Vienna International Airport (VIE)

Vienna International Airport is Austria's largest airport and an important hub for flights in Central Europe, connecting the city with the rest of Europe, as well as Asia, the United States and Canada. This airport sees more than 30 million travellers pass through its terminals annually. 

With passenger and cargo traffic in a constant state of growth, the airport is expanding. There are four terminal buildings within walking distance of each other; one is currently being renovated, and plans are being developed for a third runway.

How to get to Vienna from the airport?

Transfer service

The fastest and most comfortable option to get to your hotel is for a driver to wait for you when your flight lands, holding a sign with your name. If you want to make your journey as simple as possible and prefer to avoid surcharges and language problems, you can reserve your airport transfer here hassle-free.

City Airport Train (CAT)

Another quick way to get from the airport to the centre of Vienna is to take the CAT train. It takes only 16 minutes to travel from the airport to Wien Mitte station in the centre of Vienna.

The train operates every day from approximately 5:30 am to 11:40 pm and departs every 30 minutes. The price of a single ticket is € 14.90 (US$ 15.67), with a round trip for € 24.90 (US$ 26.19) and it is free for children under 15 years old.

If you do not have much time when you return to the airport, it is possible to check in at Wien Mitte to arrive more relaxed. Check-in hours are daily from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm between 24 hours and 75 minutes before take-off (check for which lines this process is valid).

You can buy your train tickets here

S-Bahn and RailJet trains

The S-Bahn and RailJet are the cheapest ways to travel between the airport and the city centre. Trains operate every day of the week from 4:45 am to 01:15 am approximately and depart every 30 minutes. The price of a single ticket is € 4.40 (US$ 4.62) but if you have the Vienna Card it will be € 2 (US$ 2.10). Detailed information on schedules and prices can be seen on the official website of ÖBB.

RailJet is a new high-speed train service that reaches the city centre (Wien Hauptbahnhof and Wien Miedling) in just 15 minutes, and it also connects Vienna Airport with other European cities. RailJet operates between approximately 6:30 am and 11 pm (airport to city centre) and 5:30 am to 10 pm (city centre to airport).

Both depart every 30 minutes alternately, so you shouldn't normally have to wait more than 15 minutes or so for a train. For exact times, we recommend consulting OBB, the Vienna railway website.

Both the S-Bahn and the RailJet cost just € 4.20 (US$ 4.41) for a single ticket between the airport and the city, however, with the Vienna Card, the price is only € 1.80 (US$ 1.89).

Language tip: to travel in the direction of the airport, take the train heading to "Wolfsthal" o "Flughafen". If you're heading to the city centre, take the trains in the direction of "Wien Mitte," "Wien Nord" or "Floridsdorf."

Bus

The Vienna airport bus lines take you directly and comfortably from the airport to the city centre every day but at a higher cost. The adult ticket price is € 9.50 (US$ 9.99) (round trip for € 16 (US$ 16.83)), children and youths from 6 to 14 years pay € 5 (US$ 5.26) (round trip € 9.50 (US$ 9.99)) and children under 6 years travel for free. The route takes in different districts of the city on three different express lines.

VAL 1: Stops at Vienna Hauptbahnhof (connection U1) and Vienna Westbahnof (connections U3 and U6). In 40 minutes with schedules from 4:30 to 3:30 every half hour.

VAL 2: Stop at Morzinplatz (connections U1 and U4). In 20 minutes from 4:15 to 3:45 every half hour.

VAL 3: Stop at Donauzentrum (connection U1). In 40 minutes from 6:00 to 20:00 every hour.

• Be sure to check out the official Airport Lines website to confirm schedules and see other stops as well as the direction from the city to the airport. 

Taxi

If you have not booked a transfer service from the airport, a taxi is always a convenient option. The ride to the centre is usually about 30 minutes and they usually have fixed rates depending on where the hotel is located starting at € 42 (US$ 44.18).

Top tip

If you plan to buy the Vienna Card, the best option is to buy it at the airport. This way you can get discounts to travel on any of the trains and buses that go from the airport to the city centre. From the moment you validate it you will be able to use it for 72 hours.