Lake village snow to Vienna's New Year
This is leg 2 of 2, the final leg.
Travel leg · Hallstatt, Salzburg & Vienna
Salzburg to Vienna
Salzburg and Vienna sit about 252 km (156 mi) apart in a straight line, with Vienna to the east. It is leg 2 of 2 on our Hallstatt, Salzburg & Vienna itinerary, a 7-day trip. Here is how long it takes by train, what to see on the way and where it fits in a real itinerary.
- Straight-line distance
- 252 km · 156 mi
- Est. road distance
- 302–352 km
- Est. drive time
- 3 h 15 min – 5 h 30 min
- Direction
- Heading east
- Curated routes
- 1 itinerary
Road distance is estimated as 1.2–1.4× the straight line; drive time assumes average speeds of 65–95 km/h with no stops or traffic. These are rough estimates — check a maps app for the actual route.
Ways to get there
We don't have live routing data, so the figures below are labelled estimates built from the straight-line distance. Use them to plan the day, then confirm in a maps app.
By train
Our Hallstatt, Salzburg & Vienna itinerary is planned around rail, so a train is the likely way to cover this leg. Timetables and direct connections vary — check the operator before you book.
By car
Driving is an estimated 302–352 km (188–219 mi) and 3 h 15 min – 5 h 30 min at typical average speeds, not a routed time.
Fly into Salzburg and take bus 150 to Bad Ischl and a connecting bus to Hallstatt (about 2 hours), or come by train to Hallstatt station on the far shore, where the Stefanie ferry meets trains to cross to the village. Salzburg to Vienna is 2.5 hours on the ÖBB Railjet, and Hallstatt to Vienna about 4 hours with a change at Attnang-Puchheim. Hallstatt's center is car-free; drivers use the car parks by the tunnel. Fly home from Vienna.
Worth stopping for
Picks from our curated guides at both ends.
When you arrive in Vienna
Rathaus and palace markets, coffee houses and New Year's Eve; 3 nights.
Schönbrunn Palace
Habsburg summer palace with 1,441 rooms and formal gardens up to the Gloriette.
Vienna State Opera
One of the world's top opera houses, with daily performances most of the year.
Naschmarkt
Long open-air market with produce stalls, delis and casual eateries.
Café Sperl
Classic 1880 coffeehouse with billiard tables and slow, formal service.
Mayer am Pfarrplatz
Heuriger wine tavern in a house where Beethoven lived, serving its own Vienna wines.
Hotel Sacher
Grand hotel opposite the State Opera, home of the original Sachertorte.
Before you leave Salzburg
Baroque old town and one of Austria's oldest Christmas markets; 2 nights.
Salzburger Christkindlmarkt
The market fills the Domplatz and Residenzplatz, with stalls of carved ornaments, Lebkuchen and hot punch.
Café Tomaselli
Coffee house on the Alter Markt since the early 1700s; waitresses bring cakes round the room on trays.
Augustiner Bräu Mülln
Monastery brewery with vaulted beer halls; fill a stone mug from the barrel and buy food at the stalls in the hall.
On this curated route
Where Salzburg → Vienna sits in the full itinerary. Highlighted stops are this leg.
Going the other way? Vienna to Salzburg is the same 252 km in a straight line, heading west. Reverse directions in Google Maps ↗
Weather at each end
The biggest gap comes in August, when Vienna averages highs 4°C warmer than Salzburg. Over a year, Salzburg gets about 530 mm more rain.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salzburg high | 3° | 4° | 9° | 15° | 19° | 22° | 24° | 24° | 19° | 15° | 8° | 4° |
| Vienna high | 3° | 5° | 10° | 17° | 21° | 25° | 28° | 27° | 22° | 16° | 9° | 4° |
| Salzburg rain | 92 | 72 | 84 | 72 | 136 | 158 | 146 | 153 | 113 | 90 | 69 | 79 |
| Vienna rain | 42 | 38 | 46 | 41 | 85 | 91 | 88 | 86 | 79 | 54 | 45 | 42 |
Temperatures in °C, rain in mm per month. Long-term monthly averages from NASA POWER satellite climatology — a guide to typical conditions, not a forecast. Month headings link to Vienna month guides.
Salzburg to Vienna: questions travelers ask
How far is Salzburg from Vienna?
Salzburg is about 252 km (156 mi) from Vienna in a straight line, with Vienna to the east. By road, we estimate 302–352 km (188–219 mi), or 1.2–1.4 times the straight line. Check a maps app for the exact route.
How long does it take to drive from Salzburg to Vienna?
An estimated 3 h 15 min – 5 h 30 min, assuming 302–352 km of road at average speeds of 65–95 km/h with no stops or traffic. It is not a routed time, so check a maps app on the day. Our itinerary leans on rail, so check train times too.
Which itineraries include the trip from Salzburg to Vienna?
Our Hallstatt, Salzburg & Vienna itinerary includes this leg. Hallstatt, Salzburg & Vienna runs about 7 days across 3 stops, best in Late Nov – early Jan.
Onward from Vienna
- Vienna to Budapest 214 km
- Prague to Vienna 251 km
Getting to Salzburg
- Hallstatt to Salzburg 52 km
Guides for both ends
- Salzburg travel guide
- Salzburg weather best time to visit
- Vienna travel guide
- Vienna weather best time to visit
Vienna by month
Plan Salzburg → Vienna with your crew
Add this leg to a shared itinerary, poll the group on where to stop, split fuel and tickets, and keep everyone's packing list in one place in TripsCircle.