Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Back to Salzburg

In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.

Voykit pocket guide · Austria

Salzburg

Give Salzburg 2 nights: one full day for the Altstadt and fortress, one for Hellbrunn or the lakes. Add a third only if you want Untersberg or a Sound of Music tour.

Salzburg is compact enough to walk end to end in about 30 minutes, so the old town, fortress and Mozart sights fit into one full day. Two nights is the standard stop on the Vienna–Munich rail line; the extra day goes to Hellbrunn, the Untersberg cable car or a lake. Book accommodation early for July–August and the Advent weekends, when the city fills and prices jump.

ViennaBadenBregenzBruck an der MurDornbirnDürnsteinFeldkirchFreistadtGrazHallstattIglsInnsbruckKapfenbergKlagenfurtSalzburg100 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Austria
Best months
May–Sep, Dec
Avoid
Jul–Aug (crowds and heat), Advent weekends (peak rates)
Stay
2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
EUR
Money
Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely taken, but some cafés, huts and small shops are still cash only.
Daily spend
Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
A1, Magenta and Drei are the networks; prepaid SIMs from shops and supermarkets (registration with ID).
Emergency
All emergencies 112 · Police 133 · Ambulance 144 · Mountain rescue 140
Plugs
Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Same plugs as Germany; UK and US devices need an adapter.
Tipping
Restaurant: Round up or 5–10%, told to the server when paying.; Café: Round up to the next euro.; Taxi: Round up or about 10%.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: €1–2.; Ski instructor or mountain guide: €10–20 a day for a good lesson, optional.
Water
Tap water is excellent. Ask for 'ein Glas Leitungswasser'; coffee in a café comes with a free glass of water.
Toilets
Public toilets in cities cost €0.50; cafés and museums have free ones for guests.

What things cost

ItemPrice
Coffee and a pastry€4–7
Schnitzel or goulash in a beer hall€14–22
Beer, 0.5 l in a pub / supermarket can€4–5.50 / €1–2
StadtBus single / 24-h ticket€3 / €4.70 (check)
Fortress funicular and fortress entry, adult€13.60 (check)
Salzburg Card, 24 h / 48 h / 72 h€34 / €41 / €47 (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week€15–30

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

SZG · Salzburg W.A. Mozart
About 20 min from the centre by trolleybus; small and quick to clear.
MUC · Munich
About 1 h 30 min to Salzburg by train; use it for long-haul flights.

Typical fares

Airport → centre, trolleybus
about €3 single, about 20 min (check)
Hauptbahnhof → Altstadt, on foot
about 15 min
Vienna → Salzburg, Railjet
about 2 h 30 min; book ahead for the cheapest fare (check)

Get around

Walk. The Altstadt is car-free in practice and the two banks are linked by footbridges. StadtBus trolleybuses cover the rest; buy a 24-h ticket from a machine rather than a single from the driver. From May 2025 overnight guests pay a small daily mobility contribution and ride public transport in the state free — ask your host for the card. Bikes work well; there are riverside paths both ways.

See and do

Known for

  • Hohensalzburg Fortress
  • Baroque Altstadt (UNESCO)
  • Mozart's birthplace
  • The Sound of Music locations
  • Salzburg Festival

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Hellbrunn Palace and trick fountainsBus 25 from the centre, about 20 minAbout 40 min
Untersberg cable carBus to St. Leonhard, then the cable carAbout 1 h
Hallein (salt mine)Train or S-Bahn from the Hauptbahnhof, about 20 minAbout 45 min
HallstattTrain to Attnang-Puchheim, change to Hallstatt, then ferry2.5–3 h
Berchtesgaden and KönigsseeBus 840 from the station, about 50 minAbout 1 h

Sleep

Altstadt (left bank)
Walk to everything; the most expensive beds and the noisiest rooms.
Right bank / Neustadt
Around Linzergasse and the station; 10–15 min walk to the old town, cheaper.
Station area (Hauptbahnhof)
Best for one-night rail stops and early trains; plain but functional.
Nonntal / south of the fortress
Quiet, residential, 10 min walk to the cathedral.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Excuse me / SorryEntschuldigungent-SHOOL-dee-goong
Thank youDankeDAN-keh
The bill, pleaseDie Rechnung, bittedee REKH-noong, BIT-teh
How much is it?Wie viel kostet das?vee feel KOS-tet das
Can I pay by card?Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit KAR-teh TSAH-len
Where is the toilet?Wo ist die Toilette?voh ist dee toy-LET-teh

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: 'Grüß Gott' or 'Guten Tag' entering shops and huts; handshakes; avoid: Walking in without a greeting
  • Titles: Use Herr/Frau and academic titles in formal settings; avoid: First names with older strangers
  • Coffee houses: Linger; call the waiter 'Herr Ober'; avoid: Expecting fast service
  • Punctuality: Be on time; avoid: Arriving late to concerts: doors close
  • Quiet: Keep voices down on public transport; avoid: Loud phone calls in trains and trams
  • Mountain trails: Greet other hikers with 'Servus' or 'Grüß Gott'; avoid: Leaving gates open on pastures

Scams and watch-outs

  • Old-town streets are cobbled and the fortress climb is steep: wear flat shoes.
  • Drivers sell single tickets only; strip tickets and day passes are cheaper from machines.
  • Last buses leave the centre early — a late night means taxi or a long walk.
  • Winter tyres are required by law from October to April if you drive; snow chains in heavy snow.
  • Motorway driving needs a vignette; parking garages near the centre run about €14–20 per 24 h.

Very safe for a city of its size. The real risks are pickpockets in the Getreidegasse crowd, bicycles on shared paths, and the fortress steps in rain.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Salzburg yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Hohensalzburg Fortress
  • Baroque Altstadt (UNESCO)
  • Mozart's birthplace
  • The Sound of Music locations
  • Salzburg Festival

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Salzburg

Bitte zu dieser Adresse

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Austria has no US embassy in Salzburg; the US embassy is in Vienna. Most countries keep embassies in Vienna and consulates in Salzburg or Innsbruck (check).

Tipping: round up or add about 10% and say the total to the server.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/salzburg). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.