Salzburg to Hallstatt - Train
 

Hey guys. I am planning to do a day trip to Hallstatt from Salzburg on 20th May. So i was going through OBB site to look at train options using ERF ticket and i couldn't find any trains. The only options shown were of trains which are of 10hrs duration. However when i had searched the same route earlier, few weeks back, i was shown a train which departed from Salzburg HBF at 8:38AM and arrived at Hallstatt at 11:24AM. But for some reason I can't find the same train now.

Anyone here can help?

Thanks.

There are no direct trains I believe but changing at Attnang-Puchheim - on mainline Salzburg-Vienna - to sideline rail route to Hallstatt. Check www.bahn.de/en for easy to rference train schedules. General info trains - www.seat61.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. It takes about 2.5 hours Salzburg-Hallstatt. Connections about every hour.

The 20th is a Sunday, and the trip takes a lot longer, because you have to change at Stainach-Irdning, where there's a long layover. However, I see trips of a little over 4:30 hours, not 10.

My daughter and I once did this daytrip, and enjoyed it very much.

Wow - yes on Sundays or that Sunday for some reason there are only connections via the longer route via Steinach-Irdning - other days other route is much quicker - maybe do that trip on another day? anyway check www.bahn.de/en for schedules or www.oebb.com- Austrian Railways.

May want to rent a car and drive via the famous Austrian Lakes District one way at least?

It's a lovey drive and only takes about 1 1/2 hours or so, depending. Sounds infinitely preferable to a 4 1/2 hour train. Stay the night and get to see Hallstatt without the barrage of visitors. Have dinner by the lake and watch the swans come in!

We are there in Salzburg only for the weekend and so can't travel to Hallstatt on any other day. Also i think renting a car for just a day wouldn't make much sense plus will be very expensive.
So the other alternative we have is to take bus 150 to Bad ischl and then a train from Bad Ischl to Hallstatt. That entire journey takes a little under 3 hours.

That's not much more than the train, and it may be a prettier ride. Just make sure it runs on that Sunday, and that there's a convenient connection back to Salzburg.

However, a one-day car rental shouldn't be very expensive. Why don't you check?

Car all in all would make it so much easier and need not cost a fortune. But bus/train combo if works sounds fine too - though 6 hours in transit is a bit much for many. Plus there is little to see per se in Hallstatt but outside of town a ways so car would make that all much quicker. Hallstatt has beautiful setting but not much else to do in this base town for the high Alps.

Does the postal bus go via the Lake District? If so and only takes that long to get to Bad Ischl that could be a sweet trip.