How to get to Hallstatt

May 15, 2025 | Hallstatt

Wondering how to get to Hallstatt?
You’re not alone—this fairytale village perched on the shores of Lake Hallstatt in Austria’s stunning Salzkammergut region is on many travellers’ Bucket lists.
After visiting multiple times and trying different routes myself, I’ve put together this practical guide to help you easily navigate your options.

Located in Upper Austria, Hallstatt lies about 77 km (~48 miles) southeast of Salzburg and 287 km (~178 miles) west of Vienna. Whether you’re coming by train, car, or bus, this post will walk you through the best ways to get to Hallstatt—based on real experience and local insight.

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🚆 Taking the Train to Hallstatt (Most Scenic Option)

The train is the easiest and most scenic way to get to Hallstatt for most travellers.
The journey becomes truly magical during the final leg, as you arrive at the village by ferry across the serene Hallstätter See (Lake Hallstatt), giving you an unforgettable first impression of Hallstatt.

To reach Hallstatt by train, you’ll travel from either Salzburg or Vienna to Attnang-Puchheim, where you’ll transfer to a regional REX train heading toward Hallstatt Bahnhof (train station).

You can check schedules and Book your tickets on the ÖBB website

🚆 From Salzburg to Hallstatt

Trains depart from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (Hbf), the city’s main train station.

Average Travel Time: Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes

Frequency: Trains run hourly

The first train departs Salzburg for Hallstatt Bahnhst from ~6:10 am 

The last train to depart from Hallstatt Bahnhst for Salzburg departs ~18:45 (6:45 pm).

(As per the schedule current as of May 15, 2025)

🚆 From Vienna to Hallstatt

Trains depart from either Wien Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) or Wien Westbahnhof.
Westbahnhof is located in Vienna’s 6th district at the end of Mariahilferstraße—so make sure to double-check which station your journey starts from.

Average Travel Time: 3.5 to 4.5 hours

Frequency: At least hourly

In the past, there has been one direct train daily. The other options require a transfer at Attnang-Puchheim.

The first train departs Vienna for Hallstatt Bahnhst from 5:00 am (from Wien Hbf) and 5:45 am (from Wien Westbahnhof)

The last train to depart from Hallstatt Bahnhst for Vienna at ~18:32 (6:32 pm).

(As per the schedule current as of May 15, 2025)

🎯 Your final stop is Hallstatt Bahnhst 

Hallstatt is so small that there is no room for train tracks, so the train station is across Hallstättersee (Lake Hallstatt) (in the direction of Obertraun Dachsteinhöhlen Bahnhof ) –

The ferry schedule matches up with the arriving trains.
You must pay the ferry driver in CASH.

Find the Ferry Schedule HERE

🚌 By Bus

Destination: Hallstatt Lahn

From the Bus Station at Hallstatt Lahn, it is a ~ 10-minute walk (700 m/0.43 mi) along the flat path along the Lake to the centre of Hallstatt.

To take the Bus to Hallstatt, you must switch buses twice.
The total journey by bus from Salzburg to Hallstatt takes ~2 hrs, 15-minutes.

It is not recommended to take the bus from Vienna to Salzburg. Instead, we recommend to take the train.

From Salzburg

You can check the Schedule and book ticket son the Salzburg Verkehr Website and App HERE

Bus 1: From Salzburg > Bad Ischl (Bus 150): Bus #150 leaves the from Stall ‘F’ at the bus depot in front of Salzburg’s main train station at Südtirolerplatz and arrives at Bad Ischl Hauptbahnhof (main train station).

Bus 150 departs twice an hour.

The journey takes ~90 min.
From Bad Ischl it is also possible to take the train to Hallstatt Bahnst and then the Ferry across the lake to Hallstatt.

Bus 150 Schedule

Bus 2: Bad Ischl > Hallstatt Gosaumühle (Bus 541): At the Bad Ischl train & bus station, you will switch to Bus 541 toward Hallstatt Gosaumühle.

The bus journey takes ~ 45 minutes
*Note Regionalbus 541 is run by the Oberösterreichische Verkehrsverbund (OÖVV)

Bus 541 Schedule

NOTE: The final destination of this bus is Gosausee

Bus 3: At Gosaumühl (Bus 543), you switch to Bus 543 to Hallstatt Lahn.

Bus 543 also takes you to the Dachsteinseilbahn at Obertraun, where you take the Gondola up to the Five Finger Lookout, Ice Caves, etc.

The bus journey takes ~ 10 minutes

*Note Regionalbus 543 is run by the Oberösterreichische Verkehrsverbund (OÖVV)

Bus 543 Schedule

🚗 By Car

🚗 From Salzburg

Option 1: Drive South on the A10/Tauern Autobahn to Golling and then the B162/B166 to Hallstatt.
Driving takes ~1 hour and 15 minutes (77 km /48 mi)

Option 2: Drive North on the B150 to Obergnigl. Take the B158, known as the Austria Romantic Street or Wolfgangseestraße.

Before arriving in Hallstatt, this scenic route will take you via Fuschl, St Gilgen, along Wolfgangsee, and Bad Ischl.

Driving takes ~1 hour and 30 minutes (87.5 km /54 mi)

🚗 From Vienna

Take the A1, follow the signs for St Pölten/Linz, and continue until near Hinterbuch. Take Exit 224 for the B145 toward Regau and continue via Gmunden, Ebensee, and Bad Ischl before arriving in Hallstatt.

Driving takes ~3 hours and 30 minutes (287 km /179 mi)

Important

Ensure that you have a Vignette, the Austrian highway Toll sticker.  There is a toll exemption for travellers on the Munich-Salzburg route (A8 motorway). No motorway toll sticker is required from the Walserberg border to the Salzburg-Nord exit. But you will need a motorway vignette beyond that.

Read more about the  Austrian Vignette 

And learn about Driving in Austria.

Hallstatt Guides

Click below to start planning your Hallstatt holiday

How to get to Hallstatt

Where to Stay in Hallstatt

Parking in Hallstatt

Hallstatt Tours

Top Reasons to

Visit Hallstatt

Top 15 Things to Do in Hallstatt

Visiting Dachstein-Krippenstein
Giant Ice Caves & 5Fingers Lookout

Our Recommendations | Where we Stay in Hallstatt

♥ The first time we visited with our family we stayed at the fabulous Seehotel Grüner Baum, in a suite with a lakeside balcony.
♥  I also like Gasthof Simony, located next door to the Seehotel Grüner Baum. This is the most economical place to stay, lakeside, in the centre of Hallstatt.  There are rooms with shared bathroom, but I stay in the Double Room with Balcony, Lake View and private bathroom.

Check out some other recommendations
Romantic Hotels | Family-Friendly Hotels | Guest Houses and Pensions

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