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Hi,
I will be in Vienna towards the end of the month. Looking for the cheapest option to travel from:
1. Vienna to Salzburg (Return) - would it be better to purchase a Sparschiene ticket or the Einfach Raus ticket
2. Vienna to Bratislava (Return)
3. Vienna to Budapest (Return)

Some queries regarding the above:
1. Are Sparschiene tickets available at train stations in Vienna or do they have to be purchased online only?
2. Where can I purchase the EURegio tickets? Online or at the main station in Vienna (Westbahnhoff?)
3. I plan to do Vienna-Salzburg-Werfen-Salzburg-Vienna round trip in one day. The Einfach Raus ticket is quoting Euro 28 while the best Sparschiene available is Euro 86 (return for 2). I was just wondering whether the Einfach Raus ticket will cover the roundtrip from Vienna to Salzburg and back to Vienna for 2 people.
I will be leaving for Europe on the 17th. Would really appreciate any sort of advise from your end.

Cheers and thanks in advance.

1. Vienna to Salzburg (Return) - would it be better to purchase a Sparschiene ticket or the Einfach Raus ticket

Well, Einfach-Raus-Ticket is valid for one day (+ only from 9am on weekdays) and journey by regional trains (you can't take InterCity with Einfach-Raus-Ticket) till Salzburg will take at least 5 hours one way. So it might be not really manageable to do a day trip Vienna-Salzburg in one day with Einfach-Raus-Ticket. While discounted Sparschiene tickets bought from OeBB ticket shop (not sold at the station) start from only 19 euro one-way, making it 38 euro return, but spending 3 or even less hours one way. Also you might not bother with any ticket prepurchase in advance, but just use instead WestBahn, their full fare Vienna-Salzburg tickets cost almost the same as discounted OeBB

2. Vienna to Bratislava (Return)

Easiest leg, since you can just buy at the station EURegio return ticket Vienna-Bratislava for 14 euro, it will be valid for 4 days and in addition even include 1 day pass for Bratislava city transport.

3. Vienna to Budapest (Return)

Here you have few options to consider: a) buy in advance (meaning right now) discounted one way 19 euro ticket Vienna-Budapest via OeBB Ticket Shop (we have a guide on how to purchase such tickets), then do the same, but opposite way - Budapest-Vienna for 13 euro (yes, the opposite way discounted tickets are cheaper) via MAV website, again our guide on how to do it; b) if you don't have any fixed date or time you want to travel (will be require with option 'a'), then you can take advantage of EURegio tickets from Vienna to Hungary: for instance Vienna-Gyor return EURegio ticket (again 4 days validity) cost 19 euro, while in Gyor you just buy domestic Hungarian ticket Gyor-Budapest (from 2520 HUF one way), same idea on the way back - ticket Budapest-Gyor + return part of your EURegio Vienna-Gyor. But remember that with EURegio tickets you won't be able to use high-speed RailJet trains, but instead a bit slower regional ones; c) OeBB offers special so-called 'Excursion' ticket to Budapest from Vienna, it cost 39 euro, also valid for 4 days and can be bought online from OeBB Ticket Shop, although as you can see, option 'a' will give you better option with the same conditions.

Also in case you don't plan to spend long time in Bratislava or Budapest, then we have an idea how you can save even more. Trick is to do the trip following way: Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest-Bratislava-Vienna. In a case of such scenario (and <4 days) you will need just EURegio Vienna-Bratislava for 14 euro and return ticket Bratislava-Budapest (17,5 euro, can be bought any time). As result you can visit both Bratislava and Budapest for just 31,5 euro

Are Sparschiene tickets available at train stations in Vienna or do they have to be purchased online only?

Sparschiene tickets for domestic routes are sold only online, while for international ones you can buy them at the station, but again since those are in limited number, chances to catch any discounted Sparschiene at the station ticket counter few days before departure are minimal, most of them will be already sold out

Where can I purchase the EURegio tickets? Online or at the main station in Vienna (Westbahnhoff?)

Just buy it at the station. Fare for EURegio tickets doesn't depend on time of purchase, plus anyway you can't buy them online

I plan to do Vienna-Salzburg-Werfen-Salzburg-Vienna round trip in one day. The Einfach Raus ticket is quoting Euro 28 while the best Sparschiene available is Euro 86 (return for 2). I was just wondering whether the Einfach Raus ticket will cover the roundtrip from Vienna to Salzburg and back to Vienna for 2 people.

Yes, Einfach-Raus-Ticket will cover it and Salzburg-Werfen leg as well. But as was noted above, you need to take into account that traveling by regional trains is a bit slower, so Vienna-Salzburg-Werfen-Salzburg-Vienna in one day will be possible, but might mean spending almost all the time on the road

Hi,
I really appreciate your quick and comprehensive response. We have booked bought our Sparchiene tickets for Salzburg and booked Budapest via OeBB and MAV.
Thanks a lot for your help.

You guys are doing a fantastic job helping people like me travel the world

Hi,
just another quick question. For ticket from Budapest to Vienna booked via MAV will I recieve an e-ticket on my mail which can be printed by me or can I print it only via the 10 digit code at the ticket machine in Budapest.

Thanks.

Hi, I am just gonna bother you a little bit more. I have bought the OeBB Sparchiene ticket from Vienna to Budapest. Is it possible to by the Euro 13 ticket for Budapest to vienna from the station in Budapest itself instead of booking it online?

Cheers!

For ticket from Budapest to Vienna booked via MAV will I recieve an e-ticket on my mail which can be printed by me or can I print it only via the 10 digit code at the ticket machine in Budapest.

Unfortunately MAV doesn't offer yet self-printed international tickets, so it will be 10 digit code and printing from MAV ticket machine (either in Budapest or any other major station in Hungary)

Is it possible to by the Euro 13 ticket for Budapest to vienna from the station in Budapest itself instead of booking it online?

Well, it is possible, but can be done only 3 or more days in advance and nobody will guarantee you that discounted tickets will be still available for the connection you want. They are in limited number per departure, so easily might be sold out, while regular full fare one-way tickets (sold in unlimited number and any time) will cost you twice more (around 27 euro)

Hi, we have booked Vienna - Budapest via Oebb. We have not reserved any seats for the same. Does that mean that we can sit anywhere or is there a way of indicating which seats are reserved and which ones are available to occupy.

If it is RailJet (those run every two hours during the day), then above the seats there is a small monitor on which it will indicated whether seats are reserved. But on connection between Vienna and Budapest almost nobody actually reserves seats, it's just not necessary since trains usually aren't full and there is plenty of free seats to choose from, thus nothing to worry about

Thanks a lot for your assistance. It is much appreciated