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Getting from Vienna Airport into Vienna - local thoughts

Posted by (Vienna, Austria) on

Would everyone like the skinny on getting to/from the Vienna Airport into the city?

You've just landed in a new city. You don't speak the language. Your inclination might be to go the easy route - a walk up taxi or the infamous rip-off City Airport Train (CAT). But you are better than this! You can navigate this short distance travel with a little knowledge and planning. You'll save some money and probably get to your final destination faster.

As an overview, the Vienna International Airport is actually not located in Vienna, but just outside of the city limits in Lower Austria. Subways do not go to the airport. Options to get into the city include train, bus or car. Prices can range from nearly 60 Euro to just a little over 4 Euro. Travel times, depending on where you are going in the city, are probably between 20-45 minutes. I highly recommend using the public transportation function of Google Maps to navigate in Vienna and in Austria.

Train

S7/REX7 and Railjet - This is the most efficient and economical option. The S7/REX7 (REX makes fewer stops as you approach the city) stops at Sankt Marx, Rennweg, Wien Mitte, Praterstern, Handelskai and Florisdorf. The RailJet stops at Hauptbahnhof and Meidling. Both options take about 20 minutes to reach the city and both options run every 30 minutes.

Both options cost 4.60 Euro per adult, 2.30 Euro for 6-14 year old and under 6 is free. These prices include the cost of the journey from the airport to the border of Vienna city as well as a single journey fare within the city of Vienna (2.20 Euro for the journey from the airport to Vienna and 2.40 Euro for the ticket within Vienna). If you have purchased a public transportation pass or the Vienna City Card (highly recommend), such as the 48-hour or weekly pass using the Wien Mobil app, then you only need to pay for the portion of the journey from the airport to the Vienna city border (2.20 Euro). This is true whether coming or going to the airport. If you have the public transportation pass or the Vienna City Card, then once you exit the train you can continue on to the next form of transportation using your pass. A quick note on the Vienna City Card - I recommend to avoid purchasing the card with the airport transfer or HOHO add-on as it is unnecessary.

To purchase the train ticket, as you exit baggage claim, head to the right and go down the ramp (do not stop at the OBB desk, which will be crowded). There are machines for OBB at the bottom of the ramp where there is no line. These machines can be switched to English. From these machines you can guy your 2.20 Euro supplement ticket by selecting the train you want to take and ticking the box that says you only want to go to the Vienna border. If you do not have a public transport pass or the Vienna City Card, then you do not tick this box and you will pay the full 4.60 Euro fare.

I typically take the next train available, whether it is railjet or the S7. Again, use Google Maps to determine the best path to your accommodation. If you are doing this in reverse, from the city to the airport, each of the train stations listed above has an OBB ticket machine - either full 4.60 Euro fare or just the 2.20 Euro supplement. These machines notably take cash and credit cards. Notably, the S7/REX7 have a zero entry floor in nearly all carriages now. The RailJet, however, requires going up 3 steps. The last train leaves the airport at 11:48 pm. The last train from Wien Mitte leaves for the airport at 11:18 pm. The first train leaves the airport at 4:41 am for the city. The first train leaves Wien Mitte at 4:19 am.

Here's a couple of helpful links:

https://www.wien.info/en/travel-info/arrival-departure/airport-to-center/express-train-s7-345644#:~:text=Adults:%20%E2%82%AC4.60%20(=%20%E2%82%AC,must%20be%20validated%20before%20tr

https://www.wien.info/en/travel-info/vienna-city-card/ideale-city-card-348640

Posted by
5960 posts

City Airport Train (CAT) - You will be bombarded with green CAT advertising from the moment you step off the plane. Do not be tempted. Remember, you are better than this. But if for some reason you really want to take the CAT, then there is a handy dandy green desk to the right as you exit baggage claim. You can also purchase your CAT ticket online. A single ticket is 14.90 Euro and a roundtrip ticket brings the cost each way to a bit less. The problem with the CAT is that is only makes one stop at Wien Mitte, which is great if you are staying near Wien Mitte, but very inconvenient if you are staying anywhere else in the city. Imagine you are staying at one of the many hotels near Rennweg. Your CAT blows past Rennweg, stopping at Wien Mitte. You then have to get back on another train, backtracking to Rennweg. Why didn't I just take the S7 and get off at Rennweg, you might ask yourself. Anyway, the CAT also takes the same tracks as the S7 and take 16 minutes as opposed to 20-25, so not really a time saver. The CAT also runs every 30 minutes. I think you can see my feelings, but ultimately, it is your choice. The only advantage I have ever found with the CAT is that you can check in your luggage at the CAT station at Wien Mitte for some, not all, airlines. For some, this may be useful. The CAT also has a zero entry floor.

https://www.cityairporttrain.com/en

Bus

VAL - The Vienna Airport Lines (VAL) bus is another option for getting to the city, particularly outer districts. There are three lines which you can read about in the link below. The cost is 11 Euro one way or 20 Euro round trip. For me personally, I do not like to risk it with traffic, but this might be convenient for those staying near the UN. The bus is also the best option for late night, very early morning departures to the airport.

https://www.wien.info/en/travel-info/arrival-departure/airport-to-center/bus-connections-341992

Car

Uber - Pretty self-explanatory. Download the Uber app. Pay in advance. Get to your accommodation, door to door, in probably 20 minutes. Cost will be 40-50 Euro most likely, but pricing is transparent before you pay. No need to speak to the driver and explain where you are going because you enter that information in the app. Tipping can also be included in the app payment. Uber pick up is on the departure floor, not the arrival floor.

Taxi - there is a taxi desk at the airport, so you can walk up and order one, paying a flat fee on the spot. You might want to tip your driver some cash. This will be the gold plated option. You can also order taxis in advance online, pre-paying. Here is a helpful link with a full explanation.

https://www.wien.info/en/travel-info/arrival-departure/airport-to-center/taxi-360908

Posted by
17953 posts

I can attest the Railjet is very easy if you need to get to the Hauptbanhof. I've done this a few times and will do so again next week.

Posted by
3 posts

Very good summary.

I agree that S7/REX7 and Railjet is a great option the majority of time. But if one arrives late especially after a long day of travel and being tired (as we recently did), using a taxi to get you door to door takes away much of the worry and hassle navigating a new new city at night.

Posted by
5960 posts

I hear you. If I am traveling for business, I definitely take an Uber - and I know how to get around.

Posted by
5391 posts

One note if taking taxi or car, have a printout of your hotel address with you. I told my driver at the airport Hilton Vienna Plaza on the Schottenring and he had never heard of it. I showed him the address, he put it into Google maps and voila. He was surprised when we got there, there seem to be several Hiltons in town.

Of course, it's standard advice when travelling to ALWAYS carry your hotel's address with you, just a business card can suffice. Or even a pen!

Posted by
24082 posts

Emily, I know how much work doing something like this is. I also know how helpful it can be. Thank you.

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