Day Trip to Salzburg From the UK, Mozart and Mountains
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A day trip to Salzburg from Gatwick on Saturday 19 December 2026 is £133.00 return with easyJet and £182.05 for the whole day, with about 6.1 hours in the city.
A day trip to Salzburg from the UK costs £182.05 all in from Gatwick on Saturday 19 December, with about six hours in the city. Saturday 12 December is £189.05 and gives you a bit longer.
I'll be honest, it's not one of our cheap ones. But Salzburg is tiny, the airport is 3km from town, and in December it looks like a Christmas card. Of all our extreme day trips to Austria, it's the easiest to do properly in a day.
What are the flight times from Gatwick to Salzburg?
Saturday 19 December. easyJet out at 07:40, landing at 10:40 local time. Home at 19:40, back at Gatwick at 20:35. £133.00 return and £182.05 all in. You're in town from about 11:33 to 17:37. See the day trip to Salzburg from Gatwick
Saturday 12 December. Out at 07:05, landing at 10:05, same flight home. £140.00 return, £189.05 all in, and about 6.7 hours in town, from roughly 10:58.
Both are Saturdays, so no day off needed, and you're home before 21:00.
How do you get from Salzburg airport into town?
Bus 2 takes about 23 minutes and costs €3.00. Bus 10 is quicker at 15 minutes, but it doesn't run on Sundays, which doesn't matter for these Saturday trips.
If you're hopping on and off, a 24 hour ticket is €5.20 bought in advance or €6.40 on the bus. Buy it before you get on and save yourself €1.20.
How much does a day in Salzburg cost?
The flight is the big cost. On the ground, the trip page has it at £49.05 per person.
- Bus in and back, £6.00
- Getting around town, £4.00
- Lunch, £12.80
- Dinner, £26.25
Dinner in Salzburg isn't cheap. If you want to bring the day down, have a big lunch and keep the evening to something from a market stall.
What can you see in Salzburg in six hours?
Everything that matters, if you're organised. The old town is compact and the big three are close together.
Hohensalzburg Fortress. The castle above the town. The Basic Ticket is €15.50 with the funicular, or €12.00 if you walk up. Either way, the view over the rooftops is what you're going up for.
Mozart's Birthplace. €18 on its own, or €25 combined with the Mozart Residence. If you're only doing one, do the birthplace, it's right in the old town.
DomQuartier. €15 for full access, and closed on Tuesdays, which isn't a problem on a Saturday.
Free. Mirabell Gardens are free. The Angel Staircase and Marble Hall in Mirabell Palace are free too, but with limited weekday hours, so on a Saturday you may only see the gardens.
What about the light in December?
Sunset on 19 December is at 16:17. That gives you about five hours of daylight in town. Do the fortress first while it's light, then the old town and the markets as it gets dark. See our Salzburg Christmas markets page for what's on and when.
What time do you need to leave?
Around 17:37 for the 19:40 flight. It's an early finish, which is the trade off for being home at 20:35. Plan an early dinner in the old town, then the bus back.
Is Salzburg worth the money?
If you've always wanted to see it, yes. For one day and no hotel you get the fortress, Mozart and the old town at its prettiest.
If you want Austria for less, Vienna from Manchester on 28 November is £147.30, and you can find it in all our day trips from Gatwick and other airports. Fares checked on 1 November, so look at the trip page for today's.
Founders see every Salzburg date priced six months ahead, so you'll spot a cheaper Saturday when it appears. It's £19.00 a year. Become a founder
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