Getting around · Salzburg · Austria
Getting around Salzburg
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Salzburg's old town is small and largely pedestrianised, so walking is the main way to get around. Trolleybuses and buses link the centre with the station, the airport, Hellbrunn and the Untersberg. No for the city, where parking is scarce and expensive.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- SZG, MUC
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- Salzburg Card
Ways to get around
Walking
The left-bank old town, the right bank, Mirabell Gardens and the fortress are all within 20 minutes on foot; footbridges such as the Makartsteg cross the Salzach.
Bus
Trolleybuses and buses run frequently through the centre to the main station, the airport, Hellbrunn and the suburbs.
Buy tickets from machines or the transport app before boarding; they cost more from the driver.
Cycling
Salzburg is flat along the river, with cycle paths along the Salzach and the Hellbrunner Allee to Hellbrunn Palace; several shops rent bikes.
Train
ÖBB trains connect the main station with Vienna, Innsbruck and Munich, and S-Bahn lines run to Hallein, Freilassing and the suburbs.
Cable car
The Festungsbahn funicular climbs to the fortress, the Mönchsberg lift rises inside the cliff, and the Untersberg cable car runs south of the city.
Tickets and passes
Salzburg Card
Valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours, it covers public transport and one entry to most attractions, including the fortress funicular, Mozart's houses, Hellbrunn and the Untersberg cable car.
From the airport
Salzburg Airport is about 4 km from the centre; trolleybuses reach the old town and the main station in about 20–25 minutes, and a taxi takes about 15 minutes. Munich Airport is about 2 hours away by train via Munich or by direct coach.
Do you need a car?
No for the city, where parking is scarce and expensive. A car helps for the Salzkammergut lakes, Berchtesgaden and Alpine roads, though buses and trains reach most day-trip destinations.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Hallstatt | About 2–2.5 hours by bus or train and ferry | Bus via Bad Ischl, or train via Attnang-Puchheim and the ferry across the lake |
| Berchtesgaden and Königssee | About 45–60 minutes by bus | Regional bus 840 from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof |
| Werfen: Eisriesenwelt and Hohenwerfen | About 40 minutes by train, then shuttle bus | Train to Werfen, then shuttle and cable car to the cave |
| Hallein Salt Mine | About 25 minutes by S-Bahn, then bus | S-Bahn to Hallein, then bus to Bad Dürrnberg |
| St. Wolfgang and Lake Wolfgang | About 1 hour 15 minutes by bus | Bus 150 to St. Gilgen or Strobl, then boat |
| Mondsee | About 30–40 minutes by bus | Regional bus from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof |
| Munich | About 1.5–2 hours by train | ÖBB or Deutsche Bahn train to München Hauptbahnhof |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Salzburg?
No for the city, where parking is scarce and expensive. A car helps for the Salzkammergut lakes, Berchtesgaden and Alpine roads, though buses and trains reach most day-trip destinations.
+How do you get from the airport to Salzburg?
Salzburg Airport is about 4 km from the centre; trolleybuses reach the old town and the main station in about 20–25 minutes, and a taxi takes about 15 minutes. Munich Airport is about 2 hours away by train via Munich or by direct coach.
+What is the best way to get around Salzburg?
Walking: The left-bank old town, the right bank, Mirabell Gardens and the fortress are all within 20 minutes on foot; footbridges such as the Makartsteg cross the Salzach.