Getting Here & Around

Getting Here & Around

By Air

Vienna's airport is at Schwechat, about 19 km (12 mi) southeast of the city. Austrian Airlines flies into Schwechat from North America.

Airport Transfers

The fastestway into Vienna from Schwechat Airport is the sleek, double-decker CAT, or City Airport Train. From the airport to Wien-Mitte (the center of the city) takes only 16 minutes, and trains operate daily every 20 minutes between 5:30 AM and midnight. The cost is EUR 8 one way and EUR 15 round-trip. But the cheapestway to get into town from the airport is the S7 train, called the Schnellbahn, which shuttles twice an hour between the station beneath the airport and the Landstrasse/Wien-Mitte (city center) and Wien-Nord (north Vienna) stations; the fare is EUR 3.40, and it takes about 35 minutes. Your ticket is also good for an immediate transfer to your destination within the city on streetcar, bus, or U-Bahn.

Another cheap option is the bus, which has two separate lines. One line goes to Schwedenplatz/Postgasse (1st District, city center) every 30 minutes between 5 AM and 12:30 AM; traveling time is 20 minutes. The second line goes to the South and West train stations (Südbahnhof and Westbahnhof) in 20 and 35 minutes, respectively. Departure times are every 30 minutes from 5:30 AM to 11:10 PM. Fare is EUR 6 one way, EUR 11 round-trip.

If convenience is your priority, Airport Driver has private transfers to the airport; one-way is EUR 29, but you must reserve 48 hours in advance by phone or online. For parties of four the minivan charge is EUR 35. A regular taxi between the airport and the city center will charge between EUR 33 and EUR 37.

By Boat & Ferry

When you arrive in Vienna via the Danube, the Blue Danube Steamship Company/DDSG will leave you at Praterlände near Mexikoplatz. The Praterlände stop is a two-block taxi ride or walk from the Vorgartenstrasse U1/subway station, or you can take a taxi directly into town.

By Bus

International long-distance bus services arrive either at the Südbahnhof (south railway station) on the Gürtel or at the large Erdbergstrasse bus station. Most postal (local) and railroad buses arrive at either a railway station or the Wien Mitte-Landstrasse Bahnhof located behind the Hotel Hilton on Stadtpark.

By Car

Vienna is 300 km (187 mi) east of Salzburg, 200 km (125 mi) north of Graz. Main routes leading into the city are the A1 Westautobahn from Germany, Salzburg, and Linz and the A2 Südautobahn from Graz and points south. Rental cars can be arranged at the airport or in town. Buchbinder is a local firm with particularly favorable rates and clean cars.

On highways from points south or west or from Vienna's airport, zentrum signs clearly mark the route to the center of Vienna. From there, however, finding your way to your hotel is a challenge, because traffic planners have installed a devious scheme prohibiting through traffic in the city core (the 1st District). Traffic congestion within Vienna is not as bad as in some places, but driving to in-town destinations generally takes longer than public transportation does. In the city a car is a burden. Public transportation is always the better bet in the city—it's clean, reliable, and easy to use.

Parking

The entire 1st through 9th districts, as well as the 20th and part of the 15th, are limited-parking zones and require that a Parkschein, a paid-parking chit available at most newsstands and tobacconists, be filled in and displayed on the dash during the day. At this writing, Parkscheine cost EUR 0.80 for 30 minutes, EUR 1.60 for one hour, EUR 2.40 for 90 minutes and EUR 3.20 for two hours. These are required from 8 AM until 10 PM but a maximum parking time of two hours is permitted. You can park for 10 minutes free of charge, but you must get a violet "gratis" sticker (check for one at a newsstand, tobacconist, or bank) to put in your windshield. You can also park free in the 1st District on Saturday from noon until Monday at 8 am.

By Public Transit: Bus, Tram & U-Bahn

When it comes to seeing the main historic sights, Vienna is a city to tackle on foot. With the exception of the Schönbrunn and Belvedere palaces and the Prater amusement park, most sights are concentrated in the center, the 1st District, much of which is a pedestrian zone. Happily, Vienna's subway system, called the U-Bahn, services the core of the inner city.

The main city-center subway stops in the 1st District are Stephansplatz, Karlsplatz, Herrengasse, Schottenring, and Schwedenplatz. Stephansplatz is the very heart of the city, at St. Stephen's cathedral, with exits to the Graben and Kärntnerstrasse. You can reach the amusement park of the Prater from Stephansplatz by taking the U1 to Praterstern. Near the southern edge of the Ringstrasse, the major Karlsplatz stop is right next to the Staatsoper, the pedestrian Kärntnerstrasse, and the Ringstrasse, with an easy connection to Belvedere Palace via the D Tram. You can also take the U4 from Karlsplatz to Schönbrunn Palace (Schönbrunn stop). Herrengasse is also in the city center, close to the Hofburg and Graben. Schottenring is on the Ringstrasse, offering quick tram connections or a short walk on foot to the Graben. Schwedenplatz is ideally situated for a 10-minute walk to St. Stephen's through some of Vienna's oldest streets. You can also take the U1 from Schwedenplatz to the Prater, getting off at Praterstern. Karlsplatz is serviced by the train lines U4, U2, U1, while U3 goes to Herrengasse and U2 to Stadion (the newly built station next to where the European Football Championship final was held in June 2008). In addition, there are handy U-Bahn stops along the rim of the city core, such as MuseumsQuartier, Stadtpark, Volkstheater, and Rathaus. You can also hop across the 1st District by using bus lines 1A, 2A, and 3A if you don't want to walk 10 minutes from one U-Bahn stop to another.

Vienna's public transportation system is fast, clean, safe, and easy to use. Get public transport maps at a tourist office or at the transport-information offices (Wiener Verkehrsbetriebe), underground at Karlsplatz, Stephansplatz, and Praterstern. You can transfer on the same ticket between subway, streetcar, bus, and long stretches of the fast suburban railway, or Schnellbahn (S-Bahn).

Five subway (U-Bahn) lines, whose stations are prominently marked with blue U signs, crisscross the city. Karlsplatz, Schwedenplatz, and Stephansplatz are the main transfer points between lines. The last subway (U4) runs at about 12:30 AM. Track the main lines of the U-Bahn system by their color codes on subway maps: U1 is red; U2, purple; U3, orange; U4, green; and U6, brown. Note that you have to open the subway door when the train stops, either by pushing a lighted button or pulling the door handle aside.

The first streetcars (Strassenbahnen) run from about 5:15 AM. From then on service is regular and reliable (barring gridlock on the streets), and most lines operate until about midnight. The most famous tram lines are No. 1, which travels the great Ringstrasse avenue clockwise, and No. 2, which travels it counterclockwise; each offers a cheap way to admire the glories of Vienna's 19th-century Ringstrasse monuments. Where streetcars don't run, buses—Autobusse—do; route maps and schedules are posted at each bus or subway stop and new electronic display boards at each stop show the minutes until the arrival of the next tube, bus, or tram.

Should you miss the last streetcar or bus, special night buses with an N designation operate at half-hour intervals over several key routes; the starting (and transfer) points are the Opera House and Schwedenplatz. These night-owl buses accept all normal tickets. There is no additional fare.

Tickets for public transportation are valid for all public transportation—buses, trams, and the subway. It's best to buy your ticket at a U-Bahn stop before boarding a bus or tram. Though there are ticket machines on trams and buses there is a surcharge of EUR 0.50. Passengers can enter and exit buses and trams through any door. You'll need to punch your ticket before entering the boarding area at U-Bahn stops, but for buses and trams you punch it on board. Though Vienna's public transportation operates on the honor system, if you're caught without a ticket you'll pay a hefty fine.

Buy single tickets for EUR 2.20 from dispensers on the streetcar or bus; you'll need exact change for the former. The ticket machines (labeled VOR-Fahrkarten) at subway stations give change and dispense 24-hour, 72-hour, and eight-day tickets, as well as single tickets.At Tabak-Trafik (cigarette shops-newsstands) or the underground Wiener Verkehrsbetriebe offices you can buy blocks or single tickets, each ticket good for one uninterrupted trip in the same general direction, with unlimited transfers. Or you can get a three-day ticket for EUR 13.60, good on all lines for 72 hours from the time you validate the ticket; there's also a 24-hour ticket for EUR 5.70. If you're staying longer, get an eight-day ticket (EUR 27.20), which can be used on eight separate days or by any number of persons (up to eight) at any one time. A very cheap, less-well-known option is the Wochenkarte (week card). This ticket is valid for seven days, one calendar week (Monday to Sunday), includes unlimited travel, is transferable, and costs only EUR 14. Prices, current at this writing, are subject to change. Children under six travel free on Vienna's public transport system; children under 15 travel free on Sunday, public holidays, and during Vienna school holidays. If you don't speak German, opt to purchase your tickets from a person at a Tabak or main U-Bahn station.

As with most transport systems in European cities, it is essential to validate, or punch, your ticket when you start your trip. You'll find the validation machines on all buses, trams, and at the entrance of each U-Bahn station—look for the blue box and slide your ticket into the machine until you hear a "punch." Public transportation is on the honor system, but if you're caught without a punched ticket the spot fine is EUR 72. Tabak-Trafik Almassy is open every day from 8 AM to 7 PM, and has tickets as well as film and other items.

By Taxi

Taxis in Vienna are relatively reasonable. The initial charge is EUR 3.50 for as many as four people daytime, and about 5% more from 11 PM until 6 AM. Radio cabs ordered by phone have an initial charge of EUR 6.50. They also may charge for each piece of luggage that must go into the trunk, and a charge is added for waiting beyond a reasonable limit. It's customary to round up the fare to cover the tip. You can flag a cab down in the street in Vienna, but it's easier to look for a taxi stand. Service is usually prompt, but when you hit rush hour, the weather is bad, or you need to keep to an exact schedule, call ahead and order a taxi for a specific time. If your destination is the airport, ask for a reduced-rate taxi. There are several companies that offer chauffeured limousines.

Taxi drivers may need to know which of the 23 districts you seek, as well as the street address. The district number is coded into the postal code with the second and third digits; thus A-1010 (the "01") is the 1st District, A-1030 is the 3rd, A-1110 is the 11th, and so on.

By Train

Trains from Germany, Switzerland, and western Austria arrive at the Westbahnhof (West Station), on Europaplatz, where Mariahilferstrasse crosses the Gürtel. If you're coming from Italy or Hungary, you'll generally arrive at the Südbahnhof (South Station). There are currently two stations for trains to and from Prague and Warsaw: Wien Nord (North Station) and Franz-Josef Bahnhof. Central train information has schedule information for train departures all over Austria. However, it's hard to find somebody who speaks English, so it's best to ask your hotel for help in calling. Note that massive construction work began 2008 at Westbahnhof, on a central railway station; expect detours and delays for at least the next three to four years.