Berlin to Vienna by train

Berlin to Vienna takes about 8 hours 20 minutes to 8 hours 40 minutes on a direct daytime railjet, which runs via Dresden and Prague with no change. Two direct day trains leave Berlin Hbf each day, one in the early morning and one in the afternoon. A direct ÖBB Nightjet also runs overnight. There is no direct ICE at the moment, so if you want the German route via Nuremberg you must change in Munich. Check your date, as times can change.

Direct railjets run via Dresden and Prague

The day trains are railjets, run by ÖBB together with Deutsche Bahn and České dráhy. The morning train reaches Wien Hbf in the mid-afternoon and the afternoon train late in the evening, close to midnight. The morning train takes about 8 hours 40 minutes and the afternoon one about 8 hours 20 minutes. Check the exact times for your date on bahn.de, oebb.at or cd.cz.

The route follows the Elbe valley from Dresden into the Czech Republic, then calls at Prague, Brno and Břeclav before Vienna. The best views are between Dresden and the Czech border. The trains have first and second class and a restaurant car.

Because there are only two a day, the afternoon train gets you to Vienna late at night. If you want to arrive at a sensible hour, take the morning departure.

The direct ICE is not running

Direct ICE trains used to link Berlin and Vienna through Nuremberg and Passau. From 14 June to 12 December 2026 major rebuilding work closes the line between Passau and Obertraubling, and no trains run over Passau to Germany. The ICE line from Vienna through Regensburg to Nuremberg does not run at all in that period.

You can still go via Munich. Take an ICE from Berlin to Munich, then an ÖBB railjet from Munich to Vienna via Salzburg and Linz. Those railjets run about every 2 hours and take about 15 minutes longer than usual while the works last. This needs a change and is slower than the direct railjet, so use it only if the direct trains do not suit your date.

The overnight Nightjet runs every night

The ÖBB Nightjet leaves Berlin in the evening and reaches Vienna in the early morning, about 11 hours later. It runs daily and travels through Dresden and Prague. You can choose a seat, a couchette or a sleeper, and a reservation is always compulsory on this train.

The train calls at Berlin Hbf and Berlin Südkreuz, and in Vienna at Wien Hbf and Wien Meidling, so check the stations on your ticket. The night train saves a hotel night, but it takes longer than the day train.

Leaving from Berlin Hbf during the Stadtbahn works

From 14 June to 12 December 2026 the Berlin Stadtbahn between Charlottenburg and Ostbahnhof is closed to long-distance and regional trains. Most long-distance trains do not call at Zoologischer Garten or Ostbahnhof in that period, and most use the lower level of Berlin Hbf instead.

For you that means Berlin Hbf is the station to use. Do not plan to board at Ostbahnhof or Zoologischer Garten, and check the platform on your ticket, as it may be on the lower level.

Tickets and seat reservations

Ticket price, seat reservation and supplement are separate things. On the railjets a reservation is optional but sensible on a journey this long. Fares vary by date and how early you book, and the cheapest advance fares sell out first. Buy the ticket from ÖBB, Deutsche Bahn or České dráhy for the train in your itinerary.

With an Interrail or Eurail pass the railjet needs no reservation. If you want one, the fee is €3 in both classes, and there is an extra €2 booking fee per person per train if you book it through the Interrail reservation service. The Nightjet is different: a pass holder must always reserve and pay for a seat, couchette or sleeper. Fees depend on the date and demand. For a seat they run from €4.90 to €24.90, for a six-bed couchette from €19.90 to €64.90, and for a three-bed sleeper from €59.90 to €184.90 per person.

Arriving in Vienna

The railjets arrive at Wien Hbf, Vienna's main station. The afternoon train arrives close to midnight, so check how you will get to your accommodation before you travel.