How do I get to Berchtesgaden from Münich? Is there a direct train connection from Salzburg? Can I charge my electric car in Berchtesgaden?

Don’t worry! Undiscovered Berchtesgaden has distilled all the essential tips for your visit to Berchtesgaden Town. Scroll down to find out more.

Getting to Berchtesgaden

A. First things first: it’s easy to get to Berchtesgaden. Don’t be put off by the mountain roads or public transport timetables. Be it road or rail, the travel links are excellent.

Driving to Berchtesgaden from Munich or Salzburg

A. If you’re driving, Berchtesgaden is just a two-hour drive from Munich on the A8 autobahn in good traffic conditions and only 40 minutes from Salzburg. Enter the address below into your phone or car navigation system to take you to the Tourist Information Office in the centre of the town, an unmissable timber-clad structure known as the Alpen Congress.

Some 50m past the Alpen Congress you’ll see signposts for an underground carpark, from which you can easily explore the town:

AlpenCongress Berchtesgaden
Maximilianstraße 9
83471 Berchtesgaden
Germany / Deutschland

Please note that your navigation system may take you onto the Austrian autobahn network where a Vignette (a permit sticker affixed to the windscreen) is required to drive on the autobahn. This is strictly enforced and worth noting, since German rental cars won’t have one. If you need to buy one, they can be picked up from most petrol stations at a cost of €3 for 10 days.

Parking in Berchtesgaden Town Centre

A. There is a good quantity of parking in and around Berchtesgaden, however, pricing is relatively high for a whole day in the 24/7 underground car park in the centre of town. To park in this car park, use the address and map above.

Additional parking can be found behind the main railway station but be careful to check the machine you’re paying at corresponds to the area you’ve parked in.

If you’re staying locally your host should have provided you with a guest card. Simply follow the instructions on the parking machine to get a discount with this.

Electric Car Charging in Berchtesgaden Town Centre

A. There is a bank of eight Tesla Superchargers in the car park at the Berchtesgaden main railway station, supporting up to 250kW charging speeds.

The BK Tankstelle in the centre of town has a 50kW fast charger.

Taking the Train to Berchtesgaden from Munich

A. If you’re visiting from Munich you can take the train to Berchtesgaden’s main station, although it’s necessary to change at Freilassing. The train takes about two and a half hours and up to date timetables can be found on the Deutsche Bahn website. It is possible to visit Berchtesgaden from Munich by train and return the same day.

Taking the Train to Berchtesgaden from Salzburg

A. The main benefit of the train service between Salzburg and Berchtesgaden is that it runs an earlier/later timetable than the equivalent bus connection. A change at Freilassing is necessary, meaning a journey time of around one hour twenty minutes. Timetables and tickets can be obtained on the ÖBB website.

Taking the Bus to Berchtesgaden from Salzburg

A. The bus line 840 shuttles between Salzburg and Berchtesgaden almost every hour and is faster and more direct than taking the train.

The 840 bus to Berchtesgaden from Salzburg is best caught at the stop next to the Salzburg main railway station (Hauptbahnhof). Since it’s a German bus, not an Austrian bus, it has to make do with a stop around the right-hand corner of the main square outside the station (the Südtiroler Platz). Leave the railway station through the main entrance, follow the path to the right-hand side past Starbucks and McDonalds, cross the road and you’ve reached the bus stop.

As you’re boarding at the first stop, you’re most likely to get a seat and space for your luggage. Please note that the 840 bus service starts a little later at weekends. For up to date summer and winter bus timetables please see the RVO website.

Getting Around Berchtesgaden

A. The major train and bus connections into Berchtesgaden will all terminate at the main railway station, the Berchtesgaden Hauptbahnhof.

Once at the Berchtesgaden main station, there is a large bus station with regional connections to Salzburg, the Eagle’s Nest, Lake Königssee and the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine. A paper timetable can be obtained from the kiosk inside the railway station but it’s worth noting that all bus stops in and around Berchtesgaden have an up to date timetable on display at the bus stop and the busses have on-board stop notifications. The three main routes are the 840 between Berchtesgaden and Salzburg for the Salt Mine, the 838 between Berchtesgaden and the Obersalzberg for the Eagle’s Nest and the 843/840 that both shuttle between Berchtesgaden and Lake Königssee. Both the 838 and 843 are free if you’ve a guest card from your hotel/host. Up to date timetables can be found by entering the bus route number on the RVO website.

From Berchtesgaden’s main train station, you can also walk or cycle along some fabulous footpaths to many of the region’s attractions. There’s a 2km (1.25 mile) route that leads to the salt mine and runs alongside the road from the centre of Berchtesgaden in the direction of Salzburg. This route takes around 45 minutes on foot and is a welcome chance to stretch your legs if you’ve been sat down in the car/bus/train.

Another excellent route is the disused Berchtesgaden-Königssee railway path. This route takes you from the main railway station to lake Königssee over 4km (2.5 miles) the old railway that once linked lake Königssee with Berchtesgaden. Our history of lake Königssee tells the full story.

Can I Leave My Luggage Somewhere in Berchtesgaden?

A. Large storage lockers are available at the main train station in Berchtesgaden; head through the ticket office and the lockers can be found in the platform concourse area. You’ll need euro coins and large lockers can cost up to €7.50 per day.

If you are staying overnight in Berchtesgaden, it’s also worth asking at your hotel or guesthouse if they could look after your luggage whilst you explore on your arrival or departure day.

Public WCs / Toilets / Restrooms in Berchtesgaden

A. Public toilets are few and far between in Berchtesgaden town itself. Most cafes and restaurants where you can sit down to eat will have a toilet, but these are exclusively for customers. Many will have a coin tray outside (or even an attendant!) and it is customary to leave some change if you use the facilities.

Our recommendation would be to use the facilities at the tourist office in the Alpen Congress building. They are down the stairs to the side of the building but have accessible toilets and even baby change facilities. If you need to, there’s even a lift that can take you and wheelchairs, strollers, prams etc. down to the required level.

Winter in Berchtesgaden

A. Winter (and early spring/late autumn) is one of the most beautiful times of year to visit thanks to the winter wonderland visuals and minimal numbers of tourists compared to the summer. The vast majority of guesthouses and restaurants operate through the winter in Berchtesgaden, and the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine and Lake Königssee remain open all year round.

Two pitfalls of visiting Berchtesgaden in winter to watch out for are:
1. The Eagle’s Nest – this is closed from late October to mid May
2. The local bus timetables – these are typically less frequent and end earlier in the day during the winter months