5 Days: Vienna, Bratislava and Salzburg

Five days builds on the 4-day plan two ways: day 4 upgrades from a Semmering half-day into a full Graz day trip, and day 5 adds Salzburg, a 2h15-2h32 railjet ride each way. This is the first version of the plan where you’re covering real distance, Graz is nearly 3 hours out and Salzburg over 2, so pace matters more than it did on the shorter trips. Prefer to turn Salzburg into a proper overnight instead of a long single day? See the 6-day version .

Book these before you go

Day Focus Distance / Train Time from Vienna
1 Vienna, your home base Home base
2 Bratislava, Slovakia 56 min to 1h by train
3 Wachau Valley + Melk Abbey about 1h to Melk
4 Semmering Railway + Graz (full day) about 1h15 to Semmering, 2h40 total to Graz
5 Salzburg 2h15-2h32 by railjet

Day 1: Vienna, Your Home Base

Morning

Check into a hotel near Wien Hauptbahnhof, the departure point for three of your next four days. A 7-day Wiener Linien pass covers the U-Bahn if you’re using it daily; the standalone 48h/72h ticket no longer exists as of Jan 1, 2026.

Afternoon

Orient yourself around Stephansplatz and the Graben, with a coffeehouse stop. The Vienna guide has the full sightseeing list for a slower day back in the city later.

Evening

Early dinner and an early night. Four consecutive travel days start tomorrow.

Day 2: Bratislava, Slovakia

Morning

REX train to Bratislava Hlavna Stanica, as little as 56 minutes since 2025 electrification. No reservation needed, every 30-60 minutes. Old Town first: the Main Square and St. Martin’s Cathedral.

Afternoon

Bratislava Castle for the Danube view, then lunch, cheaper here than an equivalent Vienna meal.

Evening

REX back to Wien Hauptbahnhof, dinner in Vienna.

Day 3: Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey

Morning

Direct train from Wien Westbahnhof to Melk, about an hour. Stift Melk has current hours and the abbey’s own visitor information.

Afternoon

Take the Krems-Melk boat leg if it’s sailing (check ddsg-blue-danube.at , spring and autumn 2026 have published gaps); otherwise a direct train from Krems covers the return.

Evening

Dinner back in Vienna.

Day 4: Semmering Railway and Graz

Morning

Take a Railjet or IC/EC service from Wien Hauptbahnhof toward Graz, about 2h40 total. The Semmering stretch, Gloggnitz to Mürzzuschlag, hits around 1h15 into the trip, a UNESCO World Heritage mountain railway opened in 1854. Ride it through rather than getting off; today’s the full Graz version.

Afternoon

Graz itself is Austria’s second city: a walkable old town, the Schlossberg hill for a view over the rooftops, and a genuinely different pace from either Vienna or Bratislava. graztourismus.at covers current opening hours for the main sights.

Evening

Head back toward Vienna on one of up to 30 daily departures on this line; there’s no need to plan around a single specific train.

Day 5: Salzburg

Morning

Railjet from Wien Hauptbahnhof, 2h15-2h25 on the fastest departures, 2h32 on the regular twice-hourly service, no changes. A rival operator, Westbahn, runs the same route from Wien Westbahnhof, so confirm which station is actually printed on your ticket. Head straight for the Altstadt once you arrive.

Afternoon

Salzburg’s fortress, cathedral and Mozart sites fill an afternoon easily; salzburg.info covers current hours. This is a full historic city on a single-day visit, so prioritize two or three sights rather than trying to see everything.

Evening

Railjet back to Vienna for a final night.

Is One Day Really Enough for Salzburg?

Not really, but it works as a preview. A single day gets you roughly 4-5 hours in the Altstadt after 4.5+ hours round trip in transit, enough for the fortress and a couple of Mozart-related stops, not a leisurely exploration of the whole old town. The 6-day version of this plan turns Salzburg into a proper overnight instead.

Which Day Trip Should You Cut on a Tight Schedule?

Cut Graz before Salzburg or the Wachau. Salzburg and the Wachau both anchor around a single unmissable sight, the fortress and old town, or Melk Abbey and the Danube, while Graz’s appeal is more diffuse and easier to sacrifice if a day needs to disappear from the schedule.

Buy Salzburg and Graz tickets on ÖBB Sparschiene a few days ahead rather than walking up same-day. Advance fares run meaningfully cheaper on both long-distance routes than day-of prices.