How to travel to Zell am See-Kaprun
Zell am See & Kaprun is home to the Schmittenhöhe and Kitzsteinhorn resorts – Winter skiing and summer alpine holiday. Four seasons of alpine adventures at the best ski resort and summer resort near Salzburg.
Zell am See-Kaprun is located in the Pinzgau region of the state of Salzburg, 85 km south of Salzburg. It is easy to get to Zell am See-Kaprun by car, train or bus.
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How to Get To Zell am See-Kaprun
Our Travel to Zell am See-Kaprun guide has the easiest ways to travel to Zell am See-Kaprun from Salzburg, Innsbruck, Munich and Vienna by Train, Bus and Car.
Contents
Nearest Airports
The Zell am See and Kaprun region is serviced by three nearby airports. It is also possible to fly into Vienna International Airport.
Salzburg W.A Mozart Airport 76.5 km ( 47.5 miles) from Zell am See-Kaprun
Innsbruck Airport 148 km (92 miles) from Zell am See-Kaprun
Munich Airport 205 km (127 miles) from Zell am See-Kaprun
Vienna International Airport 400 km (249 miles) from Zell am See-Kaprun
From the airports you can rent a car or take public transport to Zell am See-Kaprun.
There are private drivers and taxis.
Welcome Pickups offers a pickup & transfer service to your accommodation with an easy, hassle-free, online English-language form to pre-book a local, English-speaking driver. Book your Welcome Airport Transfer
In winter, there are also dedicated ski shuttle services from Salzburg airport to Zell am See-Kaprun.
By Train
Arriving at Zell am See-Kaprun by train is the most popular option.
The Zell am See Train Station is located in the town centre. The ÖBB (Austrian Railways) has daily connections from Salzburg, Innsbruck, Munich, Villach, Klagenfurt, Graz and Vienna.
We recommend that you reserve your tickets directly on ÖBB. Check schedules and Book trains on the ÖBB website
© ÖBB-Harald Eisenberger
NOTE: Most of the trains departing from Salzburg to Zell am See are regional trains- either REX or S-bahn. On these trains you are unable to reserve a seat. There is always ample seats on the train.
In winter, there are extra train services direct to Zell am See departing from Hamburg, Germany; Switzerland; Amsterdam and Utrecht; Sweden; and Denmark.
Travel to Zell am See-Kaprun from Salzburg by train:
Trains depart from Salzburg Hauptbahnhoh (Hbf) –Salzburg’s main train station to Zell am See Bahnhof (train Station).
By train, the journey is approximately 90 min and costs from 14.10 €. There are trains departing at least hourly from 6 am to 22:15 (10:15 pm).
♦ From the Salzburg W.A Mozart Airport, take the Obus2 to the Salzburg Main Train Station.
Travel to Zell am See-Kaprun from Innsbruck by train:
Trains depart from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) to Zell am See.
Trains depart hourly until ~9:30 pm. There are some direct trains. But the majority of the trains require you to change trains at Wörgl.
The journey is ~2 hours.
♦ Bus route F connects Innsbruck Airport with Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof. The journey takes ~20 minutes.
Travel to Zell am See-Kaprun from Munich by train:
Trains depart from the Munich Main train station (München HBF) or Munich Ostbahnhof with connections to Zell am See at either Wörgl or Schwarzach St Veit.
From Munich, the train journey to Zell am See is 3-4 hours.
In Winter, from mid December to end of March, the ICE “Großglockner” provides a direct (in 3 hours) connection from München HBF or Munich Ostbahnhof to Zell am See on Fridays and Saturdays with return to Munich on Saturdays and Sundays.
♦ From Munich Franz Josef Strauss Airport, you take the S-bahn to München Ost and then the trains to Zell am See (via Wörgl or Schwarzach St Veit).
Travel to Zell am See-Kaprun from Vienna by train:
Trains to Zell am See depart from BOTH Wien Hauptbahnhof (Hbf)- Vienna Main Train station AND Wien Westbahnhof (West Train station), which is located in the 6th district at the end of Mariahilferstrasse (U3 Metro).
ÖBB trains depart from Wien Hauptbahnhof, whereas Westbahn trains depart from Westbahnhof
Ensure you know which train station you are departing from.
From Vienna, the journey with a transfer in Salzburg to a regional train takes ~4.5 hours. There are also connections to Zell am See via Graz.
In winter (December to April), there are also direct train services from Vienna to Zell am See-Kaprun via St Pölten, Linz and Salzburg.
♦ From the Vienna International Airport, there are direct connections to Salzburg. Alternatively, ÖBB Railjets and S7-Bahn form the Vienna International Airport to Westbahnhof and Hauptbahnhof.
By Bus
From Salzburg
The Regional Bus 260 departs directly from the Salzburg Mirabell Platz (near the centre of Salzburg), Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (main train station) and Salzburg W.A Mozart Airport, to Zell am See.
The 1 hr 45 min journey costs 14.10 € for adult full fare and travels via Bad Reichenhall, Lofer and Saalfelden.
You can check the Schedule and book ticket on the Salzburg Verkehr (transit) Website and App HERE
By Car
Driving to Zell am See-Kaprun from Salzburg:
Zell am See-Kaprun is an approximate 1.5 hours’ drive from Salzburg.
From Salzburg, there are two options to drive:
- the Tauen Autobahn or
- via Germany.
The route via the Tauern Autobahn (A10) motorway travels through the Salzachtal Valley via Bischofshofen and continues along the A311 through St. Johann in Pongau to Zell am See-Kaprun.
This route can be the quickest; however, during peak season (July-August and December-March), there tends to be a lot of traffic from Salzburg to Zell am See-Kaprun, with delays of one hour (or more) due to traffic.
The “Deutsche Eck” (German corner) route takes you across the border to Bad Reichenhall on the Bundesstrasse 21 (B21), then passing back into Austria along the B311 at Unken.
From Unken via the A311 to Lofer, Saalfelden and onto Zell am See-Kaprun.
This route is much more scenic, as you pass through the valley of the Steinernes Meer (Stoney See) Mountain range, which is on the border between Bavaria, Germany, and Salzburg State.
Ensure you have your passport and driver’s licence ready as there are random checks at the German border.
Driving to Zell am See-Kaprun from Innsbruck:
Innsbruck is approximately 2 hours from Zell am See-Kaprun.
From Innsbruck, take the A12/E45/E60 Inntal Autobahn before exiting at Wörgl. From there, you follow the B178 through the beautiful Tyrolean landscape via Söll, Ellmau and Sankt Johann in Tirol. Next, follow B164 through via Saalfelden to Zell am See and Kaprun.
Driving to Zell am See-Kaprun from Munich:
Zell am See-Kaprun is an approximate 3 hour’s drive from Munich.
Depart Munich via the A8 to Rosenheim and then the A93 toward Oberaudorf (Germany) and Kufstein (Austria). The drive proceeds through the beautiful valley of the Wilder Kaiser along the B173 to Söll and then the B178 via Ellmau to Sankt Johan im Tirol. Then follow the B164 through Fieberbrunn to Saalfelden. From Saalfelden, it’s only 14 km along the B311 to Zell am See and 23 km to Kaprun.
It is also possible to drive from Munich via Salzburg then onto Zell am See-Kaprun.
Driving to Zell am See-Kaprun from Vienna:
Vienna is an approximate 4-hour drive to Zell am See-Kaprun.
There are two options:
- via the A1 West Autobahn or
- the southern route via the Süd Autobahn.
Departing from Vienna, you can drive the A1 West Autobahn via Melk and Gmunden to Salzburg and then south to Zell am See and Kaprun.
This route is ~ 375 km ( miles) and takes ~4.5 hours.
An alternative route is to drive south from Vienna on the A23 and the Süd Autobahn in the direction of Wiener Neustadt. At St. Michael follow the A9 in the direction of Linz/Salzburg. At Selzthal follow the B320 to Radstadt/Liezen and follow the B320/A10 to Bischofshofen. Following the A311 through St Johann in Pongau to Zell am See-Kaprun.
This route is 380 km ( miles) and takes ~4.5 hours.
Important Ensure that you have a Vignette, the Austria highway Toll sticker. There is a toll exemption for travellers on the Munich-Salzburg route (A8 motorway). From the Walserberg border to the Salzburg-Nord exit, no motorway toll sticker is required. But you will need a motorway vignette beyond that.
Travelling Around Zell am See-Kaprun
Zell am See and Kaprun are connected by public transport, which includes buses and the Pinzgauer Lokal Bahn (local train). The buses and connect Zell am See-Kaprun to Salzburg and other towns and villages in the Pinzgau region. The Pinzgauer LokalBahn connects Zell am See and Kaprun to the Krimml waterfalls via Niedersill, Piesendorf, Uttendorf and Mittersill.
Learn about the FREE Salzburg Mobility Card for free Train and bus transport in Salzburg State.
You can check the Schedule and book tickets for the buses on the Salzburg Verkehr (transit) Website and App HERE
Information about the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn can be found HERE
From Zell am See to Kaprun
From Zell am See, Regional Bus 660 departs from the Zell am See Postplatz via the Bahnhof, AreitXpress Gondola to Kaprun. The journey takes 15 minutes and costs 3.10 € for an adult full fare (free with Ski pass) and departs every 15 minutes from December 25 to April 10, 2023.
Freee Public Transport in Summer in Zell am See-Kaprun
In Summer, from May to October, if you are staying in any accommodation in Zell am See-Kaprun, you receive the Guest Mobility Salzburg Ticket. This provides free public transport (trains, buses, and the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn) throughout Salzburgerland, meaning you can travel for free to Salzburg.
IMPORTANT
To access the Guest Mobility Salzburg Ticket, you must complete the online guest registration that your accommodation provider will request. We recommend that you do this before your arrival date so you can access the free transportation on the day of your arrival.
Note: the Guest Mobility Card is only valid from the time of check-in. If you completed the pre-checking (online registration) you can use the buses from Salzburg free. Free use of trains is only possible after arrival.
The Guest Mobility card is not valid for special trains (steam trains), Night services and Mountain Cable cars/gondolas.
Free Public Transport in Winter in Zell am See-Kaprun
In winter, a free ski bus is included in your Ski Alpin Lift ticket- so you can travel free between Zell am See, Kaprun and between the Schmittenhöhe and the Skicircus Saalbach/Hinterglemm/Leogang/Fieberbrunn.
Important Ensure that you have a Vignette, the Austria highway Toll sticker. There is a toll exemption for travellers on the Munich-Salzburg route (A8 motorway). From the Walserberg border to the Salzburg-Nord exit, no motorway toll sticker is required. But you will need a motorway vignette beyond that.
Our Recommendations | Where we recommend friends to stay in Zell am See-Kaprun
Zell am See-Kaprun is our home, but we recommend our friends and family to stay at:
In Zell am See:
♥ The Grand Hotel Zell am See is located directly on the lake. The hotel has a restaurant, wellness centre and indoor pool.
♥ The family-run Hotel zum Hirschen is located in the centre of Zell am See. The hotel has a two toques restaurant, bar, spa and wellness centre and indoor pool.
♥ Salzburgerhof This luxurious, family-run 5-star hotel is in Zell am See's centre. The hotel has a restaurant, bar, spa and wellness centre, and indoor pool.
In Kaprun:
♥ The 4-star superior Taurenspa Hotel . The hotel has one of Austria's largest spas- a large indoor and outdoor spa, outdoor heated pools with views of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, massage and spa treatments and six different restaurants, bars and cafés.
*Non-hotel guests are able to visit the pools and spas too!
♥ The family-run 4-star Kaprunerhof hotel, has a restaurant that offers half-board (breakfast and dinner), spa and an indoor swimming pool.
♥ The 4-star Sonnblick Hotel has a luxurious spa area, a heated outdoor pool and a restaurant.
♥ Dorf Chalets Kaprun has six fully self-contained chalets and two apartments with views of the Kitzsteinhorn and the surrounding mountains.
Recommendations, Tips and General Advice on travelling in Austria
Austria Train Guide
Top Tips travelling in Austria by Train
Public Transport Guide
FREE Public Transport in Salzburg State
Driving in Austria
Renting a Car in Austria
Discover Zell am See-Kaprun
How to get to Zell am See-Kaprun
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Zell am See-Kaprun
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