I thought there were only two train stations in Vienna- Westbahnhof and Sudbahnhof. On Fodors someone mentioned Franz Josefs Bahnhof. Is this a third one, or is it another name for one of the other two. I will be coming into Vienna from Salzburg and thought I would arrive at the Westbahnhof? I will depart to Ceske Budejovice in the Czech Republic. Would I leave Vienna from the Sudbahnhof or Franz Josefs?

Vienna actually has 4 larger train stations

Westbahnhof
Sudbahnhof
Franz Josef Bahnhof
Nordbahnhof- (more regional trains)

You will probably arrive from Salzburg at the Westbahnhof as stated.

Your train to Czech could leave from any station depending on the time of day and routing.
I believe that the Sudbahnhof departures include several transfers and much more time. Perhaps you would wish to avoid them.
The trip would take about 4 1/2 hours
Example - leave Westbahnhof 16:34 arrive at CB 21:11 one change in Linz
leave Franz Josef Bahnhof 17:51
no changes arrive about 22:30

Try the following website- www.oebb.at for train information - if you already have a ticket, the site can provide you with the detailed information including track number - transfer points etc.

Thank you very much. Your information is very helpful to me. I appreciate the website too.

Note that Franz Josefs bahnhof isn't served by the subway, but almost all trains leaving Franz-Josefs make a stop two minutes later at Spittelau. You may want to get on the train there.

There are many train stations in Vienna. Don't forget Mitte, where the Airport express train departs.

When you purchase your tickets, they should clearly state which station your train will be departing from. When we traveled from Vienna to Munich we left from Westbahnhof. When we traveled overnight from Vienna to Florence we left from Sudbahnhof. Our tickets stated which station the train was leaving from, but you could also find this information out from either getting a copy of the schedule or asking an attendant at one of the stations.

Message : rkkwan

Franz Josefs Bahnhof is served by the streetcar lines 5, 33 and D.

The D connects the Sudbahnhof and city center- the 5 Westbahnhof and Nordbahnhof.

You will note that my prior post refers to the larger stations. Most others are served only by the regional system or "S " bahn.
For tourists not familiar with the system in Vienna catching the train at its start point is much better. You can take your time to be certain the car you are in goes to the destination you want( yes cars are sometimes switched to other trains at stops) find a seat in proper class and stow baggage etc. This is especially true for those with several pieces of luggage. Trains will stop only for a very short period( many 1-2 minutes) at outlying stations not much time to board with luggage