Getting to Chiemsee

The Chiemsee is located on the edge of the Bavarian mountain ranges - but getting to the lake presents few problems:

• it is located right in the middle of a good range of airports offering international flights
• it is just off one of the main motorway junctions for east-west and north-south European travel
• the lake's main resort is located on a train line with direct connections to Munich and Salzburg

Travel by Car

The Chiemsee is easily reached via the A8 (E60/E52) motorway running along the southern shores of the lake. There are three exits:

• one at Bernau am Chiemsee on the southwest corner, which is best suited for Prien and the northwestern villages
• one at Übersee, which is best for the southern shore and Übersee itself
• and one at Grabenstatt a little bit beyond the southeastern corner of the lake, which is best suited for the eastern resorts such as Chieming and Seebruck

It is possible to drive around the northern side of the lake as an excursion, but the roads are relatively small, the traffic is heavy and there are many cyclists with the same idea.

Distances
Munich 88km - south from the city on the A8 motorway with a direct connection to the south of the lake
Salzburg 57km - onto the A1 westwards which turns into the A8 over the German border
Innsbruck 129km - east on the A12 Inn Valley motorway to the German border at Kufstein and then north on the A93 through to the junction near Rosenheim. From there eastwards on the A8.

Travel by Air

There are four international airports within a reasonable travelling time of the Chiemsee offering a range of flights from flag carriers, like Lufthansa and British Airways, to charter flights to low-cost alternatives such as EasyJet and AirBerlin.

The closest airport is Salzburg Airport. This is located just to the west of the city very close to the German border and near the motorway for those looking to hire a car (see above for road connections. Those wishing to use public transport will need to take a bus or taxi to the main railway station (see below for rail connections).

The next most convenient - and with by far the greatest choice of flights - is Munich Airport. The airport has an excellent motorway connection into the north-south route which bypasses Munich to the east (see above for road connections). The airport has its own S-Bahn (regional train) connection to the centre of the city (see below for rail connections).

Innsbruck Airport is at about the same distance at Munich, with the airport just outside the city to the west and close to the Inn Valley motorway (see above for road connections). There are regular bus services to the main railway station in the centre (see below for rail connections).

Linz Airport is located to the southwest of the city near the motorway (see above for road connections). There are rail and bus services to Wels or Linz to connect with further public transport (see below for rail connections).

Travel by Rail

Chiemsee offers train stations at Prien am Chiemsee, Bernau am Chiemsee and Übersee. These are all on a line between Munich and Salzburg, making the lake easily accessible via public transport.

Salzburg is around three-quarters of an hour away from the Chiemsee, Munich just under 90 minutes (add 30 minutes for travel from the airport), Linz just over two hours and Innsbruck around two-and-a-half hours.

Chiemsee Accommodation Availability

If you would like to check all accommodation availability for particular dates in the Chiemsee region, including apartments and guesthouses, please use the form below: