Where is Kaprun, Austria?
Kaprun is in the Salzburg state of central Austria. Austria’s highest mountain, Großglockner (3798m), is nearby & visible from the spectacular lookouts on Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun.
The Kaprun-Kitzsteinhorn ski resort is located 120km by road south of Salzburg & about 150km east of Innsbruck via Kitzbuhel. The nearest major town and transport hub is Zell am See, 7.5km to the north.
Nearby Airports to Kaprun
Closest major airports include Austria's best ski city Innsbruck (152km) and historic Salzburg in Austria plus Munich (220km) in Germany. Munich is the best gateway airport for intercontinental travellers. Salzburg is a delightful Austrian city and worthy of a visit if one has the time. Rail connections to Kaprun (via Zell am See) from other international airports at Vienna, Milan, or Zurich are easy enough, but quite long in distance and time.
To search for a great deal on a flight to Innsbruck, Salzburg or Munich, use our recommended flight search engine.
Flights into Innsbruck Airport
Innsbruck (INN) airport is served by flights from mainland Europe, Scandinavia and the UK. Flights numbers and options increase during the winter season. The airport is conveniently located close to the centre of Innsbruck.
The Innsbruck city centre and central bus & train station is a 15min bus ride from the airport via the Route F bus at the terminal. Taxis offer an alternative. Innsbruck is an excellent location from which to rent a fully winterised car for travels throughout the Alps
If you are wanting to stay overnight near the Innsbruck airport try the Hotel Penz West, although some brilliant Innsbruck hotels are only a short bus or taxi ride away.
Flights into Munich Airport
Munich (MUC) international airport is rated as one of the world’s best. It receives a vast number of flights every day from worldwide destinations.
The airport at Munich is situated north of the city but is well served by efficient train transport which link quickly with train services to ski hubs like Innsbruck. Take the S1 or S8 line from the main terminal (trains every 10min) to the major Ostbahnhof for trains direct to Innsbruck. Change at Wörgl for Zell am See and onto Kaprun by bus or taxi. Travel time is about 3.5hr.
Multiple car rental companies are available at Munich airport; however the vehicles may not be as well set up for winter driving as locations closer to the ski destination.
Flights into Salzburg (WA Mozart) Airport
Salzburg (SZG) (WA Mozart) airport receives direct flights from most European & UK destinations. Connecting flights from worldwide destinations is possible via major hubs like Paris.
The airport is 15-20min from the centre of beautiful Salzburg. If travelling to your ski destination by train, take city bus number 2 from the terminal to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof main railway station. Most of Austria is now an easy train trip away.
If driving is your thing, multiple car rental companies are available at Salzburg airport.
Airport & Hotel Transfers
Private, shared & group transfers are available to/from all airports and hotels to/from all ski resorts. The Powderhounds recommend taking the train & bus from the airports to Kaprun, but for those that just cannot abide public transport or are travelling in larger groups, the most efficient mode of travel is a private transfer.
Search & book all airport transfers to Kaprun.
Train & Bus Travel to Kaprun Ski Resort
Train transport options to Kaprun via Zell am See railway station abound and are the recommended ground travel mode to the resort.
By train from Innsbruck, head to Wörgl then change for Schwarzach-St Veit to stop at Zell am See. Trains leave every hour from Innsbruck and travel time to Zell am See is about 2 hours.
By train from Salzburg, head to Schwarzach–St Veit (direction Klagenfort) then change for Wörgl to stop at Zell am See. Trains leave regularly through the day and the journey takes around 1hr30mins.
Search and buy train tickets to Zell am See.
From Zell am See train station, buses and taxis await to take one to Kaprun. Bus 660 leaves from Postplatz and then stops at the train station at Zell am See. There is room for luggage on the bus, but if heading to accommodation, a short taxi ride might be a better option. Bus tickets can be purchased from the driver.
Driving to Kaprun
The village of Kaprun ski resort is over 2hr drive from Innsbruck, 1½hr from Salzburg and 3hr from Munich. Driving to Kaprun from either west (Innsbruck/Munich) or east (Salzburg/Vienna) or south (Italy), one needs to get on the main A12/E45/E60 motorway and then take the B169 and then B311 to Zell am See into the exit for Kaprun.
Day Trippers
If day-tripping to Kaprun from elsewhere in Austria and hoping to ski powder at Kitzsteinhorn, we suggest avoiding Maiskogel & the 3K K-onnection, and instead continue driving through the town up to the Kitzsteinhorn Valley Station at the base of the Gletscherjet 1 gondola. There is ample free parking close to the gondola. if on a sight-seeing mission, just park at Kaprun Center and the Maiskogel valley Station just as you enter Kaprun. Again, parking is free, but if you are late, it can become full! If for whatever reason you end the day at the wrong base, simply catch one of the free ski buses as described further down.
Car Rentals
If you don’t have a car and wish to rent, the closest useful car rentals are in Innsbruck or Salzburg, either at the airport, or in the city centre (sometimes cheaper but more of a pain than it is worth). Zell am See has several car rental locations if you require a car once at Kaprun.
Getting Around Kaprun-Kitzsteinhorn
On in Kaprun, there is no need to use a car to get around. Three free ski bus routes are relevant to Kaprun-Kitzsteinhorn, the 660, the K line, and Dorf Bus, which combined link Kitzsteinhorn, Kaprun, Maiskogel & Zell am See. The 660 route (red) does the entire journey from Kitzsteinhorn through Kaprun and Maiskogel and then on to Zell am See. Note that the stop on the 660 for Maiskogel valley station is called 'Schaufelburg'. The K line (green) does a shorter journey running between Kitzsteinhorn<-->Kaprun<-->Maiskogel<-->Schlossstrsse (ending at the castle). The third route is the Dorf Bus (or village bus)(also green), which runs around the streets of Kaprun linking the various parts to both Lechnerberg & Maiskogel ski lift bases.
Check out the free ski bus route map for Kitzsteinhorn<-->Kaprun<-->Zell am See below.
Nearby Ski Resorts
A host of nearby ski resorts can be conveniently reached by car, bus or train from Zell am See station. Ski resorts accessible by train include the vast SkiCircus at Leogang & Fieberbrunn (or bus to Saalbach), iconic Kitzbuhel-Kirchberg from the Mittersill base, the huge SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser Brixental, Wildkogel at Bramberg, Rauris, Weiβee Glacier World and resorts in the Zillertal via Krimml.
Buses also connect Kaprun to the SkiCircus at Saalbach or Hinterglemm, and if skiing under the new ZellamSeeXpress gondola at Schmitten, you can continue off-piste all the way to the valley bottom near Viehhofen (also part of SkiCircus Saalbach) and catch the bus back to Zell am See and Kaprun (buses run every hour).