Getting There and Around
By Plane
Vienna International Airport
Vienna International Airport is located 18km southeast of the centre of Vienna. It is the busiest airport in Austria, servicing more than 31 million passengers per year from over 200 destinations.
Get to the city centre by train:
Vienna Airport (Flughafen Wien) Train Station is located directly below the airport and is a short walk from Arrivals. There are two options for travelling by train into central Vienna: the S-Bahn and City Airport Train (CAT).
S-Bahn
Trains operated by Railjet and Schnellbahn S7 (S-Bahn line 7) offer the most economical option for reaching the city.
Railjet services depart the airport every 30 minutes (3 & 33 minutes past the hour) with a journey time of just 15 minutes to Vienna Hauptbahnhof (Wien HBF). The Railjet service operates daily from 6:33am to 11:03pm. Tickets can be purchased from the ÖBB ticket counter in the Arrivals Hall and from ticket machines in the Arrivals Hall and on the station platform. Tickets are €4.10 for a single journey.
Schnellbahn S7 services depart the airport every 30 minutes (in peak times there are additional services) with a journey time of 23 minutes to Vienna Mitte Train Station (Wien Mitte). The S-Bahn service operates daily from 4:48am to 12:19am. Tickets can be purchased from the ÖBB ticket counter in the Arrivals Hall and from ticket machines in the Arrivals Hall and on the station platform. Tickets are €4.10 for a single journey.
City Airport Train (CAT)
The City Airport Train has a non-stop 16 minute journey time into the centre of Vienna. Trains depart the airport every 30 minutes (8 & 38 minutes past the hour) and terminate at Vienna Mitte Train Station (Wien Mitte). The CAT operates daily from 6:08am to 11:38pm. Tickets can be purchased from the CAT counters in the Arrivals Hall and Baggage Claim, or from the ticket machine on the train platform. Tickets are €12 single and €21 return.
Get to the city centre by bus:
The Vienna Airport Lines bus stop is located just outside Airport Arrivals. Here you can board a bus to three different areas of the city. The bus destinations are located at S-Bahn stations so you can easily continue your journey.
Line Val 1: Runs to Vienna Westbahnhof, via Vienna Hauptbahnhof. Journey time 40 minutes
Line Val 2: Runs to Morzinplatz/Schwedenplatz in the centre of the city. Journey time 20 minutes.
Line Val 3: Runs to Donauzentrum in the north east of the city. Journey time 40 minutes.
Tickets are €8 one-way and €13 return. Tickets can be purchased from ticket machines at Vienna Airport, from the bus driver or in advance from the Vienna Airport Lines Website.
Get to the city centre by taxi:
The official airport taxi stand is located just outside Arrivals. A journey from the airport to the city centre will take approximately 30 minutes and will cost approximately €36.
By Train
Vienna Central Station (Hauptbahnhof), known locally as Wien Hbf, is located south of central Vienna. The station opened in 2015 as a replacement for the old Südbahnhof Station and is now the main entry point for those arriving in Vienna by train. From Vienna Central Station you can travel by train to many cities and towns in Austria as well as enjoy direct routes to many European cities. Vienna Central Station is also well connected to the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, Tram and Bus network.
Domestic and International train tickets can be purchased from the red and grey ticket machines located throughout the station. These machines can be accessed in English and accept cash and credit cards. Alternatively, you can purchase tickets from the ticket office found on the main concourse level. International tickets are best purchased online and in advance to save on booking fees and guarantee a seat (with the additional purchase of a seat reservation).
The station’s location, a 30 minute walk south of the city centre, means the best option for reaching the main sights and accommodation options is by public transport or taxi. From the Central Station you can take the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, tram or bus to wherever you need to go in the city. Alternatively, there are plenty of taxis just outside the station.
By Car
If possible, it is best to avoid driving into the centre of Vienna due to its narrow streets, heavy traffic and expensive, hard to find parking options.
P+R (Park & Ride):
If you are travelling throughout Europe or Austria with a car, an option is to park at a P+R (Park & Ride) location out of the centre of the city and take public transport into the centre. There are 10 P+R locations located on the outskirts of the city and each has easy public transport options into the centre of Vienna. 24 hours of parking costs €3.60. There are also discounts for one week of parking.
Vienna is a large and spread out city, even though many of the major sights are quite close together, depending on where you are staying and what you would like to see, you will probably need to use public transport. Never fear though, the Vienna public transport network, consisting of the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram and bus, is comprehensive and easy to use. Follow the guide below to learn all you need to know about using the public transport network.
Moving Around the City
Public Transport Tickets
The public transport network of Vienna is all within one transport zone (Kernzone 100). Standard public transport tickets are valid for travel in one direction within one zone which means public transport tickets are valid for travel throughout the whole city. Once validated, a public transport ticket can be used for one journey across the whole network including S-Bahn, U-Bahn, Tram and Bus.
Public transport tickets can be purchased at numerous locations throughout the city including: at ticket offices at the main train stations, ticket machines at stations (these machines can be accessed in English and accept cash and credit cards), Tabaktrafik (tobacconist) shops throughout the city and online.
Single Ticket: €2.40. Valid for one trip, in one direction without pause. Valid from when ticket is validated in validating machine.
24/48/72 Hour Pass: €8/€14.10/€17.10. Valid for unlimited travel across the entire Vienna transport network for 24/48/72 hours from when the ticket is first validated.
8 Day Ticket: €40.80. Valid for 8 individual days of travel, not necessarily eight consecutive days, from when the ticket is validated until 1:00am the following day. Valid for unlimited travel across the entire Vienna transport network.
Weekly Pass: €17.10. Valid for one calendar week from 12:00am Monday to 9:00am the following Monday. Valid for unlimited travel across the entire Vienna transport network. Note: the pass is valid for a calendar week, not for seven days from when you validate the ticket.
Monthly Pass: €51. Valid for one calendar month from the first day of the month to the second day of the following month. Valid for unlimited travel across the entire Vienna transport network. Note: the pass is valid for a calendar month, not for 30 days from when you validate the ticket.
Validating Your Public Transport Ticket
It is important to validate your ticket as soon as you hop on a tram or bus, or as you enter U-Bahn or S-Bahn stations or platforms before beginning your journey. All you need to do is insert your ticket into the blue validating machine where it will be time and date stamped. Ticket controllers frequently check for validated tickets on board, so ensure you have validated your ticket to avoid receiving a fine.
U-Bahn
The U-Bahn underground train network is the most useful transport method for travelling around the city. The network consists of 5 lines and 109 stations covering the Vienna city area. Maps of the U-Bahn network can be found at each station and electronic boards will display how long until the next train and where it is going. The U-Bahn operates between 5:00am and 12:30am with trains typically departing every 2-6 minutes.
S-Bahn
The S-Bahn network consists of 10 lines and is designed to connect the outlying suburbs and regions around Vienna with the city. Maps of the S-Bahn network can be found at each station and electronic boards will display how long until the next train and where it is going. The S-Bahn operates between 4:30am and 12:30am with trains typically departing every 15 minutes or sooner on certain lines.
Tram
The tram network of Vienna consists of 28 tram lines and 1076 stops covering the Vienna city area. Trams are red and white and are an easy and popular method of transportation in the city. Each tram stop has a map of the network to help you find where to go.
The tram line operates between 5:00am and 12:30am each day and trams will arrive approximately every 5-10 minutes.
Bus
Vienna has a large bus network, consisting of 131 lines and 4291 stops, covering all the city including destinations not covered by other public transport options. The yellow double decker buses are a great way to see more of the city as you travel from A to B and some bus lines operate 24 hours a day. The main bus network operates between 5:00am and 12:30am each day and buses will arrive approximately every 6 minutes. Nightline buses operate on 20 lines overnight between 12:30am and 5:00am.
