Arriving in Vienna

Vienna International Airport (VIE; www.viennaairport.com) has good connections worldwide, but some travellers might find it more convenient to use international flights to Frankfurt am Main or Munich (Germany), Budapest (Hungary) or Zürich (Switzerland) and travel on by train. There are excellent high-speed rail connections and advance booking deals between Vienna and all of these cities except Bratislava (Slovakia):

» Budapest (three hours, €77)

» Bratislava (regional express only; one hour, €16)

» Frankfurt am Main (seven hours, €136)

» Munich (via Salzburg; four hours, €89)

» Zürich (eight hours, €106)

For more about flights to/from Vienna, go to the Vienna International Airport website. For railway timetables and prices, see the ÖBB (Austrian National Railways; www.oebb.at) website or the Deutsche Bahn (German National Railways; www.bahn.de) website.

Vienna has no central bus station. Südtiroler Platz (alongside Hauptbahnhof) is the closest thing to one. Eurolines ( 798 29 00; www.eurolines.com; Erdbergstrasse 200; 6.30am-9pm) uses its own terminal at the U3 U-Bahn station Erdberg, along with Südtiroler Platz and a few other stops. It has bus connections with the rest of Europe.

Flights, cars and tours can be booked online at lonely planet.com.

Vienna International Airport

Train

City Airport Train (CAT; www.cityairporttrain.com; return adult/child €19/free; departs airport 5.36am-11.06pm) services connect Wien-Mitte railway station and the airport every 30 minutes from early morning to late at night (€12, 16 minutes). See the website or www.viennaairport.com for exact times. The S7 (€3.80, 30 minutes) does the same journey to the airport. See www.oebb.at for times.

Bus

Vienna Airport Lines (www.postbus.at) has three services connecting different parts of Vienna with the airport. The most central is to/from the Vienna Airport Lines bus stop at Morzinplatz/Schwedenplatz (bus 1185; one way €8, 20 minutes), running via Wien-Mitte. A service also runs to/from Wien Dörfelstrasse (Wien-Meidling Bahnhof) while the Hauptbahn­hof is being completed. See the website for the latest on routes to/from Hauptbahnhof once that is completed.

Taxi

A standard taxi to/from the airport costs about €36 if you call ahead or go directly to the yellow 40 100 Taxi Service ( 40 100; www.taxi40100.at) in the arrival hall near the bookshop. C&K Airport Service ( 444 44; www.cundk.at) has a similar deal, though its desk service at the airport costs a few euros more. Otherwise expect to pay about €50.

Airport Bratislava (Letisko)

Airport Bratislava (Letisko; +421 (2) 3303 3353; www.airportbratislava.sk) is located 60km east of Vienna.

Bus

Buses leave outside the airport arrival hall between 8.25am and 9.25pm daily, travelling via Vienna International Airport to Vienna’s Südtiroler Platz.

From Vienna to Airport Bratislava almost hourly buses depart Südtiroler Platz between approximately 6am and 11pm daily, going via Vienna International Airport (one way/return €8/14.50, two hours; return tickets valid 180 days).

The bus also stops at the Eurolines terminal in Erdberg on the way. Book online at www.slovaklines.sk or at www.eurolines.com. For information and reservations by telephone call:

» Wien Südtiroler Platz +43 (1) 504 6430

» Bratislava +421 (2) 55 422 734

You can also take the bus to the centre of Bratislava and pick up a frequent train from Bratislava train station to Vienna.

Wien Hauptbahnhof

The Wien Hauptbahnhof is expected to be fully completed in January 2015.

» S-Bahn S1, S2 and S3 connect Hauptbahnhof with Wien Meidling, Wien-Mitte and Praterstern.

» U-Bahn U1 to/from Karlsplatz and Stephansplatz.

» Tram 0 to Praterstern, 18 to Westbahnhof and Burggasse/Stadthalle. Tram D connects Hauptbahnhof-Ost with the Ringstrasse.

» Bus 13A runs through Vienna’s Vorstädte (inner suburbs) Margareten, Mariahilf, Neubau and Josefstadt, all between the Ringstrasse and the Gürtel.

Wien Meidling

You are only likely to arrive here if coming from Graz or other parts of southern Austria. Eventually long-distance services will shift to Hauptbahnhof .

» S-Bahn S1, S2 and S3 connect Hauptbahnhof with Wien Meidling, Wien-Mitte and Praterstern.

» U-Bahn U6 (Wien Meidling/Philadelphiabrücke). Connections with Westbahnhof and the Gürtel stations.

Wien Westbahnhof

» U-Bahn U6 runs along the Gürtel, U3 to Stephansplatz (for Stephansdom) via Herrengasse (for the Hofburg).

Getting Around Vienna

U-Bahn

The U-Bahn is a quick, efficient and inexpensive way of getting around the city. There are five lines: U1 to U4 and U6 (there is no U5). Stations have lifts as well as escalators. Platforms have timetable information and signs showing the exits and nearby facilities.

The U-Bahn runs all night on Friday and Saturday; it runs from approximately 5am to 12.30am other days of the week.

Tram

There’s something romantic and just plain good about travelling by tram, even though they’re slower than the U-Bahn. Vienna’s tram network is extensive and it’s the perfect way to view the city on the cheap. Trams are either numbered or lettered (eg 1, 2, D) and services cover the city centre and some suburbs.

Bus

Bus connections can be useful for outlying parts of town or for travellers with limited physical mobility. Some services are very limited or nonexistent at night and on weekends. U-Bahn and tram services get you close to most sights, especially in the centre and fringing Vorstadt areas (ie between the Ringstrasse and Gürtel).

Regular buses 13A runs north–south through the Vorstädte between Hauptbahn­hof and Alser Strasse. 2A connects Schwarzenbergplatz, Stephansplatz, Schwedenplatz and Michaelerplatz. 3A connects Börsenplatz and Schottentor with Stephansplatz and Stubentor.

Night buses Nightline routes cover much of the city and run every half-hour from 12.30am to 5am. Note that on early Saturday and Sunday mornings (eg after midnight Friday and Saturday) the U-Bahn runs all night. Schwedenplatz, Schottentor and Kärntner Ring/Oper are stopping points for many night bus services; look for buses and bus stops marked with an ‘N’. All transport tickets are valid for Nightline services. N25 runs around the Ringstrasse then via Schwedenplatz, Leopoldstadt to Kagraner Platz and beyond weekdays.

Bicycle

Vienna is a fabulous place to get around by bike. Bicycles can be carried free of charge on carriages marked with a bike symbol on the S-Bahn and U-Bahn from 9am to 3pm and after 6.30pm Monday to Friday, after 9am Saturday and all day Sunday. It’s not possible to take bikes on trams and buses. The city also runs a City Bike program, with bike stands scattered throughout the city.

S-Bahn

S-Bahn trains, designated by a number preceded by an ‘S’, operate from train stations and service the suburbs or satellite towns. If you’re travelling outside of Vienna, and outside of the ticket zone, you’ll probably have to purchase an extension on your standard Vienna transport ticket or buy a ticket from a machine at the station; check on maps posted in train stations.

Taxi

Taxis are reliable and relatively cheap by Western European standards. City journeys are metered; the minimum charge is roughly €3.80 from 6am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and €4.30 any other time, plus a small per kilometre fee. A telephone reservation costs an additional €2.80. A small tip of 10% is expected.

Taxis are easily found at train stations and taxi stands all over the city, or just flag them down in the street. To order one, call 140 100 or 60 160. These accept common credit and debit cards (check before hopping in, though).

Car & Motorcycle

Driving

You may consider hiring a car to see some of the sights but in Vienna itself it’s best to stick with the excellent public transport system.

Hire

Car-hire rates start at around €80 per day and all the big names in car hire are present in Vienna (and have desks at the airport). A couple of major companies in the city include:

Europcar ( 866 16 1633; www.europcar.at; Schubertring 9; 7.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-1pm Sat, 8am-noon Sun)

Hertz ( 512 8677; www.hertz.at; 01, Kärntner Ring 17; 7.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm Sat & Sun)

Megadrive ( 05 01 05 4124; www.megadrive.at; 03, Erdbergstrasse 202; 7am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8am-2pm Sat, 8am-1pm Sun; Erdberg)