overnight train from Prague to Salzburg

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Hi, I am going to leave Prague on Jun 27 night time and reach Salzuburg in the next morning. Has anyone experience on this issue. Thank you very much for any help.

I am going to leave Prague on Jun 27 night time and reach Salzuburg in the next morning. Has anyone experience on this issue.

Hmm... the problem here is that the distance between Prague and Salzburg are rather short for a full scale overnight journey, plus there is no reasonable overnight connection (even considering change of trains) between two cities. So we would probably advice you a bit different options:
a) simply stay another night in Prague and start your trip in the morning (5:16-11:49 or 7:16-13:49, both require two changes of trains, in Ceske Budejovice and Linz). For the 7:16 connection you can even purchase discounted international ticket for 29 EUR.
b) catch last train from Prague towards Austrian border, for instance train #659 Praha hl.n.-Ceske Budejovice (22:16-00:56), spend the night in Ceske Budejovice and in the morning catch the very first train to Austria, with such schedule you can be in Salzburg at 9:49.
c) if you really want to spend most of the night on the train, then you can go via Vienna. But such choice isn't really rational and it will be more expensive to travel in such way.

Hi tUt,
It has been a long time since I got your advices regarding late trains from Prague to Vienna. I have succesfully used your pertinent info. I have bought tickets for sleeping wagon and I spent the night from Holeshovice- Prague to Bratislava and then I visited Bratislava for an hour and took an early morning train to Vienna. Thanks again and all the best!

Hi, I know that there is a short distance between Vienna and Salzburg, but I need to spend one night travelling for two reasons: time and money. So, when I have asked this question on www.tripadvisor.com, I was told that there is no such train that goes to from Vienna to Salzburg and Munich. Maybe the train I was thinking to buy tickets 29 euro Vienna-Munich and get off in Salzburg doesn't stop in Salzburg. Can any one help me? Thanks for any sugestion.

... I was told that there is no such train that goes to from Vienna to Salzburg and Munich. Maybe the train I was thinking to buy tickets 29 euro Vienna-Munich and get off in Salzburg doesn't stop in Salzburg. Can any one help me?

It is absolutely not true, all the trains from Vienna to Munich (as of today 7 direct trains per day) go via and stop at Salzburg Hbf. And you can actually check either on German Railways or Austrian Railways websites the timetable for all of them and confirm it on your own. So it is really odd to hear that someone told you that none of the trains go via Salzburg or doesn't stop there. Can you give an exact link for the discussion from tripadvisor? 

Hi tut,
Here it is : Mikey_Vienna, at forum in Europe, Austria TripAdvisor, he/she answer to me on Feb 26/11

 RE: Vienn to Salzburg to Prague back to Vienn by train 26 February 2011, 5:00
 Destination Expert   
for Vienna, Innsbruck
There is no real night train between Vienna and Salzburg as the distance is only 300km. Night trains ex Vienna bounding for cities in the West - which also stop in Salzburg of course - would deliver you there at an unpractical and inhuman time. Better get an red-eye or late evening service and book your accommodation ahead. The fastest train only takes 2h40min. Trains depart between once an hour to three times an hour depending on day time.

Edited: 26 February 2011, 5:02

Hi tut,
Here is another one from tripadvisor:
 Re: Vienn to Salzburg to Prague back to Vienn by train
01 March 2011, 14:10
 Destination Expert   
for Vienna, Danube Valley, Austrian Alps
I believe you should better review your plans.

the 00:38 train does not go via Salzburg but via another route I believe

The 23:5? gets into Salzburg at 4:30 in the morning - Do you try to sleep in your seat during the trip

What do you do in Salzburg at 4:30 in the morning after little sleep and nothing open ?

as mentioned above regular trains make this journey frequently and certainly much faster and more comfortable for you.

Your plan does not seem to make for a great trip but your choice-

Well, knowing your initial idea "thinking to take a night train to Salzburg, staying in Salzburg for 2 days..." the guys from tripadvisor correctly noted that unfortunately the overnight option Vienna to Salzburg isn't that good, since again the distance is rather short for a full scale overnight journey. But still you can always purchase 29 EUR ticket for EN 462, board it at Wien Meidling at 23:56 and get off in Salzburg as late as 4:28am (actual train arrives to Salzburg at 03:26, but waits there more than an hour until departure, so nobody forbids you just to stay on the train up till departure at 4:28). We agree, that for many people it might seems to be inconvenient, but unfortunately it is the only way to travel between Vienna and Salzburg in a kind of overnight manner.

p.s. if you are really against 4:28am deboarding in Salzburg, then you can actually simply continue with the train all the way till Munich (EN 462 arrives there at 06:15am), this will give you up to 2 more hours to sleep, but then you will need to spend another 28 EUR for Bavaria Lander Ticket (can travel up to 5 passengers) in order to get back from Munich to Salzburg.   

Hi tut, you are really a treasure. Thank you so much for all your pertinent information. I will discuss your sugestions with my husband and I will keep you informed about which tickets I have bought. Many thanks.

Hi tUt, thanks once again for your time to answer to my questions. After all information received from you, my husband took in consideration various opinions regarding a night train between Vienna and Salzburg and consdered that we will be better to slip over night in Vienna and take a fast early morning train to Salzburg in spite of the time and money issue. Anyway, we are going to use your information regarding an overnight train from Prague to Vienna. All the best. Vutica

Well, it is your choice, so... Anyway you can play trick with 29 EUR ticket Vienna-Munich with early morning train as well, so not a problem here. Good luck

Hi tUt,
I have a big headache after I have bought train tickets from Vienna to Munich because I couldn 't find anywhere if it stops in Salzburg. The train ICE 28 leaves Vienna at 8:36 changes with RE 4069 at Plattling and reaches Munich at 13:35. I cannot figure out if this train stops in Salzburg and when. Can you please help me? Anyway, if I have made a mistake, I would lose 59 euro and that's it. Thanks for any help.

Hmm... well, you actually managed to peak the only train option between 7am and 10am that is not via Salzburg.Direct options departing Vienna at 8:14 and 10:14 as well as 7:14 an 9:14am all are via Salzburg, but not the 8:36 one (it turns towards Germany earlier than Salzburg - in Wels). Happens... anyway your mistake isn't that crucial.
So you have two options now:
1) just go sightseeing Munich and come back to Salzburg with already mentioned Bavaria group ticket. It is a good option in case you are ok with time and ready to add an extra city.
2) if you are tight on schedule, than just get off ICE 28 in Wels (it arrives there at 10:28), purchase regular ticket Wels-Salzburg for the next train (OIC 690, departs Wels at 10:44, arrives to Salzburg at 11:49), will cost you 20.1 EUR per person. As result you almost lose no time and pay 29 EUR+20.1 EUR=49.1 EUR in total. Regular domestic ticket Vienna-Salzburg cost 47.5 EUR, so at the end you lose only 1.6 EUR per ticket with this small mistake of yours.
2b) instead of OIC 690 you can actually use regional trains for part Wels-Salzburg. Since, as far as we understood, there is two passengers traveling, then regional trains are cheaper option for you since you can purchase Einfach-Raus Ticket (http://www.oebb.at/en/Tickets/Groups/Einfach-Raus-Ticket/index.jsp), which allows to travel up to 5 passengers for only 28 EUR, which is cheaper than 20.1 EUR*2. The only inconvenience in such case is that regional trains are slower, thus will get you to Salzburg later - around 1pm.

Yes, I succeded to mix up things. Actually, I was booking the last 2 tickets for the train 8:14 but, for what ever reason when I was almost done to order, I've seen an worning error message in deutch which I didn't understand and I went back to see what was wrong. That was the moment when I've lost the toal cost of 58 euro, because when I came back it said: "sorry the cost is now 78 euro" and wrongly I gave up. Then I picked up that train for 8:36. Anyway, I don't want to waste your time. We have to decide if we stay 1/2 day in Munich or we go directly to Salzburg. We, actually arrive in Vienna Saturday morning, June 25 and we have one week time to visit Vienna, Salzburg (Munich) and Prague. We have to leave Vienna (Europe) on next Sunday morning, July 3rd. Thus, these tickets are still a headache. If we stay in Munich 1/2 day, we have to leave Munich in the evening for Salzburg where we have booked 2 nights at a very good price. Meanwhile, I have to look for tickets from Munich to Salzburg in the evening, if we decide to change a "lemon in a lemonade" and visit Munich outside of our schedule.

Well, if you planned to stay in Salzburg for 2 nights, than a bit of a side trip to Munich for half a day doesn't really mess up all the itinerary that much, anyway you will have plenty of time in Salzburg, so we would advice you to worry that much about this small thing with tickets
For Munich-Salzburg journey, actually everything is really easy here - Bayern-Ticket (Bavaria-Ticket - http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/prices/germany/laender-ticket.shtml) is the best solution for couple passengers - you pay only 28 EUR and travel as much as you want on any regional trains within Bavaria (Salzburg included). And the best thing here is that you don't need to purchase anything in advance - just buy it at  DB ticket machine before departure and board nearest regional train to Salzburg (they run roughly every hour till midnight)