I see that the Bahn schedule is only out thru December 8th of this year. I am leaving on December 8th to go to Munich and then by train to Salzburg. When does the new schedule usually get posted?

I wish I could help with an exact date. However, with the number of timings to Salzburg every day I somehow suspect the ones in place prior to the 8th aren't going to change <b>significantly</b> thereafter unless, perhaps, you are traveling over a holiday.

I am sorry i cannot offer more but I am certain someone here will eventually post with the exact information.

The new schedules should be out by mid October. Hardly earlier.

For short distances like Munich- Salzburg the schedule hardly changes. You can make your plans using the summer schedule.

Because trains are so frequent and there is no need for reservations, I don't think you have a problem. Look up the schedule two days before!

Now, there is one caveat. If you want to go the cheapest way, travel on a Bayern Ticket. You are scheduled to leave on a Saturday, so you can take the first convenient regional train, designated RB or RE. (Can't use an IC or EC train on a Bayern Ticket.)

If you are the only one traveling, then cost differential is not great. If you are 4 or 5, then the cost difference would be appoximatel 3 or 4 times the price.

The only drawback to taking an RE or RB is that the travel time is longer. For example the RE that leaves at 8:48 takes 17 minutes longer than the IC that leaves at 8:28. If there were 4 people traveing, the cost on the IC would be 4 x &euro;27. For the regional card you pay &euro;27 for all 4. It depends on how much the $100 difference is worth to you.

In case you are wondering about using a German ticket to reach an Austrian destination, don't worry. The DB trains take you to Salzburg. There is in fact a separate ticket window for DB train in the Salzburg station.

Can I purchase the Bayern Ticket in Salzburg for my return trip? I will be returning on Wednesday. I realize that I will have to wait until after 9:00 A.M. to use the ticket during the week.

Yes, also the Bayern Ticket is available at the DB ticket window (or machines) at Salzburg main station - the one that bob_brown mentioned in his post.
You cannot miss it, all the other ticket windows are clearly marked with the Austrian Rail (= &Ouml;BB) logo.

On a weekday, you can't use the Bayern-Ticket (&euro;19 for one person, &euro;27 for up to five) until 9 AM. For instance, tomorrow the first train after 9 AM, an RB, leaves Munich Hbf at 9:42 and gets into Salzburg at 11:47. There is a train that gets into Salzburg an hour earlier at 10:42. It leaves Munich Hbf at 8:48, tantalizingly close to 9 AM. If you really don't want to wait until the 9:42 train, and you are willing to pay a little more, there is a way.

If you look at the detailed schedule for the 8:48 train, you will see it stops at Grafing Bahnhof, which is still in the MVV, at 9:11. So, if you just get a point-to-point ticket from Munich Hbf to Grafing Bahnhof for &euro;6,60 per person, you can use a Bayern-Ticket from there. That's &euro;25,60 for one person, &euro;20,10 each for two. For 3 or more people, get a Partner Tageskarte-Gesamtnetz (all-zones), for &euro;18 to Grafing, and use the Bayern-Ticket from there. If you are just going to Salzburg and not coming back that day, it would be less for a single person to just get a point-to-point regional ticket at &euro;23,80, but for a round trip or for more than one person, the Bayern-Ticket is still the way to go.

On the way back, the first regional train after 9 AM is at 9:18. That's early enough for me, but if you want to take the earlier (8:17) train, it leaves Bernau a Chiemsee at 9:03, and a point-to-point ticket to there is 9,60 per person. Again, for one person, a point-to-point ticket from Salzburg to Munich is less.