Austrian Rail Passes

LEFT: Trains passing west of Radstadt in the Pongau district of Land Salzburg.

Austria has an efficient railway system, but its public transportation network is less developed than Switzerland's. Although you won't find anything comparable to the large selection of Swiss rail passes in Austria, two passes are worth investigating if you're touring the country by rail:

Austrian Rail Pass

This pass covers 3 days of unlimited train travel in a 15-day period, and you can buy up to 5 extra days of travel when you order your pass. First- and second-class passes are available, with first class costing about 50% more than second. Comfort differences between the two classes are minimal, but first-class cars tend to be less crowded duirng summer and holiday periods.

The Austrian Rail Pass also provides a 40% discount on bicycle rentals at railroad stations, savings of 20% to 50% on certain river and lake steamers, and modest reductions on two cogwheel mountain railways.

European East Pass

If you plan to travel throughout Central Europe, the European East Pass is worth considering. The first-class pass costs only 1/3 more than the equivalent Austrian Rail Pass, and it gives you 5 days of unlimited train travel in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia during a 30-day period. You can buy up to 5 additional days of travel when ordering your pass. The European East Pass includes the same discounts on bicycle rentals, steamers, and cogwheel railways that you'd get with the Austrian Rail Pass.

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If you live in the U.S., Canada, or the United Kingdom, you can use this site to buy Austrian and other European rail passes in your local currency. The site, which is operated by the Swiss and French national railroads, also has links to general agents in other countries.

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