Munich to Salzburg by train

Direct trains run roughly every 30 minutes from München Hbf to Salzburg Hbf, with no changes en route. Across all operators, there are typically around 18 or more direct trains per day. The fastest are ÖBB Railjets at around 1 hour 28 to 1 hour 30 minutes. DB EuroCity and InterCity trains alternate with them each hour and take around 1 hour 42 minutes. The hourly RE5 regional train, operated by Bayerische Regiobahn (BRB), takes around 1 hour 47 minutes and accepts the Bayern-Ticket. Westbahn adds 5 to 6 double-decker departures per day at around 1 hour 34 minutes.

The main decision is express or regional. Book an express for the fastest journey or if you need to leave before 09:00 on a weekday. Take the RE5 if you have a Bayern-Ticket and can leave after 09:00. That split covers most travellers on this route.

Train type	Operator	Journey time	Frequency	Reservation	Advance fare from
Railjet (RJX/RJ)	ÖBB	~1h 28 to 1h 30	Hourly (alternating)	Optional	Sparpreis from around €17.99 (2nd class)
EuroCity (EC) / IC	DB	~1h 42	Hourly (alternating)	Optional	Sparpreis from around €17.99 (2nd class)
RE5 regional	BRB	~1h 47	Hourly	Not possible	Bayern-Ticket from €34; regular fare from around €43 (2nd class)
Westbahn	Westbahn	~1h 34	5 to 6/day	Optional (Standard); check westbahn.at	WestSuperpreis from around €8.99

All fares are orientation figures. Prices change by date, demand, and availability. Check current prices at int.bahn.de, oebb.at, or westbahn.at before you book.

Express trains: Railjet, EuroCity, and IC

Book an express when you want the fastest journey, need to travel early morning, or are not eligible for the Bayern-Ticket. Before you pay, check which type of express you are on. Railjet and EuroCity trains share the same hourly pattern but have meaningfully different journey times, and if your connection in Salzburg is tight, being on the slower one matters.

Journey times and which train runs when

Railjets, marked RJX or RJ on booking pages, are operated by ÖBB and take around 1 hour 28 to 1 hour 30 minutes. EuroCity (EC) and InterCity (IC) trains, operated by DB, take around 1 hour 42 minutes. ICE trains appear occasionally on this corridor at roughly the same speed as EC services.

The two express types roughly alternate each hour: a Railjet on one hour, an EC, IC, or occasional ICE on the next. This is a pattern, not a fixed rule. Check the train label when you book. RJX or RJ means Railjet. If the fastest time matters, confirm you are on a Railjet before you pay.

Express trains run from early morning until late evening from München Hbf, but the exact timetable varies by season and day. Check the live timetable for your date.

Express trains also stop at München Ost, which is useful if you are connecting from the S8 airport line or coming from the east of the city.

Railjet trains have WiFi, power sockets in both classes, and a bistro car. EuroCity and IC trains on this route are older and may not have the same onboard standard, though comfortable enough for a journey under two hours.

Fares: Sparpreis and Flexpreis

Book a Sparpreis advance fare if you can commit to a specific train. Sparpreis fares on this route start from around €17.99 in 2nd class and around €23.99 in 1st class. These are the cheapest fares available, but they are tied to a specific departure. The cheapest allocation is limited, and on popular dates that band can sell out weeks ahead.

If you need flexibility or are booking late, the full-flex Flexpreis is available. For EuroCity and IC trains, the DB Flexpreis typically runs around €42 in 2nd class. For Railjet trains, the DB Flexpreis is typically around €46 in 2nd class; bought through oebb.at, the Railjet Flexpreis may be priced differently. DB and ÖBB price Flexpreis fares independently, so comparing both booking channels is worth a minute of your time. Check live fares at int.bahn.de or oebb.at when you are ready to book.

Children under 6 travel free without a ticket. Children under 15 travel free on Sparpreis fares when added to the same booking as an accompanying adult.

The booking window opens around 6 months before travel. The cheapest Sparpreis allocation goes first. On a busy date, booking early is the only way to secure the starting fare.

Seat reservations on express trains

Seat reservations on Railjet and EuroCity trains are optional. You can board without one and sit in any unreserved seat. The electronic display above the headrest shows whether a seat is reserved for part of the journey.

If you are boarding in Munich, the train starts here, so it is usually relatively empty at München Hbf. Returning from Salzburg is different: the train has already come from Vienna or Graz and can be busy. In summer, over Christmas, and at Easter, trains in both directions fill up. A reservation on those dates is a reasonable precaution.

For regular tickets booked at oebb.at, seat reservations on Railjet and EuroCity trains are typically around €5.50 in 2nd class and €6.90 in 1st class. Verify current fees at oebb.at before you travel.

For Interrail and Eurail pass holders, the fee is lower. Railjet pass-holder reservations are typically around €3 in both classes, per Eurail’s published fees. EuroCity and IC pass-holder reservations are typically around €5.50 in 2nd class and €6.90 in 1st class. Check current fees at eurail.com or oebb.at before you travel.

Optional is not the same as unnecessary. On a quiet Tuesday in October you probably will not need a reservation. On a busy summer Friday from Salzburg, that is a different situation.

Regional trains and the Bayern-Ticket

Take the RE5 if you have a Bayern-Ticket. It is also a sensible fallback when express fares are sold out or expensive. Do not board a Railjet, EuroCity, InterCity, or ICE with a Bayern-Ticket. It is not valid on express services.

RE5 timetable and journey time

The RE5 is operated by Bayerische Regiobahn (BRB). Journey time is around 1 hour 47 minutes. Trains run roughly every hour from München Hbf, from early morning to late evening. Timetables vary by season and day, so confirm your departure before you travel.

The RE5 departs from platform 10 at München Hbf, around 150 metres from the main concourse. Allow extra time if you are connecting from an S-Bahn or have a short turnaround. RE5 trains also stop at München Ost.

No seat reservation is possible on the RE5. The service has no reservation system. Just board and sit anywhere. The train starts in Munich, so finding a seat is rarely a problem.

The full-price single fare on the RE5 is typically around €43 to €44 in 2nd class each way. For most travellers using this train, the Bayern-Ticket is the better option.

The Bayern-Ticket: who it works for and what it does not cover

The Bayern-Ticket is a regional day pass sold by Deutsche Bahn. It covers a full day of travel on regional trains within Bavaria, and it extends across the border to Salzburg Hbf, which surprises many travellers who assume it stops at the Austrian frontier. One Bayern-Ticket covers a same-day return: Munich to Salzburg and back.

What it does not cover matters just as much. The Bayern-Ticket is not valid on Railjet, EuroCity, InterCity, or ICE trains. It works only on regional services such as the RE5. Board an express with only a Bayern-Ticket and you will need to buy a full ticket on the spot, with the risk of a penalty fare.

On weekdays, the Bayern-Ticket is valid from 09:00 until 03:00 the following morning. If you need to leave Munich before 09:00 Monday to Friday, you need a different ticket. On weekends and public holidays, the ticket is valid from 00:00 until 03:00 the following morning, with no morning time restriction.

The Bayern-Ticket in 2nd class starts at €34 for one traveller, with €10 added for each additional person up to five people. A pair pays €44; five people pay €74. A 1st-class Bayern-Ticket is also available, starting at around €46 for one person. Verify the current price at bahn.de before buying.

Travellers	Bayern-Ticket 2nd class
1	€34
2	€44
3	€54
4	€64
5	€74

For a solo day-tripper, the Bayern-Ticket makes sense once you include the return. A full-price return on the RE5 would cost around €87 in 2nd class. The Bayern-Ticket is cheaper even for one person, and the economics get clearer with two or more. Compare it against Sparpreis advance fares on express trains before you decide. If a Railjet is available at a low Sparpreis for your date, that may be worth it for the time saving.

Buy the Bayern-Ticket at int.bahn.de or from a DB ticket machine at the station. Buying at a staffed DB ticket office adds a €2 service charge. The online and ticket-machine prices are the same.

Travelling with children on a Bayern-Ticket: up to three children aged 6 to 14 (your own or others in your group) can travel free on the same Bayern-Ticket. Children under 6 travel free without a ticket on DB and ÖBB services generally.

Using an Interrail or Eurail pass

Your pass works on this route. Germany and Austria are both Interrail and Eurail countries, so there is no validity gap at the border.

On the RE5, just board and show your pass if asked. No reservation system exists for this service.

On a Railjet, your pass covers the fare and a seat reservation is optional. Eurail lists the Railjet pass-holder reservation fee at around €3 in both 2nd and 1st class. On a EuroCity or IC, the pass-holder reservation fee is typically around €5.50 in 2nd class and €6.90 in 1st class. Select “seat reservation only” when booking at oebb.at or through eurail.com. Verify the current fee before you travel, as fees can change.

A €3 Railjet reservation is cheap insurance for a journey under 90 minutes. On a busy August Friday or over Christmas, an unreserved Railjet from Salzburg can be standing room only. It matters less in Munich, where the train starts and tends to be less full at boarding.

Before you board, make sure your pass is activated for the travel day. If you hold a flex pass, mark the travel day before departure, not after.

For Westbahn, pass validity is not consistent and can change. Check the current position at the Eurail reservations page or with Westbahn before relying on your pass for a Westbahn service.

Westbahn: the third option

Check Westbahn if DB Sparpreis fares are sold out or priced higher than you want. Most travellers do not know Westbahn exists, but since April 2022 it has run double-decker trains directly between München Hbf and Salzburg Hbf as extensions of its Vienna to Salzburg service. Journey time is around 1 hour 34 minutes, faster than an EC and close to a Railjet.

Frequency is the constraint. Westbahn runs only 5 to 6 departures per day. If the timing does not fit your plans, there is no hourly fallback. Do not plan a day trip around Westbahn unless you have confirmed both the outbound and return times work.

Westbahn’s main advance fare, called WestSuperpreis, starts from around €8.99 per person and is tied to a specific train. The flexible fare, WestFlexpreis, covers any Westbahn train that day and costs significantly more. Comfort class and 1st class upgrades add variable amounts; check current upgrade fees at westbahn.at. Trains have air conditioning, WiFi, and power sockets. There is no restaurant car, but a vending area is available.

Buy at westbahn.at. Westbahn tickets are not sold on bahn.de. Before buying, confirm the timetable still serves your travel date at westbahn.at, as the operator has revised its long-distance network in the past.

Arriving at Salzburg Hbf

All trains from Munich arrive at Salzburg Hbf. Salzburg has one mainline station, so there is no risk of booking the wrong one, unlike cities such as Paris or Brussels where multiple stations serve different routes.

The old town (Altstadt) is about 15 to 20 minutes on foot from the station. If you are carrying luggage or prefer not to walk, Obus (trolleybus) lines 1 and 3 run from outside the station into the centre. A taxi rank sits at the east entrance. Public transport line numbers can change, so confirm the current Obus line for your destination at salzburg-ag.at or salzburg.info before you travel.

As the train crosses the River Salzach on the approach to the station, Hohensalzburg Fortress appears on the right side of the train, high on the hill above the old town. It is a reliable sign that you are nearly there.

Practical booking checklist

Check the train label on your booking page. RJX or RJ is a Railjet at around 1 hour 28 to 1 hour 30 minutes. EC or IC is a EuroCity or InterCity at around 1 hour 42 minutes. Regional trains show as RE5 at around 1 hour 47 minutes. Do not assume all express trains run to the same time.

If you have a Bayern-Ticket, check your travel day. On weekdays, it is valid from 09:00. On weekends and public holidays, no morning time restriction applies. Board the RE5 only, not any express train.

The booking window for Sparpreis fares on express trains opens around 6 months before travel. The cheapest band goes first on popular dates, so book as early as you can.

The RE5 departs from platform 10 at München Hbf, around 150 metres from the main concourse. Express trains leave from the main hall. Allow extra time if you are connecting from another service.

Neither München Hbf nor Salzburg Hbf has ticket barriers. Walk to your platform and board. Carry your ticket or pass, and your seat reservation if you booked one.