Vienna Travel Forum

Hi,

I would like to catch a train from Vienna to Zurich, but it looks as though the Salzburg - Innsbruck portion involves crossing into Germany (as taken from this map http://fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/dn?seqnr=3&ident=8q.06234132.1214637656&performGis=1&REQMapTask=MOVE_TO_CENTER&REQMapCenterCoordType=PIX&REQMapCenterX=360&REQMapCenterY=209&clickActionCheck=center&) .
Does this mean my Eurail Select pass will need to include Germany? And if it doesn't, what are the penalties?

If you have not yet bought your pass I suggest you investigate the point-to-point fares for the journeys you intend to make. It will almost certainly total less than the cost of the pass.

Austrian trains: http://www.oebb.at/en/index.jsp

Swiss trains times and fares: http://www.sbb.ch/en/index.htm

Vienna to Zurich costs from around 88 euro one-way.

I can't help with whether your pass will include this particular journey: I suggest you look closely at the terms and conditions of the pass. As you are not getting out in Germany, I would hope it would be ok but there is no guarantee: passes exist for profit, not one's convenience. If it doesn't, you may have to pay the full fare (and maybe an extra penalty fine too).

Definitely read the fine print to be sure, but my guess would be that you will be charged from the Austrian/German border to the German/Swiss border. There are many trains going many different ways between Innsbruck and Zurich. Are you sure that there isn't one that doesn't go through Germany? I would assume that since the Eurail Pass has to be between adjoing countries and since Austria adjoins Switzerland, that there is definitely a way of doing this, but I would suggest as leics has mentioned, that if you haven't already purchased the Pass to do the sums on point to point prices, making sure you get your prices based on 2nd class which is perfectly fine. You could be pleasantly surprised.

It is correct that Insbruck - Salzburg trains cross Germany. However, because of an agreement between the Austrian and German railways the Austrian tariff applies on these so called "corridor" trains.
So your eurail select pass does not need to include Germany.