiing instead of six. Nice.

Eurostar + ICE + Alpen Express journey schedules

The train journey from London to Austria involves three enjoyable legs: Eurostar to Brussels, ICE or Thalys from Brussels to Cologne and then Alpen Express sleeper train to Austria.  It's not the quickest journey option, nor the most direct.  We wouldn't suggest that if it's your first time going skiing by train you do this first; but if you love train travel to the Alps then it will be great - and you could try it one way or both ways.

Eurostar + ICE + Alpen Express journey schedules (in table format)

Step 1: take a eurostar to brussels.

You get on the Eurostar, sit down, have a chat with your friends, go to the cafe bar, read a book, look at the scenery gliding by, share a joke with a fellow passenger.

There are lots of great ways to use the time and then before you know it your Eurostar is arriving in Brussels-Midi.

You may also want to see our guide to what the Eurostar is like .

Step 2: Take an ICE or Thalys to Cologne

When your Eurostar arrives at Brussels-midi, you need only change platform to catch an onward Thalys or ICE train, headed to Cologne.

If you have time between trains, Brussels stations has plenty of cafe and snack bars where you enjoy a meal or buy food to take on the next stage of the journey.

ICE train are incredibly spacious and comfortable - with huge windows to view the scenery. The way that they are designed is fantastic - a model for other train operators to follow.

There are plenty of table seats and there is a cafe-bistro which serves hot meals (with china crockery and steel cutlery) for reasonable prices, as well as draft beer, tea, coffee and other beverages.

Step 3: Take the Alpen Express from Cologne to Austria

The Alpen Express is a sleeper train that runs from Cologne, in Germany to stations in Austrian, home to plenty of fantastic ski resorts.

It has couchettes with flat beds, so you can lie flat and enjoy a good night's sleep on you way to the slopes.

You can choose from sleeping in a 2-berth, four-berth or six-berth couchette compartment, and these can be shared or booked off as private.

There's a bar-disco carriage on the train, where you can celebrate the fact that you'll be skiing the next day (however, don't celebrate too much - or you won't be skiing the next day).

Alpen Express staff will offer a wake up call accompanied by a breakfast brought to your couchette (breakfast is included in the price of your ticket). You can also order hot and cold drinks and snacks at any time.

This is the Alpen Express website in English .

Step 4: Transfer to your resort

Once the Alpen Express sleeper train arrives in Austria,  you are not far from you hotel, chalet or apartment. 

Some Austrian stations, such as Kitzbühel and St Anton, have train stations located right in the heart of the village.

In other cases the transfer time is betwen 10 and 40 minutes.

The Alpen Express offers a minibus-taxi transfer service from the train to your accommodation (for an additional charge) so that everything can be taken care of when you book the train.

Ski resorts, transfer durations and prices

You can also book your own local taxi if you prefer.

How to book Eurostar + Alpen Express journeys

Prices Rail travel from the UK to the Austrian Tirol, with a standard-class seat on Eurostar and a place in a six-berth couchette on the Alpen Express, start at £TBC return per adult.  However, prices always depend on availability, and at peak dates will likely be higher.  Depending on ages, children get about 30% off the adult fare.

How to book London to Austria via Alpen Express You can book the whole journey from London to Austria by Eurostar, ICE and Alpen Express, with the Dutch company that own and run the Alpen Express , called Rail Travel Shop (they call it Treinreiswinkel in Holland). Here are the details:

Rail Travel Shop / Alpen Express website in English: https://alpen.express/en/ By email: [email protected] By phone: +31 715161983 Mon-Fri: 09.30 - 17.30; Sat: 10.00 - 17.00 (Central European time)

Booking the Eurostar + ICE separately (optional) Alpen Express can book the journey from London to Austria for you, in one booking. However, you could also book the London - Cologne section separately, if you wish. London to Cologne by Eurostar + ICE can be booked on the following websites: Eurostar: www.eurostar.com Rail Europe: www .raileurope.com Trainline: www.trainline.com

Ski resorts by train in the Austrian Tirol

The Tirol region in Austria, has plenty of resorts that are accessible by NightJet sleeper train. That gives you a lot to choose from, and if you'd like help choosing you are welcome to contact Snowcarbon founder Daniel - who can make recommendations and make sure you find something suitable. Just send Daniel an email and he'll be back in touch.

In the section below, we highlight some of the best Tirolean resorts by train - each with a resort guide and an example journey.

SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser Brixental

Resort summary The SkiWelt is a collection of six linked resorts offering 279km of interconnected pistes with an abundance of blue and red runs over undulating pastureland. The prices here – for everything from food and drink to accommodation - are extremely reasonable. The villages are all contrastingly different from each other. Söll is the party resort and the one that’s best-known internationally. It also has a wide range of accommodation to choose from, including seven four-star hotels. Ellmau is a pleasant family resort with hotels, shops and bars lining its busy high street. Brixen im Thale is one of the oldest villages in Tirol, with the centrepiece a large pastel pink Baroque church. Hopfgarten has been a busy market town for some 650 years and is the economic centre of the Brixen Valley. The quieter accommodation bases are traditional Scheffau and little Going - the latter famous for the fabulous Stanglwirt Hotel, which has its own troupe of Lipizzaner dancing horses. The skiing in the area covers three mountains that are well connected and are accessed by a state-of-the-art gondola from Ellmau or by quad-chair from Going. Two gondolas access the slopes from Scheffau and a gondola goes up to the ski area from Brixen im Thale. From Hopfgarten the two-stage Salvebahn gondola takes you up to the top of Hohe Salve, the highest point of the skiing and home to some of the area’s most challenging runs. Söll’s skiing starts a kilometre from the village centre, where a gondola also brings you up to Hohe Salve. Ellmau is located between Going and Scheffau. The other linked resorts of Westendorf, Itter, Hopfgarten and Brixen-im-Thale line the valley around the ridge. The pretty little village of Westendorf has skiing that begins slightly away from the rest of the area, which connects by lift to Brixen im Thale. From Westendorf’s own ski area you can also descend on piste to the outskirts of Kirchberg and link into the 170km of the Kitzbühel ski area with a two-minute bus ride. You’ll need to buy the larger regional pass to do this, but you can only cover so much terrain in a week, so you’d do best to concentrate on the 279km of SkiWelt. One of the highlights of the area is Alpeniglu, a snow village of 18 igloos built up the mountain every winter at Hochbrixen. It is also accessible for non-skiers. As well as having a bar made entirely from ice, you can enjoy a fondue on a crystal-clear ice table, spend a night in the romantic Igloo Suite, drink from glasses made of ice, and enjoy some hand-made ice sculptures created by international artists. At the foot of the mountain all of the resorts have nursery slopes, and the villages are all linked by bus. However, road distances are large and it makes sense to keep a close eye on your watch and allow enough time to return to your base on skis at the end of the day. You won’t find much in the way of nerve-wracking couloirs or craggy peaks in the SkiWelt. Instead, wide, rolling pistes snake across a landscape punctuated by gorgeous chalet-style mountain huts - 77 of them. Most of the skiing is located between 800m and 1800m, so ideally you need to come here in the middle of a cold, snowy winter to get the best of it. What you do get is lots of trees. Almost every piste is lined with them, and that means you're going to be able to see to ski whatever the visibility.

Example journey - outbound Depart London St Pancras on the 15:04 Eurostar to Brussels, arriving 18:05; take the 18:25 ICE from Brussels to Cologne, arriving 20:15; then take the 21:21 NightJet sleeper train to Kufstein, arriving 08:25; from there it's about 30 minutes by taxi.

Example journey - return Transfer by taxi to Kufstein; depart Kufstein on the 21:35 NightJet sleeper train to Cologne, arriving at 08:15 ; take the 08:43 ICE to Brussels, arriving 10:35; then  have brunch and take the 12:52 or 14:52 Eurostar from Brussels to London St Pancras, arriving at 14:05 or 16:05.

Kitzbühel and Kirchberg

Resort summary The medieval silver-mining town of Kitzbühel is set against the dramatic backdrop of the Wilderkaiser mountains and is unquestionably the most beautiful ski town in the Alps. The cobbled main streets of the pedestrianised centre within the buttressed city walls are lined with magnificent frescoed and pastel-painted buildings. The romantic ambiance makes Kitzbühel just as good a destination for non-skiers as it is for skiers. Wealthy couples in designer ski suits browse the boutiques in the centre that sell jewellery, cashmere and leather, with the odd cobbler and designer pet shop. Don't miss out on the wonderful coffee shops and bakeries in town. Praxmair is the famous café and no one should spend a week in Kitzbühel without coming here at least once for coffee and calorie-rich cakes or Apfelstrüdl. Kitzbühel is also famous for being home to the Hahnenkamm, the toughest event on the World Cup calendar, which takes place each winter on the Streif race course. The annual television portrayal gives the false impression that this resort is confined to the sort of skiers who happily jump 75 metres then continue downhill at 80mph. In fact, when not prepared for competition, the Streif reverts to a pretty benign family run and most of the skiing here is suited to intermediates. Still, how you skied the Streif top to bottom is always a useful anecdote to pop into any conversation – you don’t have to mention that the infamous Mausefalle and the other jumps were missing.   The lift system has been steadily upgraded in recent years, with fast chair-lifts and gondolas relieving any previous bottle-necks. You can seamlessly make your way up the valley to Jochberg, and all the way to Pass Thurn above the town of Mittersill and back again There are few queues, even during high season. Kitzbühel also has two other smaller and separate ski areas that are often ignored by visitors. The Kitzbüheler Horn, at 2000m is the highest point in the whole area. It’s popular with beginners because of the two long easy blue runs that bring you back down. However, there’s some more challenging intermediate terrain and a terrain park, although the main park is now located on the Hahnenkamm.   

Kirchberg shares the KitzSki area, 170km of it in all, reached from Kitzbühel via the Fleckenalm and Maierlbahn gondolas. However, the two resorts couldn’t be more different if they tried.  

Kirchberg is a traditional family resort with a relaxed nightlife, sports shops rather than designer boutiques, and without the gorgeous architecture of smarter Kitzbühel - but it is regarded as the more affordable alternative. This end of the KitzSki area is also handier for getting to the SkiWelt, Austria’s largest lift-connected ski area. A gondola links from here to Westendorf, enormously increasing the amount of skiing you can do in a day. A further gondola travels across the Brixen Valley towards the other resorts of the SkiWelt, including Söll and Ellmau.

Example journey - outbound Depart London St Pancras on the 15:04 Eurostar to Brussels, arriving 18:05; take the 18:25 ICE from Brussels to Cologne, arriving 20:15; then take the 21:21 NightJet sleeper train to Wörgl, arriving 08:36; from there it's about 30 minutes by taxi.

Example journey - return Transfer by taxi to Wörgl; depart Wörgl on the 21:23 NightJet sleeper train to Cologne, arriving at 08:15 ; take the 08:43 ICE to Brussels, arriving 10:35; then  have brunch and take the 12:52 or 14:52 Eurostar from Brussels to London St Pancras, arriving at 14:05 or 16:05.

Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau

Resort summary One was the prettiest in Austria, the other a little older but very handsome and ambitious. They'd been giving each other admiring glances for years. If two ski resorts were perfect for each other it was the Tirolean villages of Alpbach and Auffach . They tied the knot not so long ago and what a lovely couple they make! It took just one gondolaway, costing 13.5 million euros, to join Alpbach and Wildschonau , of which Auffach is a big part - and Ski Juwel, the name chosen for the combined area of 145-kms of piste and 47 lifts, was created. With expansive ski slopes over rolling pastures,  Alpbach has long been acknowledged as one of Austria's most beautiful villages and generations of British skiers have learned to ski there. It's a charming community of chalets with heavily-timbered balconies, tip-to-toe Tirolean. Alpbach's slopes are tailor-made for intermediates -  an area of family skiing par excellence, reflecting the feel of the village.  The network of lifts and slopes is compact but runs are superbly groomed. Upper slopes are above the treeline but soon become tree-fringed - excellent in poor visibility. Intermediates get a real sense of achievement from the lovely top-to-bottom blues and reds - great for honing carving skills too. There are also some challenges to be found here and there. Wildschonau, comprising the villages of Niederau and Oberau as well as Auffach, is much older in ski terms. Its first chairlift, also one of Austria’s first, was installed in 1945, 15 years before Alpbach got its first. And although Wildschonau is perhaps not such a big name to British ears, it has twice as many as Alpbach’s 3,500 holiday beds. The gondola linking the two has its bottom station at Inneralpbach, and rises to near Auffach’s 1,903-metre top station at Schatzberg. The lift follows a strange dogleg route - apparently because one farmer refused permission for it to go over his land. Wildschonau is as authentically Tirolean as it gets, a lush and fertile hanging valley full of Alpine farms, with sleigh rides, horse-riding in the snow and cleared walking paths. It has a purposeful air - an ancient community of intriguing character. The valley has unique traditions – such as the right, conferred by royal warrant, to make turnip schnapps (said to have remarkably efficacious properties). An annual turnip schnapps competition is held among Wildschonau farmers. Auffach has sweeping runs suitable for intermediates all the way to the bottom station, but also  nicely challenging and adventurous routes, including the Gern run, from Schatzberg down an often deserted valley. For those looking to test themselves a little, staying in Auffach could be a good bet. Beginners have dedicated slopes, in the centre of the village at Alpbach, and at mid-station in Auffach.  

The other two Wildschonau resorts of Niederau and Oberau are linked to Auffach by regular shuttle bus.  Niederau - with lively apres-ski haunts - has excellent nursery slopes as well as a small selection of entertaining reds. Oberau is actually Wildschonau's main village, and although it boasts only a small ski area, does have some lovely historic lodging, so can make a good holiday base. The link has made Inneralpbach a key junction and a great place to stay to make the most of both ski areas. If devotees of Alpbach or the villages of Wildschonau had fears the alliance would impact on their intimate, cosy images, they've proved groundless. The captivatingly rustic feel of each has simply transferred itself seamlessly to a wider area - they're still the lovely Tirolean villages they ever were, but with twice the skiing.

Example journey - outbound Depart London St Pancras on the 15:04 Eurostar to Brussels, arriving 18:05; take the 18:25 ICE from Brussels to Cologne, arriving 20:15; then take the 21:21 NightJet sleeper train to Jenbach, arriving 08:53; from there it's about 20 minutes by taxi.

Example journey - return Transfer by taxi to Jenbach; depart Jenbach on the 21:06 NightJet sleeper train to Cologne, arriving at 08:15 ; take the 08:43 ICE to Brussels, arriving 10:35; then  have brunch and take the 12:52 or 14:52 Eurostar from Brussels to London St Pancras, arriving at 14:05 or 16:05.

St Johann in Tirol

Resort summary St Johann in Tirol is a town rather than a village, with a thriving commercial life other than simply tourism – and all the more charming for it.  It                       It has a laid-back and welcoming feel and not surprisingly attracts a high proportion of loyal Britons who return year after year. The town has played a significant part in the Tirol's often tubulent past and is steeped in history. Many buildings boast fine examples of the ancient art of wall-painting, luftlmalerei. To underline its rich history, the 700-year-old bell in the Spitalkirche is the oldest in Tirol. St Johann's skiing is on the north-facing side of the Kitzbuheler Horn – on the other side is part of Kitzbuhel's skiing. St Johann locals claim they have the snowy side! The north-facing aspect and plenty of trees protect the snow and St Johann has a reputation for good conditions through a long season. At its outer edges, the network of runs embraces the villages of Eichenhof and Oberndorf. Most of the slopes are tailor-made for intermediates, but an exciting option is the Sauregg, a black FIS slope from the top of the Penzing lift all the way to Oberndorf. St Johann also has extensive beginners' runs. In total, there are about 40 miles of pistes, served by 17 lifts. Few mountains are better served with cosy restaurants. There are at least 18 on the slopes. St Johann has a vibrant apres-ski scene, as well as a huge range of off-slope activities, including 40 kilometres of winter walking paths and indoor pools, indoor tennis courts and an ice-rink - and the town has an indoor climbing centre. Cross-country skiing is big here too - in the valley linking Oberndorf, St Johann and Eichenhof, there are 75 kilometres of beautifully laid-out trails.

< Example journey - return Transfer by taxi to Wörgl; depart Wörgl on the 21:23 NightJet sleeper train to Cologne, arriving at 08:15 ; take the 08:43 ICE to Brussels, arriving 10:35; then  have brunch and take the 12:52 or 14:52 Eurostar from Brussels to London St Pancras, arriving at 14:05 or 16:05.

Resort summary The Zillertal, which branches off the wide valley of the River Inn, a 45-minute drive from Innsbruck, is one of the Tirol’s great ski areas.  With a mighty 515km of pistes and 179 lifts it should qualify as of the world’s top 10 regions, but the terrain is split into distinctive sectors that are not linked on the mountain.   Much the most famous of these is Mayrhofen . This is by far the biggest bed base of the valley and it’s where most of the UK tour operators have their hotels. The most luxurious of these is the Hotel Elisabeth, which is set away from the lively main street of this party town that in winter, at least, never sleeps. It is renowned for its youth-oriented après-ski and music festival. There’s a choice of two ski areas in Mayrhofen, covering a total of 136km of piste and served by 46 lifts that are reached by the Ahorn and Penken gondolas. The Penken is the biggest of these and is home to the infamous Harakiri black run which, at 78 degrees of steepness, is ranked among the most extreme marked blacks in the Alps. Keep on driving up the valley road and you come eventually to Hintertux , the only developed glacier in Europe that offers 365-day skiing. During the winter the resort offers a 65km network of pistes of all levels. One of the main attractions is the 12km descent of the Gefrorene Wand (Frozen Wall) all the way down to Hintertux. The main Zillertal ski areas are connected by a choice of bus or a 760mm narrow gauge railway – it even has a couple of steam locos – that chuffs or diesels along the 32km valley floor between Mayrhofen and Jenbach where it links with mainline services. Travel on the regular diesel services as well as the Mayrhofen-Hintertux line is included in the regional Zillertal Superski lift pass. The first ski area you get to from Jenbach is the Hochzillertal , with main access from the villages of Kaltenbach and from Fügen. In all, there’s a respectable 39 mainly high speed lifts serving 87km of highly panoramic cruising terrain. Don’t miss out a visit to the Wedelhutte and Kristallhutte, both gourmet mountain restaurants that cater for the predominantly German and Austrian visitors. We consider this to be the best ski area in Zillertal, but it remains largely unexplored by Mayrhofen-based Brits. The piste rise from 560m to 2500m. Do stop off in Stumm , which is a gorgeous valley village - there’s a free bus from Kaltenbach. It has some charming little shops and cafes, and historic four-star Landgasthof Linde, renowned for its gourmet cuisine, makes a delightful base for exploring this end of the Zillertal.   The larger, and classically pretty, village of Zell am Ziller is more or less bang in the centre and set on the banks of the river. The skiing here – on the opposite side of the valley – is known as the Zillertal Arena. Starting point is the two-stage Rosenbaum gondola, situated 1km from the village and reached by ski bus. From here the 143km of runs stretches as far as Hochkrimml in Salzburgerland, on family-friendly slopes with some long cruising runs. More than 50% of the pistes in this area are graded red. Most impressive is the Übergangsjoch, which begins at 2500m and drops 1930 vertical metres to the valley floor, making it one of Austria’s longest runs. The Zillertal Arena also links Zell am Ziller with Gerlos , which is a straggling resort with some smart hotels lining the through-road. Last winter saw the opening of the new Dorfbahn cable-car in Gerlos. The Arena Tour is a ski safari that takes in all four sections of the Zillertal Arena in one day. Each area in the valley has its own lift pass, but if staying for a week or longer we strongly recommend buying the Zillertal Superski pass that covers the whole region. It costs €249 for six days.  

Example journey - outbound Depart London St Pancras on the 15:04 Eurostar to Brussels, arriving 18:05; take the 18:25 ICE from Brussels to Cologne, arriving 20:15; then take the 21:21 NightJet sleeper train to Jenbach, arriving 08:53; from there it's about 30 - 50 minutes by taxi.

Resort summary The little family ski areas of Pertisau and Maurach would never claim to be Tirol's most challenging - but none are more magical. Their extraordinary setting on the shores of Tirol's deepest lake - high in an achingly beautiful hanging valley - has an almost mystic air about it. The two areas face each other across the crystal waters of the Achensee - reached from the Inn Valley either by a twisting, scenic mountain road, or by the historic steam cog railway from the Jenbach valley station.

The delightfully uncrowded Zwölferkopf ski area is reached by cable-car from the lakeside village of Pertisau and its blue and red runs are perfect for intermediate, family skiing. Across the lake in Maurach, a cable-car rises to the Rofan ski area, again ideal for beginners and families, but also with a two-kilometre black run (and the thrilling 80kph Rofan Sky Glider for extra excitement). And from both Pertisau and Maurach, the lake and mountain panorama is unrivalled.

Example journey - outbound Depart London St Pancras on the 15:04 Eurostar to Brussels, arriving 18:05; take the 18:25 ICE from Brussels to Cologne, arriving 20:15; then take the 21:21 NightJet sleeper train to Jenbach, arriving 08:53; from there it's about 12 - 25 minutes by taxi.

Olympia SkiWorld Innsbruck

Resort summary Innsbruck is a captivating and elegant city at the centre of a feast of skiing – by checking in at the Tirolean capital you can enjoy the ultimate in apres-ski while experiencing world-class skiing and boarding at a different resort each day. But this is also an ideal resort if you want to mix top quality skiing with a trip to a vibrant, engaging city.

A whole collection of ski areas surround the city and can be skied on the same ski-pass. Innsbruck actually has a lift from the city centre, the Hungerbergbahn cog railway, linking via cable-cars into the skiing at Seegrube-Nordkette .

This is the city's 'back garden' skiing, with super intermediate slopes commanding awesome views – and towering above is the Karinne run, one of the world's most fearsome.

One of the best-known of the holiday villages around Innsbruck, which has twice hosted the Winter Olympics, is Igls, base for the Patscherkofel ski area, which will have the lift replaced with a new one.  

It was here in 1976 that a yellow cat-suited madman called Franz Klammer hurled himself down the mountain in a reckless, and successful, attempt to secure gold in the Winter Olympics Men's Downhill.

Visitors can still do the run, now interwoven with a blue version for the more cautious.  A  cable-car takes skiers to the summit, from where Innsbruck is dramatically stretched out below. In good snow, fabulous off-piste is possible through the trees.

A little further out is Axamer Lizum , with a varied selection of red and blue runs and an efficient lift network. There are steep slopes and good bump runs and a great deal of off-piste on exciting terrain, with gullies and gun-barrels. A wonderful treat is a seven-mile technically off-piste but well-travelled route from just below the Pleisen summit to the outskirts of Axams, a perfect end-of-the-day run.

Nearby is the delightfully named Oberperfuss Rangger Kopfl, where a gondola serves family-friendly slopes - as well as a 10-kilometre toboggan run. This area's a must if just to tick off the name!

West of Innsbruck is Kuhtai – great for a day trip from Innsbruck, but also ideal for longer. It's one of Austria's most snow-sure resorts, at 6,560ft, on uncrowded slopes (it's where the TV show The Jump is filmed). The area is renowned for ski touring, with routes stretching out into the Stubaital and Otztal.

Another delightful resort is Muttereralm , re-launched in 2006  after being closed for six winters. There's enticing skiing here for all levels and beginners are well catered for on good nursery slopes.

Heading into the stunningly beautiful Stubai Valley brings you to Fulpmes, whose skiing area glories in the name Schlick 2000 . The main skiing, reached by gondola, is in a huge bowl protected by surrounding ridges. There's enough to keep intermediates very well entertained, but also some seriously challenging off-piste.

At the far end of the valley is the magnificent Stubai Glacier , offering the ultimate snow guarantee with pistes at more than 3,000 metres –  for wonderful ski days above the clouds.

Finally, east of Innsbruck along the Inn Valley brings you to the magical little area of Glungezer , a  locals' favourite. And it proudly boasts the longest run in Tirol: a 15-kilometre-long piste from Schartenkogel down to the village of Tulfes.  Now who knew that?

*The Olympia SkiWorld pass includes all nine resorts, with 90 lifts and cable cars and 300-km of pistes. There are free ski buses from Innsbruck to all of them.

Example journey - outbound Depart London St Pancras on the 15:04 Eurostar to Brussels, arriving 18:05; take the 18:25 ICE from Brussels to Cologne, arriving 20:15; then take the 21:21 NightJet sleeper train to Innsbruck, arriving 09:14. Some resort villages are 10 - 30 minutes by taxi.

Example journey - return Depart Innsbruck on the 20:44 NightJet sleeper train to Cologne, arriving at 08:15 ; take the 08:43 ICE to Brussels, arriving 10:35; then have brunch and take the 12:52 or 14:52 Eurostar from Brussels to London St Pancras, arriving at 14:05 or 16:05.

Obergurgl-hochgurgl

Resort summary If not for the ambition of hot air balloonist Professor Augus

Cookie Consent

This website uses cookies or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalized recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

EU Entry/Exit System

Information and advice on the new EU Entry/Exit System

From autumn 2024, the EU will be introducing a new digital border system to strengthen the security of its external Schengen border. 

The new registration process – called the Entry/Exit System, or EES for short - is expected to be introduced in November, however the EU has yet to confirm a specific date for its introduction.  

It will apply to those travelling to the Schengen area which encompasses all EU countries, except from Cyprus and Ireland. Additionally, the non-EU States Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are also part of the Schengen area. ​ This will require most citizens of countries outside the EU to create a digital record and register their biometric details, such as providing fingerprints and having their photo taken, when they enter the Schengen area. This should only take a few minutes for each person to do.  ​ ​ British travellers will need to do this on their first visit to the EU after EES is introduced.​ Their record will be checked on point of entry into the Schengen area verifying either their fingerprint or photograph. 

At some ports in the South of England (Dover, Eurotunnel and St Pancras - where the French Border Force operate immigration checks in the UK), EES will be carried out before departure. There may be increased wait times while EES registration is completed before passengers leave the UK. ​ If British travellers decide to visit a country in the Schengen area again within a three-year period of creating their digital record, they will only need to provide either their fingerprint or photograph at the border on entry and exit.

EES will bolster border security for both the EU and their neighbouring countries. 

More information on EES can be found on the EU’s official Travel Europe website .

Why is the EU introducing EES?

EES is designed to improve border security, including tackling illegal migration in the Schengen Area by keeping a new digital record of people that enter.  ​

It will also replace the current system of manually stamping passports every time someone enters a country in the EU, with more automated border control checks to help the EU ensure that people do not overstay.​

EES is part of wider work the EU is doing to strengthen their border security – in 2025, the EU will introduce the new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).  ​

ETIAS will mean that those travelling to the Schengen area need to submit information about themselves and their travel plans, and pay a fee of 7 Euros, to apply for authorisation to travel before they leave for the Schengen area.

The EU has already set out more information on ETIAS, including what information will be required from each nationality. This can be found on the EU’s official Travel Europe website .

The impact on journeys to the Schengen Area 

When EES is introduced, travellers will be required to register at the Schengen border. They’ll do this at the port or airport on arrival, where they can submit their fingerprints and have their photo taken at dedicated booths. 

While the checks will only take a few minutes for each person to do, it may lead to longer queue times for people travelling to countries in the Schengen area.  ​

Travellers will only need to submit their biometric information at the border, and when EES is first introduced, they will not be required to provide any further information before they travel.​

At some ports in the South of England (Dover, Eurotunnel and St Pancras - where the French operate juxtaposed immigration checks in the UK), there may be increased wait times while EES registration is completed before passengers leave the UK. ​ ​ Passengers travelling through one of these ports should check with their travel operator before they leave to travel, to understand when to arrive at the port and any potential impacts to their journey.​

If travellers are flying to a country in the Schengen area, they may experience longer queue times when they arrive while EES registration is completed.

The Government is taking action to minimise the impact of EES

The EES is an EU initiative, and the UK Government has been reviewing the preparations made to date.

The UK Government has been working closely with the European Commission, member states, local authorities and the travel industry, taking a multi-agency approach to ensure Ports are prepared for the introduction of EES. 

The Government has been supporting ports and carriers to make sure they have the right technology and processes in place so EES registration can take place as smoothly as possible. 

Recently, the UK Government provided Eurostar, Eurotunnel and Port of Dover £3.5m of funding each, which they are spending on more kiosks and infrastructure.

Eurostar will have almost 50 kiosks for people to carry out the checks, and these will be spread across three locations at the station. It expects EES registration to be quick and easy. ​

Eurotunnel will have over 100 kiosks and estimate EES checks will add just over 5 minutes to journey times.​

Port of Dover will have 24 kiosks for coach passengers and will register passengers in cars using agents and tablets to make the process as straightforward as possible.

Where can I find out more information about EES?  

You can visit the EU’s official Travel Europe website .

Updates to this page

Sign up for emails or print this page, is this page useful.

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab) .

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Travel chaos as flights are cancelled at City and Heathrow airports

Share this with

Passengers face travel woes ahead of the weekend as flights have been cancelled at Heathrow and City airports and an upcoming road closure on the M62.

British Airways has axed several flights today from Heathrow and London City airports.

As for the road network, the M62 closes tonight as a £22m bridge is installed between Manchester and Leeds .

Elsewhere, Circle, District, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan lines on London Underground have severe delays as rush hour gets underway.

It comes after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain in London , south of England and Wales , and it is likely to cause travel disruption until midnight.

• 2d ago Map shows M62 closure and diversions tonight
• 3d ago What we know about the derailed train incident
• 3d ago Delays on Elizabeth line on the Tube
• 3d ago List of flights cancelled at Heathrow Airport
• 3d ago Looking ahead: Warning to drivers as M62 will be closed this weekend

Map shows M62 closure and diversions tonight

The M62 motorway – a major route carrying around 120,000 vehicles daily – closes tonight and over the weekend.

It is the first of two major weekend closures on the M62.

Read more about why it is closing and how to avoid it.

Map shows where major motorway closes this weekend

Severe disruption on District line

As the Friday rush hour is getting closer, commuters are hoping for it to go smoothly.

However, there might be delays along the way if you’re travelling on the District line on the London Underground.

Part of the line is suspended between Wimbledon Park and Wimbledon.

Severe delays are also hampering travel between High Street Kensington and Wimbledon Park.

The rest of the line has good service, the latest TfL travel alert shows.

Network Rail statement on train derailment

‘At around 11.30am we received a report that a freight train had come off the tracks at low speed near Denton.

‘The train was carrying aggregates and was headed for Manchester Hope Street.

‘There were no injuries and the driver is safe.

‘This is a freight only line and the area will remain blocked until the train can be moved.

‘Freight trains that are scheduled to be using this route will be diverted.

‘As a precaution, Sidmouth Street is closed for safety reasons.’

British Transport Police statement on Audenshaw train derailment

‘British Transport Police were called to the line near in Audenshaw just after 11.40am today following reports of a freight train derailment.

‘Thankfully no one was injured.

‘Officers remain at the scene and the line remains closed while the scene is being cleared and investigated.

‘Enquiries are ongoing.’

Latest pictures from the scene of the derailed train in Greater Manchester

Service between Dover and Folkestone finally back to normal after police incident

British Transport Police has now confirmed that a man was found dead on the railway line in the early hours of this morning.

Trains heading towards London St Pancras, Cannon Street and Charing Cross were cancelled or delayed throughout the morning.

Southeastern were only able to fully reopen the line at around 11am, with delays only clearing at around 1.30pm.

A BTP spokesperson said: ‘Detectives are appealing for witnesses to come forward following the death of a man on the railway.

‘Officers were called to the line near the Port of Dover at around 1.45am today to reports of a casualty on the tracks.

‘Paramedics also attended, however sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene.

‘Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to their death, and detectives are urging anyone with information or who may have witnessed something to come forward.’

What we know about the derailed train incident

Residents in Audenshaw outside Manchester were left thinking they were hit by an earthquake after their houses ‘began to shake,’ eyewitnesses have said.

The emergency services rushed to the scene on Sidmouth Street in Audenshaw, Tameside, just before midday after reports of a derailed train.

It is thought to be a non-passenger train.

One onlooker described the frightening incident: ‘I was on a work call and heard an enormous scraping as the whole house began to shake. Spoke with neighbours closer to the line who noted pictures falling from the walls – everyone thought we were having an earthquake.’

We approached Network Rail and British Transport Police for a comment.

A-road shuts in Hampshire after crash

The A303 has closed westbound near Basingstoke after a crash involving multiple vehicles.

It happened between A30 (Basingstoke) and A34 (Lower Bullington), and now all lanes westbound are shut.

Emergency services are on the scene, National Highways said.

The #A303 is CLOSED westbound between #A30 #Basingstoke and #A34 #LowerBullington due to a multi vehicle collision. Emergency services are on scene. Please see enclosed link for diversion details. https://t.co/znksmkfA4k pic.twitter.com/TW5F4VhtF0 — National Highways: South-East (@HighwaysSEAST) September 6, 2024

Disruption on Southeastern trains

Brace for problems if you’re travelling on the Southeastern in Kent today – there are several issues affecting the network today.

Here are the affected routes and what’s going on.

Canterbury East

• No trains between Dover Priory and Faversham due to an emergency incident near Canterbury East
• Replacement buses are being sourced

Maidstone East line

• Broken down train between Charing and Ashford International means the line between Asford and Oftord/Maidstone East is blocked until a rescue train can clear the railway
• This is disrupting trains through Maidstone East
• Passengers can use their tickets on the highspeed services

Hastings line

• An earlier broken-down train at Etchingham is still causing cancellations to trains between Hastings and London Charing Cross

Delays on Elizabeth line on the Tube

Passengers travelling between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 4 have been warned of delays and cancellations after a defective track on the route.

It means trains are forced to run slower, causing delays of up to 10 minutes or cancellations of some trains.

Disruption is expected until 12.30, National Rail estimated.

The defective track was spotted between the Acton Main line and Paddington.

• Affected route – Elizabeth line between Heathrow Terminal 4 and Abbey Wood

List of flights cancelled at Heathrow Airport

Hundreds of British Airways passengers woke up to find their flights cancelled from Heathrow today.

BA has axed several flights while others were delayed.

We approached British Airways for a comment.

Here are the flights that appeared as cancelled on the airport departure board.

British Airways BA472 at 6.15am to Barcelona

British Airways BA1382 at 6.45am to Manchester

British Airways BA304 at 6.55am to Paris

British Airways BA776 at 7.05am to Stockholm

British Airways BA762 at 7.45am to Oslo

British Airways BA392 at 7.55am to Brussels

British Airways BA886 at 9.25am to Bucharest

British Airways BA842 at 9.45am to Split

British Airways BA862 at 10.10am to Prague

British Airways BA574 at 10.25am to Milan

British Airways BA336 at 11am to Marseille

British Airways BA938 at 11.10am to Dusseldorf

British Airways BA730 at 11.25am to Geneva

British Airways BA662 at 11.30am to Larnaca

British Airways BA344 at 11.40am to Nice

British Airways BA1308 at 12.10pm to Aberdeen

British Airways BA816 at 12.30pm to Copenhagen

Have you been affected? Please email [email protected].

Flooding on M25 closes one lane

There is slow-moving traffic and one lane closed on the M25 due to flooding on the carriageway.

The flooding is located on the clockwise carriageway between junction 11 for Chertsey to junction 12 for the M3.

Problems in Kent as police incident blocks lines affecting trains to London

Southeastern Railway has been forced to close the line between Dover Priory and Folkestone Central due to a police incident.

Services between Ramsgate and Dover and between Dover and Ashford International have been cancelled, which will affect services heading into London St Pancras, Charing Cross and Cannon Street.

There are replacement buses running between Dover and Folkestone.

There currently aren’t any details about the nature of the police incident, but Southeastern warn they expect disruption to last until around midday.

Looking ahead: Warning to drivers as M62 will be closed this weekend

Part of the M62 will be closed over the weekend so a new £22million railway bridge can be installed.

It’ll be closed in both directions between Manchester and Leeds from 9pm tonight until 6am on Monday.

The westbound carriageway will be shut between junction 20 at Rochdale and junction 19 at Heywood.

Eastbound traffic will be stopped from junction 18 at Simister Island to junction 20 at Rochdale.

There’ll be another closure between September 20-23.

Emergency resurfacing works on M1 means two lanes are closed

Following a two-vehicle crash last night, National Highways are having to resurface part of the M1.

The crash happened on the northbound carriageway between junction 9 for Redbourn and 10 for Luton in Hertfordshire.

Two lanes are still closed and drivers can expect delays in the area.

This picture shows exactly why the repairs needed to be done as soon as possible.

Delays on Victoria line

There are currently minor delays across the Victoria line due to a signal failure at Finsbury Park.

Aside from the ongoing delays to Tramlink services mentioned below, the rest of the TfL network has good service this morning.

Delays on London Tramlink

There are currently delays between Wellesley Road and Sandilands on the Tram network this morning, due to a broken down bus at Lebanon Road.

The line had been part suspended while the bus was moved out of the way, but it has since reopened.

There is currently good service on all other Tramlink routes, TfL says.

MORE : London’s most unique pub where staff have to wear wellies

MORE : Map shows where major motorway closes this weekend

MORE : The £14,000,000 space-age tower left to rot next to UK motorway

Sign Up for News Updates

Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more.

Privacy Policy

Get us in your feed

Mon 9 Sept 2024

2024 newspaper of the year

@ Contact us

Your newsletters

September 2024 strikes: Full list of walkout dates, from train drivers to Heathrow

Despite a number of new pay deals for public sector workers travel disruption is on the cards for september as more industrial action is planned.

The Labour Government has agreed a series of new pay deals in the public sector since coming to power but industrial action is still on the cards next month.

Sir Keir Starmer has given the go-ahead to fresh pay settlements for junior doctors, NHS staff, teachers and civil servants among others since entering 10 Downing Street in July.

Aslef has also agreed to recommend a new pay proposal to its members, from 16 rail companies, which could see an end to two years of rail strikes.

Nonetheless, September will see train drivers at rail firm LNER walk out on a series of weekends.

While hundreds of Border Force staff at Heathrow airport are also expected to strike at the start of the month hitting holidaymakers heading home before the start of the new school year.

Here’s what we know about the planned action for next month.

When are the train strikes in September?

Train drivers at LNER, the rail firm which runs the passenger service on the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh, plan to walk out every Saturday between 31 August and 9 November and every Sunday from 1 September to 10 November.

In September, this will mean strikes on the following dates:

• Saturday 31 August – Sunday 1 September
• Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 September
• Saturday 14 – Sunday 15 September
• Saturday 21 – Sunday 22 September
• Saturday 28 – Sunday 29 September

Aslef said the planned action follows a breakdown in industrial relations, bullying by management and the persistent breaking of agreements by the company.

The union said it is an entirely separate dispute from the national pay dispute.

Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, said: “The continued failure of the company to resolve long-standing industrial relations issues has forced us into this position.

“We would much rather not be here.

“But the company has brutally, and repeatedly, broken diagramming and roster agreements, failed to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery and totally acted in bad faith.

“When we make an agreement, we stick to it. This company doesn’t.

“And we are not prepared to put up with their boorish behaviour and bullying tactics.”

LNER has said its “priority focus will be on minimising disruption to customers” during the forthcoming strikes.

A spokesperson for the firm told i previously: “We are surprised and disappointed to hear this news following recent constructive conversations.

“We will continue to work with Aslef to find a way to end this long-running dispute which only damages the rail industry.”

The firm said it was “working quickly to understand the impact this will have on our planned timetables for these dates and will be contacting affected customers once plans are confirmed”

If strike action goes ahead, the company said it will be running a reduced timetable.

It is likely any weekend industrial action will have a knock-on effect for the working week as services re-start on Mondays.

When are the Heathrow strikes?

Border Force staff at Heathrow airport are also planning to strike in September in a row over changes to terms and conditions.

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) announced this month that hundred of Border Force staff at the London airport plan to take industrial action over 23 days from 31 August.

The 650 members of the PSC will be on strike from  31 August to 3 September , then working-to-rule and refusing to work overtime until 22 September .

Train drivers on LNER to stage series of strikes despite pay deal

Fran Heathcote, PCS general secretary, said: “Our hard-working members at Heathrow take great pride in keeping our country’s border safe, but many are being forced out of the job they love.

“They’re being told by managers to choose between caring responsibilities and their job, which is no choice at all. The only reason they’re being forced to choose is because their managers are forcing them.

“We know our strike action is likely to cause serious disruption to travellers using Heathrow at the end of the summer, but the strike can be avoided if the employer listens to the concerns of our members.”

The Home Office, which runs the Border Force, said it appreciated “the tireless work that Border Force do to keep our borders safe and secure” and it was committed to “continuing our conversations with the union so we can find an agreement that works for both the public and staff.”

A spokesperson added: “We will have robust plans in place to minimise disruption where possible, but we urge passengers to check the latest advice from operators before they travel.”

Heathrow airport, which at peak holiday times is used by about 250,000 passengers a day, said disruption had been avoided during past strikes.

It said it had “previously worked closely with Border Force to support their contingencies during strike periods, which have seen passengers continue to travel smoothly”.

Most Read By Subscribers

Advertisement

Where Kamala Harris Stands on the Issues: Abortion, Immigration and More

She wants to protect the right to abortion nationally. Here’s what else to know about her positions.

• Share full article

By Maggie Astor

• Published July 21, 2024 Updated Aug. 24, 2024

With Vice President Kamala Harris having replaced President Biden on the Democratic ticket, her stances on key issues will be scrutinized by both parties and the nation’s voters.

She has a long record in politics: as district attorney of San Francisco, as attorney general of California, as a senator, as a presidential candidate and as vice president.

Here is an overview of where she stands.

Ms. Harris supports legislation that would protect the right to abortion nationally, as Roe v. Wade did before it was overturned in 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

After the Dobbs ruling, she became central to the Biden campaign’s efforts to keep the spotlight on abortion, given that Mr. Biden — with his personal discomfort with abortion and his support for restrictions earlier in his career — was a flawed messenger. In March, she made what was believed to be the first official visit to an abortion clinic by a president or vice president.

She consistently supported abortion rights during her time in the Senate, including cosponsoring legislation that would have banned common state-level restrictions, like requiring doctors to perform specific tests or have hospital admitting privileges in order to provide abortions.

As a presidential candidate in 2019, she argued that states with a history of restricting abortion rights in violation of Roe should be subject to what is known as pre-clearance for new abortion laws — those laws would have to be federally approved before they could take effect. That proposal is not viable now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe.

Climate change

Ms. Harris has supported the Biden administration’s climate efforts , including legislation that provided hundreds of billions of dollars in tax credits and rebates for renewable energy and electric vehicles.

“It is clear the clock is not just ticking, it is banging,” she said in a speech last year , referring to increasingly severe and frequent disasters spurred by climate change. “And that is why, one year ago, President Biden and I made the largest climate investment in America’s history.”

During her 2020 presidential campaign, she emphasized the need for environmental justice , a framework that calls for policies to address the adverse effects that climate change has on poor communities and people of color. She has emphasized that as vice president as well.

In 2019, Ms. Harris, then a senator, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, introduced legislation that would have evaluated environmental rules and laws by how they affected low-income communities. It would have also established an independent Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Accountability and created a “senior adviser on climate justice” within several federal agencies. In 2020, Ms. Harris introduced a more sweeping version of the bill. None of the legislation was passed.

Ms. Harris was tasked with leading the Biden administration’s efforts to secure voting rights legislation, a job she asked for . The legislation — which went through several iterations but was ultimately blocked in the Senate — would have countered voting restrictions in Republican-led states, limited gerrymandering and regulated campaign finance more strictly.

This year, she met with voting rights advocates and described a strategy that included creating a task force on threats to election workers and challenging state voting restrictions in court.

She has condemned former President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. In a speech in 2022 marking the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, she said that day had showed “what our nation would look like if the forces who seek to dismantle our democracy are successful.” She added, “What was at stake then, and now, is the right to have our future decided the way the Constitution prescribes it: by we the people, all the people.”

Economic policy

In campaign events this year, Ms. Harris has promoted the Biden administration’s economic policies, including the infrastructure bill that Mr. Biden signed, funding for small businesses, a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that capped the cost of insulin for people on Medicare and student debt forgiveness.

She indicated at an event in May that the administration’s policies to combat climate change would also bring economic benefits by creating jobs in the renewable energy industry. At another event , she promoted more than $100 million in Energy Department grants for auto parts manufacturers to pivot to electric vehicles, which she said would “help to keep our auto supply chains here in America.”

As a senator, she introduced legislation that would have provided a tax credit of up to $6,000 for middle- and low-income families, a proposal she emphasized during her presidential campaign as a way to address income inequality.

Immigration

One of Ms. Harris’s mandates as vice president has been to address the root causes of migration from Latin America, like poverty and violence in migrants’ home countries. Last year, she announced $950 million in pledges from private companies to support Central American communities. Similar commitments made previously totaled about $3 billion.

In 2021, she visited the U.S.-Mexico border and said : “This issue cannot be reduced to a political issue. We’re talking about children, we’re talking about families, we are talking about suffering.”

More recently, she backed a bipartisan border security deal that Mr. Biden endorsed but Mr. Trump, by urging Republican lawmakers to kill it , effectively torpedoed. The legislation would have closed the border if crossings reached a set threshold, and it would have funded thousands of new border security agents and asylum officers. “We are very clear, and I think most Americans are clear, that we have a broken immigration system and we need to fix it,” Ms. Harris said in March .

Israel and Gaza

Ms. Harris called in March for an “immediate cease-fire” in Gaza and described the situation there as a “humanitarian catastrophe.” She said that “the threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel must be eliminated” but also that “too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”

In an interview later that month , she emphasized her opposition to an Israeli invasion of Rafah, the city in southern Gaza to which more than a million people had fled. “I have studied the maps,” she said. “There’s nowhere for those folks to go, and we’re looking at about 1.5 million people in Rafah who are there because they were told to go there, most of them.”

She has said on multiple occasions that she supports a two-state solution.

Racial justice

Racial justice was a theme of Ms. Harris’s presidential campaign. In a memorable debate exchange in 2019 , she denounced Mr. Biden’s past work with segregationist senators and opposition to school busing mandates.

She has called for ending mandatory minimum sentences, cash bail and the death penalty, which disproportionately affect people of color.

Amid the protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, she was one of the senators who introduced the Justice in Policing Act, which would have made it easier to prosecute police officers, created a national registry of police misconduct and required officers to complete training on racial profiling. It was not passed.

Her record as a prosecutor also came into play during her presidential campaign. Critics noted that as attorney general of California, she had generally avoided stepping in to investigate police killings.

Maggie Astor covers politics for The New York Times, focusing on breaking news, policies, campaigns and how underrepresented or marginalized groups are affected by political systems. More about Maggie Astor