Salzburg: Getting there & around

Salzburg Airport handles international flights and also has regular scheduled flights to many European and the main Austrian cities. The departure tax is factored into the price of your air ticket. The airport is less than 4km (2.5mi) west of the city centre at Innsbrucker Bundesstrasse 95. Bus No. 2 leaves from outside the airport and terminates at the main train station in the city.

Salzburg is well served by IC (InterCity) and EC (EuroCity) train services. Austrian trains are comfortable, clean and reasonably frequent. Bundesbuses depart from outside the Hauptbahnhof on Südtiroler Platz, where timetables are displayed. The bus is best considered a backup to the rail service - more useful for reaching out-of-the-way places and local destinations than for long distance travel.

Tourist offices and hotels sell the Salzburg Card, which provides free entry to all the city's museums and sights, reduced entry to a further 26 attractions and free public transport for the duration.

Salzburg has an efficient local bus system and bus routes are shown on city and hotel maps. Bus taxis operate nightly 23:30 - 01:30 (to 03:00 on weekends) on 12 routes, with Hanuschplatz the departure point for suburban routes on the left bank, and Theatergasse for routes to the right bank.

Driving in the city is hardly worth the effort as parking places are limited and much of the old town is accessible only by foot. There is a good network of cycle paths in and around the city and the bike rental office in Salzburg's main train station is open 07:00 - 24:00 daily from Apr-Sep.