railtour suisse
Graz
Two-day rail city break to Graz, Austria from Switzerland
2 daysfrom $247
100% rail
railtour suisse · Self-guided rail tour
Sisi - an imperial train tour
Six-day self-guided rail trip through Empress Sisi's Vienna and Bad Ischl
Railtour Suisse operates this six-day, five-night self-guided rail trip from Switzerland to Vienna and Bad Ischl, following the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi. After an 8-hour train journey from Zurich, day one leaves free time for initial sightseeing in Vienna. Days two and three are spent at leisure using the Sisi Ticket, with a guided audio tour through 40 rooms of Schönbrunn Palace and visits to the Hofburg's Imperial Apartments and Sisi Museum, plus a recommended trip to Laxenburg Palace, where Sisi spent her honeymoon. On day four, a 3-hour-30-minute train ride with a change at Attnang-Puchheim reaches Bad Ischl, home to the Kaiservilla, the original Sisi-film location. Day five adds a public bus to Lake Fuschl before the return train home on day six. Three nights are spent in Vienna and two in Bad Ischl, both in 3-star hotels with breakfast. The trip suits independent travelers with an interest in Austrian history who prefer to set their own pace.
What to know before you look closer
- The price is based on a half-fare travelcard for 2nd class rail; full-fare 2nd class travel and any 1st class travel both carry a listed supplement.
- This is a self-guided trip: sightseeing such as the Laxenburg Palace and Lake Fuschl excursions use public buses and are recommended, not escorted.
- Some hotels may charge a local visitor's tax of CHF 2 to CHF 7 per person per night, which is not included in the price.
- A single room carries a surcharge, and upgrading to a 4-star or 5-star hotel or a higher room category is only available as an optional extra.
Day by day
- Day 1railovernight: Vienna
Arrival in Vienna (8h)
Arrival in Vienna by 2nd class train from your Swiss home (journey from Zurich approx. 8 hours). Free time for initial sightseeing and overnight stay in Vienna.
- Day 2overnight: Vienna
Vienna
Full day at leisure to immerse yourself in the history of the Austrian empress. The Sisi Ticket gives access to 3 imperial houses, valid for 1 year, visits possible on three different days: Schönbrunn Palace (guided tour with audio guide, 40 rooms/50 minutes, guest in the living quarters of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth) and the Hofburg (tour of the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum and the Silver Collection with audio guide). Overnight stay in Vienna.
- Day 3overnight: Vienna
Vienna
Another eventful day; recommended visit to Laxenburg Palace (approx. 40 minutes by public bus, where Sisi spent her honeymoon and gave birth to two children; centrepiece Franzensburg Castle) and/or Esterházy Palace. Overnight stay in Vienna.
- Day 4railovernight: Bad Ischl
Vienna - Attnang-Puchheim - Bad Ischl (3h30)
Train journey from Vienna to Bad Ischl with a change in Attnang-Puchheim. Recommended visit to the Kaiservilla (original filming location for the Sisi films) and the Marmorschlössl, now a photography museum. Overnight stay in Bad Ischl.
- Day 5overnight: Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl - Lake Fuschl - Bad Ischl (2h)
Recommended visit to the City Museum on the Esplanade, where the engagement of Franz Joseph I and Sisi took place. Public bus from Bad Ischl to Lake Fuschl, location for the Sisi films; Fuschl Castle is now a hotel with a small Sisi museum. Overnight stay in Bad Ischl.
- Day 6rail
Travel home
Travel home by 2nd class train to your Swiss place of residence (journey to Zurich approx. 8h50).
The moments this trip is built around
- Day 2A guided tour with audio guide through 40 rooms of Schönbrunn Palace in about 50 minutes, including the private quarters of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth.
- Day 2The Sisi Ticket also covers the Hofburg's Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum and the Silver Collection.
- Day 3A recommended visit to Laxenburg Palace, where Sisi spent her honeymoon and gave birth to two children, with Franzensburg Castle as its centerpiece.
- Day 4A visit to the Kaiservilla, the original filming location for the Sisi films, and the Marmorschlössl, now a photography museum.
- Day 5A public bus from Bad Ischl to Lake Fuschl, the film location where Fuschl Castle now houses a small Sisi museum.
Included
- 2nd class rail journey from your place of residence in Switzerland - Vienna - Bad Ischl - place of residence, based on half-fare travelcard
- 3 nights in Vienna, 3* hotel, standard double room with private bathroom, breakfast
- 2 nights in Bad Ischl, 3* hotel, standard double room with private bathroom, breakfast
- Vienna Card 72 hours
- Sisi Ticket Vienna
Not included
- Surcharge for 1st class rail travel, Half-Fare travelcard basis
- Supplement for rail travel in 2nd class, full fare
- Supplement for rail travel in 1st class, full fare
- Entrance fees for other activities
- Additional activities + services
- Additional nights in Vienna/Bad Ischl
- Surcharge for single room
- Surcharge for 4* and 5* hotels
- Surcharge for higher room categories
- Local visitor's tax: some hotels may charge CHF 2 to CHF 7 per person/night
Questions travellers ask
- Is this trip guided or self-guided?
- It's a self-guided rail tour. Sightseeing such as the Laxenburg Palace and Lake Fuschl excursions use public buses and are recommended rather than escorted.
- What train class is included?
- 2nd class rail travel from Switzerland to Vienna and Bad Ischl and back, based on a half-fare travelcard; 1st class is available as a paid supplement.
- Where do I stay?
- Three nights in a 3-star hotel in Vienna and two nights in a 3-star hotel in Bad Ischl, both in a standard double room with a private bathroom and breakfast included.
- What does the Sisi Ticket include?
- It gives access to 3 imperial houses, valid for one year across three different visit days; the evidence names Schönbrunn Palace and the Hofburg, including the Sisi Museum and Silver Collection, among them.
- What is not included?
- Entrance fees for activities beyond the Sisi Ticket and Vienna Card, additional nights, single room and hotel-upgrade surcharges, and a local visitor's tax of CHF 2 to CHF 7 per person per night at some hotels.
- How long does the rail journey take?
- About 8 hours from Zurich to Vienna, 3 hours 30 minutes from Vienna to Bad Ischl with a change at Attnang-Puchheim, and about 8 hours 50 minutes on the return journey to Switzerland.
