Daphna

I would love to know how easy it is to travel from Budapest to Salzburg. SHould I go by train, or on Plane. I have reservations at a hotel out side of Salzburg the same day, so I guess driving is out of the question! <BR>Thanks

Tony

Daphna. <BR> <BR>The train would be a very pleasant trip, although it takes just over 6 hours. <BR>There is a train from Budapest at 0912, arriving Vienna 1207. From Vienna there is a departure at 1221 arriving Salzburg 1548. <BR>Both trains are good quality and have restaurant and bar cars. <BR>From Vienna there is a fast train to Salzburg every hour, so you have the option of placing your luggage in a locker at Vienna station and having lunch and a stroll around Vienna for an hour or two if you wish - I would recommend this. <BR>From Vienna station it is a 5 minute ride by subway into the centre.

Art

Hi Daphna, you didn't say when you were going. If it is in the Spring or you have good weather, you could take the hydrafoil from Budapest (about 3 1/2 hrs) and then a train from Vienna to Salzburg.

Bob Brown

My copy of the Aral Strassen-Atlas list the driving time from Budapest to Salzburg at 5 hours and 30 minutes. The distance is 500 K. I have not driven the route myself, but the map shoes an <BR>Autobahn route all the way from outside Budapest, around Vienna, and on to the outskirts of Salzburg. My guess, if driving in Austria has any similarity to the USA, you can make the trip in a good car in less than the indicated time. <BR> <BR>If you decide you want to take the train, just make sure that the train you select out of Budapest is going to Wien Westbahnhof. Otherwise you will have to get across Wien (Vienna) to reach the Westbahnhof for the trains to Salzburg. <BR>The fastest time is on train EC 62 which requires no change in Vienna. It leaves Budapest at 12:42 and arrives in Salzburg at 18:55. <BR>Some of the earlier trains are almost that fast, but do require a change at the Westbahnhof. <BR>I made the train trip between Salzburg and Vienna Westbahnhof last summer and thought it a relatively routine trip. <BR>I am not up on the flying angle.

Bob Brown

Just out of curiosity, I looked at Expedia and priced a flight from Budapest to Salzburg. <BR>The price given by Expedia was $238, and <BR>it the flight takes about 3 hours. <BR>You must connect in Vienna, which runs the time up. By the time you get to the airport in Budapest and from the airport in Salzburg to the city, you will be only slightly better off time wise to fly. MOney wise, I think flying is considerably more expensive.

Ben Haines

Fodors <BR> <BR>I'm afraid I don't know about planes. As others have said, by train it is easy. The reference library of a city hear you may have the Thomas Cook European Timetable. Through trains, with restaurant cars, leave Budapest Keleti station daily, at 1242 and at 1700 and reach Salzburg at 1905 and 2355. A night train witjh sleepers abnd couchettes leaves at 2140 and reaches Salzburg at 0352 (a bad idea). Otherwise you change at Vienna West. All trains except the 1854 from Budapest Keleti to Vienna arrive at Vienna West, the station for the trains to Salzburg, and you just cross the platform. All carry restaurant cars to Vienna. Most connecting trains carry buffet cars to Salzburg, but the 0917 and the 2115 have restaurant cars. <BR> <BR>Budapest Keleti 0600 0912 1050 1525 1745 <BR>Vienna West arrive 0900 1207 1400 1830 2046 <BR>Vienna West depart 0917 1221 1421 1921 2115 <BR>Salzburg 1228 1548 1748 2318 0033 <BR> <BR>The hydrofoil from Budapest to Vienna offers good views for the first hour, to the Danube Bend, but not after that. <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR>

Bob Brown

One more note on the trains from Budapest to Salzburg. The one I mentioned (EC 62) requires a reservation, if I read it right. <BR> <BR>Also one interesting note. The arrival time of Train EC 62 in Salzburg is listed as 18:55 on the ÖBB web site. <BR>Ben's Cook Book has a slightly later time. I wonder which one is actually the case? Not that it makes a darn!! I'll check in September of 2001 on my next excursion! It's just that little discrepancies like that are interesting because they usually time those trains down to the minute. <BR>Last summer I set my watch with the station clock in Zürich just before boarding the Maria Theresia for Salzburg. We were all of 1 minute late getting into Innsbruck, but the scheduled stop of 11 minutes was shortened a mite. Some of those stops are scheduled for 120 seconds and cannot be shortened. Otherwise some poor rider would be left chasing the train down the platform. Or it would start up before all passengers could board. I know the scheduled stop in Salzburg was 3 minutes! You better be ready to get off and to get on!! No messing around!! <BR>You sure as heck don't start for the door with two suitcases when the train stops! You better already be there!

Ben Haines

I'm sorry to say that I read a departure time, 1705, as an arrival time. The arrival is indeed at 1655. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines <BR>

Bob Brown

Hi Ben. <BR>In your wheeling around Europe, how does the ÖBB measure up against the other national lines? .. <BR>My Austraian experience is limited to the Feldkirch, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna line. <BR>