Day Trip - Munich to Salzburg by train

With limited travel restrictions in 2020, plus, a week off of German classes, my classmate, Heather and I decided to do a day trip to Salzburg in Austria. Even though we had to wear masks the whole train ride, it felt great to get out of the house and visit a new place.

We caught the regional train that goes direct from Munich's main train station (hauptbahnhof). When we got on the train, we were very surprised how empty it was. We took our seats (no allocated seating) and settled in for the hour and forty-five minute train journey.

After two stops an inspector came to check our tickets and luckily, he was nice enough to tell us that the train split at the next station and that we needed to get off and change to the front of the train. We had plenty of time to do this at the next stop, however the front part of the train was very crowded. We luckily got the last seats together and then knowing we were now on the right part of the train, we relaxed and read for the rest of the trip. Lesson learned though, make sure you check which part of the train you need to be on!

Tip: In Bavaria, there is a regional day ticket for public transport that allows you to travel unlimited trips within the state and some neighbouring parts of Austria for only 25€. The best part is that you can add up to 5 people on your ticket for only an extra 8€ per person. There are some limitations, like not being allowed on the fast trains or the times of the day you can travel, but, all in all, it is a great money saver hack when

travelling around Bavaria! Check out the T&Cs here.

As we had to be on the train after 9am (because of the regional day ticket), we arrived in Salzburg just before 11am. We walked from the train station to Mozartplatz, the centre of the Old Town. This took approximately 25 minutes.

We wandered around the main square for a little while, taking photos of the lovely buildings and the view of the fortress high above the town before we headed up there. As we had pre-booked our tickets for the fortress, we went straight past the ticket line and proceeded to where we thought we could take the fortress railway (this was included in our basic ticket costing 12.80€).

After we walked almost half way up the steep ascend, we realising we must have missed the entrance for the train. Then, when we turned the bend, we saw what looked like a stop for the train. We went there and we could see the train at the bottom of the hill, so, we waited to catch it the rest of the way up. However, it didn't stop! So, we gave in and walked the rest of the way. It was probably around 20 minutes in total, but it is a steep climb, so wear good walking shoes...or find the stop where the train departs from!

Once rehydrated and inside the fortress walls, we started the Panorama tower tour. This tour takes you through the inside of the fortress and comes with an audio guide which tells you all about the rooms and objects that you see. This is also included in the basic ticket and very interesting. The view from the top of the fortress gives a fantastic 360-degree view over Salzburg and its surroundings. Below is only the half of it, but you can see why it is called the Panorama tower tour!

We looked around a bit more and then, as dark rain clouds ascended over Salzburg, we got the train back down (lucky for us, it is very well sign posted to show where the train departed from). At the bottom, you end up in the souvenir shop, which was good for us as it gave us a dry place to put on out wet weather gear...it had really started to pour down.

With the rain coming down heavily, we decided that this would be a great time to grab some lunch. We walked past a few places, all with outside seating (that would have been lovely if the sun was out). We were a bit concerned we may have to resort to a fast food outlet when we came across a very small Italian Restaurant in the Old Town called Paninoteca Piccolo Mondo. The fresh Paninis in the front cabinet, the yummy smells and the warmth inside is what lured us in. I had a pastrami and artichoke panini and Heather had a steak sandwich. When her steak sandwich came out, I had major food envy becasue the piece of steak on her sandwich was huge. But then, I saw that it was covered in mushrooms and my food envy vanished and I was completely satisfied with my choice (in case you didn't pick it up... I think mushrooms are the spawn of Satan)! Anyway, Heather said it was delicious and I must say, mine was great too. Also, the people on the table near us ordered a pasta dish and charcuterie board, which they almost licked clean, so I would say that they enjoyed their meals too. So, if you are in Salzburg, I would definitely recommend heading to this cosy little restaurant for a tasty Italian hit to the taste buds.

Our next stop was to the Salzburg Residence, also located in the Old Town, for our 3pm concert. I mean, we couldn't go to the birthplace of Mozart and not see some live classical music, right?!

We pre-booked our tickets to the Residence Concert online but there is also the possibility to buy tickets at the door on the day from 2.30pm. The concerts run daily (although due to Covid-19, I think this may have changed, so please check) and cost 18€ each for the 45 minutes.

Within the small hall, they have chairs set up to face a harpsichord. The concert started promptly with the pianist introducing himself and what he would be playing. He then began and we were transfixed by the unique sounds. He played not only pieces from Mozart but also other famous pieces from the Baroque times (1600 to 1750).

The rain had cleared up by the time we left the concert so, we took another walk around the Old Town, checked out the university and then started to make our way back to the station. We took a different route this time and saw a few more interesting street and alleyways along the way. It is a nice city to just wander around and explore.

With a takeaway container full of sushi from a restaurant near the station, we got on our train and settled in for the journey back to Munich.