6 Days: Vienna Plus a Salzburg Overnight
Six days makes one change to the 5-day plan : Salzburg gets two days instead of one. Everything else, Vienna as a base, Bratislava, the Wachau Valley, a full Graz and Semmering day, stays exactly where it was. The dossier’s own verdict on Salzburg is that it’s “doable as a long day trip, but an overnight suits it better,” and six days is the first version of this plan with room to take that advice. For the version that also fits Hallstatt, the farthest of the five, see the 7-day plan .
Book these before you go
- A Salzburg hotel for the overnight, separate from your Vienna base: check Salzburg rates on Booking.com
- The ÖBB Wachau-Ticket for Melk Abbey, train and boat: kombitickets.railtours.at
- The Bratislava-Ticket bundled return fare: oebb.at
- Your Vienna hotel near Wien Hauptbahnhof for the other four days: check Vienna rates on Booking.com
| 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 |
| 5-6 | Salzburg (overnight) | 2h15-2h32 by railjet |
Day 1: Vienna, Your Home Base
Morning
Check into a Vienna hotel near Wien Hauptbahnhof for the first four nights; you’ll switch to a Salzburg hotel for days 5-6 before returning. A 7-day Wiener Linien pass covers the U-Bahn; standalone 48h/72h tickets no longer exist as of Jan 1, 2026.
Afternoon
Orient around Stephansplatz and the Graben, coffeehouse stop included. Full Vienna sightseeing lives in our Vienna guide , not this itinerary.
Evening
Early dinner, early night. Four straight travel mornings start tomorrow.
Day 2: Bratislava, Slovakia
Morning
REX to Bratislava Hlavna Stanica, as little as 56 minutes since 2025 electrification, no reservation needed, every 30-60 minutes. Old Town first: Main Square, 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.
Day 3: Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey
Morning
Direct train from Wien Westbahnhof to Melk, about an hour. Current hours for the 1089-founded monastery are on stiftmelk.at .
Afternoon
Krems-Melk boat leg if it’s running (check ddsg-blue-danube.at for spring/autumn 2026 gaps); otherwise a direct train from Krems.
Evening
Dinner back in Vienna.
Day 4: Semmering Railway and Graz
Morning
Railjet or IC/EC from Wien Hauptbahnhof toward Graz, about 2h40 total, with the Semmering stretch (Gloggnitz-Mürzzuschlag, UNESCO-listed, opened 1854) hitting around 1h15 into the trip.
Afternoon
Graz’s old town and Schlossberg hill fill an afternoon; graztourismus.at has current hours.
Evening
Back toward Vienna on any of up to 30 daily departures.
Day 5: Salzburg, Arrival
Morning
Railjet from Wien Hauptbahnhof, 2h15-2h32, no changes (confirm you’re not accidentally booked on Westbahn’s Westbahnhof departure). Check into a Salzburg hotel and drop your bag before sightseeing.
Afternoon
The fortress, the cathedral, and the Mozart sites, at an unhurried pace this time since there’s no return train to catch tonight. salzburg.info has current hours.
Evening
Dinner in the Altstadt, then actually enjoy an evening in Salzburg instead of racing for a platform.
Day 6: Salzburg, Morning, Then Back to Vienna
Morning
A second, calmer look at whatever day 5 didn’t cover, a museum, a walk along the Salzach River, or the funicular up to the fortress if you skipped it.
Afternoon
Railjet back to Wien Hauptbahnhof, 2h15-2h32.
Evening
Last dinner back in Vienna.
Why Does Salzburg Get Two Days Instead of One?
Because the dossier’s own math backs it up: a single day nets roughly 4-5 hours in the Altstadt after 4.5+ hours in transit round trip, enough for a rushed highlight reel. Splitting it into an overnight turns that into two unhurried days without adding a second round-trip train fare, since you’re already there.
Can You Still Fit a Day in Vienna Itself on This Trip?
Not really within this six-day frame, since every day here is either the home-base setup or a named trip. If deeper Vienna sightseeing matters more than a Salzburg overnight, drop days 5-6 down to the single-day Salzburg version from the 5-day plan and spend the freed-up day back in the city instead.
Pack an overnight bag separate from your main luggage for days 5-6. Leaving the bulk of your things at the Vienna hotel (many hold luggage for returning guests) makes the two Salzburg travel days lighter.