If you are visiting in the Salzburg, Austria, Hallstatt is definitely worthy to visit, so I try tell the best route with cheap price and nice landscape views to Hallstatt from Salzburg
for one day trip.
The trip to Hallstatt takes one full day, leaving early morning and getting back to Salzburg at evening.
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| Iconic view of Hallstatt |
First things to check:
- Make sure it's not rainy day by weather forecast – There is a lot
walking in Hallstatt outdoor, and strong rainy day is not good.
- Try make sure it's not public holiday in Austria, nor Sunday.
Public transport is better in working days and Saturdays – also
there might be less people in Hallstatt.
- This my plan is NOT valid in public holidays or Sundays, if you really need to take a trip to Hallstatt in public holidays or Sundays - you have to travel with train thru Atthang-Puncheim when you return from Hallstatt to Salzburg in Public Holidays or Sundays. The route via Atthang-Puncheim is not more difficult, it's just more expensive.
- Even after reading this, double check route planning via ÖBB Route planner (ÖBB is great site to plan routes in Austria). NOTE: ÖBB Route planner doesn't cover ferry routes in Hallstatt. These instructions are from my travel in 2014, so in theory, it's possible that some timetable information are changed.
The route from Salzburg to Hallstatt
Get
to Salzburg bus station - that is next to Salzburg main train station (Salzburg Hbf - Salzburg Hauptbahnof) - or any bus stop for BUS 150 to Bad Ischl.
Take a BUS 150, to take Route from Salzburg train station to Bad Ischl.
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| Landscape view of Austria from the Bus |
- Bus departures the Salzburg train/bus station at 08:15am
- Cost is 10.50e/person (one way) - pay to driver
- Bus arrives in the Bad Ischl bus station at 9:50am
- Make sure you sit on left side of the bus so you can get great landscape views during the bus trip.
- Bad Ischl bus station locates next to Bad Ischl train station.
Train from Bad Ischl to Hallstatt
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| Bad Ischl Train and Bus station |
Train departures at 10:20am
Cost is 4.20e per person (one way) - buy a ticket from Bad Ischl train station if you have not bought it already - cashier or ticket machine.
NOTE - Very important: Also buy return ticket from Hallstatt to Bad Ischl at the same time. Hallstatt train station is only "small" house with only one slow ticket machine - if there is a lot tourists without tickets, you might miss the train.
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| Austrian landscape from the Train |
You can also buy and print the train ticket online ÖBB route planner.
Make sure you sit on the right side of the train – to get better landscape views during the short train trip.
Train arrives in the Hallstatt train station at 10:47am.
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| Hallstatt Train station |
- In the Hallstatt train station, walk down to near lake (15m) and wait for the local ferry boat.
- Ferry - (actually it's just boat) - cost 2.50e per person (one way) - Pay to boat's cashier.
- Ferry times are related to train - it should not take long - perhaps 5-10min when ferry arrives.
From
Hallstatt to Salzburg
Route from Hallstatt to Salzburg is very much similar, here I just try tell some basic times.
Ferry from the Hallstatt to Hallstatt train station
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| Ferry 'Stefanie' in the Hallstatt |
Last ferries from Hallstatt to Hallstatt train station departures at:
- 16:15
(4:15pm)
- 16:45 (4:45pm)
- 18:15
(6:15pm) - Last ferry of Hallstatt
Ferry route takes to about 10 minutes, all ferry times are related to train time table of the Hallstatt train station.
Click
on timetable – it might be little difficult to read, but check the: Ship
”Stefanie to the railway station Hallstatt" – First table - "Direction to: Bad Goisern, Bad Ischl, Attnang-Puncheim - Vienna/Salzburg"
- First row is ferry's departure times
- Second line tells the next train arrive time for this ferry on same column.
Train timetable from Hallstatt train station to Bad Ischl
- Departure at 16:32
(4:32pm) – You will arrive to Bad Ischl at 16:53 (4:53pm)
- Departure at 17:07
(5:07pm) – You will arrive to Bad Ischl at 17:34 (5:34pm)
- Departure at 18:32
(6:32pm) – You will arrive to Bad Ischl at 18:53 (6:53pm)
Bus
150 timetable from Bad Ischl to Salzburg
- Departure at 17:24
(5:24pm) - You arrive to Salzburg at 18:57 (6:57pm).
- Departure at 18:24
(6:24pm) - You arrive to Salzburg at 19:53 (7:53pm).
- Departure at 20:24
(8:24pm) – This bus will end to St. Gilgen at 20:54 (8:54pm) –
and change to another BUS 150 from St. Gilgen to Salzburg at 21:05
(9:05pm) – You arrive to
Salzburg at 21:53 (9:53pm).
Overall
cost of the trip: 34.40e per person (adult)
Staying multiple days in the Hallstatt
If
you would like to stay Hallstatt area few days, I would suggest stay
in Hotel at Obertraun (and hotel near Obertraun train station),
because:
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| Hallstatt Bahn to Salt mines |
- You
don't need to carry luggage into ferry boat – it's just easier to walk just into train in Obertraun.
- If you have no return ticket - it's easier to buy in Obertraun train station.
- It's easy to walk to Hallstatt from Obertraun (4-5km perhaps), or
take a ferry in summer times.
- Obertraun have cable car to mountains area that are just awesome.
NOTE: Obertraun cable car is open only at summer time
- In summer time - You can go to Salt mines in Hallstatt and you can take full tour with ship. You cannot see everything in one day in summer. All (few) fountains are also
closed during the winter.
- There is also Hallstatt museum - that takes it's own time.
But
overall – Hallstatt is just great place to visit – if you can
have only one day – it's still definitely worthy to visit – even
in Winter.
Links
