According to wholevehicles, Salzburg is a major transport hub, the city has an international airport, bus station and railway station. You can directly get from Russia only by air, but the city is connected with other European countries by bus and railway communication.
Flights to Salzburg are on the schedule of the airports of Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Kaliningrad, Novosibirsk, etc., but the path is quite costly in terms of time and money.
Lufthansa, Finnair, Austrian Airlines and several other companies fly from Moscow. Most routes with connections in Helsinki, Vienna and Berlin. The flight will take at least 6 hours one way.
From airport to city
It is convenient to travel by land from the airports of Vienna (how to get there) and Munich (way of travel – here). Trains run from 5:00 to 23:00 several times an hour (off. website of the Austrian Railways in English). The journey takes 2-3 hours, a one-way ticket costs 35-60 EUR. You will need to make several transfers and overcome part of the way by bus (the same company is responsible for intercity passenger transportation in Austria, a single ticket is sold for the entire route, you do not need to pay anything extra). International buses of the FlixBus company run from Munich 6 times a day (off. site in English). Travel time – about 2 hours, the fare is worth7-12 EUR.
Districts of Salzburg
The city is divided into Old and New, a separate area is also distinguished by the top of the Festungberg mountain, on which stands the Hohensalzburg fortress with a palace, a museum and a monastery.
The historical center, also known as the Old Town, is located on the left side of the Salzach River. A lot of interesting sights fit in a small area of the territory – the main Residenzplatz square with the new and old residences of the archbishop and a marble baroque fountain in the center, the Benedictine abbey, the Cathedral and other religious buildings. Here passes the main tourist artery – st. Getreidegasse, and most of the shops and shopping centers are located.
It is better to look for housing in Salzburg closer to the historical center. The prices are quite high and almost do not depend on the location, but you do not have to spend time and money on the road.
On the right bank, around the Kapuzinergberg mountain, the New Town is spread. Although this part of Salzburg is younger (the beginning of construction is in the 17th-18th centuries), there are also many interesting places here – Mirabellgarten Park, Mozart’s House, St. Sebastian’s Church and others.
Transportation
You can travel around the city by buses and trolleybuses (Stadtbus), in total – more than 20 routes. Buses No. 1 and 4 start from the railway station Hauptbahnhof and run around the historic city center. You can buy a ticket for one train from the driver for 1.8-2.10 EUR. Tickets purchased in advance at tobacconists are cheaper – 1.6 EUR per trip, but are sold in 5 pieces.
In Salzburg, minibuses are popular, which follow a fixed schedule and pick up and drop off passengers along the way. The fare is about 4 EUR. On the left bank of the Salzach River, they depart from Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz Square, on the right bank, from Theatergasse Street.
It is not customary to catch a car right on the road in Salzburg. Taxis can be taken at special parking lots – at the railway station, airport, shopping centers, large stores and other parts of the city. Another option is to order by phone at the hotel reception. There are no private traders and bombers in the city, payment is made strictly according to the meter with which all cars are equipped. A taxi will cost 2-3 EUR for landing plus 2 EUR for each km. One of the taxi ranks is located next to the railway station.
Bicycles can be rented from the Top Bike rental near the Hauptbahnhof train station (address: Sudtiroler Platz, 1) for 4 EUR per hour. You can get a 20% discount with the Salzburg Card.
Rent a Car
The center of Salzburg is easily accessible on foot or by public transport. The car is useful for those who come for a long time and plan to combine a city tour with an active holiday in ski resorts or a ride around the neighborhood.
Roads in the city are good, but chains may be needed after heavy snowfalls in mountainous areas. There are a lot of cars, and traffic jams are not uncommon, but there are no traffic jams for many hours – they quickly dissipate. There are very few parking lots, they are located mainly outside the center – in the west, north and south. The largest parking lot in the Old Town – Altstadt Garage – at the foot of the Mönchsberg mountain. The fee is 22 EUR per day. Cheaper parking lots can be found where automatic payment is provided through special machines. The maximum parking time is 3 hours, the cost is 3 EUR. On the outskirts there are intercepting Park & Ride – 5-15 EUR per day.
You can rent a car at the representative offices of international companies: Avis, Europcar, Hertz, or smaller Austrian offices (for example, Buchbinder). Prices per day for renting an economy class car start from 44 EUR.
Communication and Wi-Fi
Upon arrival in Salzburg, it is better to immediately get a local SIM card. The price per minute is high, but in most cases the costs will be lower than with the roaming of Russian companies. Any of the 4 operators – Drei, T-Mobile, Yesss and Telering – offers tourist-friendly prepaid rates. Packages are sold in almost every store or kiosk, documents are not required. For calls to Russia it is better to choose Drei or Yesss. Some tariffs include 1-5 GB of mobile internet.
In addition to hotels, most of which provide their guests with free Internet access, cafes and restaurants, many popular tourist places in the city are equipped with wireless access points. You can connect to Wi-Fi on the square and the Mozart bridge, in the Hohensalzburg fortress, the Volksgarten and Mirabelgarten parks, at the airport and at the railway station. This is a city free network, anyone can use it, registration is not required.
Salzburg Card
For those who want to save money and see more in 2-3 days, there is a city subscription Salzburg Card. The card allows you to visit all museums and other sights of the city for free. The package includes expositions of the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Mozart House, the Stiegl Brewery Museum, the Salzburg Toy and Puppet Museums, the Zoo and much more. The card also includes funicular rides to the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Untresberg mountain, a city river cruise and public transport. The latter, given the prices in buses and trolleybuses, is especially pleasant.
An additional bonus is up to 20% discounts on car rental, tickets to concerts and other cultural events, go-karts, spas and much more.
You can buy a season ticket at ticket offices, at hotel receptions, at tourist information centers or online. There are cards for 24 (26 EUR), 48 (34 EUR) and 72 hours (39 EUR). Children – 50% discount.
