Vienna, Austria — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Airlines flying directly to Vienna from the UK include Austrian Airways, British Airways, bmi and easyJet.
Vienna International Airport (VIE)
Tel: (01) 7007 22233.
Website: www.viennaairport.com
Vienna Airport is Austria's main airport and is located 18km (11 miles) southeast of the city.
Airport facilities
These include post offices, ATMs, bureau de change/banks, cafés, bars and restaurants, newsagents, a medical center and over 70 duty-free shops and boutiques. For high flyers there are 10 executive lounges, the Office Park III conference center and the VIP & Business Center. Car hire companies include Avis, Budget, Hertz, Sixt and Union.
Transport to the city
Buses depart from the airport to Morzinplatz/Schwedenplatz every 30 minutes (journey time - 20 minutes). Other buses go to Südbahnhof and Westbahnhof rail stations twice an hour (journey time - 20 and 35 minutes, respectively) and Kagran underground station every hour (journey time - 35 minutes).
Wiener Linien (tel: (01) 790 9100; www.wienerlinien.at) operates bus services from the airport, as well as an S-Bahn commuter train to Wien Mitte and Wien Nord where visitors can change to the U-Bahn (journey time - 24 minutes). The faster (16 minutes) but more expensive City Airport Train (CAT) (tel: (01) 25250; www.cityairporttrain.com) also operates regular services from the airport to Wien Mitte.
Taxis to the city (journey time - 30 minutes) are metered but a fixed price of €30-35 to the city center can be paid at the booking counter.
Approximate flight times to Vienna
From London to Vienna is 2 hours 10 minutes; from New York is 8 hours 50 minutes; from Los Angeles is 12 hours 30 minutes; from Toronto is 8 hours 45 minutes and from Sydney is 22 hours 15 minutes.
Getting There By Road
Austria has an excellent network of roads. Traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age is 18 years. Speed limits are 130kph (81mph) on motorways, 100kph (62mph) on main roads and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. Drivers must carry a European driving license or an International Driving Permit and third-party insurance is mandatory. Tolls are payable on a number of mountain roads, tunnels, motorways and main roads. Toll stickers (Autobahnvignette), which must be attached to the windscreen, are valid for either 10 days, two months or one year and can be purchased from tobacconists, border-crossing points, filling stations and from automobile clubs ARBÖ (www.arboe.or.at) and ÖAMTC (www.oeamtc.at).
Emergency breakdown services
ARBÖ (tel: 123); ÖAMTC (tel: 120).
Routes to the city
The Westautobahn (A1) connects Vienna to Linz, Salzburg and Western Europe. The Südautobahn (A2) leads to Graz, Klagenfurt and the Italian border. The Ostautobahn (A4) passes the airport on its way to Bratislava and Budapest. The A22 connects the city to Prague, in the north.
Driving times to the city
From Linz – 2 hours; Budapest – 2 hours 35 minutes; Salzburg – 3 hours.
Coach services
Eurolines Austria (tel: (01) 798 2900; www.eurolines.at) offers coach services throughout Europe, departing from their bus station at the U3 U-Bahn station Erdberg and occasionally from Südbahnhof. Coach services within Austria are operated in partnership with Blaguss Internationale Buslinien, Stubenring 4 (tel: (01) 610 900 or (01) 501 80100; www.blaguss.com). National services are also provided by Postbus (tel: (01) 71101; www.postbus.at) and a number of private operators.
Getting There By Rail
Rail Services
Österreichischen Bundesbahnen (ÖBB) (tel: 051 717; www.oebb.at) operates the rail network in Austria. In addition to the usual onboard services (restaurant and bar cars, snack trolleys and telephones), ÖBB offers mini-office compartments (with power points for laptop computers) and women-only compartments. Vienna's major rail stations and their U-Bahn connections are Westbahnhof, Europaplatz, on the U3 and U6, Südbahnhof, Südtirolerplatz, on the U1, Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof, Franz-Josefs Platz, on the U4, and Wien Mitte, Landstrasse Hauptstrasse 1, on the U3 and U4.
Rail Operators
Intercity trains within Austria follow the main eastbound route from Bregenz to Vienna (journey time – 8 to 9 hours) via Innsbruck, Salzburg and Linz, or travel north from Graz (journey time – 2 hours 30 minutes) or Klagenfurt (journey time – 4 hours 30 minutes), via Bruck an der Mur. There are departures to the major cities at least once every two hours. Domestic rail services pass through breathtaking Alpine scenery but unfortunately this is bypassed by the majority of international services. Travelers should watch out for the stunning view of the Melk Abbey on the main line approaching Vienna from the west. There are international services from most Central and Eastern European capitals. Trains are available from most Western European countries, including Paris (journey time – 14 hours) and Berlin (journey time – 11 hours) and from as far east as Moscow (although this journey takes one and a half days). The service to Prague takes about 4 hours.
Getting Around in Vienna, Austria
Public Transport
The Vienna Transport Authority, Wiener Linien (tel: (01) 790 9105; www.wienerlinien.at), operates the U-Bahn (underground), S-Bahn (commuter rail), Strassenbahn (tram) and bus network. After midnight, half-hourly night buses radiate out from Schwedenplatz, Schottentor, and outside the Staatsoper.
Vienna has one of the largest tram networks in the world. The trams are affectionately referred to as 'Bims' - a reference to the "bim-bim" signal-bell.
Tickets are available at Wiener Linien ticket offices and service centers, vending machines and tobacco/newsagent outlets. The Vienna Card (www.wienkarte.at) allows for 72 hours of travel on the U-bahn, trams and buses. Other passes include the 24-hour or 72-hour network pass, the weekly season ticket and the eight-day strip ticket.
Taxis
Taxis are equipped with meters. There is also a small calling fee for licensed Radio Taxis (tel: (01) 31300 or 40100 or 60160) and a small surcharge for hailing a taxi from a Taxistandplatz. A tip of 10% or rounding up to the nearest Euro is common.
Driving in the City
While pedestrians may appreciate the jumble of tiny streets in the Innerestadt, motorists will find it a nightmare. The area is best avoided and even at night it can be almost impossible to find a parking place on the street. Car parks are often located underneath squares and parking is expensive. Short-term street parking is available in districts one to nine and 20 of Vienna's 23 districts.
Car Hire
A national driving license is sufficient for nationals of EU states - other nationalities should obtain an International Driving Permit. The minimum age for hiring a car is 21 years, although many firms have a surcharge until 25 years. Third-party insurance is mandatory in Austria. Major car hire firms include Avis (tel: (01) 601 870; www.avis.at), Europcar (tel: (01) 714 6717; www.europcar.at) and Hertz (tel: (01) 512 8677; website: www.hertz.at).
Bicycle Hire
There is a network of well-marked bicycle paths, but riders should take care in the Innerestadt and along major routes. The Rad Weg, a booklet available from bookshops, shows all the cycle routes.
Vienna City Bike (tel: 0810 500 500; www.citybikewien.at) is a collection of 58 bike stands scattered throughout the city. You can pay using a Tourist Card, available from Royal Tours, Herrengasse 1-3, and many hotels (the first hour is free).
Private hire companies are principally located near the banks of the Danube River. These include Pedal Power, Austellungsstrasse 3 (tel: (01) 729 7234; www.pedalpower.at), who can deliver and collect the bikes to your address.
