Travel Guide: Germany To Austria

There are several ways to travel from Germany to Austria. You can travel by plane, tram, bus, train, night train, rideshare, or car. The fastest way to travel between the two countries is by plane and tram, which takes around 3 hours and 25 minutes. The cheapest way to travel is by rideshare, which costs around $40 and takes around 8 hours and 39 minutes. The distance between Germany and Austria is around 225 miles, and the road distance is around 421 miles.

Travel by plane

Flying is the fastest way to travel from Germany to Austria, with the flight duration being between 1 hour 19 minutes and 1 hour 36 minutes. There are 26 airlines that fly from Germany to Austria, with the most popular route being from Hamburg Airport in Hamburg to Vienna International Airport in Vienna. The average price for a plane ticket from Germany to Austria is $364 round-trip from Hamburg Airport to Vienna International Airport.

• Berlin to Vienna
• Berlin to Salzburg
• Munich to Vienna
• Hamburg to Vienna
• Hamburg to Salzburg
• Cologne to Vienna
• Cologne to Salzburg
• Frankfurt to Vienna
• Düsseldorf to Vienna
• Dresden to Vienna
• Nuremberg to Vienna
• Leipzig to Vienna
• Leipzig to Salzburg
• Stuttgart to Vienna

You can also fly from Munich International Airport to Graz, and from Frankfurt to Salzburg Airport.

When flying from Germany to Austria, you can depart from Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Hamburg Airport, or Düsseldorf Airport. Direct flights are also available from these airports. Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa, Ryanair, and Air Dolomiti offer direct flights from Germany to Austria.

Travel by train

There are many train routes between Germany and Austria, with over 50 direct services every day, even through the Alps! The main train types in Austria are operated by ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen).

International Trains

These trains connect Austria to several European cities on the following routes:

• Vienna – Linz – Munich – Stuttgart – Frankfurt
• Vienna – Gyor – Budapest
• Graz – Vienna – Brno – Prague
• Bratislava – Vienna – Salzburg – Innsbruck – Zurich
• Vienna – Graz – Villach – Venice
• Munich – Innsbruck – Verona/Bologna/Venice

Domestic High-Speed Trains

These trains link Vienna to larger Austrian cities like Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Graz.

International High-Speed Trains in Austria

All long-distance trains to/from Germany are subject to mandatory reservations from June 1st to September 1st.

Night Trains in Austria

Night trains run from Austria to France, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Poland, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Czechia and Switzerland:

• Vienna – Florence – Rome
• Vienna – Verona – Milan – Genoa – La Spezia
• Vienna – Linz – Udine – Venice
• Vienna – Linz – Zürich
• Vienna – Linz – Munich – Stuttgart – Paris
• Vienna – Linz – Munich – Cologne – Brussels
• Vienna – Nürnberg – Hannover – Hamburg
• Vienna – Nürnberg – Cologne – Düsseldorf – Amsterdam
• Innsbruck – Munich – Cologne – Düsseldorf – Amsterdam
• Innsbruck – Munich – Hannover – Hamburg
• Graz – Vienna – Wroclaw – Berlin
• Graz – Innsbruck – Zurich
• Munich – Liz – Graz – Vienna – Katowice – Krakow – Warsaw (EN Chopin)
• Bratislava – Vienna – Graz – Maribor – Split
• Stuttgart – Salzburg – Villach – Ljubljana – Zagreb/Rijeka (EN Lisinski)
• Stuttgart – Munich – Linz – Vienna – Budapest (EN Kalman Imre)
• Zurich – Feldkirch – Innsbruck – Vienna – Budapest (EN Kalman Imre)
• Zurich – Feldkirch – Innsbruck – Ljubljana – Zagreb (EN Alpine Pearls)
• Zurich – Feldkirch – Innsbruck – Ceske Budejovice – Prague

Private Railway Companies in Austria

The following private railway companies accept Eurail Passes on their trains:

• Micotra trains operate on the route Villach – Tarvisio (Italy)
• Raaberbahn, ONLY from Ebenfurt to Sopron and from Neusiedl/See to Pamhagen (Gr)
• RegioJet, yellow trains that travel to the Czech Republic. You need a Eurail Global Pass to travel on this train.

Tickets

Tickets are available up to six months in advance and can be booked through the ÖBB route planner. Tickets can also be purchased through the Deutsche Bahn app.

Prices

Ticket prices vary depending on the route and the type of train. For example, tickets from Munich to Vienna start at €23.99, while tickets from Berlin to Vienna via Prague start at €33.99.

Children

Children up to 14 years of age travel free of charge in many cases when accompanied by a person who is at least 15 years old. Children up to the age of 5 always travel for free. Children aged 6-14 pay half the adult fare.

Travel by bus

Travelling by bus is one of the best ways to get from Germany to Austria without a car. The journey takes between 9 and 14 hours and costs between $55 and $80. FlixBus operates a bus service from Berlin Alexanderplatz to Vienna International Busterminal five times a week. Tickets cost $50–75 and the journey takes 9 hours and 35 minutes.

There are also buses that run from Vienna Stadioncenter to Berlin, Zentralen Omnibusbahnhof, and from Berlin, Zentralen Omnibusbahnhof to Vienna, International Busterminal.

If you're travelling from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Austria, you can take a bus from Sofia Knyaginya Maria Luiza Station to Vienna, International Busterminal. This journey takes 13 hours and 30 minutes and costs $63.

Travel by car

Yes, it is possible to drive from Germany to Austria. The road distance between the two countries is between 421.1 and 635 miles, and the journey will take approximately 6 hours and 44 minutes to 9 hours and 56 minutes.

When driving from Germany to Austria, you will need to purchase a toll sticker (also known as a "vignette") to drive on the Austrian motorways. This can be bought at gas stations, rest stops, or border crossings for around €8 for a 10-day period. There is a hefty fine for not having one, so be sure to purchase it before entering Austria.

Additionally, make sure that your rental car has a warning vest, which is required by law in Austria. This vest must be kept in the car, not in the trunk, and can also be purchased at gas stations in Germany and Austria.

It is also recommended that you have an International Driving Permit (IDP) when driving in Austria, as a U.S. driver's license alone may not be sufficient. You can obtain an IDP from organizations such as AAA.

Keep in mind that there are no explicit border crossings between Germany and Austria, so you may not even notice when you have crossed the border. However, there may be police checks where you can purchase the necessary stickers and vests.

Finally, when planning your route, consider that the autobahn between Munich and Salzburg can be quite busy at most times, so you may encounter traffic.

Travel by rideshare

Ridesharing is a great option if you don't have a driver's license or want to avoid public transport. Check out Blablacar's carpooling service for rideshare options between Germany and Austria.

Berlin to Vienna

• Go to the Blablacar website and search for ridesharing options from Berlin to Vienna.
• Book your preferred ride and meet your driver at the designated location in Berlin.
• Enjoy the journey to Vienna, which will take approximately 8 hours and 42 minutes and cost around $33.

Munich to Vienna

• Go to the Blablacar website and search for ridesharing options from Munich to Vienna.
• Book your ride and meet your driver at the designated location in Munich.
• Enjoy the journey to Vienna, which will take approximately 4 hours and 54 minutes and cost between $22 and $40.

Berlin to Salzburg

• Go to the Blablacar website and search for ridesharing options from Berlin to Salzburg.
• Book your ride and meet your driver at the designated location in Berlin.
• Enjoy the journey to Salzburg, which will take around 8 hours and cost about $40.

Berlin to Graz

• Go to the Blablacar website and search for ridesharing options from Berlin to Graz.
• Book your ride and meet your driver at the designated location in Berlin.
• Enjoy the journey to Graz, which will take about 9 hours and cost approximately $40.

Frequently asked questions