Getting to Vienna airport from the city
Vienna International Airport (airport code: VIE) is outside the city limits, about 20km (12.5 miles) from the city center. So how do you best get there?
- Quick access via car, train & bus
- Book a car transfer direct into Vienna*
- See also:
Car, train or bus?
(To the planes…)
As you can imagine, the airport’s easy to reach by car, taxi, train or bus. Below are travel tips and details for each. But before we start, three helpful pointers:
- If you have an early flight, here’s some advice on airport hotels (we have two practically opposite the terminals)
- Most transport routes use the standard “plane” symbol on signs and information, but it might help to know that the German for airport is Flughafen
Vienna international airport is Flughafen Wien, and you sometimes see it referred to by the name of the nearest major town: Flughafen Schwechat or Flughafen Wien – Schwechat.
- The airport is outside the Vienna travel zone
This means single-journey public transport tickets valid for Vienna (and city-wide network passes) only get you to the city limits and not the airport.
Option 1: By taxi / car
(Vienna’s taxi and other car transfer services can get you to the airport quickly)
- The Welcome people’s airport pickup service* also works in reverse for those going to the airport: you can pre-book a car transfer from, for example, your accommodation using an easy online English interface
- A local taxi service will take you out there, of course, too. Don’t forget to tip your driver. If you’re a user, Uber also operate in Vienna
Car hire returns
The airport and returns for hired cars* are easy to reach by road. Journey times depend, of course, on where you leave from and when. In good traffic, you can reach the airport from the centre of Vienna in around 20-25 minutes. In bad traffic, well…longer.
The address for your Sat-Nav or phone is Abflugstrasse in the town of Schwechat, but it should be a marked point of interest anyway on digital maps.
Simply leave Vienna southeast on the B227 road which runs parallel to the Danube canal and morphs into the A4 Ost-Autobahn (motorway). The airport is just off the motorway and has its own, clearly-signed exit (Junction 13, “Flughafen”).
Option 2: By train
(The non-stop CAT train has plenty of luggage space and takes you from Wien Mitte station out to the airport in 16 minutes; press photo © City Airport Train)
Various train lines serve the airport, and you have three main choices: the express CAT City Airport Train (fast and plenty of space for luggage), the S7 Schnellbahn (various stops in Vienna) or a Railjet (cross-country service that stops at Wien Hauptbahnhof station).
The CAT
This is the dedicated express train link between Vienna and the airport. It leaves from Wien Mitte – Landstraße station and delivers you to the airport (and vice versa) in 16 minutes, with no stops en route.
Wien Mitte – Landstraße is a large station close to the centre (just east of the old town) and sitting on various public transport lines, including:
- Subway (U3 and U4)
- Tram (line O)
- Train (S1, S2, S3, S4, S7)
- Bus (74A)
On timetables and elsewhere, the station name is sometimes shortened to just Landstraße or just Wien Mitte, but it’s all part of one complex.
The CAT is fast, modern and comfortable, with plenty of space for luggage.
Last time I checked, you paid €14.90 for a standard single adult ticket (which you can buy online* in advance). The timetable begins in the early morning and trains typically depart every 30 mins until very late evening.
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S7 city train
The S7 is a city train that stops at various points in Vienna and goes out to the airport and back again.
The route takes longer than the CAT with stops on the way (around 23 minutes from Wien Mitte, for example). It also runs every 30 minutes or so.
In my experience, the S7 trains are fuller and less user-friendly than the CAT, particularly in terms of space for luggage. But the service is cheaper (at the time of writing, €4.40 for a single ticket).
Another possible plus is you can catch the train from outlying stations if your accommodation is not near the centre. These are the stops within the city limits:
Floridsdorf, Handelskai, Traisengasse, Praterstern, Wien Mitte, Rennweg, St. Marx, Geiselbergstraße, Zentralfriedhof and Kaiserebersdorf
The train also calls in at Schwechat and Mannswörth stations between Vienna and the airport.
Railjet train
Some national trains using Vienna’s main train station (Wien Hauptbahnhof) stop at the airport, too. They’re relatively quick and you usually find one every 30 minutes or so.
Since these Railjet trains traverse the country, they can bring a lot of people to the airport. So it might make sense to reserve a seat along with a ticket.
You’ll find timetables, current prices and online tickets for the S7 and Railjet here (from ÖBB, our national railway).
Option 3: By bus
(The Morzinplatz stop for the airport bus)
As with trains, various bus services go to the airport.
Vienna Airport Lines typically operates three services with pickup points throughout the city:
- VAL1: Westbahnhof railway station to VIE via Hauptbahnhof railway station
- VAL2: Morzinplatz/Schwedenplatz (at the edge of the old town) to VIE direct
- VAL3: Donauzentrum to VIE via Kagraner Brücke, Hotel NH Danube City, VIC/Kaisermühlen, Krieau, Stadion, Donaumarina
The Krieau stop is good for the Messe Wien exhibition and congress center, for example. And the NH Danube City is one of the top hotel choices for staying near the Austria Centre or UN.
Journey times vary but can be as little as 20 minutes. Look for up-to-date prices, timetables etc. at the VAL website.
