Austrian Railways: advice on buying tickets and interesting facts

Traveling Europe by train is a fascinating activity. The Austrian railway will help you get to the most interesting places in the country, as well as to other parts of Europe. But there are some nuances that should be considered by all who plan to travel on this type of transport.

The Simmering Railway

The oldest current road is the Simmering. In early 1998, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This steel highway is located in the Alps at an altitude of 985 meters, between Mürtszuglag and Gloggnits. On its way, the road is crossed by the Simmering Pass.

A bit of history

The steel artery was erected from 1848 to 1854. The crossed mountainous terrain makes engineering decisions of the railway very interesting. For 41 kilometers, many innovative developments of the mid-19th century have been applied: tunnels, arches, viaducts. All this is very effectively combined with the Alpine landscapes. Thanks to the railway on this locality began to appear settlements, and later the Alps became an attractive tourist object. Austrian Railway Today is a convenient and affordable way to visit the alpine terrain.

The path through the Alps from the valley of the Mertz has been used since ancient times. In the Middle Ages along the mountain slopes from Vienna trains, harnessed by bulls. In 1728, this direction was transformed into a military road, and also used as a trade route. But the hard-to-reach locality of Semmering was not provided for a long time by the construction of a modern road. Therefore, the construction of the railway line was a breakthrough in engineering and was of an experimental nature. More than a hundred stone bridges of various designs, fourteen tunnels, sixteen viaducts - all this was used during the erection of this railway line. All along the steel track - more than eleven bridges made of metal.

Together with the erection of the railroad tracks, the construction of houses for workers and personnel servicing the route was carried out. A total of 57 of them were built. For these buildings are characterized by peculiar architectural features: masonry, brick lining. Austrian Railway Has a station, made in a monumental, restrained style. The passes were gradually built up by villas and hotels in the Gothic style. Especially there are a lot of them on the territory of Gloggnitsa.

In 1957, when electricity began to be supplied to the railway, the first electric trains appeared. By 1880, the mountainous terrain acquired the status of a resort, so there was a need for the construction of a hotel, which was named "Simmering".

Interesting facts about Austria

1. The name of the country in German means "eastern country".

2. The town of Lits is the oldest city in this country. The period of its foundation falls on the 15th year BC.

3. The official language of Austria is German. But in regions such as Burgenland and Carinthia, Hungarian and Croatian are in progress.

4. To drive a car all over the country, it will take less than half a day.

5. Austria ranks third in the number of lifts. Here there are 3527 pieces. It is not for nothing that this country has the status of a ski resort.

6. On the territory of Austria is Lake Neusiedler, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

7. Austrian railways are the first in the world, passing through the mountains.

8. The Austrian town of Braunau am Inn is the birthplace of Adolf Hitler. Also this town is famous also for the fact that the events of LN's novel take place in it. Tolstoy "War and Peace".

9. In this country you can ride on the oldest Ferris wheel, which was built in the early 19 th century.

10. The most famous landmark in Austria is the residence of the Habsburgs. Schönbrunn Palace consists of 1440 rooms.

11. All parking in this country is chargeable. In the absence of payment, a fine is charged.

12. On the territory of Austria there is the world's first hotel "Haslauer", opened in 803. It still functions today.

How to save money on buying tickets

Austrian federal railways have an official website, with which it is convenient to purchase tickets. You just choose the direction, determine the date and time, fill out the form on the site and enter the card details for payment. It is worth considering that the choice of the type of train will depend on the final cost of the trip.

Very profitable can be the purchase of the ticket "Einfach-Raus-Ticket", especially if several people travel at once (two to five). It will allow you to travel by train with a significant discount. But this is not beneficial on all routes, because the journey by express trains takes less time than traveling by train.

For example, for a company of 4 people tickets from Vienna to Salzburg on an ordinary train will cost 200 euros, while on the train - only 35. You can buy tickets in ticket machines or ticket offices.

Austrian Railway: features

Some nuances that are worth remembering:

- buy two tickets cheaper than one;

- the purchase is carried out not on a specific train, but on a certain direction; Thus, by purchasing a ticket, you can board any train that goes to this side;

- do not try to travel without a ticket; Inspectors appear at each station, and the penalty for ticketless travel will have to be paid tenfold;

- You can sit down at any vacant places (except for trains with special zones, for which special reservation is necessary);

- In all trains there are wagons for bicycles;

- Austrian Railways Have one nuance: the doors in all public transport are opened with a special button near them.

Transportation categories

Austrian federal railways have several types of trains.

• ICE - high-speed trains (international and intercity)
• D - the average type of trains (between fast and local)
• E - fast local destination
• R - local, internal communication.

Classes of a compartment

● First class - Is designed for four passengers, it is quite large;

● Second class - Coupe for six passengers, less in area than the first class.

● General purpose wagons

All the trains of the GC "Austrian Federal Railways" are equipped with comfortable seats, folding tables, air conditioners and information boards.In cars of 1 and 2 class there are outlets.

Special compartments in trains

Some long-distance wagons have additions.

● Coupe for families with children, where there is a place where children can play.

● Nursing mothers' beds equipped with curtains.

● Recreation areas.

● Possibility of buying a seat in a women's compartment.

Discount system

It is very convenient to move with the help of the Austrian steel trunkline, and for the family budget it is economical, since a whole system of discounts has been developed . For children under 6, travel is free. At the age of 6 to 15 years the price of train tickets Is only 50%.

• The VORTEILScard Classic card. Its cost is 99 euros. Validity period is one year. It makes it possible to move with a 50% discount on all railway lines. To acquire it you need a picture.
• VORTEILScard Familie (family card). Allows children under 15 years of age, who are accompanied by one of the parents, to ride for free.
• SparSchiene - a category of inexpensive tickets that are purchased six months before the trip. Buy them through the Internet. They allow you to go free for two children under 15 and for one adult.
• There are discounts for groups of 2 to 5 people (2nd passenger - 5%, 4-5th - 10%).

Austrian Railways Tariffs

The final cost of the ticket will depend on the distance, chosen train, class and number of people. Classification of wagons is indicated on doors and walls.

For example, the cost of a ticket for three days on the ticket INTERRAIL: PASS (for travel inside Austria) for children under 12 years will be 54,50 €, for adults - 71-109 €.

The eight-day trip will cost:

• Adults - 149-154,50 euros;
• Children under 12 years old - 94.5 euros.

The actual cost of tickets is best tracked on official websites for their sale.

For anyone who wants to see as many sights in Europe as possible, the Austrian The railway fits perfectly. Using special discounts and finding interesting, profitable offers, you can make your trip not only informative, but also diverse. Trains in a country such as Austria differ in comfort and speed, so traveling with trains and trains becomes very convenient.