Austria to Croatia Train
Train from Austria to Croatia is a popular route since the two countries are not that far from each other. Most train routes are not direct, some require more than one change of a train. Most trains from Austria arrive at Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor, and the most frequent route is Vienna – Zagreb. These routes are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways).
Below is the detailed guide for each popular train route from Austria to Croatia.
Vienna – Zagreb
Train from Vienna to Zagreb is the most popular train route from Austria to Croatia as it connects two capital cities. There are up to 10 daily departures but it is good to know that some of the departures vary from date to date, so it is important to check the departure times for the exact travelling date.
All trains depart from Wien Hauptbahnhof located about 4 km from Vienna city centre. All trains arrive at Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor, located in central Zagreb.
There are up to 2 direct daily trains from Vienna to Zagreb operated by EuroCity (EC) trains. These trains offer a possibility of transporting bicycles, they are wheelchair accessible and reservations are possible. The journey takes approximately 6h and 45 min.
All other departures require 1 to 3 train changes. You can choose the routes which go via Slovenia (Ljubljana, Celje or Zidani Most) and the routes that go via Hungary (Sopron, Szombathely or Budapest). Depending on the departure, these trains are usually operated by the following types of trains:
- Regional (R) trains
- Express (D) trains
- Railjet high-speed trains
- EuroCity (EC) trains
- InterCity (IC) trains
NOTE: Always check the waiting time between trains on the routes where changes are required because it can range from a few minutes to several hours. Accordingly, the travel time on these departures varies between 7.5 and 12.5 hours.
Ticket prices depend on the departure and vary from date to date.
However, the easiest and fastest way to travel this route is to take a bus from Vienna to Zagreb. There are up to 7 daily departures, including a night bus. Tickets start from €16 and the journey takes about 5 to 8 hours, depending on the departure.
Graz – Zagreb
Train from Graz to Zagreb is one of the most popular train routes from Austria to Croatia. There are up to 6 daily departures, but it is good to know that some of the departures vary from date to date, so it is important to check the departure times for the exact travelling date.
All trains depart from Graz Hauptbahnhof located about a kilometre from Graz city centre. All trains arrive at Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor, located in central Zagreb.
There are up to 3 direct trains from Graz to Zagreb operated by EuroCity (EC) trains. These trains offer a possibility of transporting bicycles, they are wheelchair accessible and reservations are possible. One departure is operated by EuroNight (EN) train which offers sleeping couchettes. The journey takes approximately 4 hours.
There are also up to 3 departures that require a train change in Zidani Most, Slovenia. On these departures EuroCity (EC) trains operate the first part of the route, then you change to Express (D) train or InterCity (IC) train in Zidani Most. The waiting time between the trains is between 2 and 3 hours, so the overall journey takes approximately 7 hours.
Ticket prices depend on the departure and vary from date to date.
Still, the easiest and fastest way of travelling this route is by taking a bus from Graz to Zagreb. There are up to 9 departures, including a night bus. Tickets start from €15 and the journey takes about 2.5 to 4 hours, depending on the departure.
Salzburg – Zagreb
Trains from Salzburg to Zagreb can have up to 14 daily departures. Some of these departures vary from date to date, so it is important to check the departure times for the exact travelling date. All trains depart from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof located about 10 minutes from Salzburg city centre. They arrive at Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor, located in central Zagreb.
There are no direct trains from Salzburg to Zagreb, on all departures you need to change a train. Most departures require only 1 train change in Vienna, some require 2 and one departure requires up to 4 changes of which some of them are buses.
On most departures where trains make a stop in Vienna, the route is operated by Railjet (RJ) and Railjet Xpress (RJX) trains the first part, then by EuroCity (EC) trains from Vienna to Zagreb. The waiting time between the trains varies from a few minutes to up to 40 minutes. The overall journey takes about 9 hours.
On several departures, the train runs via Graz and/or Bischofshofen, while there is also a departure where the train goes via Gyor and Balatonszentgyörgy in Hungary. This route is operated by the following types of trains:
- Railjet Xpress (RJX) train
- EuroCity (EC) train
- Suburban (S) train
- EuroNight (EN) train
- InterCity (IC) train
The waiting time between the trains varies from several minutes to several hours, depending on the departure. Accordingly, the journey time takes between 8 to 12 hours.
Ticket prices depend on the departure and vary from date to date.
Taking a bus from Salzburg to Zagreb is an alternative option that can be significantly faster and cheaper than the train. There are up to 2 departures of which one is a direct route with the journey taking about 5 hours. Tickets start from €30.
Innsbruck – Zagreb
Train from Innsbruck to Zagreb departs up to 3 times per day. There is one direct daily train departure operated by EuroNight (EN) train which offers sleeping couchettes.
Other two departures require a train change in Graz. This route is operated by EuroCity (EC) trains. These trains offer a possibility of transporting bicycles, they are wheelchair accessible and reservations are possible. These departures vary from date to date, so it is important to check the departure times for the exact travelling date.
In all cases, the journey takes approximately 10 hours.
All trains depart from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof located in the city centre. All trains arrive at Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor, located in central Zagreb.
Ticket prices depend on the departure and vary from date to date.
Villach – Zagreb
Train from Villach to Zagreb operates up to 4 times per day. There are no direct trains from Villach to Zagreb, on all departures you need to change the train.
There are up to 2 departures that are operated by bus instead. On these departures, buses make a stop in Jesenice and Ljubljana (Slovenia). From Ljubljana, the route is further operated by InterCity (IC) trains. The waiting time between the buses/train is only a few minutes and the overall journey takes up to 5 hours.
On other departures, the train goes via Schwarzach im Pongau. The route is operated by Express (D) trains and EuroNight (EN) trains. The waiting time between the trains varies from 2.5 to 4.5 hours. Accordingly, the journey takes around 12-14 hours.
Ticket prices depend on the departure and vary from date to date.
Vienna – Dubrovnik
There is no train from Vienna to Dubrovnik. Getting from Vienna by train is possible only to Split (changing a train in Zagreb). The railway in Croatia stops in Split so there is no further train connection to Dubrovnik.
Anyway, if you want to travel from Vienna to Dubrovnik by using the train as much as possible, here is how to do it:
- First, you will need to travel by train from Vienna to Split (see the section below).
- As there is no further train connection, consider alternative options to get from Split to Dubrovnik.
An estimated total travelling time is around 19-20 hours, not including the waiting time in between. An estimated total price of all tickets is not under €40-€60, depending on the train ticket which varies from departure to departure.
Of course, if you prefer buses, it is good to know that they are an easier and cheaper way of travelling this route. Buses from Vienna to Dubrovnik depart up to 10 times per day, up to 7 of them being night buses. Tickets start from €50 and the journey takes around 15-17 hours.
Salzburg – Dubrovnik
There is no train from Salzburg to Dubrovnik. Getting from Salzburg by train is possible only to Split (changing a train in Zagreb). The railway in Croatia stops in Split so there is no further train connection to Dubrovnik.
Anyway, if you want to travel from Salzburg to Dubrovnik by using the train as much as possible, here is how to do it:
- First, you will need to travel by train from Salzburg to Zagreb (see the section above).
- Once you get there, you need to change to a train from Zagreb to Split.
- As there is no further train connection, consider alternative options to get from Split to Dubrovnik.
An estimated total travelling time is around 19-20 hours, not including the waiting time in between. An estimated total price of all tickets is not under €40-€60, depending on the train ticket which varies from departure to departure.
Of course, if you prefer buses, it is good to know that they are an easier and cheaper way of travelling this route. Buses from Salzburg to Dubrovnik depart up to 10 times per day, up to 7 of them being night buses. Tickets start from €50 and the journey takes around 15-17 hours.
Vienna – Split
Train from Vienna to Split departs up to 3 times per day. There are no direct trains from Vienna to Split, they all require a train change.
There are up to 2 train departures where you only need to change a train in Zagreb. This route is operated by EuroCity (EC) trains and then Express (D) trains. The waiting time between the trains is only a few minutes and the overall journey takes around 15 hours.
There is also one departure that goes via Graz. On this route, you need to change the train both in Graz and then in Zagreb. This route is less convenient as the waiting time between the trains can last up to 7 hours. Accordingly, the journey takes approximately 23.5 hours.
These departures vary from date to date, so it is important to check the departure times for the exact travelling date.
Ticket prices depend on the departure and vary from date to date.
However, taking a bus from Vienna to Split can save you some money and time. There are up to 8 bus departures daily, including several night buses. Tickets start from €32 and the journey takes from 10.5 to 13 hours.
Map of the Austrian railway
Source: Wikipedia
