Transportation

1. Air

The Vienna International Airport (VIE) is the major travel hub of the city

Tel: (01) 70070.

Fax: (01) 25351.

Austria's main airport (Wien Schwechat) is located 18km (11 miles) southeast of the city. In 2001, the airport handled almost 11.84 million passengers.

Approximate flight times from some of the major cities of the world to Vienna are:

London to Vienna - 2 hours 10 minutes

New York to Vienna - 8 hours 50 minutes

Los Angeles to Vienna - 12 hours 30 minutes

Toronto to Vienna - 8 hours 45 minutes

Sydney to Vienna - 22 hours 15 minutes

The airport houses cafés, snack bars, restaurants, and bars, in addition to a grocery stores, florists, pharmacies, newsagents, duty-free shops and boutiques. There is also a 24-hour Medical Centre (including a vaccination center) and a Wellness Centre (massage, showers, solarium and Wellness Bar) at the airport. Car hire services are available from different companies right from the airport itself.

There is also a business center at the airport, The VIP & Business Centre, which organizes events and press conferences and also provides banqueting, photocopying and telex services. You also have the Danube Aviator Club, which is a lounge for frequent users of the Vienna Airport, which provides various services such as workspace, telephone, modem, fax and message services, as well as an adjacent conference center. Besides these, the airport also offers 12 executive lounges.

You can get to the city from the airport by either an S-bahn commuter train or by bus. Buses run constantly from the Vienna International Airport. It takes 25 minutes to get to Wien Mitte and Wien Nord when traveling by the S-bahn train where visitors can change to the U-Bahn. A single ticket costs €3 (with an additional €1.50 for onward travel on public transit).

The airport is connected to the city by the A4 Airport Motorway and B9 main road. Buses to the City Air Terminal depart from the airport every 20-30 minutes and take approximately 20 minutes to get there. There are also other buses running once an hour, which will take you to Südbahnhof and Westbahnhof rail stations, and take around 20 and 35 minutes respectively to get there. You can get a ticket for €5.80.

2. Bus

A cheaper alternative to reach Vienna from major European cities is Eurolines buses. They usually stop at the subway station Erdberg. There exists a network of night buses in Vienna which is relatively less expensive than taking a taxi and also your best bet during those hours.

3. Car

Austria has an excellent road network. Austrians love their cars and this is evident by the number of cars you witness on the streets. But, because of this, you have to face major parking problems in almost all big cities. Traffic jams are common sites and often prevent you from enjoying your ride. Hence, you would be better off opting for public transport rather than rent a car or hire a cab.

4. Train

The public transport system in Austria is excellent and in that the rail network is reliable and fast. The official website of Austria has a lot of information on train timetables, services and discounts. There are several major train stations in Vienna and amongst them the Southern and Western stations are well connected to the rest of the city. So, they are your best bet for catching a train to your destination. The tube too proves to be a particularly easy and comfortable way to travel.

5. Ferry

You can get to Vienna by boat from cities along the River Danube, such as Passau (Germany), Bratislava (Slovak Republic) and Budapest (Hungary). The main dock for passenger boats to and from Vienna is the Reichsbrücke Schiffahrtszentrum (Navigation Centre). The center has a café, restaurant with a terrace, customs and shipping facilities. For local boat tours, the small boat terminal near Schwedenplatz station is used.

Hydrofoil services are available from Bratislava from Wednesday to Sunday from May to October (journey time - 1 hour 45 minutes) and cost €21 one-way or €32 return. Trips from Budapest to Vienna are available from April to October for €75 one-way or €99 for the return journey (journey time - 6 hours 20 minutes). There are also many other short cruise options available. However, prior reservations are required for these.

6. Taxi

Taxis to the city charge a fixed price of €35 to €40 to the city center. The fare can be paid at the booking counter itself. There is a surcharge for luggage, which is charged at €1 for 20-50kg and €2 for more than 50kg. While going from the city to the airport keep in mind that a charge of €10 may be added to the fare to cover the driver's return cost.