Schwechat – Vienna International Airport, which is Austria’s main airport. This complex was founded in 1938 and named after a small town located near the capital city. The airport annually serves more than 20 million passengers. In 2008, the air harbor was recognized as the best in Central Europe. You can get from it to the center in an average of 20-25 minutes (the distance is 19 km). The Austrian capital has a highly developed public transport infrastructure, and if you are looking for information on how to get to the city from Vienna Airport, it will be useful for you to study this article.
Upon arrival in the capital, after receiving luggage, passengers are sent to the exit, guided by convenient signs. There are many ways to get to the city center from the air harbor: by high-speed trains and buses, taxis and rented cars. More details about each option are described below.
CAT high-speed train
If you want to get to the center as quickly as possible, then we recommend using the CAT train, the routes of which are conveniently connected with the city metro. It is quite easy to find the platform by special signs with the inscription “City express” painted in green. The trains run daily from 06:09 to 23:39. Flights from Vienna Airport depart every half hour. Trains are equipped with comfortable carriages with soft seats, where free Wi-Fi is available, there are sockets and a TV.
Using CAT high-speed trains, you can reach the city center in 16 minutes without stops. The cost of the trip depends on the type of travel card you choose and how you purchased it. So, having booked a ticket online on the CAT official website, you will pay 11 € for a one-way trip, and 19 € for a round-trip trip. You can pay for tickets at SAT branded terminals, which are installed both in the arrival hall and on the platform. But in this case, the cost of a one-time trip is 12 €, and a two-time trip is 21 €. The terminal station of the route is Wien Mitte, located in the city center.
S7 electric train
If you would like to find out how to get from Vienna Airport more budgetally, we recommend that you consider a public transport option such as the S7 train. This is the S-Bahn railway system operating inside the city. You can find the platform at the exit from the arrivals hall at the signs with the inscription S7. Flights to Wien Mitte Station (city center) are operated every day from 04:48 to 00:18. The train interval is 30 minutes. On the way to the center, the train makes 5 stops. Travel time is approximately 25 minutes.
S7 train, departing from the airport to the center, crosses two tariff zones, so the cost of the trip is 4, 40 €. You can buy travel cards in special terminals on the platform or online on the Austrian railway portal OBB. If you take a ticket online, then its price will be 0,20 € less. Before traveling, passengers must validate their ticket in the appropriate machines. The Wien Mitte stop is conveniently connected to the U3 and U4 subway stations, which allows you to change the subway in a matter of minutes and go to the desired point.
Intercity Express (ICE)
Another way to get from Vienna Airport to the city center is the ICE high-speed train. The company provides routes not only within the capital, but also to neighboring cities and countries. To find the apron, use the appropriate signs inside the air harbor. Upon arrival at the station, be sure to check the information about the platform you need. ICE high-speed trains run from the airport to Vienna’s main station, which is located in the very center of the city. The trains advance in a given direction every half hour from 06:33 to 21:33. Travel time takes 18 minutes.
Tickets are purchased directly from platforms in terminals, from a conductor or on the OBB website. The cost of a one-time trip is 4.40 €. If you buy a ticket online, then its price will be 0,20 € less. Intercity Express wagons offer enhanced comfort with restrooms, power sockets, air conditioning and free Wi-Fi. This option will be especially convenient for those tourists who plan on arriving in the capital to get to other cities in Austria or to neighboring countries.
By bus
If you prefer to travel by car, it will be useful for you to know how to get from Vienna Airport to the center by bus. Flights from the air harbor to the city are operated by different transport companies, but Vienna Airport Lines and Air Liner are most trusted.
The company’s buses offer routes from the air harbor to the main central streets of Vienna (more than 10 directions), as well as to metropolitan stations. Find bus stops easily on special signs. Each path has its own schedule. For example, flights on the route airport – main station are operated daily from 06:00 to 00:30. You can catch a bus every half hour. The trip takes about 25 minutes. You will find more detailed information on all the presented directions on the company website.
Regardless of the route you choose, the fare for the bus will be 8 €. If you buy a round-trip ticket, then pay 13 €. For persons from 6 to 14 years, the price will be 4 € and 8 €, respectively. Passengers under 6 years old get free travel. You can buy tickets from the driver, in advance online or in the terminals near the stops.
You can also get to the main streets of the city by Air Liner transport, whose parking is located in the bus terminal No. 3 at bus stop No. 9. Flights are operated daily from 05:30 to 22:30, the traffic interval is 30 minutes. Buses arrive from the air harbor to the city center at the Wien Erdberg stop in about 25 minutes. The cost of a one-time trip for adults is 5 €, a two-time trip – 9 €. For passengers from 6 to 11 years old, the fare is 2.5 € and 4.5 €. Persons under 6 years old can ride for free. Payment of the ticket is made directly to the driver, on the official portal of the company or in the corresponding terminals.
By taxi
The most convenient option to get to the center of Vienna, of course, will be a taxi, which can be found immediately at the exit from the airport. The cost of an individual trip starts from 35 €. The option will be beneficial only if the number of passengers reaches 4 people. Travel time to the center, for example, to Stefansplatz square, varies from 20 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic jams. You can order a car in advance on specialized sites where you will have the opportunity to independently choose the class of car that meets all your requirements.
On a rented car
How to get from Vienna airport to the center on your own? This can be done quite easily with the help of a car rental service. You can rent a car both upon arrival at the international terminal, and in advance on special sites. In the arrivals hall you will find several offices of well-known companies: they all work from 07:00 to 23:00. You can rent a car in advance via the Internet. In this case, you indicate the day of arrival, rental period and class of the car, and then make the payment.
The rental price of the simplest car starts from 35 €, and more elite options will cost at least 2 times more expensive. Your chosen car will be waiting for you on the day of arrival at the exit from the international terminal. You can return the transport in any city office of the company. Before deciding in favor of renting a car, it is worth considering that parking in the center of Vienna is quite expensive (from 1 € for 30 minutes). Moreover, the maximum parking time is 2-3 hours, after which you have to look for a new parking space.
Conclusion
Now you know how to get to the city from Vienna Airport. We have considered all the possible options: among them you will find both the fastest and the cheapest transport. And you just have to determine which of them will meet exactly your requirements.
