ÖBB Railjet vs. Westbahn on the Vienna–Salzburg–Innsbruck Corridor
Between Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Bregenz, travelers can choose between two outstanding operators:
- ÖBB Railjet (RJ / RJX): Departs predominantly from Wien Hauptbahnhof (and Vienna Airport VIE), serving St. Pölten, Linz, Attnang-Puchheim (transfer for Hallstatt), Salzburg, Innsbruck, St. Anton am Arlberg, and Bregenz, plus the southern corridor to Graz and Klagenfurt. Advance Sparschiene tickets start at €14.90–€24.90 when booked early; optional seat reservations cost €3.00.
- Westbahn: Departs every 30 minutes from Wien Westbahnhof (right on U-Bahn U3 and U6) to Linz and Salzburg, with extensions to Innsbruck, Bregenz, and Munich. Booking online with a Westsuperpreis or holding another rail discount card gives complimentary seat selection ("Westpunkte" check-in at your seat).
How to Reach Hallstatt by Train & Stefanie Boat
Ride either ÖBB or Westbahn to Attnang-Puchheim, walk across the platform to the regional ÖBB Salzkammergutbahn REX train past Lake Traunsee and Bad Ischl to Hallstatt Bahnhof. Every train arrival is met at the lakeside pier below the platform by the historic Stefanie ferry (€4.00 one-way, €7.00 return), which ferries you across the fjord straight to Hallstatt Marktplatz in 8 minutes.
When Does the ÖBB Vorteilscard 66 (€66) Pay Off?
The digital ÖBB Vorteilscard 66 costs €66/year (or €29 for travelers under 26 as Vorteilscard Jugend) and gives a flat 50% discount on all ÖBB Standard-Tickets booked via the ÖBB App or oebb.at. If you prefer flexible same-day travel rather than fixed non-refundable Sparschiene tickets, just one flexible round-trip between Vienna and Innsbruck (saving ~€78) or two flexible round-trips between Vienna and Salzburg recovers the entire €66 cost. Run your exact itinerary in our ÖBB Railjet vs. Westbahn Calculator.