Vienna Travel Tips: A Guide to Vienna International Airport (VIE)

Located in just 18 km southeast of Vienna's City Center and only 57 km west of Bratislava, Vienna International Airport (Wien-Schwechat) is the largest airport in Austria. Vienna International Airport connects the Austrian capital with many Europeans cities and is a part of the dense network between Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa.

Whether you have spent your holidays in Vienna, a layover, or an overnight sleepover in Vienna, this guide will help you in planning your journey to the airport and enjoying your stay there.

Getting to Vienna International Airport From the City:

City Airport Train (CAT): The first option to get from Vienna's Landstrasse or Innere Stadt (City Center) to the International Airport is by the City Airport Train, called CAT. The journey takes only 16 minutes (11 €) and the CAT comes in every 30 minutes. The CAT runs from  6:05 in the morning until  23:35.

Bus:  There are several Bus Airport Lines connecting Vienna International Airport with Western Railway Station (Westbahnhof),  Schwedenplatz, Vienna International Centre, and Simmering. The journey takes between 20 and 45 minutes. There are buses every 10-15 minutes and the ticket price is about 7 €.

S-Bahn: The S-Bahn S7 is a good alternative to CAT, as it runs from Vienna International Airport to Wien Mitte (City Center), but there are more stops in between (e.g. Wien Rennweg, Wien Praterstern, Wien Handelskai, Wien Floridsdorf). S-Bahn (Line 7) runs from  4:19 from Wien Mitte in the morning until 23:49 and the ticket price is about 4,40 €. The journey takes about 25 minutes from the airport to Wien Mitte. 

Car: Of course you can choose to travel by car. Especially if you are on a business journey or you are coming from outside Wien, this option is probably the most convenient one.  If you are traveling by car there are many parking options at Vienna Airport with direct commuter train connection to the VIE terminals.  For example, Parktiger offers cheap parking spaces for only € 4.99 per day.

You can easily book your Parktiger parking space online. First, you have to check for the availability – you will be shown in real-time all available parking lots and their prices. Then simply choose your drop-off and pickup day and time, as well as the desired parking space. You can pay the parking space easily by credit card, Paypal or Sofort. You will receive a confirmation email including the invoice after the booking is completed. That's it!

The transfer to the Airport from Parktiger is fast and convenient. After you have parked your vehicle on the Parktiger parking lot, you can choose between the following options: Commuter Train (ca 6 minutes), Bolt (ca 8 minutes), UBER (ca 8 minutes), and Taxi (ca 8 minutes).

Vienna International Airport has four terminals: T1, T1A, T2, and T3. All international flights start from T1 and T3, and all budget airlines depart from T1A. While the layout of Vienna International Airport is a bit confusing, the terminals are actually directly connected to each other. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes as well as shops and boutiques where you can spend your time at the airport. There are also plenty of charging points and free unlimited WiFi.

If you have just an overnight sleepover in Vienna, don't worry – Vienna International Airport is a sleep-friendly airport. There are plenty of armrest-free benches and couches to choose from. If you have to spend the night at the airport, the best places for sleeping are the couches at T3 F Gates and the chairs at T1 B Gates. 

If you are rather going for sleeping in a hotel, there are several hotels directly connected to the airport by shuttles!

Tips For a Relaxed Stay at Vienna International Airport:

• So your flight has been canceled or delayed? After you make sure to register your flight for compensation at FlightRight, figure out what will happen to your next flight! Sign up for Airline Flight Status Notifications and if you have more than 5 hours to spend waiting at the airport, you can even take the metro or a taxi and go for shipping or sightseeing!
• Even if your flight is not cancelled but “only” delayed your compensation after 3 or more hours delay could be between € 250 and € 600.
• Since 2005, thanks to the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation travellers receive compensation in case of missed connection due to delay! This compensation is between € 250 and € 600 per person if you arrive 3 hours late at your final destination.
• Sign up for Airline Flight Status Notifications: sign up for notifications by flight numbers on the airline’s homepage. By doing so, you will always know where your flight is.
• Charge your phone at a power-source inside of the airport while waiting for your flight! Especially if you have a connecting flight that you’re probably going to miss, it is difficult to know when you are going to have this opportunity again!
• Head to an airport bookstore and buy a book or magazine and learn something new!
• Airport shopping – you can even get a professional make up made by a makeup artist for free!
• Do some work – you can answer all the E-Mails and private messages; prepare your homework or presentation; delete old photos, downloads, and files and make room for new ones!
• Call your friends and family! Or text someone you haven’t spoken to for a while …
• Clean out your wallet and handbag!
• Write a blog post about your delay and share experience on social media.
• Find a cozy place and turn it into a bed or just do some stretches!
• If you have free Wi-Fi or 3G – Netflix, Spotify, or Audible will be your best friends! Grab something to eat! … or to drink 😉

Enjoy your day!