Zurich to Salzburg by rail
 

We will be arriving in Zurich from Chicago on Swiss at 8:10am on Aug. 3, and want to continue on immediately to Salzburg. There appears to be only one direct train which leaves at 9:35am. Is it possible to catch that train? Unfortunately, the later trains all require several stops, which I think would be difficult given our state of fatigue. Advice?

There is no direct train from the Zurich Airport to Salzburg. Your best bet is the 9:45 to Munich, and transfer there; that will give you more time to transfer from the plane. Otherwise, to take the 9:35 Zurich-Salzburg, you need to leave the train from the airprot at 9:13, which is sort of tight, and still requires a change. Both connection takes about the same travel time, and you only arrive half an hour later at Salzburg via Munich.

The route will be different, and you won't go through Innsbruck. No idea if the fares are the same of not.

Search for "Zurich Airport" instead of "Zurich" to get the best timetable.

I don't understand your question.

ALL trains from Zürich to Salzburg require several stops, many stops in fact. The train that leaves the main Zürich station at 9:35 requires NO CHANGES on the way to Salzburg. Is that what you meant?

But, you must get from the airport to the main Zürich station where you change trains for Salzburg. Any way you go, 1 change is mandatory.

To make the 9:35 train, you must leave the Zürich Flughafen (airport) no later than 9:13. So, if your flight is on time, that leaves you about an hour to play with after you land. Although Swiss passport control is usually efficient, you still need to reclaim your luggage and get downstairs to the train station. You could be pinched for time.

Why don't you take the 9:45 train instead? Same number of changes involved: one.

I think the alternative route is better. That train leaves the airport station at 9:45. You do not change for Salzburg until you get to Munich some 4 hours later.

Were I doing it, I would plan on that 9:45 train from Zürich airport because it gives you a larger comfort zone. Arrival times are not much different:
15:28 versus 16:03, which is less than 35 minutes.

The difference in the two is routing. One goes via Innsbruck; the other one via Munich.

Were I doing it, I would schedule the 9:45 departure and buy my ticket in advance from the Swiss Rail people and have them ship it to me at home. I have used that service several times and it works quite well. That way you have your ticket in hand before you leave.

I suggest that if you want non smoking on the Munich run that you purchase a seat reservation.

Thanks to both rkkwan and bob brown for the very helpful advice. We have decided to wait for the direct afternoon train to Salzburg via Innsbruck because we want to see that area. We have already traveled to Munich and areas of Bavaria. so, we'll have a leisurely morning in Zurich, maybe an early lunch and then off we go.

The route you are planning to take is on the Maria Theresia, destination Vienna West.

The train has a fancy name, but I hope the equipment has been upgraded since I last rode it. The train is an Austrian train from the beginning. It makes its first stop in Sargans and Buchs about an hour out of Zürich. And then it stops, and it stops, and it stops: Feldkirch, Bludenz, Landeck, Innsbruck, plus a bunch more.
Finally, after leaving Kufstein, you have a free run of 73 minutes all the way to Salzburg because the route is actually in Germany.

You will see a little scenery on this route. But much of the track bed is along the Inn River and deeply recessed. Around St. Anton, it is in a long tunnel. I think you will get your best views at Innsbruck.

To Bob Brown: It sounds like the itinerary via Innsbruck is not the most desirable route from your description. I will try to find out about the actual equpment, if that's possible via SBB. Thanks again for your advice. I would rather ride in comfort and make fewer stops if the scenic quotient is minimal. And we liked Munich a lot, so a brief return wouldn't be difficult!

You have two choices: Munich or Innsbruck.
I rode the Maria Theresia all the way from Zürich to Vienna, with a stopover in Salzburg.

Given the prestigious name of the train, and the fact I opted for 1st class seats, I expected something really good. Not so. It was all right, but not dazzling.

People taking that route often think they will see gorgeous mountains the whole way. Not so.
You do get a good view at Innsbruck.
I think the route along the Inn is more spectacular one than the one across the flats of Bavaria to Munich.

Trains as a general rule don't climb mountains. Anything more than a 3% grade is murder on the equipment.
And 3% is bad enough.

For example, the railroads in Switzerland and western Canada spent fortunes on elaborate spiral tunnel systems just to shave 1 to 2? off of the road bed gradient.

Those Swiss mountin trains that climb the mountain to Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraujoch are high energy, high cost systems that require extensive maintenance.

PS Neither route is objectionable.
But the train is slow. I suggest you take along a good book or a CD player with your favorites.

I rock along, looking out the window, and from time to time I doze off.

The food in the dining cars is not bad. That is a good way to break up the time.