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In this episode of the Indie Travel Podcast, Craig and Linda Martin share some tips about travelling around Austria by train. It’s a good time to talk about it, since the Euro 2008 football competition is just about to kick off.

Oebb.at is the website of the Austrian rail system, and it’s great for finding the information you need about getting around. Be aware that it might change your chosen travel date back to today’s date if you’re not careful. If you don’t like it, use bahn.de, the German site. Both have an English-language version.

You can buy tickets online, but it’s much easier to go into a station. Talk to a ticket clerk or buy from the automated kiosk, which also has an English version. If you’re at a really tiny station, there might not be a clerk or a kiosk, but you can buy your tickets on the train from an onboard kiosk or the conductor. Cash is usually your best bet.

You can save money by…You can save money by travelling with a group and buying all your tickets together, booking some trips in advance by looking for special offers on oebb.at, or by buying a Vorteilscard. This costs about 20 euros for under 26′s or about 100 euros for people who are 26 or over, and gives 50% discounts on almost all journeys. It’s definitely worthwhile – we recouped almost the total cost of the card on our first trip with it.

You can also use Eurail and Interrail passes in Austria, which are a great idea if Austria is part of a bigger European trip. If you’re travelling for an extended period in Austria though, the Vorteilscard will probably be a better investment.

In Austria, look out for the red and white railway station signs – they’re called “bahnhofs” in German. A main railway station in the city is a hauptbahnhof. If you can’t find the station, ask “Wo ist der bahnhof?” (Where is the station?), or switch the conversation to English with “Sprechen sie English?” (Do you speak English?).

Don’t forget to visit some of the best cities in Austria: Graz for its architecture and jazz, Linz for the Postlingberg and the ARS Electronica Centre, Innsbruck for winter sport and gorgeous mountain views, and Vienna for museums, art galleries and even more architecture.

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This article was written by Craig and Linda

Craig and Linda Martin have been living on the road since February 2006. Both born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand they are ... somewhere in the world! Craig and Linda host the Indie Travel Podcast - you can get in touch with them here.