The distance between Munich and Salzburg is 145 kilometers (90 miles) which is shorter than the distance between Salzburg and the Austrian capital Vienna. Therefore, Munich is not only a popular place to visit on the way to and from Salzburg but Munich is also the closest international airport.
In this article, you will find out how to travel from Munich to Salzburg.
There are convenient train and bus connections between Munich and Salzburg. Although the train is often more convenient and often cheaper due to the Bayern Ticket, the bus is an option if you are traveling alone or want to take the bus directly from Munich airport to Salzburg.
How to get from Munich to Salzburg by Train
Munich to Salzburg by train is the most convenient option since trains run often and if you aren’t traveling alone, the Bayern Ticket is fairly affordable. Munich to Salzburg trains run every 18 minutes on average, so there are over 60 connections per day. The train station in Munich is within walking distance from the historic center.
With the trains from Munich to Salzburg, it depends if you take a Bayern ticket or not. The Bayern ticket allows you to travel by train throughout all of Bavaria for an entire day with 1-5 people. For the first traveler, the cost is €26,- and for each additional traveler, it is €8,- more.
However, the Bayern ticket doesn’t cover all the connections but only the regional, the slow trains.
That doesn’t matter since the slow trains only take 10-20 minutes longer to get from Munich to Salzburg but you have fewer connections available. Also, the Bayern ticket is only valid from 9 am.
Regular tickets may, therefore, cost the same as the Bayern Ticket if you’re traveling alone. The Bayern Ticket also covers your return trip on the same day if you travel from Munich to Salzburg on a Day Trip, whereas the regular fare would require you to purchase another ticket.
Regular train fares range between €20,- and €40,- depending on the discount offered for the specific connection, with the regular ticket price being closer to €40,-.
You don’t need to reserve the Bayern Ticket and you don’t need seat reservations but can get it from the ticket machines at the station at Munich Hauptbahnhof, the main station in Munich.
Advantages of taking the train from Munich to Salzburg:
- No need to make a seat reservation or buy a ticket in advance.
- Great prices with the Bayern Ticket if you are traveling with 2-5 people and/or return on the same day.
- Great comfort.
- Frequent connections.
How to get from Munich to Salzburg by Flixbus
Flixbus has a few advantages over the train but only in certain situations. The Munich ZOB the central bus station is only 5-10 minutes walking from the train station in Munich. While bus stops in many other major cities are located in remote locations, in Munich both buses and trains are in a convenient locations.
The one situation when the Flixbus from Munich to Salzburg is most likely less expensive than the train is when you are traveling alone and don’t return the same day. If you return from Salzburg the same day and/or are a group of people, the Bayern ticket most likely offers a better rate.
Now the price for a Flixbus ride, other than the ticket price for the train, especially for a Bayern Ticket (which doesn’t change) depends heavily on the season, the time of day, and the timeliness of your booking. To compare Flixbus prices with the prices of trains, it’s best to check Omio.
Omio has all the current rates and even sells the Bayern Ticket. Therefore, with Omio you can compare the bus price to the regular train price and you automatically get the Bayern Ticket recommended and can make a purchase in case the Bayern Ticket turns out to be cheaper.
Advantages of taking Flixbus from Munich to Salzburg:
- If you travel alone or in the low season, the bus can be much cheaper than the train.
- Flixbus runs directly from Munich Airport to Salzburg (with a stop at the ZOB bus station)
How to get from Munich Airport to Salzburg
Just like the general options to get from Munich to Salzburg, there are the same two options to get from Munich Airport to Salzburg. But while the train requires a change at the Munich station or in Munich East (München Ost), Flixbus operates direct connections from Munich airport to Salzburg.
Is there a direct train from Munich Airport to Salzburg?
There is no direct train from Munich Airport to Salzburg. To get from Munich Airport to Salzburg, you first need to take the S1 or the S8 line to Munich Station. In 10-minute intervals, the S1 and S8 lines connect the airport with the city center. The S1 goes west of the city, while the S8 goes east. To reach the main railway station in the city center takes about 40 minutes on either train.
But if you travel to Salzburg from Munich Airport, and you don’t wish to stop by the center of Munich and the Munich train station, the faster connection is the S8 because on the S8 you can change trains at Munich East (München Ost) instead of at the main train station. That’s like a shortcut.
If you don’t want to change trains but want to go straight from Munich Airport to Salzburg, you need to take a Flixbus.
How to get from Munich Airport to Salzburg by Flixbus
The only direct connection between Munich Airport and Salzburg is by Flixbus. Sort of. The Flixbus to Salzburg from Munich Airport goes via the ZOB in Munich, the central bus station of Munich. You don’t need to change at the ZOB but the bus stop in Salzburg is in the south of the city.
From the south of Salzburg, it takes another 20 minutes by city bus which costs you a few euros. So technically not even Flixbus is a direct connection from Munich Airport to the old town of Salzburg.
Can you visit Salzburg from Munich on a day trip?
Because the old town of Salzburg is small and walkable, a day trip from Munich to Salzburg is a great idea. Especially if you are several people, you would want to consider a Bayern ticket.
The Bayern ticket is a day ticket for regional trains in Bavaria for up to 5 travelers. An additional person requires you to pay a few euros more, but the more people you have the cheaper the price per person becomes. Salzburg is not in Bavaria but half of the Salzburg station is owned by Bavaria and Salzburg is the border station, therefore, the Bayern ticket is valid for the train from Munich to Salzburg.
Read this article, for detailed information about the Bayern ticket!
Bayern tickets are only valid from 9 am, so if you are taking a day trip from Munich to Salzburg, take the earliest train after 9 am. Especially during the summer months when the days are long, it’s great that Salzburg-Munich trains run until late in the evening and that the Bayern ticket is valid until three in the morning the following day.
Here is a plan for how to visit Salzburg in one day if you decide to take a day trip from Munich.
REMARK: While Munich is 10x bigger than Salzburg, the old town of Munich is almost as walkable as the old town of Salzburg. You might, therefore, also consider taking a day trip from Salzburg to Munich. I have done it before and it works great. Here is an itinerary you can follow for a day trip from Salzburg to Munich.
Is it possible to visit Salzburg from Munich on a Tour?
There are organized tours from Munich to Salzburg that enable you to embark on a day trip without any research or worries. I have not taken the specific day trip but I have taken a Free Walking Tour in Munich with one of their guides and they for a while considered hiring me as their local guide for the Salzburg Day Trips. Since I am too busy myself these days, I couldn’t accept the offer but from what I have seen of the company and their guides, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Munich to Salzburg Day Trip.
Book a Day Trip from Munich to Salzburg
