Getting There
By Train -- Mariazell is at the terminus of a secondary train line that originates in the capital of Lower Austria, St. Pölten, 84km (52 miles) to the north. St. Pölten, which sits astride the main rail lines connecting Vienna and Salzburg, receives dozens of trains from Vienna (trip time: 45 min.) and Salzburg (trip time: 2 1/2 hr.) throughout the day. From St. Pölten, about half a dozen trains head south to Mariazell (trip time: 2 1/2 hr.). For rail information, contact tel. 05/1717 (www.oebb.at).
By Bus -- About half a dozen buses depart every day from Vienna's Wien Mitte bus station for their final destination at Mariazell (trip time: 2 1/4-4 hr.).
If the train schedule between St. Pölten and Mariazell is inconvenient, you can take one of the several daily buses that parallel the same route (trip time: 1 1/2 hr.). In addition, two buses depart daily from the Graz railway station to Mariazell (trip time: 3 hr.). For bus information, call tel. 0316/820606.
Finally, buses depart several times a day for Mariazell from the important railway junction of Mürzzuschlag (trip time: 1 1/2 hr.), which is set on the main rail lines between Vienna and Graz.
By Car -- If you're driving from Graz, head north along Autobahn A9 until you reach the junction with the S35 north. Continue north to the junction with Route 20, which leads into Mariazell.
Visitor Information
The tourist office, Hauptplatz 13 (tel. 03882/2366; www.mariazell.at), is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm, Saturday 9am to 4pm, and Sunday 9am to 12:30pm. It is closed on Sunday in October and November.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
