Zillertalbahn. Where did we go wrong?

[StuBeeDoo]

Today, as part of our grand tour around Europe, Mrs. suggested we try the Zillertalbahn, as we are staying nearby.

We got to one of the small stations (I can't remember the name, but it's the first one after Jenbach) and there was nowhere to pay for car parking. So we drove on to Jenbach and asked at the station where the parking is and were told to drive to the park & ride. OK, but where the hell is it? We couldn't find any signage at all.

Sorry, Zillertalbahn, not impressed at all.

 

[Farigiraf]

The Park & Ride is right outside the station.

 

[StuBeeDoo]

The Park & Ride is right outside the station.

We were told by someone outside the station we had to get a bus from the park & ride to the station.

I guess it didn't help that neither of us speaks a word of German.

Oh well, we might be back someday. ....And if we aren't it's not the end if the world.

 

[DanielB]

So you were at the station in Jenbach and missed the park & ride right next to it? It is not exactly small, there is a huge car park right next to the station.

 

[30907]

P+R is German(ic) standard for a (large) station/tramway/U-bahn car park, not just one wih a dedicated shuttle bus into town a la York. I notice that the T&W Metro uses the term in that sense

 

[StuBeeDoo]

So you were at the station in Jenbach and missed the park & ride right next to it? It is not exactly small, there is a huge car park right next to the station.

Thank you, DanielB.

That isn't where we were. I think we must have been on the wrong street. There was a pull-in marked "Kiss & Ride" which, I guess, is what we would call "Drop Off".

As I said before, it didn't help that we don't speak German and couldn't find anyone with a decent command of English. This has been our experience in Austria and Switzerland. We haven't had any bother in France or Italy because one or other of us has a little understanding of the language.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 May 2026 ==

P+R is German(ic) standard for a (large) station/tramway/U-bahn car park, not just one wih a dedicated shuttle bus into town a la York. I notice that the T&W Metro uses the term in that sense

Thank you, 30907.

Given the "conversation" we had with the German-speaker, we thought we were looking for a York-style service with an out-of-town car park and shuttle bus service.

As I said above, if we had been made to understand that the car park was on a different street it would have helped. In saying that I'm not suggesting that every Austrian should be fluent in English just because I don't speak their language.

 

[nwales58]

For the future, it’s worth knowing that fare systems in most Germanic countries are zonal.

So if you were staying anywhere near Jenbach it would have cost no more to leave the car at your accommodation and use bus to the station then train to Mayrhofen and back.

A 2 person day ticket for the whole of Tyrol costs about the same as 2xJenbach-Mayrhofen return, encouraging leaving the car behind for days out. Maybe the ticket machine offered you that.

Unless you wanted the steam service, of course.