travel information

air travel to the gastein valley

Salzburg Airport is by far and away the most convenient destination for visitors to the Gastein valley. The Gasteinertal is located near the main Tauern Autobahn running south from the city of Salzburg - other directions involve trips through the mountains, which can be scenic but slow.

Salzburg Airport

Salzburg airport is just under 80 kilometers away from the entrance to the valley. Take the A10 motorway south from the city towards the Tauern tunnel. The motorway exit is just before Bischofshofen and the main road then heads through St Johann im Pongau before turning up into the valley between Klamm and Lend.

Innsbruck Airport

Innsbruck Airport is a poor second choice for skiers heading to Bad Gastein or Bad Hofgastein - however it is a popular charter airport and flight availability may well dictate travel through this airport.

If this is the case, the best route is along the motorway to Wörgl, then via Kitzbühel over Pass Thurn and down along the valley to Zell am See and onwards to Lend.

Some routefinding equipment will give the much longer route via Salzburg as an alternative - although timings are probably the same, the distance is about an extra 80km. Other alternate routes sometimes given from Wörgl are via St Johann and Zell am See, or via St Johann, Saalfelden and Dienten.

Klagenfurt Airport

Klagenfurt is another arrival destination with alternate options. The most straightforward is via the toll motorway to Bishofshofen and then westwards on the road to St Johann im Pongau to the entrance of the valley. It is also possible to turn off the motorway towards Mallnitz and from there to use the rail transport (charge) through the mountains to Böckstein and the top of the Gastein valley. This is more expensive than the motorway toll.

Munich Airport

The route to the Gastein valley from Munich Airport is not problematic - it is just long. Motorists should follow the motorway towards Rosenheim and Salzburg and then follow the above directions from Salzburg.

train travel to the gastein valley

Railway Stations

There are railway stations near each resort on the Tauernbahn rail line which runs between Schwarzach and St Veit and is part of one of the most important north-south rail connections in this part of Europe (it is part of the larger Salzburg-Klagenfurt route). The car transport through the Tauerntunnel rail line runs every hour from (approximately) 06.00-23.00.

grossarl travel information

Distance to Salzburg Airport: 76km
Distance to Klagenfurt Airport: 188km
Distance to Munich Airport: 245km
Distance to Innsbruck Airport: 251km

Nearest railway stations to Grossarl: St Johann im Pongau - 16km

Since the valley is the next one to the east, much of the road travel information given above for the Gastein valley is equally relevant for Grossarl. The difference is that the entrance to the Grossarl valley is much closer to St Johann im Pongau.

The nearest railway station is to the north just out of the Grossarl valley at the traffic junction of St Johann im Pongau. From here there are bus or taxi services available for the 16km journey.