Zell am See has a small airfield of its own, but it serves sport and sightseeing aviation and handles no scheduled flights. Anyone arriving by air therefore lands at one of the surrounding commercial airports and covers the last stage on the ground. Which airport makes sense depends less on distance than on the connection you can get from your home city.
The airports compared
Salzburg, about 85 kilometres
By far the closest airport. The drive normally takes about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half. Salzburg is a medium-sized airport with heavy seasonal winter traffic; in summer the schedule is thinner. If you can find a suitable connection, Salzburg is almost always the best choice.
Munich, about 200 kilometres
Considerably further, with a drive of roughly two and a half to three hours. In return, Munich is a large international hub with a dense schedule all year round. For travellers coming from overseas, or from smaller home airports, Munich is often the only sensible option and, despite the longer drive, faster overall.
Innsbruck, about 150 kilometres
An alternative mainly for arrivals from the west. The drive takes around two hours. Innsbruck’s schedule is heavily oriented towards winter charter traffic.
Vienna, about 400 kilometres
Only worth it if you are entering the country via Vienna anyway. The rail connection from Vienna to Zell am See is good, but takes several hours.
Options for the last stage
Train
Zell am See sits directly on the Salzburg–Tyrol railway line and the station is central. From Salzburg airport you travel first to the main station and continue from there. In winter this is often the most relaxed option, because you have to worry about neither snow chains nor parking. There is more detail in by train to Zell am See.
Rental car
Flexible, and worth it if you are planning trips beyond the immediate region, for instance to the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. In winter note the requirement for winter tyres and, where applicable, snow chains, as well as the Austrian motorway vignette — see the vignette and Austrian tolls. Within the region you often do not need the car at all; the arguments are set out in do you need a car in Zell am See.
Rates for the same car differ noticeably between the airports and between suppliers, so it is worth comparing Salzburg and Munich side by side before you settle on an airport.
Compare rental carsWhere you can actually collect a car in the region — only one business rents in town, while the chains sit at the airport — is covered in Car Rental in Zell am See. For rides onward to the neighbouring towns, and what a taxi may legally charge, see Transfers and Taxis from Zell am See.
Shuttle and private transfer
Several operators run between Salzburg or Munich and the Pinzgau villages, either as a shared shuttle at fixed times or as a private transfer directly to your accommodation. For families with a lot of luggage and ski equipment a private transfer is comfortable; in high season you should book ahead. Many properties will also arrange a transfer on request.
A private transfer can also be booked online in advance, at a fixed price for the whole car rather than per passenger.
Book an airport transferJudging journey times realistically
The times given here apply to normal conditions. On Saturdays in the winter high season, when whole regions change over at once, journey times can lengthen considerably. If you have the choice, travel midweek. That applies particularly in February and around Christmas in December.
After you arrive
Locally, ski buses and regional buses connect the villages with the valley stations. Many properties issue a guest card covering public transport, supplemented in summer by the Summer Card. The travel guide is the place to start on the region as a whole. If you are travelling from Saudi Arabia or the Gulf, the airport choice works out differently — that is covered separately in getting to Zell am See from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. British visitors have their own version of the problem — most UK routes into Salzburg run for the ski season — set out in getting to Zell am See from the UK.
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