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Vienna Schwechat Airport is the international airport of the Austrian capital. Its big advantage is that it sits just 20km south-east of the city and offers plenty of options, reliable and at all price points, to reach the city centre. Or the other way round!
So we’ll see that you have options by taxi or private hire, by bus but above all by train, which is the most convenient way.
Right then, let’s look at it all, let’s see what’s the simplest, the cheapest, the fastest!
Taking the TRAIN to reach Vienna city centre from the airport
In Vienna, there’s a train that goes directly from the airport to the city centre and is super handy, the CAT, for City Airport Train.
The city-centre station is at Wien Mitte – Landstrasse, which is one of the city’s major transport hubs. From there it’s very easy to hop on the U3 or U4 lines in particular
- Direction Airport – Vienna
- First train 6:08am
- Then a train every half hour (6:38am, 7:08am… 11:08am, 11:38am…)
- Last departure from the airport for the city centre: 11:38pm
- Direction Vienna – Airport:
- First train 5:37am
- Then a train every half hour (6:07am, 6:37am…12:07pm…)
- Last departure for the airport 11:07pm
- The journey takes just 16 minutes!
- The ticket costs €14.90 one way (discount with the Vienna City Card which lets you use the city’s transport as much as you like)
- but costs €24.90 return! (a €5 saving on the trip)
- tickets are valid for 6 months after purchase (handy)
Tip: below 4 people it’s more cost-effective to take the CAT, the most convenient and very fast if you’re staying in the city centre.
You can enlarge the image by clicking on it, and you can download the timetable in PDF format by clicking here!
The S7 urban train between the airport and Vienna city centre – the cheapest
There’s another, cheaper train to get from Vienna airport to the city centre, Wien Mitte Landstrasse (as with the CAT), and a little further on Praterstern, it’s the S7 urban train line.
This train links the airport to Landstrasse in a good 30 minutes. Almost double the CAT train, but it has two big advantages:
- the price. The ticket costs just €4.30, you need to buy it at the train station or on the ÖBB app
- it starts earlier and finishes later
- Praterstern – the airport
- from 4:15am (4:19am Wien Mitte) to 12:45am, every 30 minutes
- airport – city centre
- from 5:19am to 1:19am, every 30 minutes
- Praterstern – the airport
- For the precise times at the stations, it’s best to check on the ÖBB website
Taking a TAXI / private hire to get to the city centre from the airport
So, right… I had several bad experiences in Vienna with taxis on my last trip. Like, every single time. The meter shows one price, they give you another so you can get your luggage back. They charge more for paying by card. It’s a con at every turn. Maybe I was just unlucky, but on every single trip that adds up to a lot, I reckon.
They’ll also offer you a “taxi price or a mates’ price”; NEVER take the mates’ price. We already get ripped off with the taxi price, so imagine with the mates’ price 😀
Sooo I recommend private-hire apps. There are no nasty surprises, you pay through 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 centre (and vice versa) costs around €30 (without traffic)
- The journey takes about twenty minutes (without traffic)
Honestly, it’s a good option; let’s say it’s pricier than the train and the bus, but it really is the most convenient since the airport isn’t far.
Tip: it’s worth it from 3 people upwards; if there’s no traffic then it’s a good option. Do really watch out for the cons, be sure to ask for the meter, and don’t hand over your phone if the taxi’s GPS (supposedly) isn’t working.
That said, if you don’t want the hassle, book your taxi through Booking and it’ll be waiting for you. Plus the fare is set in advance. No risk of being scammed.
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Taking a PRIVATE DRIVER to get from the airport to the centre of Vienna
You can call on a private driver to take you from the airport to the city centre. They’ll wait for you as you come off the plane with a little sign.
Although it’s pricier than a taxi (€65) it has a few advantages:
- no nasty surprises like you can get with taxis (see just above)
- no need to hunt around, someone’s waiting for you
But the price is double. So it’s a question of the comfort you’re willing to pay for.
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A classical concert in the Gothic acoustics of St Stephen's Cathedral, where Mozart and Haydn once played, with several categories available.
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A one-hour concert beneath the baroque vaults of St Peter's Church, with performances of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Vivaldi.
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There you go, now you know everything! So we have several options:
- the CAT train, the most convenient
- the S7 urban train, the cheapest but really not bad at all
- private hire, which is reliable, fast and not too pricey
- and for a bit more comfort, there’s the private driver who comes to pick you up
To know which to choose, it’ll really depend on your situation, on the price you want to pay, and on your luggage too (because lugging 20kg around on an urban train and metro isn’t great). But either way, you shouldn’t have any problems 🙂
- For a real feast for the eyes, discover the most beautiful places in Vienna
- Not sure where to stay? then take a look at the best value-for-money hotels in Vienna!
- To find out a little more about Vienna, you can have a read of this article on the most beautiful churches in the city!
- And Vienna is also a perfect place if you’d like to attend a classical music concert in Vienna 🙂
- Finally, to discover the city, there’s nothing like a guide! Here I introduce you to the best guided tours of Vienna
