Bus

Austria has an extensive national network of buses run by the national postal and railroad services. Where Austrian trains don't go, buses do, and you'll find the railroad and post-office buses (bright yellow for easy recognition) in the towns and villages carrying passengers as well as mail. You can get tickets on the bus, and in the off-season there is no problem getting a seat; on routes to favored ski areas, though, reservations are essential during holiday periods. Bookings can be handled at the ticket office (there's one in most towns with bus service) or by travel agents. In most communities bus routes begin and end at or near the train station, making transfers easy. Increasingly, coordination of bus service with railroads means that many of the discounts and special tickets available for trains also apply to buses. Buses run like clockwork, typically departing and arriving on time, even, astonishingly, in mountainous regions and during bad weather. Most operators on the information lines speak English and, impressively, many of the drivers do, too.