Bahnhof railway station, with Dampfzug Puffing Billy train and the Ahorn Spitze on the left-hand skyline
Jenbach is the home of the Zillertal railway and its collection of old steam locomotives, known as the Dampfzug. But, more famed as Thomas the Tank Engine or simply Puffing Billy, these charming little trains are every kid’s delight. One of these little trains travels up and down the Zillertal valley throughout the season, pulling behind it 100-year-old bright red carriages. If you have children with you, the Dampfzug is a fitting way to start or end your journey in the Zillertal. There are only two Dampfzug trains per day, and many of the seats are reserved in advance, so plan your journey well (Jenbach/Mayrhofen 10.32/15.16; Mayrhofen/Jenbach 13.06/17.06).
At Salzburg, take Line 2 bus service from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof, from where a rail ticket can be purchased to Jenbach or Innsbruck. Journey time is just over 1hr, travelling west along the Inn valley.
At Innsbruck, from the airport there are a bus service and taxis to Innsbruck city centre and the Hauptbahnhof main railway station. Then take the regional train service to Jenbach or Steinach am Brenner.
By rail
Consult with Eurostar, but the two most commonly used routes are as follows. Each route gets travellers to Innsbruck and Jenbach within 18hrs of leaving London.
London–Dover–Calais–Paris–Zurich–Innsbruck–Jenbach
London–Dover–Ostend–Brussels–Munich–Jenbach
Check these websites for further details.
German Railways DB (Deutsche Bundesbahn), www.bahn.de
Austrian Railways OBB (Osterreichische Bundesbahnen), www.oebb.at
Verkehrsverbund Tirol, www.vvt.at
Post bus, www.postbus.at
Zillertal railway, www.zillertalbahn.at
By road
The most direct route by road is via the Dover–Ostend channel crossing, then by the motorway system to Munich and into Austria at Kufstein, followed by the short drive up the Inn valley to Jenbach and Mayrhofen. An alternative route goes from Dover by Lille to Luxembourg, then to Saarbrucken, Pirmasens, Bad Bergzabern, Karlsruhl, Stuttgart, Munich, Kufstein, Jenbach and Mayrhofen.
With more than one driver it is just about possible to get to Mayrhofen within 24hrs from Calais or Ostend. Whatever your chosen route, consult with your motoring organisation before setting out.
It is also important, when parking your car, to consider the return journey and getting back to it, as this is not always easy if you are forced to drop down into another valley (more likely on the ZSTT). It may be best to leave your car in Innsbruck or Jenbach, or one of the other major villages that has good bus or railway connections to and from Mayrhofen.
The following motor organisation websites provide useful information – www.adac.de and www.oeamfc.at.
Getting back
For those travelling by air, the last day of your vacation needs to be devoted to making the journey home. The journey time from Mayrhofen to Munich airport is around 2½hrs, to Salzburg 2hr, and to Innsbruck 2hr.
The first train from Mayrhofen to Jenbach is at 06.30, then there are services roughly every ½hr from 06.50 onwards.
The earliest train from Jenbach to Munich is at 08.07, with services at 09.02 and 10.57. Remember to change trains at Munchen Ost and get on the regional shuttle-train service S8 marked ‘Flughafen’.
From Jenbach the train times to Salzburg are roughly every two hours – 09.26, 10.02 and 11.26.
Accommodation in the valley
A typical street scene in Mayrhofen
There is no shortage of good places to stay in Mayrhofen and the Zillertal, as the whole district is geared to tourism and catering for visitors.
Hotels
In Mayrhofen, the main centre of the Zillertal, hotels tend to cater for the tourist trade, and accommodation is more expensive here than in the surrounding villages, but there is an abundance of guest houses and small hotels in the area where climbers and walkers may feel more at home. If you are not bothered about nightlife, then there are good bargains in the villages of Fugen, Kaltenbach, Zell am Ziller and Ramsau. The Hotel Poste in Jenbach, and the same in Kaltenbach, is recommended. Anyone booking hut accommodation over the internet will find that many huts have family connections with guest houses and hotels in the valley, and they will be happy to make recommendations.
For those wishing to stay in Mayrhofen, the Siegelerhof Gastehof, opposite the conference centre and main Tourist Information Office, is within 5mins walk of the railway station. It is managed by the Hausberger family, who provide good, clean, inexpensive bed and breakfast accommodation (tel 0043 5285 62493 or 62424, email [email protected], www.hotel-siegelerhof.at).
For accommodation in Steinach am Brenner (for the ZSTT) and Salzburg, see Appendix B. Should you need to stay in Innsbruck, hotels can be booked from the tourist information centre at the railway station located on the lower ground floor of the ticket hall (see Appendix B for recommended places to stay in the area).
Campsites
Those with a car will find good sites on the outskirts of Mayrhofen (camping Kroell, tel 0043 5285 62580), at Schlitters, Kaltenbach (camping Hochzillertal, tel 0043 6507 333398), Zell am Ziller (camping Hoffer, tel 0043 5282 2248) and Laubichl. See [email protected]. Groups intending to camp should enquire from the campsite warden about reduced fees while they are away. This is referred to as leeres zelt.
Youth hostels
There is no youth hostel (Verein Volkshaus) in Mayrhofen. The nearest hostel is in Innsbruck, located some 15mins walk on the northern site of the River Inn (email [email protected], www.jgh.volkshaus-ibk.at; see Appendix B for more details).
The Zillertal valley and Mayrhofen
From its entrance at Strass to its head at Mayrhofen, the 50km Zillertal valley is everything Tyrolean, with pretty chalet-style houses and organised charm. To the east the valley is bounded by the Kitzbuehler Alpen, while to the west are the lesser peaks of the Tuxer Alpen. Further up the valley lie the charming villages of Schlitters, Fugen-Hart, Kaltenbach-Stumm, Zell am Ziller, Hippach-Ramsau and lastly Mayrhofen – the Zillertal’s main village-cum-town and commercial centre, with the main peaks of the Zillertal mountains at its head.
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