Salzburg to Prague by bus? No thanks!

Busse? Nein Danke!

Train tickets from €19

Go 1st class from €39

Buy train tickets from Salzburg to Prague

Salzburg to Prague by train from €23.70

Comfortable trains link Salzburg & Prague in 5h25 every day, city centre to city centre with one easy change of train at Linz.  Unlike a cramped long-distance bus, the trains give you room to stand up and move around, there are no seatbelts, there are full-size toilets in every car, power sockets, free WiFi, and you're free to bring your own picnic, beer or bottle of wine as the lovely Austrian & Czech countryside rolls by.

small bullet point  Train times

small bullet point  How to buy tickets

small bullet point  What are the trains like?

small bullet point  Travel tips: Luggage, bikes, choosing your seat

small bullet point  Route map

small bullet point  Alternative using Westbahn & Regiojet

small bullet point  Trains from Salzburg to other European cities

small bullet point  Trains from Prague to other European cities

small bullet point  Trains between other European cities

small bullet point  Suggested hotels in Salzburg

small bullet point  Suggested hotels in Prague

Train times 2024

The fastest, cheapest & most direct option is via Linz as shown below, but there are more departures as explained in the How to buy tickets section

Major improvements were made back in 2016, when Prague-Linz trains increased from 2 to 5 per day with journey time cut by 40 minutes.  In 2019 the Linz-Prague trains were upgraded from Regional Express to Intercity status and bistro cars were added.  In 2021 they were awarded EuroCity status.

 Salzburg ► Prague

 

 Prague ► Salzburg

Train type:

Railjet

Railjet

Railjet

Railjet

Train type:

EC

EC

EC

EC

 Salzburg Hbf depart:

05:11

10:11

14:11

17:11

 Prague Hlavni depart:

06:21

10:21

14:21

18:20

 Linz Hbf arrive:

06:30

11:30

15:30

18:30

 Ceské Budejovice

08:05

12:05

16:05

20:05

   Easy change at Linz

EC EC EC EC

 Linz Hbf arrive:

10:06

14:06

18:06

22:06

 Linz Hbf depart:

06:52

11:54

15:54

18:54

   Easy change at Linz

Railjet

Railjet

Railjet

Railjet

 Ceské Budejovice

08:52

13:52

17:52

20:52

 Linz Hbf depart:

10:30

14:30

18:30

22:30

 Prague Hlavni arrive:

10:36

15:36

19:36

22:36

 Salzburg Hbf arrive:

11:48

15:49

19:49

23:49

How to read this timetable:  Each column is a train combo you can take.  Read each column downwards. 

EC = Czech EuroCity train with bistro car & free WiFi.  Railjet = Austrian railjet train with economy, first & business class, free WiFi, restaurant car.

Changing trains at Linz is simple, you just step off one train, walk to another train and step on.  But always check the departure screens!

In the Salzburg to Prague direction, the railjet usually arrives at platform 7, nip down the escalators & through the subway to platform 1 for the train to Prague.

In the Prague to Salzburg direction, the EuroCity from Prague usually arrives on platform 1, nip through the subway to platform 6 for the Railjet to Salzburg.

On a through ticket you are entitled to later onward travel at no charge in the event of a missed connection, so no worries!

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets

Tip 1, how to make sense of the search results...

Tip 2, stopover in Linz, Vienna or Ceský Krumlov?

Route map

Salzburg to Prague train route map

 

Click for larger map

Highlighted = Salzburg to Prague via Linz & Ceske Budejovice.  You can also see the much longer route via Vienna.

Green = scenic sections of line

Reproduced from the excellent European Rail Map with kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people.

I recommend buying a copy of the European Rail Map for your travels, www.europeanrailtimetable.eu with shipping worldwide.

European Rail Timetable and map

What are the trains like?

Step 1, Salzburg to Linz in 1h19 by railjet train

Restaurant car, at-seat food & drink orders taken in 1st class, free WiFi in all classes, power sockets.  More photos & information about railjets.

A railjet train about to leave Vienna

A railjet, Austria's premier train.

Business class seats on a railjet train   Railjet restaurant car

Business class.  About.

 

Restaurant car.

Business class seats on a railjet train   Economy class seats on a railjet train

First class.

 

Economy class.

Step 2, Linz to Prague by Czech EuroCity train in 3h45

Czech bistro car

A EuroCity train from Linz to Prague seen at Ceske Budejovice, showing the 1st class & bistro car.

Czech bistro car   Dinner in the bristro

1st class seats are all located in the bistro car on one side of the central kitchen.  These seats are for 1st class passengers only.  A steward takes food & drink orders from the menu and serves them at your seat.  You can reserve seats in this area if you buy a 1st class ticket, with no need to leave your seat or leave your luggage unattended to get fed - this alone makes the modest extra cost for 1st class worth it!

Dinner in the bristro   Czech bistro car

Bistro seating. On the other side of the kitchen in the other half of the bistro car is a small 12-seat area next to the serving counter.  This area has the same leather seats as in 1st class, but 2nd class passengers are free to sit in this section when consuming food & drink from the bistro.  It's effectively a restaurant car for 2nd class passengers with a free upgrade!  Seats cannot be reserved in this section, the LED reservation panel above each seat may say Bistro misto = bistro seat.  In principle, you must return to your seat when you finish your food.

2nd class open saloon seats   6-seat compartment on train to Krakow

2nd class seats come in a choice of two types of car:  Open-plan cars (above left, see larger photo), and classic 6-seat compartments cars (above right, see larger photo).  I personally prefer the open-plan cars, but compartments can be fun if you're a family or small group.

Scenery seen travelling from Prague to Salzburg by train

The train snakes through farmland and occasional forest.  It calls at the southern Bohemian city of Ceske Budejovice - more familiar by its former German name, Budweis - home of the original Budweiser beer.

More scenery going from Prague to Salzburg by train

The Bohemian countryside keeps on rolling by.

Prague Hlavni station

Prague Hlavni station, just 15 minutes walk from the old town, 20 minutes walk from the Charles Bridge.  See Prague Hlavni station guide.

Prague old town   Charles Bridge, Prague

Travel tips

An alternativeWestbahn + Regiojet


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