Arriving in Salzburg: Airport (SZG) Trolleybuses, Hauptbahnhof Rail Links from Vienna & Munich & Obus Network

Salzburg sits right on the Austrian-German border along the main rail corridor between Vienna and Munich. Few Alpine cities in Europe are easier to reach without a car. Its international airport lies just four kilometres from the historic centre. Inexpensive municipal trolleybuses link the terminal directly to both riverbanks. Meanwhile, the central railway station welcomes four high-speed trains an hour from Vienna and Munich. Once you check into your hotel, electric overhead trolleybuses and the Guest Mobility Ticket or Salzburg Card cover every local ride.

Salzburg Airport W. A. Mozart (SZG) to the Altstadt and Hauptbahnhof

Salzburg Airport W. A. Mozart (IATA: SZG) is Austria's second-largest airport after Vienna. Located just 4 kilometres west of the Old Town in Maxglan, it has two walkable terminals: Terminal 1 and the seasonal winter charter Terminal 2. Walk two minutes outside the arrivals hall to the public bus stop. From there, you can catch either of two frequent electric Salzburg AG Obus trolleybus lines:

• Obus Line 10 (Fastest to the Left Bank Altstadt & Festival District). Trolleybus Line 10 runs every 10 to 15 minutes from Monday to Saturday and every 20 minutes on Sundays. It links Salzburg Airport directly to the city centre. Buses reach Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz and Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz on the edge of the Left Bank Altstadt in 15 to 16 minutes. If your hotel is near Getreidegasse, the DomQuartier, or the Marko-Feingold-Steg footbridge, Line 10 drops you right at the pedestrian boundary.
• Obus Line 2 (Direct to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof & Mirabellplatz). Running every 10 to 20 minutes daily, Trolleybus Line 2 connects Salzburg Airport directly to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) in roughly 23 minutes. The route then continues across the Right Bank to Mirabellplatz. Use Line 2 if you are staying near the station or catching an onward ÖBB or Westbahn train.
• Airport tickets & taxis. Buy a standard urban single ticket from the Salzburg Verkehr machine at the airport stop before boarding. You can also buy digital tickets inside the Salzburg Verkehr mobile app. If you have activated a digital Salzburg Card or received your hotel's digital Guest Mobility Ticket prior to arrival, your airport trolleybus ride is free. Metered taxis waiting outside Terminal 1 reach the Altstadt or Hauptbahnhof in 10 to 15 minutes.
• Flying via Munich Airport (MUC). Munich Airport offers far more intercontinental flights than SZG, so many overseas travellers land in Bavaria. From Munich Airport Terminal, take the regional train via Munich Ostbahnhof or the Lufthansa Express Bus to Munich Hauptbahnhof. From there, direct trains reach Salzburg Hauptbahnhof in 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes total.

Arriving at Salzburg Hauptbahnhof by train from Vienna, Munich & Innsbruck

Located at Südtiroler Platz 1 on the Right Bank (1.5 kilometres north of the Staatsbrücke), Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) is a joint Austro-German border station. It is served by Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), private Austrian operator Westbahn, and German Railways (DB):

• From Vienna (Wien Hbf or Wien Westbahnhof). High-speed ÖBB Railjet (RJ / RJX) trains depart Vienna Hauptbahnhof every 30 to 60 minutes, stopping at Vienna Meidling, St. Pölten, and Linz. They reach Salzburg Hauptbahnhof in 2 hours 22 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes. Competing double-decker blue-and-white Westbahn trains depart Wien Westbahnhof every 30 minutes and arrive in Salzburg in 2 hours 26 minutes.
• From Munich (München Hbf). High-speed ÖBB Railjet, Westbahn, and DB EuroCity trains reach Salzburg in 1 hour 28 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes. Hourly regional BRB Chiemgau-Inntal (RE 5) trains take 1 hour 42 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes. Salzburg Hbf counts as a German tariff border station. Consequently, those regional RE 5 trains accept the Bavarian Bayern-Ticket and Deutschland-Ticket right into Salzburg.
• From Innsbruck, Zurich & Hallstatt. Direct Railjet trains running through the Deutsches Eck corridor connect Innsbruck in 1 hour 48 minutes and Zurich in 5 hours 20 minutes. For Hallstatt, take a train to Attnang-Puchheim and transfer onto the Salzkammergutbahn. Alternatively, board Postbus 150 from the Südtiroler Platz bus terminal outside the station main exit toward Bad Ischl.
• Salzburg Mülln-Altstadt S-Bahn Tip. Travellers arriving on a local S-Bahn train (Lines S2 or S3) to visit Augustiner Bräu can step off one stop west of Hauptbahnhof. The station is called Salzburg Mülln-Altstadt and sits beside the Salzach River.

Getting around: Obus trolleybuses, Salzburg Card vs. Guest Mobility Ticket & bollards

Since 1940, Salzburg has operated one of Europe's largest zero-emission overhead electric trolleybus networks, known locally as the Obus (Oberleitungsbus). Lines 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 connect Salzburg Hauptbahnhof every few minutes through Mirabellplatz. They reach Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz and Rathaus on the Left Bank in 7 to 10 minutes. For southern sights, Albus Line 25 runs from Hauptbahnhof and Mirabellplatz past the Altstadt. It reaches Hellbrunn Palace in 20 minutes and the Untersberg Cable Car in Grödig in 30 minutes. Understanding Salzburg's two visitor passes prevents double-paying for transit:

• Salzburg Card (Sightseeing + Urban Transit). Includes one-time free entry to museums, the Fortress funicular, Hellbrunn, and the Untersberg Cable Car. It also includes unlimited rides on urban Obus Lines 1 to 14, Albus lines (including Bus 25 to Untersberg), and Lokalbahn S1 to Acharting. It does not cover regional Postbus or S-Bahn trips to Hallstatt or Berchtesgaden.
• Salzburg Guest Mobility Ticket (Overnight Hotel Transit Pass). Issued free at check-in to all overnight guests paying the local accommodation tax since May 2025. This pass covers public transport across the entire State of Salzburg (SalzburgerLand). Valid routes include city Obus lines, regional Postbus 150 to the provincial border, and S-Bahn trains to Hallein and Werfen. Museum and cable-car admission is not included.
• Driving & P+R warning. Automatic rising steel bollards (Poller) protect the Left Bank Altstadt and restrict entry to brief hotel drop-offs. Never try to drive through Getreidegasse or Residenzplatz. Park instead inside the underground Mönchsberg Garages (A and B) at Hildmannplatz 1, or use highway perimeter lots at P+R Messe and P+R Salzburg Süd.