Night train to the Austrian Alps
Let the journey become part of your holiday! This summer, Snälltåget operates a direct night train from Malmö to the Austrian Alps – with onboard meal service, breakfast served in your compartment, and convenient connections from several Swedish cities. Enjoy hiking, cycling or swimming in the Alpine summer landscape, and return home refreshed a week later.
In July, Snälltåget runs directly from Malmö via København Syd, Odense and Kolding to Austria. The night train departs from Malmö on Fridays in July and arrives in Austria on Saturday morning. The return journey takes place the following Saturday evening, arriving in Denmark and Sweden on Sunday. Connecting trains are available, including services between Stockholm and Malmö in both directions.
How and when does the train run to the Alps?
Snälltåget operates night trains from Malmö to Austria during summer 2026. The train departs on Fridays: 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 July. It leaves Malmö and continues via København Syd, Odense and Kolding before reaching the destinations in Austria on Saturday morning.
The return journey takes place one week later, departing on Saturday evening and arriving in Denmark and Sweden on Sunday.
Snälltåget also offers connecting rail services from Stockholm, Södertälje, Norrköping, Linköping, Nässjö and Alvesta.
The map below shows the train route.
The dashed line marks the transfer bus from St. Johann im Pongau to Bad Gastein. From Jenbach, you can continue to Zillertal with the Zillertalbahn. You can also travel onwards by Postbus to destinations such as Wagrain and Saalbach.
How does travelling by night train to Austria work?
Boarding Snälltåget's night train is the start of your adventure. You can choose between different comfort levels, but if you are traveling together, the best experience is to buy your own compartment.
Seat – the budget-friendly option
You have a reserved seat in a coach.
Private Compartment – if you travel together
In each compartment, there is room for six persons. Each compartment is equipped with a duvet, pillow and bed linen. The beds are 180 cm long and at least 60 cm wide. The compartment door cannot be locked from the outside, only from the inside.
There are no set rules for quiet time, but in general it should be quiet enough for those who want to sleep at 22.
Berth in shared compartment
You share a compartment with 6 berths with other passengers.
How much luggage can I take to Austria?
You are allowed one suitcase and one carry-on per person. Do not pack all your group’s luggage into a single large suitcase, instead divide it into several bags to make it easier to store on board.
If you are travelling in the seat car, your luggage will be stored under the seat in front of you and on the overhead rack. There is also a luggage rack at one end of the carriage for larger bags.
If you are travelling in a shared compartment or a private compartment, you can store your luggage on the overhead rack or under the lower bed (see the image below). If you book a private compartment, you can also use an empty bed for your luggage or skis.
Pre-book baggage check-in if you have a lot of luggage. Space is limited and costs 498 SEK return.
Can I change my booking or get a refund?
Tickets for Snälltåget purchased via Snälltåget.se are rebookable. They can be changed if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure (or 7 days for private compartments on the night train). Refundable tickets are also available for an additional charge.
For package travel including Snälltåget, the tour operator’s cancellation and refund policies apply.
For travel with Snälltåget’s night train to Austria, train number 304/305, there are also special ticket rules. The trip can only be purchased as a return journey, and it’s not possible to cancel just one leg of the journey. This also applies to connecting legs purchased in a single booking.
Can I travel with pets to Austria?
No, it’s not possible to travel with pets on our trains to and from Austria.
This is because there are the stops at the stations are not long enough on this route, and therefore provide no opportunities to let dogs or other pets out of the train, making the journey an impractical option for pets.
How environmentally friendly is the train to Austria compared to other means of transport?
Snälltåget purchases renewable electricity (hydropower, wind power, solar power) to minimise the climate impact of your journey.
A round-trip train journey for one person from Malmö/Copenhagen to Zell am See results in an emission of approximately 1.2 kg of CO2, including losses in the electricity grid and the impact of the various renewable energy sources used.
A flight from Kastrup to Innsbruck/Salzburg with an SAS A320NEO corresponds to 267 kg of CO2, but this does not include transfer emissions. The same trip by petrol-driven Volvo V60 results in 128 kg of CO2 per person with four people in the car. A bus running on fossil-free HVO fuel emits about 8 kg of CO2 per person.
The restaurant and the kiosk
On board the train, you’ll find our restaurant Krogen, where we serve food and drinks throughout the day and evening, as well as breakfast in the morning. A special menu is available for your outbound journey, and a separate lunch menu is served on the return trip. See the menu for Krogen. Don’t forget to pre-book your meals and reserve a table – this can be done during the booking process or later via My Journey.
Elsewhere on the train, you’ll also find our kiosk, where you can collect your pre-ordered breakfast to enjoy in your compartment. View the kiosk menu.
You can already pre-order your breakfast bag to enjoy in your compartment. The breakfast bag costs SEK 99 when pre-booked and includes a cheese sandwich, juice, a hot drink (coffee, tea or hot chocolate), and a cinnamon bun. Vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free breakfast options are also available for pre-order. Breakfast can be added during booking or afterwards via My Journey.
Timetable 2026
| Train 305. Departs on Fridays: 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 July. | |
|---|---|
| Malmö C | 15.50 |
| København Syd | 16.20 |
| Odense | 17.35 |
| Kolding | 18.25 |
| Hamburg Hbf | 21.39 |
| München Ost | 06.58 |
| Salzburg Hbf | 09.00 |
| St Johann im Pongau | 10.16 |
| Zell am See | 10.57 |
| St Johann in Tirol | 11.42 |
| Kitzbühel | 11.53 |
| Jenbach | 12.41 |
| Innsbruck Hbf | 13.02 |
| Train 304. Departs on Saturdays: 4, 11, 18, 25 July and 1 August. | |
|---|---|
| Innsbruck Hbf | 18.00 |
| Jenbach | 18.23 |
| Kitzbühel | 19.11 |
| St Johann in Tirol | 19.22 |
| Zell am See | 20.06 |
| St Johann im Pongau | 20.47 |
| Salzburg Hbf | 21.53 |
| München Ost | 23.30 |
| Hamburg Hbf | 08.16 |
| Kolding | 11.29 |
| Odense | 12.21 |
| København Syd | 13.55 |
| Malmö C | 14.30 |
Just booking the train journey
Tickets with transfer are purchased online. You can see the prices for each departure in the booking.
Private compartments and Berth in a shared compartment are only sold as return tickets. One week before departure, we sell any remaining seats as one-way tickets. Exceptions are the departure from Austria on 4 July 2026 and the departure to Austria on 31 July 2026, where one-way tickets can always be booked.
All tickets are personal and the correct information on people must also be available when booking. If you want to change at a later time, the trip must be rebooked.
Are Interrail passes valid?
Interrail is only valid for travel in a seat, except for the departure from Austria on 4 July 2026 and the departure to Austria on 31 July 2026, where it is also possible to book and travel with an Interrail pass in comfort levels other than seat accommodation.
We also sell last-minute tickets for Berth in shared compartment (24 hours before departure) and Private compartment (7 days before departure), subject to availability.
You need a seat reservation to travel with Interrail. Learn how to book a seat reservation with Interrail.
Package travel with STS Alpresor to Bad Gastein
Together with STS Alpresor (opens in new tab), we offer package trips by train to the popular destination Bad Gastein. The train takes you to Schwarzach St Veit, and from there it's a bus transfer (about 30 minutes).