Austria
Salzburg
Away-day guide
Salzburg is compact, easy to walk and simple to reach from its airport, though accommodation and Old Town drinking can be expensive. For football weekends, base yourself near the centre or Hauptbahnhof, use the S-Bahn or trolleybus for the ground and head to brewery halls or Rudolfskai rather than paying peak tourist prices everywhere.
Public transport
The historic centre is compact and easily walked; Salzburg Hauptbahnhof to the Old Town takes about 20 minutes. The main urban network is formed by trolleybuses and ordinary buses, backed up by S-Bahn trains for places such as Taxham and the stadium. Buy tickets from machines, tobacconists, the Salzburg Verkehr app or, at a higher fare on some services, from the driver. A core-zone single is roughly 2.50 when bought in advance. A 24-hour core-zone ticket is normally the sensible choice if making more than two journeys; check the app for the current advance and onboard prices. Validate paper tickets where required. The Salzburg Verkehr app covers local journeys and tickets, while ÖBB Scotty is useful for S-Bahn and longer-distance rail. The Festungsbahn funicular serves Hohensalzburg Fortress but is mainly a sightseeing ride rather than everyday transport.
Typical prices
- Beer (0.5L)
- EUR 5.2
- Coffee
- EUR 3.8
- Meal, mid-range
- EUR 18
- Taxi from airport
- EUR 22
- Single transit ticket
- EUR 2.5
✈ Airports & cheaper alternatives
- Salzburg Airport W. A. Mozart SZG primary 4 km Trolleybus 2 runs to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof; bus 10 serves the city centre. Allow roughly 20–25 minutes. Buy before boarding where possible or use the Salzburg Verkehr app. The obvious choice: very close to the city and usually worth paying a little more to avoid a long transfer.
- Munich Airport MUC alternative 145 km Take the S-Bahn to München Ost or München Hauptbahnhof, then a train to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. Through tickets and journey planning are available from Deutsche Bahn or ÖBB. Often has a much wider choice of flights, but the transfer takes around three hours and can wipe out the saving on a short weekend.
- Memmingen Airport FMM alternative 180 km Take the airport bus to Memmingen station, then trains via Munich to Salzburg. Allow at least four hours and leave plenty of margin for separate tickets or missed connections. Can be much cheaper with budget airlines, though it is a fairly awkward transfer and best suited to groups arriving early.
- Vienna International Airport VIE alternative 300 km Direct Railjet trains run from Flughafen Wien to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, normally without a change. Worth checking when flights to Salzburg or Munich are expensive. The direct train is straightforward but adds about three hours each way.
🍺 Supporters' pubs
FC Red Bull Salzburg
Home fans: Fanpark West outside Red Bull Arena is the main organised home-supporter gathering area. The Fanlokal on the east side of the stadium is another home meeting point. In town, Augustiner Bräu Mülln is popular with football supporters, though it is not exclusively a Salzburg pub.
Away fans: Rudolfskai is the usual official gathering point for visiting groups. Options there include Shamrock Irish Bar, O’Malley’s Irish Pub, Segabar and Roses, but check matchday opening times. Murphy’s Law is a neutral football-pub alternative; Augustiner Bräu Mülln, Sternbräu and Bärenwirt generally attract mixed crowds. Do not treat Bulls’ Corner as an away pub: on home matchdays it forms part of the VIP operation. Avoid home sections, particularly the Nordkurve, in away colours.
FC Red Bull Salzburg are the only Salzburg-based senior club identified in UEFA competition in 2026–27, entering the Europa League third qualifying round with a possible move into the Conference League play-off if eliminated. Match-specific police or club arrangements may include shuttle buses or an escorted movement from Rudolfskai.
Sourced from supporters' forums — always follow your club's and police advice for the fixture.
Nightlife
Rudolfskai has the densest strip of late bars and is the practical choice for groups wanting several places close together, though it can be lively and tourist-heavy. Gstättengasse and the lower end of Steingasse offer pubs and smaller bars within walking distance of the Old Town. The Andräviertel around Linzer Gasse has a more mixed local crowd, while the area around Augustiner Bräu Mülln suits groups more interested in beer halls than clubs. Getreidegasse and the central Old Town are convenient but generally the most expensive.
Food & drink
Try a Bosna, Salzburg’s spiced sausage in a long roll with onions, parsley and curry seasoning. Other useful pre-match food includes schnitzel, Kasnocken cheese dumplings, roast pork and Würstel. Salzburger Nockerl is the local sweet speciality but is usually made for sharing and is not a quick budget feed. Local beer names include Stiegl and Augustiner; Almdudler is the standard alcohol-free Austrian soft drink.
Cheap eats & beer
Salzburg is not a particularly cheap drinking city, but there are workable options. Balkan Grill Walter, tucked into the Getreidegasse passage, is the classic stop for a filling Bosna sausage for roughly 5–7. Augustiner Bräu Mülln has large beer halls, a courtyard and food stalls selling sausages, roast meat, bread and snacks; its own beer is generally better value than Old Town bars. Bärenwirt, near Mülln, is useful for Austrian portions without fine-dining fuss, while the station area and Schallmoos have kebab, pizza and Asian takeaway counters that are cheaper than Getreidegasse. A typical half-litre in central bars is around 5–6; brewery halls are usually the better bet. For FC Salzburg games, Rudolfskai is the usual visiting-supporter meeting area, with Shamrock, O’Malley’s, Segabar and Roses, although several venues open only later in the day. Drinking or carrying open alcohol outside licensed premises on Rudolfskai is prohibited. Murphy’s Law is a neutral international football pub where visiting colours are generally less of an issue. There is no reliably established dedicated away pub beside the stadium.
Staying safe
Salzburg is generally safe, including around the Old Town and Hauptbahnhof, but keep an eye on phones and wallets in packed bars, station concourses and matchday transport. Stay out of home-supporter sections in away colours and do not respond to isolated provocation around the ground. Rudolfskai has a specific ban on possessing or drinking alcohol outside licensed premises, so finish drinks inside the venue. Salzburg Hauptbahnhof can feel quiet late at night but remains the main night-transport hub. In winter, riverside paths and Old Town paving can be icy; in summer, do not swim in the fast-flowing Salzach.
On matchday
Use the segregated away sector and follow the block shown on the ticket; away colours should not be worn in the Nordkurve or other clearly designated home areas. Expect ticket and bag checks plus a search at the turnstiles, and travel light because bag rules can vary by fixture. S-Bahn S3 to Salzburg Taxham Europark and trolleybus 1 are the normal public-transport approaches. Both become busy after the match, and police may hold visiting supporters back. Rudolfskai is often used as the visiting-fan meeting point, but any shuttle, escorted walk, road restriction or temporary station access arrangement is fixture-specific. Check the club’s away guide and police notices shortly before travelling rather than assuming the same plan applies every time.