Swarovski Crystal Worlds, reviewed
4.6 from more than 800 ratings. Entry to the museum at Wattens and a shared return shuttle from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof, sold as one thing. Read the written notes and you notice quickly that most of them are about the bus rather than the crystal, which is what happens when the transport is half the product. The praise is about the outbound leg. The complaints are all about the return.
Going out to Amras?The castle's own admission is on the platform at the same figure its own shop asks and two euros under the door, it cancels free up to 24 hours before, and under-19s go in free either way.
Check ticket availabilityWhat the listing itself says
Included, as the listing writes it
- Entry to Swarovski Crystal Worlds at Wattens
- The shared return shuttle from Innsbruck
Not included, as the listing writes it
- Food and drink
- Hotel pickup other than at the main meeting point
- The museum's audio guide
Two components, entry and transport, and the exclusions are worth reading: the audio guide is bought at the museum, there is no hotel pickup beyond the meeting point at the station, and no pets travel except assistance animals. Unaccompanied minors are not carried at all, which matters if you were thinking of sending teenagers out for the afternoon. Wattens and the shuttle, in detail.
What reviewers found
Four notes, and they split cleanly down the middle of the journey.
- Nicola, United Kingdom — says the buses from Innsbruck run like clockwork.
- Manish, Germany — found the shuttle easy to use and air-conditioned.
- Mariana, Mexico — had to stand the whole way back on the return shuttle.
- Dipa, United Kingdom — found the return shuttle busy.
Nicola, United Kingdom, says the buses from Innsbruck run like clockwork, and Manish, Germany, found the shuttle easy to use and air-conditioned. That is the outbound leg, and on the outbound leg this listing does what it says. The return is a different matter. Mariana, Mexico, had to stand the whole way back on the return shuttle, and Dipa, United Kingdom, found the return shuttle busy. A shared shuttle on a fixed return schedule fills up when everybody in the museum finishes at once, and a standing hour at the end of an afternoon is what people remember. Nothing in the listing promises a seat on the way back, and this page is not going to promise one either.
Leave before the crowd does, or leave well after it. The returns that fill are the ones everybody wants, so an earlier bus back or a deliberately later one is the difference between a seat and a standing hour. Anybody holding an Innsbruck Card already has the shuttle on it and can simply take a different one.
Verdict
Book it if you want Wattens without a car and you are relaxed about the return leg. The museum rates 4.6 from more than 800 ratings and the outbound shuttle is exactly what it claims to be: easy, air-conditioned and on time. Think again if standing for the ride home would ruin the afternoon, or if you are already buying the Innsbruck Card, which carries the Swarovski shuttle among everything else and lets you choose your own bus.
Who it suits
- Anybody without a car who wants the museum and the garden at Wattens
- Families with children, who must travel with an adult anyway
- Anybody who likes a fixed meeting point rather than a hotel pickup
- Visitors with a free afternoon and no fixed dinner booking
Who it does not suit
- Anybody who must have a seat on the way back: the return shuttle fills
- Unaccompanied under-18s, who are not carried
- Anybody travelling with a pet other than an assistance animal
- Anybody already holding a card that carries the same shuttle
The rest of the day
Wattens takes an afternoon, which leaves a morning. Ambras with children is the other half of the day most families here are planning, and a day in Innsbruck with the castle in it sets out the timings.
Includes AmbrasAmbras includedInnsbruck: City Card Including Public Transport
The castle itselfCastle admissionInnsbruck: Tickets for Schloss Ambras
2,256 mTop of Innsbruck: Roundtrip Cable Car Ticket
Frequently asked questions
Is the Swarovski shuttle from Innsbruck reliable?
Going out, yes: reviewers call it easy, air-conditioned and as regular as clockwork. Coming back is the weak point, because the shared return shuttle fills up and at least one reviewer stood the whole way. An earlier or a later return bus is the fix. The shuttle, in detail.
Is the audio guide included at Crystal Worlds?
No, it is sold at the museum itself in ten languages, and it is not part of this listing. Food and drink are not included either, and there is no hotel pickup beyond the meeting point at the Hauptbahnhof. All six listings, compared.
Can children go to Crystal Worlds on their own?
No. Unaccompanied minors are not carried on the shuttle and children must travel with an adult. Assistance animals travel; other pets do not. If you are planning a family day, Ambras with children is the other half of it.
Should I buy this or use the Innsbruck Card?
The card carries the Swarovski shuttle among a great deal else, so on a full day it is usually the better buy and it lets you pick your own bus back. On an afternoon with nothing else in it, this listing is the simpler thing. The card, reviewed.