Getting around in Austria

Willkommen in Österreich!

As you are planning your bicycle trip and beyond, you will certainly wonder how to best get around. We’re here to help and have put together some general information and tips for you. You will find tour-specific travel information in the online itinerary specific to your tour. Note that any fares and timing mentioned are estimates.

We also recommend Rome2Rio, which is an excellent route and travel planning resource.

Vienna

Vienna International Airport (VIE)

The airport is located about 30 minutes from central Vienna. It is a well-connected hub, and you can expect to find several flights to get you here. It is also well-connected to downtown Vienna.

To and From the Vienna Airport

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By commuter train (S-Bahn)

The S-Bahn is the commuter rail that will provide the most convenient connection to the city center. Look for the S7 line, then hop on the train to Floridsdorf, get off at Wien Mitte-Landstraße; it will take about 25 minutes to reach the city center from the airport. Once you are in the city, take the U-Bahn to wherever you would like. The station for the commuter train is one level below arrivals. Make sure you purchase a Vienna Zone 100 ticket (for the inner Vienna area) and one VOR (‘outside zone’) ticket. Validate your ticket at the red ticket machines on the train platforms before boarding; conductors will charge you if you don’t validate it! Train schedules can be found at www.oebb.at.

By City Airport Train (CAT)

This non-stop train takes you to Wien Mitte-Landstraße in 16 minutes. It leaves on the :05 and :35 of each hour; if you are not there for those times or are headed to a different part of the city center, take the commuter train.

By Shuttle Bus

Buses go frequently between the airport and the city center, operated by Postbus. The tickets can be purchased with cash from the operator.

By Taxi

In Austria, cab fare needs to be negotiated prior to the ride. It should cost around EUR 25 to 30 to get to the city center. You can also work with Airport Service Wien for a direct transfer.

Getting around in Vienna

Vienna’s public transport system is one of the most efficient in the world. The metro system (U-Bahn) is clean and very quick and trams and buses are punctual. A one-trip ticket, standard for all forms of public transport, is available from ticket booths (Vorverkauf) at U-Bahn stations and from tobacconists. If you’re making more than two trips a day you should invest in a travel pass (Netzkarte), which allows you to travel on all forms of public transport within the city limits. You can buy a 24-hour ticket, a 72-hour ticket or a weekly pass.

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U-Bahn or Subway

The U-Bahn is the fastest way of getting around the city and trains run from between 5am-1am (the times of first and last trains are posted up at individual stations).

City Bus

City buses are handy for getting to backstreets where there are few U- Bahn stations and tram routes. Despite having to deal with traffic they are surprisingly punctual and run from Mon-Sat.

Tram

The city has one of the largest tram systems in the world, with more than thirty routes. Trams are also quite fast and efficient, and run every five to ten minutes, depending on the time of day. Check the timetables posted at every stop for full details.

Major Train Stations in Austria:

Vienna: Südbahnhof station
Salzburg Hbf
InnsbruckHbf
Austrian Train System: www.oebb.at

Types of trains in Austria:

S-Bahn/Schnellbahn: Commuter trains offered in several regions and suburban areas.
RSB Regio S-Bahn: An express version of the S-Bahn making limited stops.
R Regionalzug: A regional train stops normally in all stations.
REX Regionalexpress: An express regional train, stops at more significant stations.
ÖBB IC Inter-City: Connects major towns and cities.
EC Euro-City: An international Inter-City train.
ÖBB ICE Inter-City-Express: A high-speed train.
RJ RailJet: Austria’s home-grown high-speed train.

Back to Travel Planning Austria