How to get from Vienna airport to the city center

Vienna Schwechat Airport is the international airport of the Austrian capital. Its big advantage is that it’s only 20km to the south-east of the city, and offers a number of reliable and affordable options for getting to the city center. Or the other way round!

We’ll see that you can take a cab or VTC, a bus or, above all, a train, which is the most convenient way.

So let’s go and see what’s easiest, cheapest and fastest!

Take the TRAIN from the airport to Vienna city center

In Vienna, there’s a train that goes directly from the airport to the city center, and it’s super convenient: the CAT, for City Airport Train.

The station in the city center is at Vienna Mitte – Landstrasse, which is one of the city’s major transport hubs. It’s then very easy to take the U3 or U4 lines, in particular.

• Direction Airport – Vienna
  • First train 6:08 a.m.
  • Trains every half-hour thereafter (6:38, 7:08… 11:08, 11:38…)
  • Last departure from airport to city center: 23:38

• Direction Vienne – Airport :
  • First train 5h37
  • Train every half-hour thereafter (6.07, 6.37…12.07…)
  • Last departure for the airport 23:07

• The journey takes just 16 minutes!

• The ticket costs €14.90 one way (reduced with the Vienna City Card, which allows unlimited use of city transport).
  • but costs €24.90 return! (a €5 discount on the return trip)
  • tickets are valid for 6 months after purchase (practical)

Tip: for less than 4 people, it’s more cost-effective to take the CAT, the quickest and most practical option if you’re staying in the city center.

• Book your CAT train ticket between the city center and the airport!

The S7 urban train between the airport and Vienna city center – the cheapest

There’s another, cheaper train from Vienna airport to the city center, Vienna Mitte Landstrasse (as with the CAT), and a little further on to Praterstern, the S7 urban train line.

This train connects the airport to Landstrasse in 30 long minutes. Almost twice as long as the CAT train, but with two major advantages:

• the price. The ticket costs just 4.30 and can be picked up at the train station or on the OBB app.
• it starts earlier and finishes later
  • Praterstern – the airport
    • from 4.15 a.m. (4.19 a.m. Vienna Mitte) to 0.45 a.m., every 30 minutes
  • airport – city center
    • from 5h19 to 1h19, every 30 minutes
• For precise station timetables, it’s best to check the OBB website.

Take a TAXI / VTC from the airport to the city center

So then… I had several bad experiences in Vienna with cabs on my last trip. Like every time. The meter shows one price, you are given another price to be able to pick up your luggage. They charge more for payment by card. It’s all a sham. Maybe I’ve been unlucky, but I think that’s a lot on each trip.
You’ll also be offered “cab fare or friend fare”, but NEVER take the friend fare. It’s bad enough you get ripped off with the cab fare, but just imagine with the friend fare 😀

So I recommend VTC. There are no nasty surprises, you pay via the app and it works really well. And there are 2 in Vienna: Uber and Bolt. I’ve used both and both are very good.

• A trip between the airport and the city center (and vice versa) costs around €30 (without traffic jams).
• The journey takes about twenty minutes (without traffic jam)

Frankly, it’s a good option – let’s just say it’s more expensive than the train and bus, but it’s really the most convenient, as the airport isn’t far away.

Tip: it’s cost-effective for 3 people or more, so if there’s no traffic jam, it’s a good option. Beware of trickery: ask for the meter, don’t give your phone if the cab’s GPS (supposedly) doesn’t work.

4 recommended accommodations in Vienna

Take a PRIVATE DRIVER from the airport to the center of Vienna

It is possible to hire a private driver to take you from the airport to the city center. He’ll be waiting for you as you leave the plane with a small sign.

Although this is more expensive than a cab (€65), it has a few advantages:

• no nasty surprises like you can get with cabs (see above)
• no need to search, we’re waiting for you

But the price is double. So it’s a question of comfort that we’re willing to pay.

• Book your driver at Vienna airport

Now you know everything! So we have several options:

• the CAT train, the most practical
• the S7 urban train, the cheapest but not bad at all
• the VTC, which is reliable, fast and not too expensive
• and for a little more comfort, we have a private chauffeur to pick us up.

Which one to take will really depend on your situation, the price you’re willing to pay, and your luggage too (because lugging 20kg around on an urban train and metro isn’t easy). But in any case, you shouldn’t have any problems 🙂

• Take a look at Vienna’s most beautiful sights
• To find out a little more about Vienna, check out this article on the city’s most beautiful churches!
• And Vienna is also the perfect place to go if you want to attend a classical music concert in Vienna 🙂
• Finally, to discover the city, there’s nothing like a guide! Here are the best guided tours in Vienna